My hunting partners and I skin and butcher our deer while they hang from a tree near our camper. We rinse off the meat and double bag them in new ice bags. We layer the bags with clean ice and they stay iced until ready to be trimmed and portioned for the freezer. We let the water drain and add ice as needed.
At home I rewash my venison, and re-bag it with a Food Saver when I can get to it, anywhere from 4 to 8 days after shooting it. If I need more ground I go ahead and grind some and package before freezing. This has worked well for me.
Opinions differ about aging venison. Several butchers have told me deer meet has less moisture in it than beef and aging does little for deer.
It sounds like you are on the right track.
Last edited by EDSKI; 12/31/14 05:51 PM.
