I will say that at least your friends are aging their deer correctly. The only way to properly age an animal is in the controlled atmosphere of a cooler. I have felt that it is the enzymes within the meat itself that would help to breakdown the cells, I've never heard it said that it was enzymes in the hide. I find this hard to believe for two reasons: 1) If this was true, then the cattle industry would surely leave the hides on the animals after slaughter (they don't) 2) If it was the hide that cause the breakdown, then only the outside of the meat would be tenderized.

    In my opinion, the benefit of leaving the hide on is to reduce the moisture loss within the meat. We require our customers to either bring their deer with the hide on or to freeze it once it has been skinned.

This can be tested by putting two pieces of meat on separate plates in your refrigerator overnight. Cover one with plastic wrap and leave the other uncovered. I have to believe you will see a noticeable difference in the purge of the two the next day.

    The question I have when it comes to aging of venison, is whether it is necessary with the animals we are harvesting today? Most of the deer harvested today are fed as well or better than domestic livestock.

Even in states that don't allow baiting/feeding there is considerably more food available than 100 years ago. i.e, golf courses, landscaping, highways shoulders, farms, parks, etc. I feel most deer today spend little time browsing on wild foods as there is a plethora of domestic foods available. Therefore they are walking less and eating better than their ancestors. Actually it reminds me of cattle in a feed lot. 

    Ruth and I have used at least two or three deer a year for the past 20+ years. Some I cut up the day after I shot them and some ended up hanging in the cooler for up to two weeks. The funny part is that neither one of us feels that there was a noticeable difference in the eating quality either way.

    The bottom line in my opinion is that as long as you use a cooler, aging does not seem to help or hurt anything. Do it the way you prefer, just don't try aging by hanging it in a tree or the garage!

    Thanks for visting,

Dave