You obviously know nothing about caring for meat or processing

THIS^^^^

The two I’m referring to were 4 and 5 years old.

You need to let the blood drain out. We put in Refrig for a week or so and keep the blood washed out of it. If kept in a cooler with ice, put in plastic bags. You have to let the lactic acid get out of the meat to remove the wild taste from it. This is what causes the whang of deer. That many people don't like. Meat is any kind is a lot better when allowed to hang 10 to 14 days in a walkin.

There is a guy on Pensacola Fishing Forum who said you can shoot your deer and bring it to him and he will clean it and age in walk in cooler for 2 weeks for $50. Problem is he is located in Gulf Breeze.

Me neither. I only ice down to buy time if I have a delay going to processor or am processing myself and cool the carcass. If I'm able to get right to processor I just go. I have a friend that likes to do the ice water and salt deal for 3 days. He lets the meat soak and drains in morning. Uses a whole container of salt each of 3 days. I never understood that because a processor told me water is your enemy. You want to cool the carcass but the water creates nasty brown gray meat. This processor told me to keep meat on ice with drain open or drain every morning and evening. He was against soaking in salt and water and ice. He advised to Ice and drain every morning and evening to keep meat out of water.

As far as meat tenderness, If a deer is not ancient I want steaks cut from it. If it's very old, I only butterfly the tenderloins and backstraps. Everything else is for burger and sausage. I just got a FL deer that was collecting social security. He only had 4 lower front teeth he was so old. Had the processor do bacon burger, jalapeño and cheese, and cheese and garlic sausage with hams, shoulder, neck, ribs etc. I only asked to butterfly the tenderloins and backstraps. I hate tough steak from an old deer.

I aged my last 1 in my drink fridge in the garage for 2 weeks....worked really well.
If I use a processor I get them to hang it for 3 weeks.

Got a old frig..going to hang the meat at about 35 degrees for 7 to 14 days and sample it along the way..

The only 'whang' that I've ever tasted in venison is when stomach contents come in contact with the meat. That stuff can't be removed other than by cutting/trimming the affected meat. The whole aging thing is a waste of time to me and I've been eating venison pretty regularly since the late 70s.

I killed a 6yr old last year during the rut and it tasted great. It was hung for about two weeks. I firmly believe in the hanging. The last meat i got that was terrible i soaked in a cooler for two days quartered, because i killed it late the day before thanksgiving. Took it to the processor in a cooler, it sucked. Ill never soak another deer. Ive killed some that smelled like an old billy goat, they were all good to eat. To me, the processor is the key, and hang the deer. Dont they hang beef and hogs when they kill them? Why would a deer be any different.

See buzzards following that truck in my mind! I talked to the local processor one time and he said people brought deer in like that all the time. They would tell them they shouldn't eat it, but the guy would still insist they process it.
Then they wonder why the deer taste like sht!

Yeah, i gut em while theyre still hot, and get them to the processor real quick like, that helps too.

One processor I used to use would only take quartered deer in cooler(out of business now), now just take them and pay the fees, The question I got is how much better is it for the overall process as jwalker77 just said "gut em while there still hot and get them to the processor"?

When I can’t get mine to the processor (which is not a lot but does happen) I learned to get gallon jugs of frozen water and put the meat on top of those. Keeps them cool in a cooler and won’t deal with all of the free floating water. Has worked like a charm for me. Don’t have to worry about draining it every morning and refilling with ice. In a good cooler (igloo max or yeti) the gallons will stay frozen 4-6 days.

LOL

Well, I hung the old buck meat in the old frig for two wks. What was tuff as hell is now tender and delicious, tenderloin cuts with a fork. I processed one ham and I'm going to let the other hang for another wk.

luckily I hav access to a walk-in cooler, if not I like to leave mine in a cooler with ice and drain the water daily for 3-4 days.

Dry aging is the best way. Anywhere from two weeks to a month. Trim off the mold and eat it rare.

You ever heard of a high end steak house offering a ribeye soaked in a cooler of ice water for a week?
Hell no. They dry age it for a month.

The entire "put it in a cooler with ice and salt for a week" thing just completely baffles me.

But, to each his own.

“How to ruin a piece of venison “

Soak in ice water for a week.
Marinate in Italian dressing.
Stuff with cream cheese and jalapeños.
Wrap in bacon.
Grill to medium.

Now you’ve got a tasteless piece of vension that has a strong flavor of Italian dressing, cream cheese, jalapeño, and bacon...