How to Keep Venison Fresh For the Butcher
From your Hunting/Shooting Guide

There's absolutely no reason to let your deer go to waste. Here are some pointers on keeping your venison fresh until it can be processed.

Difficulty Level: Easy

1. Place a layer of ice in a cooler (a forty-eight-quart cooler will hold a deer of up to 140 pounds or so, live weight).
2. After dressing and skinning your deer, quarter it (see Tips for more on quartering).
3. Immediately after removing each portion, bag it (kitchen garbage bags work great for this) and place it in a cooler over the initial layer of ice.
4. Place a layer of ice, then more meat, until you're done.
5. If you'll be camping for several days before butchering or processing the meat, check the ice and replenish as necessary.
   

Tips:

1. When quartering, separate each leg, the neck, and the ribs from the spine. Then trim out the backstraps and tenderloins from the spine. On many deer, this leaves nothing useful on the spine, which can then be discarded.
2. Place larger portions in one bag; smaller portions may share a bag.
3. Keep the drain plug on your cooler(s) open. This allows melted ice to drain, preventing it from damaging the meat.

Related Information:

• How to Field Dress a Deer
  

More How To's from your Guide to Hunting/Shooting