How long can a deer hang at 55 degrees?
As a general rule, you shouldn't hang deer at temperatures over 50℉ at, while hanging at 40–50℉ should be limited to a few hours, overnight at most. Nope, this isn't ideal for any length of time.
Due to radiant heating, meat exposed to bright sunlight will spoil faster than meat kept in the shade. Any time the environmental temperature is 40 F or warmer, spoilage is a major concern.
Longer hanging times will allow the deer's natural enzymes and acids to break down and tenderize the meat and give it a smoother, less “gamey” flavor. An optimal temperature to hang deer meat at should be temperature above freezing but below 40 degrees F.
According to Dr. Cutter, when temperatures are above 40 degrees F, bacteria grow rapidly once the deer is dead, and the higher the temperature the faster the growth. “If it's cold weather, and it's a clean shot, you might be able to do fine,” she said.
The proper aging temperature range is between 32° F and 36° F; never higher than 40° F. Deer should not be aged any longer than 2 weeks. Hold the carcass at 40° F or less, but avoid freezing the carcass before rigor to avoid toughening the meat.
Skin It. In September or early October, it never hurts to skin a deer as quickly as possible so the meat will begin to cool down. This is a must if you don't have access to cold storage and intend to hang your deer in the shade of a tree. To do this, the air temperature needs to be 40 degrees or cooler at night.
All refrigerated food should remain beneath 40 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent bacteria build up. Once the temperature exceeds this point, your food begins to run the risk of contamination. The most vulnerable food products in your fridge are those with high water content such as dairy, meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood.
For venison, optimum conditions are above freezing but below 42 degrees. Then, duration depends largely on personal preference, but 5-7 days is not too long.
If a perishable food (such as meat or poultry) has been left out at room temperature overnight (more than two hours) it may not be safe. Discard it, even though it may look and smell good. Never taste a food to see if it is spoiled. Use a food thermometer to verify temperatures.
For one, their bodies store extra fat to provide insulation and help them through the cold months ahead. In addition, they grow an extremely dense undercoat with hollow “guard hairs” that provide exceptional insultation. Thanks to these adaptions, deer can survive in temperatures up to 30 degrees below zero.
How long can you hang deer what temp?
Our rule of thumb is that if you are hanging your deer you want to keep an eye on the temperature. A temperature in the middle 40's is good. For most hunters, you should be able to safely allow your deer to hang for roughly 24 hours or so to allow for the rigor mortis process to take place.
Believe it, Deer Antlers Shrink!
In most cases of a Boone-and-Crockett class typical (170 inches or more), the rack won't shrink more than 1 or 2 inches from when it is “green” dry until it is considered completely dry.