How long will a deer keep?

[Lloyd90]

Shot a Roe buck on 14th April.

Skinned and put straight in fridge. Dropped to butchers on the 15th April to be turned into sausages and burgers.

Taken bloody ages, they are supposed to be doing it today 26 days after shooting.

Obviously it has been stored in a proper butcher’s fridge / area for this time (I think they vacuum pack it).

Is this alright? How long would it keep for? I know some meet can be dry / wet aged for several weeks
so not overly worried but just wondering.

 

[Jon P]

Limited fat on a deer to go rancid- if kept in a professional chiller there should be no issues. However it does sound a long time.

 

[Lloyd90]

Phoned and it’s been turned into burgers and sausage today.

They took ages last time too but the end result was lovely burgers and sausages that everyone enjoyed.

Even me. When I tried to mince a roe myself it was awful

 

[Lloyd90]

Can’t go wrong!

 

[fallow me]

An estate i shoot on often leave roe in there chiller for up to 8 weeks, the meat is almost black before they process it , apparently it makes it very tender

 

[Lloyd90]

An estate i shoot on often leave roe in there chiller for up to 8 weeks, the meat is almost black before they process it , apparently it makes it very tender

Should be sound then

 

[Utectok]

About 40 degree days I’ve always been told is the maximum

 

[Dunwaters]

I once put a turkey into a freezer.
It was stone dead the next day.
Boom boom!

 

[Tim.243]

An estate i shoot on often leave roe in there chiller for up to 8 weeks, the meat is almost black before they process it , apparently it makes it very tender

With big concerns the cost of running units is small fry to the overall scheme of things also if they have enough deer and "in season" all year then they will be left on.
Just done a muntjac buck shot 3 days ago but would not leave it for 8 weeks spinning my meter around!

 

[Lloyd90]

Worked out well!

 

[VSS]

Worked out well!

Tell us again in the morning

 

[south-nofolk-stalker]

i personally hang mine 28 days, got a roe in the larder now that’s that age and I’m going to butcher it tomorrow.

 

[Mungo]

I’m astonished at how long people hang them. I find anything over about 10 days starts to taste noticeably worse.

 

[Pete6.5]

I’m astonished at how long people hang them. I find anything over about 10 days starts to taste noticeably worse.

What temp do you hang them at? And a head shot well bled deer hangs better.

 

[south-nofolk-stalker]

I’m astonished at how long people hang them. I find anything over about 10 days starts to taste noticeably worse.

That depends totally on how cold you store them,
1-2° in the skin absolutely fine!

 

[Lloyd90]

Tell us again in the morning

Well I lived

 

[Mungo]

What temp do you hang them at? And a head shot well bled deer hangs better.

3 degrees.

Head shot, chest shot whatever. I don’t like the taste after 10-11 days.

 

[Robinson]

The thumbs rule here in Norway is 40/days/degree . Meaning if stored in 10+ C it can and must be stored in 4 days. 1+ C will mean 40 days storage. Depends on the temperature. That said, I think its a crying shame to turn an entire roe buck in to sausages and burgers ...

 

[HonestJohn]

The thumbs rule here in Norway is 40/days/degree . Meaning if stored in 10+ C it can and must be stored in 4 days. 1+ C will mean 40 days storage. Depends on the temperature. That said, I think its a crying shame to turn an entire roe buck in to sausages and burgers ...

Agreed, it would be the last two things I’d make from venison

 

[Heym SR20]

3 degrees.

Head shot, chest shot whatever. I don’t like the taste after 10-11 days.

And I am not a fan of really aged beef either - I think tastes wrotten.

A few days is ideal.