Michelle,

    There is no problem with freezing the whole leg and then defrosting it, cutting, and re-freezing the pieces. In our business we reach capacity by the third or forth day of the gun season and request that our customers do this. The only negative in freezing and re-freezing is moisture loss. So in order to minimize this, we recommend that you double wrap the venison that you are going to freeze.  

    The best way of that we have found, is to use freezer bags, force all the air out that you can, and then overwrap with waxed freezer paper. If the pieces are too large for freezer bags wrap them fully with Saran wrap (It's easiest with two people), and then the freezer paper. If you want even more barrier, put the wrapped pieces in plastic bags after they're wrapped.

    In order to minimize the purge when you're ready to cut the primal be sure to defrost slowly by placing it in your refrigerator for a couple of days. Don't defrost at room temperature.   

    It's funny that you asked this right now as we happen to have a whole skinned out deer in the freezer that we will be defrosting and cutting for a seminar in November. We wrapped it several times with a roll of Saran wrap and then bagged it whole in a 50 gallon contractors plastic bag. We've done deer that were frozen this way before with no adverse affects.

 

Thanks for visiting our website.

 

Dave & Ruth