Will a deer be good in 60 degree weather?
There are literally millions of deer tagged annually when the temperatures are above 60 and many folks spend hours getting the deer out of the field before processing. As long as your hunts do not take significantly longer than normal the meat should be fine!
If the air temperature is 50 degrees, we have three to six hours to recover a deer after it dies. If the temperature is higher, or the animal has elevated its temperature by running hard, then the safe time available for recovery is shorter.
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.
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.
Spoiled venison will feel wet and slimy to the touch. Good venison will be damp but not slippery to the touch.
Above 40℉, bacterial growth can happen too fast, which can lead to meat spoilage. Temperatures warmer than 40℉ are possible but far from ideal. 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.
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.
For whole pieces of meat like steaks and roasts, you've got 3-5 days of freshness if you refrigerate. If frozen, that extends to 9-12 months. Some say that frozen venison will keep in your freezer for up to 2 years. Ground meat and sausages will keep well 1-2 days in the refrigerator and 2-3 months in the freezer.
Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
What weather is best for deer?
During the day, when temperatures are warmer, deer will often halt their movement and bed down for the day. In contrast, cooler temperatures will sometimes allow for more movement. Deer are generally most active around dawn and dusk, which makes sense.
In early season, you will see scrape activity begin or increase on days that have lows in the 40-degree range or less for 3 or more consecutive days. 5. Days after two or more consecutive hard frosts (27 degrees or lower) will see an increase in feeding and browsing, especially on food plots. 6.
Cool weather makes deer more comfortable, just like it puts a skip in your step.”
References
- https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/big-buck-zone/2011/09/seven-things-know-about-temperature-and-deer-activity/
- https://www.ehow.com/how_7289755_detect-spoilage-venison.html
- https://www.themeateater.com/wired-to-hunt/whitetail-hunting/does-temperature-affect-deer-movement
- https://www.growingdeer.tv/ask/how-long-before-a-deer-will-begin-to-spoil-at-60-degrees/
- https://www.mossyoak.com/our-obsession/blogs/deer/venison-care-how-long-to-hang-your-deer
- https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents/VenisonWarmWeather.pdf
- https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/cooking-venison-flavor-and-safety
- https://okcfox.com/weather/fox-25-weather-wise/deer-hunters-the-weather-you-need-to-bag-that-big-buck-this-year
- https://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/content/articles/how-venison-spoils
- https://targetcrazy.com/temperature-to-hang-deer
- https://blog.lemproducts.com/5-frequently-asked-questions-of-meat-processing/
- https://bobbex.com/deer-in-winter-how-they-survive/
- https://www.realtree.com/brow-tines-and-backstrap/it-s-hot-you-shot-a-deer-now-what