- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
First time field dressing by myself
Posted on 12/26/10 at 10:53 pm
Posted on 12/26/10 at 10:53 pm
I just started back deer hunting this season after about a 6 year hiatus. I went this afternoon and didn't really see much, but I'm hoping to get one tomorrow.
Anyway, my experience in field dressing a deer comes with watching my father doing it when I was younger. I "learned" how to do it but always had his assistance and I have forgotten a lot of the little pointers. I am used to cleaning ducks/doves so cleaning animals doesn't bother me, but I don't want to ruin any of the meat.
I watched this video a few times and this guy makes it look pretty easy youtube vid here. I have a good knife and gut hook already.
Should I be worried about fricking this up or will I be ok?
Thanks a lot guys
Anyway, my experience in field dressing a deer comes with watching my father doing it when I was younger. I "learned" how to do it but always had his assistance and I have forgotten a lot of the little pointers. I am used to cleaning ducks/doves so cleaning animals doesn't bother me, but I don't want to ruin any of the meat.
I watched this video a few times and this guy makes it look pretty easy youtube vid here. I have a good knife and gut hook already.
Should I be worried about fricking this up or will I be ok?
Thanks a lot guys
5
Posted on 12/26/10 at 10:58 pm to VolFanKT11
Like riding a bike man. Don't worry about it at all.
Posted on 12/26/10 at 11:02 pm to VolFanKT11
I have posted it before but the outdoor edge review of processing is great. It wil take you through everything from initally field dressing the animal to final proessing of sausage making.
As far as basic field dressing here is what I carry and do in summary:
1 pair field dressing gloves
2 two knives a large droppoint and a smaller straight point with a partially serrated edge and a gerber gut hook (just got a swingblade for xmas though so soon to be just one knife.)
3 a bone saw (a cheap limb saw will do)
4 A small length of pakaging wire (used to tie kids toys to the boxes.) for ataching your tag to the deer.
5 a gambrel and a simple block and tackle and a scale
6 a hatlight or headlamp (it sucks trying to hold a flashlight while dressing one out.)
7 a hand towel and bottle of water to wash my hands afterward and keep the steering wheel clean.
kneel down on one knee near the head of the animal with leg closest to the head slightly on the neck and the other leg up entraping the front leg of the animal behind your knee. Feel down to the end of the chest bone and make a small incision upward toward the chest just under the sternum. Using some form of a gut hook lift that small incision and cut the skin up to the top of the chest. Use the saw facing upward to split the ribs up to the base of the neck. change positions to the rear leg with your knees as before now holding the rear leg. Now split the skin from the intial incision down to the anus using the gut hook again and cut around the anus using the small knife. Now the deer is exposed from top of the lungs down to the pelvis. Cut the muscles on the pelvis down to the bone and then split the pelvis with the saw being careful to not cut the colon with the saw. Turn the deer on its side and let the intestines and stomach fall out. Now reach up to the esophagus and cut it and the larynx free at the neck while pinching the section still attached to the guts closed with your hand. While lifting that pinched hand in the air pull toward the anus and the lungs and heart should pull free. You may have to cut around the diaphragm some to get it lose. the attachement of the intestines to the abdominal wall is near the spine and you should be able to pull it free without having to cut. At this point everythng should be out except the anus pull it toward the head of the animal to remove. You may still need to cut around it slightly if you did not do a good job initally.
Now use a stick or a premade rib spreader to keep the ribs spread and stuff the cavity with an 80lb bag of ice (if air temp is above freezing) if you dont intend to process it further yourself. Or brign it to the processor afte field dressing and skip the ice if you can get it there fairly quickly.
The video you posted was good but I like to do a few things differently.
I like to open the chest to cool the animal better and have better vizualization and more working room when I cut the esophagus. I also like to make the inital incision upward toward the chest as there is no chance of puncturing the intestines. And I like to cut around the anus nearly last in case I puncutre it the intestinal juices are not in the cavity as long.
Of course I then go ahead and hang it up and skin it out and then qtr it. If you have a way to hang it up (head down) skinning it really is not that much more work since you are bloody anyway.
Good luck
As far as basic field dressing here is what I carry and do in summary:
1 pair field dressing gloves
2 two knives a large droppoint and a smaller straight point with a partially serrated edge and a gerber gut hook (just got a swingblade for xmas though so soon to be just one knife.)
3 a bone saw (a cheap limb saw will do)
4 A small length of pakaging wire (used to tie kids toys to the boxes.) for ataching your tag to the deer.
5 a gambrel and a simple block and tackle and a scale
6 a hatlight or headlamp (it sucks trying to hold a flashlight while dressing one out.)
7 a hand towel and bottle of water to wash my hands afterward and keep the steering wheel clean.
kneel down on one knee near the head of the animal with leg closest to the head slightly on the neck and the other leg up entraping the front leg of the animal behind your knee. Feel down to the end of the chest bone and make a small incision upward toward the chest just under the sternum. Using some form of a gut hook lift that small incision and cut the skin up to the top of the chest. Use the saw facing upward to split the ribs up to the base of the neck. change positions to the rear leg with your knees as before now holding the rear leg. Now split the skin from the intial incision down to the anus using the gut hook again and cut around the anus using the small knife. Now the deer is exposed from top of the lungs down to the pelvis. Cut the muscles on the pelvis down to the bone and then split the pelvis with the saw being careful to not cut the colon with the saw. Turn the deer on its side and let the intestines and stomach fall out. Now reach up to the esophagus and cut it and the larynx free at the neck while pinching the section still attached to the guts closed with your hand. While lifting that pinched hand in the air pull toward the anus and the lungs and heart should pull free. You may have to cut around the diaphragm some to get it lose. the attachement of the intestines to the abdominal wall is near the spine and you should be able to pull it free without having to cut. At this point everythng should be out except the anus pull it toward the head of the animal to remove. You may still need to cut around it slightly if you did not do a good job initally.
Now use a stick or a premade rib spreader to keep the ribs spread and stuff the cavity with an 80lb bag of ice (if air temp is above freezing) if you dont intend to process it further yourself. Or brign it to the processor afte field dressing and skip the ice if you can get it there fairly quickly.
The video you posted was good but I like to do a few things differently.
I like to open the chest to cool the animal better and have better vizualization and more working room when I cut the esophagus. I also like to make the inital incision upward toward the chest as there is no chance of puncturing the intestines. And I like to cut around the anus nearly last in case I puncutre it the intestinal juices are not in the cavity as long.
Of course I then go ahead and hang it up and skin it out and then qtr it. If you have a way to hang it up (head down) skinning it really is not that much more work since you are bloody anyway.
Good luck
This post was edited on 12/27/10 at 1:01 am
Posted on 12/26/10 at 11:04 pm to VolFanKT11
He showed you everything you need to know basically. Do that and you'll be fine.
Posted on 12/27/10 at 4:21 am to faxis
When it's cold outside and you will have the skin off within 3 hrs why field dress it? Maybe if it's gut shot or warm and it's gonna be a while before you can skin.
The yankees are big on field dressing deer because of the misbelief the deer will ruin with the guts in them but they will leave a deer over night before looking for it.
The yankees are big on field dressing deer because of the misbelief the deer will ruin with the guts in them but they will leave a deer over night before looking for it.
Posted on 12/27/10 at 5:08 am to offshoretrash
I never field dress a deer. I always get it back home or to the camp where I can handle it in a clean environment before skinning and gutting. As a couple other posters have stated, unless it is very hot and you are leaving it a long time, you will not ruin or spoil the meat.It is better to keep the skin on and cavity unopened to keep the dirt, flies, etc out until you can handle it properly.
Posted on 12/27/10 at 10:42 am to jimbeaux82
To each his own, but I can assure you that ruptured intestine due to a poorly placed bullet, bullet fragmentation, or simply postmortum necrosis will indeed taint your meat. The field dressing process takes 10 min to do, leaves the guts in the field so you dont have to dispose of them later, and done correctly does not introduce dirt to the meat. If you are worried about dirt and flies you can go ahead and put the deer in a game bag after the fiedl dressing.
I wonder if the desire not to field and the belief that it doesnt change the meat, is what motivates so many to soak their venison in a mutitude of concoctions to "get out the gamey falvor" prior to cooking???
I wonder if the desire not to field and the belief that it doesnt change the meat, is what motivates so many to soak their venison in a mutitude of concoctions to "get out the gamey falvor" prior to cooking???
Posted on 12/27/10 at 10:49 am to Bleeding purple
Personally i prefer to hang the deer at the camp where it can be washed of mud etc prior to skinning and opening the chest cavity. I start by removing the front legs at the knee joint then I skin down each rear leg to just past the tendon. Hang with a spreader and start skinning down. I don't open the chest cavity till the animal is completely skinned. I put a tub underneath and just let the guts roll into the tub. I also don't hunt more than 20 minute four wheeler/mud boat ride from a camp. I have only dropped the guts on one deer in the field and that was because I had a 600+ yd drag ahead of me. Marsh hunting can be a bitch 
Posted on 12/27/10 at 10:52 am to bayoudude
quote:+1
Personally i prefer to hang the deer at the camp where it can be washed of mud etc prior to skinning and opening the chest cavity. I start by removing the front legs at the knee joint then I skin down each rear leg to just past the tendon. Hang with a spreader and start skinning down. I don't open the chest cavity till the animal is completely skinned. I put a tub underneath and just let the guts roll into the tub.
ETA: I've never field dressed a deer
This post was edited on 12/27/10 at 10:53 am
Posted on 12/27/10 at 10:57 am to mylsuhat
I dont even gut them anymore (unless it will be more than an hour or so till I can clean it)
Hang em up, skin them, cut the front shoulders off, pull the back straps out, make a small cut in the belly and pull the tenderloins out, cut the hind quarters off, dispose of the carcus with the guts
Hang em up, skin them, cut the front shoulders off, pull the back straps out, make a small cut in the belly and pull the tenderloins out, cut the hind quarters off, dispose of the carcus with the guts
Posted on 12/27/10 at 10:58 am to mylsuhat
It just doesn't make sense to do that down here. Especially since most people hunt at camps and aren't hiking miles into a national forest.
Posted on 12/27/10 at 10:59 am to VolFanKT11
I've never field dressed a deer and don't even gut them when processing.
Posted on 12/27/10 at 11:02 am to yellowfin
quote:
I've never field dressed a deer and don't even gut them when processing.
I am still curious on your tenderloin removal procedure.
Posted on 12/27/10 at 11:06 am to bayoudude
quote:
I am still curious on your tenderloin removal procedure.
If you're looking at the spine where you just cut out the backstrap I cut on each side of the backbone and just reach in with my hand and pull it out. It can also be done by making a small cut on the belly.
Posted on 12/27/10 at 11:14 am to yellowfin
If you are going to be skinning and processing within an hour it really doesnt matter where you do it. I would venture to guess that a few hunters would accidentally rupture into the abdominal cavity when skinning and that even more would fail to remove the tenderloins if the guts are left intact though. Field dressing also makes the deer lighter for liftng on the 4 wheeler or in the truck by yourself.
For the record, my lease has no camp and is only 5 miles from my house but there are no good trees to hang one up from in the back yard and my neigbors wouldnt like me skining one out in the front yard. Then I would have to go back to the lease to dispose of the carcass and guts.
For the record, my lease has no camp and is only 5 miles from my house but there are no good trees to hang one up from in the back yard and my neigbors wouldnt like me skining one out in the front yard. Then I would have to go back to the lease to dispose of the carcass and guts.
Posted on 12/27/10 at 11:32 am to Bleeding purple
when field dressin do yall just leave the guts in the field or bag em and toss em somewhere?
Posted on 12/27/10 at 11:33 am to Ash Williams
I leave them in the field and the predators, hogs, and vultures dispose of them within the next 12 hours.
Posted on 12/27/10 at 11:35 am to Bleeding purple
quote:
I leave them in the field and the predators, hogs, and vultures dispose of them within the next 12 hours.
i guess that was my concern, in that if i were to hunt a lease with other guys and a couple days after a field dressing someone tried to hunt that same area and the guts were still around would it scare off the deer.
but yea, i figured the rest of gods creatures would dispose of the guts
Posted on 12/27/10 at 11:48 am to Ash Williams
I usually drag it off to the edge of the field and off of any game trails. If you have hogs they will treat the area like a mineral dump and rut up the ground going after teh blood.
FWIW Buddy of mine shot a buck last year 6 ft away from where I field dressed a doe the day before. pre rut.
FWIW Buddy of mine shot a buck last year 6 ft away from where I field dressed a doe the day before. pre rut.
Posted on 12/27/10 at 11:50 am to VolFanKT11
Hell, I rarely deer hunt anymore, but when I did, I almost was always a healthy walk in to public land.
So I dressed them.
I usually just laid deer on his back, cut a patch of hair off belly, then GENTLY cut the inside of the belly and inserted two fingers to lift off of gut....ran knife up to sternum and down to pelvis.
Then straddled the deer neck and inserted knife at sternum, and ripped open. Never used a saw to do this.
Then I trimmed diaphragm all the way around, then grabbed trachea and espophagus with one hand and cut with the other. Then I would pull out the guts rolling deer on side. Then carefully remove the lower end of intestine, trying not to rupture it.
I then turned deer belly down and spread legs out to let remaining blood in cavity drain.
Of course as all the posters have said, if you are going to be chunking it on a fourwheeler and taking to a camp, why worry about it. Just do it at the camp and haul the guts off with carcass, or do the no gut method...I think I can finally visualize how to get the sweetmeat out
So I dressed them.
I usually just laid deer on his back, cut a patch of hair off belly, then GENTLY cut the inside of the belly and inserted two fingers to lift off of gut....ran knife up to sternum and down to pelvis.
Then straddled the deer neck and inserted knife at sternum, and ripped open. Never used a saw to do this.
Then I trimmed diaphragm all the way around, then grabbed trachea and espophagus with one hand and cut with the other. Then I would pull out the guts rolling deer on side. Then carefully remove the lower end of intestine, trying not to rupture it.
I then turned deer belly down and spread legs out to let remaining blood in cavity drain.
Of course as all the posters have said, if you are going to be chunking it on a fourwheeler and taking to a camp, why worry about it. Just do it at the camp and haul the guts off with carcass, or do the no gut method...I think I can finally visualize how to get the sweetmeat out
Page 1 of 2
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News