isatarak

A question. Why would you cut through the pelvis? I've never seen that.

nosualc

Using a saw or hatchet or even a knife you cut the pelvic bone from the front to just above the anus. Once cut, you spread the deers rear legs apart, and the whole thing will "split", revealing the last few inches of rectum before the anus.

Some people do it that way, some people don't. For me, it was just how I was taught.

-nosualc

sjsfire

[quote]ORIGINAL: jrfrmn

My mistake.
I meant a processing kit with all the knives and tools for field dressing and butchering.
Are they worth buying, and does it make your job easier?
Thanks.
[quote]ORIGINAL: jrfrmn


I'm gonna say no, they aren't really worth it. I think most of us answered your question.

Ed McDonald

I use a 4" fixed blade knife to field dress the deer . I don't split the pelvis as that just leaves more chance of getting dirt , etc in there while dragging it out of the woods .
I purchased a cutlery kit from Gander Mt and a meat saw from another store . I never use any kitchen knives when I am butchering deer .

vabyrd

You only need 2 knives and a bone saw to take a deer from the field to the freezer, one for field dressing and one for processing. Go to a kitchen supply store like Bed,Bath, and Beyond or Linens and Things and get a quality high carbon steel boning knife. Henkel or Wusthof are nice. It will cost you a few bucks, but will last forever. As for the bone saw, you want a thin blade and wide bow in order to cut through the legs and neck. I remove the bone from all my meat before I package it, so it's only a few cuts with the saw. Most of the processors leave the bones in and cut everything with a band saw. Not really my cup of tea.

nksmfamjp

Well, my dad has done it all and never bought a kit. I think he basically uses: A good fixed blade 4" knife, a wyoming saw, and a Chef's Choice Steel. That said, he keeps about 3 4" blades handy so he isn't sharpening during the processing job. IMO, I like having a larger 4" fixed blade, a small fillet type blade for the butt hole area and a short Gerber saw for the pelvis or ribs when needed. On the 4" fixed blade, 4" is a bit long most of the time. It would be nice if it were shorter. I like a knife I can really get my fingers on the back of the blade, if that makes sense. Makes it more precise. For cutting the meat off the bone, I would get a good narrow blade butcher/fillet knife if I did that work.

fastetti

The only thing I really use for Field dressing is my 5 inch hunting knife and a pair of latex gloves (I bite my nails here and there). After this year I will have a butt out with me as well. Greatest tool to quickly gut a deer. Its worth the $7 IMO.

RIStrutStopper

Drop point blade, some string, vinyl gloves, and a gallon baggie for the tenderloins. Add a gambrell to hang and a boning knife, a hack saw for legsand thats all I need for field dressing and butchering.

gspguy73

Nothing beats a good Buck knife for field dressing and I use a processing kit made by Outdoor Edge. It has all the caping, skinning, and other knives I need. Best set I have ever owned.

LeftyBuckmaster

I have the gerber exchange a blade for field dressing. Use the gut hook blade to cut skin over guts. use blade to cut out heart, lungs, esophagus, and guts. If you shoot a mature deer it may be hard to cut the breast bone with knife blade so I switch to the saw blade and cut the breast bone and then cut the pelvis bone. switch back to knife blade and cut around rectum and remove all guts including lungs and heart in one smooth pull. Field dressing done. Now for processing I use a cheapo fillet knife it get the job done for me. Just make sure to get the smallest fillet knife so you can make more precise cuts. Also I will use a sawzall if available to cut legs off which is easier and faster than finding the joints and cutting there. I Really think the kits are worthless and probably filled with crap cutlery unless you would get a really expensive kit. Save the money and skip the kit and buy a nice meat grinder and sausage stuffer.