Field dressing

[Boltshooter]

I have a little trouble splitting the pelvic bone sometimes when I gut out my deer. Things get messy sometimes. Any tips?

[Woody Williams]

I have a little trouble splitting the pelvic bone sometimes when I gut out my deer. Things get messy sometimes. Any tips?

Yeah... don't split it.

I just ream around the anus and pull the whole mess through when I pull the guts out..

[GaryL]

Stand on both hind legs, split with a small axe....

[Woody Williams]

FIELD DRESSING DEER

Most "strong-tasting" venison is caused by one thing, improper handling of the deer once it is dead. Most hunters are not aware that once the deer is dead it is no longer just a deer, but is now "meat."

How that meat is handled determines whether it will be gourmet food or dinners for the dog.

Heat is the number one spoiler of meat. Therefore, it is necessary to cool the carcass quickly by immediately field dressing the deer. This is not too difficult of a task if done properly. After making sure the animal is dead you:

** Tag your animal and above all TAKE YOUR TIME

** If it is a bow killed deer, be cautious if you do not know where the broadhead is.

**Roll the animal onto its back.

**Starting at the sternum or breastbone, cut carefully towards the pelvis through the skin and thin wall of the body cavity. By inserting two fingers in the cut that will slide just ahead of and on each side of the knife blade, you can prevent puncturing the stomach or intestines.

**If your animal is a buck, make cuts on both sides of his spam all the way back to his anus. This will free the urine track. You may leave this attached to prevent any urinal flow that may contaminate the meat. If your animal is a doe, simply cutting away the milk glands is sufficient.

**Insert the tip of your knife next to the anus and cut completely around the anus. This will free up the end of the intestines.

**Rolling the deer onto each of its sides, you can then reach in to cut around the edges of the diaphragm.

**You then cut the ribs off to the side of the breastbone by pulling up on your knife. Be careful how far you cut if you are planning on mounting your trophy. NEVER pull the knife towards you.

**Reach up into the chest cavity and grasp the windpipe. Cut the windpipe in two ahead of where you are holding. Once the windpipe has been cut, start pulling on it towards the rear of the deer. You might have to use your knife to help free the organs as you pull.

**After pulling the organs free, turn the animal over on its belly and elevate the head if possible to allow drainage of blood.

**.If the weather is warm, the deer needs to be hung in a controlled temperature cooler or butchered immediately. If the weather is cool (no more than 45øF) the deer can be hung and aged for up to a week out of the sun.

**.The deer should be hung in a garage or shed to provide shade and keep the neighbor's dog away. A game bag and/or a liberal dose of pepper will help keep away flies.

[wabi]

I field dress the deer according to where I kill (recover) it. If it's where I can get to it quickly with the landowner's tractor, or a 4-wheeler I drag it to where I can load it in my truck, then field dress it. When I can do that I use a Gerber folding saw to split the pelvis. If I can't get it out very quickly, I use the cut around the anus method and don't split the pelvis. Much easier and cleaner to drag out that way.
One big tip for you, though. If you use the saw, do it yourself, and cut slowly and carefully. Don't let the landowner friend do it for you, especially if he has a bit of a "weak stomach" when it comes to sorting through a deers innards. He sawed right through the intestines on the one he helped me with. I learned a lesson on that one! Let him hold the light, and do it yourself!

[Boltshooter]

Great tips, guys. Anybody on here tan their own deerhides?

[wilsonj73]

Boltshooter,

Do as Woody suggested but if I can offer an additional piece of advice...

I always keep a couple of pieces of paracord with me. After reaming around the anus, tie off the anus with the cord. This prevents having feces enter the cavity or touching the meat. I sometimes also tie off the esophagus as it's possible to have leakage from that end as well.

I use a folding saw to cut the pelvis. I cut most of the way through (carefully) and then usually just pressure on both legs will allow the remainder to split open. Once it's split, I often cut the pelvis again to allow a good passage for the organs (anus, etc) to pass through as sometimes the bone is sharp and can also cut the organs.

Once you've done this, it's easy to pull the esophagus down, cut the diaphragm and pull the remainder down and out with little mess.

If you do happen to get urine or what have you on the meat, keep a small bottle of vinegar with you and use it to rinse the area affected and then rinse with water.

My buddy shot his first whitetail two years ago and leaked some urine while cutting the pelvis and the vinegar trick seemed to prevent any spoilage.

***********************************************************

If you just want to quarter it...

Cut the hide of the deer down the spine and skin it back from the back straps. Remove the straps.

Cut down the shoulder blades and remove the front quarters.

Cut down to the hip socket and remove the hind quarters.

Skin up to the head and cut off the head.

Essentially you'll be left the the boilerroom and abdomen left.

Make a small cut next to the spine into the abdominal cavity (with the deer on it's side) and insert your hand and feel along the spine and peel out the tenderloins by hand.

This leave very little for unclaimed meat and you've not really touched the innards.

We use this technique for packing game out on packboards and in areas where we have grizz around because opening the abdomen gives off the scent of the viscera which is a dinner bell to predators.

The last incision for the tenderloins allows you to finish and get out before sounding the bell.

Hope it helps for what it's worth.

Wilson

[axis]

Boltshooter,I do what Woody dose. Cut around butt hole and pull it through. Real easy.

Axis

[Adam]

last season during my first deer hunt i know one guy that was in the hunt took his old cold steel marine knife placed it on the deers pelvic bone, right in the middle and struck the back of the knife a couple times with a rock and it worked like a charm. i also tanned my own deer hides picked them up from a butcher and made my own tanning solution with pure battery acid, salt, and water. i also learned to tan with naptha, mastered that with squirrels/mink and it makes the skin so supple, after taking the hide out of the naptha after 1-2 days rinse very well and pick off remaining fat, wash in hot hot water with tide, makes it smell good and let it dry.

[Boltshooter]

last season during my first deer hunt i know one guy that was in the hunt took his old cold steel marine knife placed it on the deers pelvic bone, right in the middle and struck the back of the knife a couple times with a rock and it worked like a charm. i also tanned my own deer hides picked them up from a butcher and made my own tanning solution with pure battery acid, salt, and water. i also learned to tan with naptha, mastered that with squirrels/mink and it makes the skin so supple, after taking the hide out of the naptha after 1-2 days rinse very well and pick off remaining fat, wash in hot hot water with tide, makes it smell good and let it dry.

What ratio of battery acid to water and salt did you use Adam? Did you smoke your hide after tanning? (Battery acid is 40% sulfuric acid)

[Adam]

i cant exactly remeber the ratio ill lok it up but i bought a 70 lb bag of salt from TSC for 12$ i think the battry acid was 40$ for about 2 gallons from Battery Supply but they dont sell this stuff to anyone so im told my dad has an account setup there, they say people make explosives out of it.

[Boltshooter]

They sell it in the U.S., at least they did three years ago. (it was used for re-filling batteries, not making explosives )

[Adam]

i no its used for batteries but the guy at the counter told us that they dont sell to anyone and he has to record who bought it and how much, he claimed bombs were made with it. i no it would make a mess of someones paintjob

[DOXNUT]

I just use a small pocket saw, and cut it straight down. Once I'm done it just rolls out...................

[Boltshooter]

i no its used for batteries but the guy at the counter told us that they dont sell to anyone and he has to record who bought it and how much, he claimed bombs were made with it. i no it would make a mess of someones paintjob

I know it's normally used for filling batteries, I was just confirming that that's what I used it for