I base my opinion on several factors.

    1) Venison I've eaten.
        I have processed my own deer in as little as 12 hours from time of kill to as much as 14 days after the kill and Ruth and I both agree that we did not notice any difference in taste or tenderness. (Except the aged venison appears much drier when thawed out.)

    2) The age of most deer harvested today.
        The information I have seen published by most Game Departments indicates that the vast majority of deer harvested are 1.5 years old, with a few at 2.5 years, and very few older than that. My conclusion from that is that the vast majority are not old enough to fall into the "tough old deer"
category.

    3) The lifestyle of past deer compared to today's deer.
        The deer that our forefathers hunted were animals of the vast forests that existed prior to rampant logging. They lived much longer (less hunting pressure), and had to spend most of there time searching for forage.
They even migrated long distances to their winter "yards."  I would think it fair to say that the  quality of their food was also inferior compared to today.
    Today's deer have adapted to civilization and are found in urban, suburban, as well as rural areas. They do not have to spend the majority of their time searching for food (and toughening their muscles), as they have a plethora of food sources to call upon when hungry.
i.e. gardens, landscaping, golf courses, food plots, farmer's fields, road shoulders, automatic feeders, bird feeders, bait piles, etc.
    The nutritional value of the food they eat today is close to what they give to cattle in a feed lot, hence the quality of the meat will be improved over a forage based diet.
    Based on what I've read, the vast majority of today's deer spend their life in an area of a square mile or less. Thus they are not placing a lot of stress on their muscles by covering vast distances in search of food.

    4) "Aging" deer as handed down.
        I believe that most hunters that firmly hold to the aging of their deer do so because that's they way it was passed down to them from past generations. The problem that I have with that is that the weather today is not the same as experienced by our father's and grandfather's. I can personally attest to the fact that in the 60's I can remember hunting with my dad in sub zero temperatures. Within the past ten years I experienced an opening day here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that was in the mid 70's!
    When our forefathers "aged" deer they in fact did nothing more than have a frozen deer hanging until they decided to bring it inside to thaw so they could cut it.

    If you continue through our FAQ's you'll find that as time has gone on I have accepted the fact that some people really feel a  need to "age" their deer and that's ok as long as they do it right. The only right way being in a controlled environment of a cooler at temperatures of 32 - 36.

    Do I believe that it's necessary? No. But if someone feels it makes their eating experience better and the venison does not go to waste then by all means go for it!

Dave