Field dressing
 

I am new to hunting and was wondering if anyone could tell me of a site that has a step by step guide of field dressing. I have been studying diagrams but don't seem to get it. Do the deer processors field dress?

RE: Field dressing
 

I don't know any butcher shops or markets that will field dress an animal for you, but that doesn't mean they're not out there.

Once you get the hang of it, field dressing a deer is a rather simple and quick process. Try checking out this guide for some usefull step-by-step information.

http://www.whitetaildeer.com/howto/fd/

RE: Field dressing
 

Zak, order this video called field dressing your deer, tips and techniques. its teh bue one down on the list, in this link.

http://www.hunting.net/shopping/sear...el=2&subcat=26

it has a VERY good and easy explanation on how to do things, and tips on how to make it faster and easier!

RE: Field dressing
 

Posts: 1821
That's alot of posts for someone new?? Do you post everytime you see an ant??? :D

RE: Field dressing
 

he has probabaly spent most of his time on the riffle site or the firearm area maybe even the turkey site... just because he has 1821 posts doesnt mean they were all in THIS forum!

its a good question to pose for the new guys, anyway.

RE: Field dressing
 

he prob spent all his time on the computer and not in the field :).

you want to field dress your animal ASAP. the quicker you do it the better the meat. no gasses build up in the system.

I field dress and butcher all my game because of 2 reasons.
1) i dont trust any butcher doing it because i will get about 2/3 of the meat and 1/3 will go to him
2) they dont spend no where as much time as i would.

if i am going to kill a animal i want to do the complete task. from stalk to kill to butchering. when the butcher does it they dont take there time.

RE: Field dressing
 

This is a good question to pose for news guys such as myself, especially since I gun hunted for the first time last year for a few days and didn't get anything, nor the guys I was with. I will go bowhunting for the first time tomorrow morning and am pretty much going to have to learn to field dress by trial and error once I do get my first deer. I have purchased a field dressing video for $6 last year from the local sporting goods store. I found it more helpful than web sites because I acutally got to see close-ups of someone doing the field dressing versus looking at pictures or drawings. In fact, I need to watch that again tonight just in case. It's funny, I am excited about the prospect of getting a deer but nervous about gutting it.

In any case, a guick sidenote. Drove my the woods my stand is in last night with my wife and four week old boy (a great reason I won't get out much this year) and saw four very small does eating in the field nearby. Hopefully there will be some bigger company around, though I'll take any deer without spots for the first one!

RE: Field dressing
 

chucker34,

If you can shoot multiple deer where you are located I say go ahead and shoot the 1st thing that walks by (especially if it is a small doe). A smaller doe would be easier for you to handle being your 1st time field dressing a deer.
I too found a video much easier to learn from than looking at diagrams. I processed my own deer for the 1st time last year and the video I bought made it 100 times easier to do then by looking at diagrams in a book.

RE: Field dressing
 

Field dressing is simple. Just don't cut anything other than the skin from the sternum to the hams, the diaphram, the esophagus, and around the anus. The rest is removed by pulling. Be careful not to puncture the bladder, but if you do, it's no biggee. Just wash the insides well and hang.

Don't listen to anyone that says you should not wash a deer out. It's pure BS.

RE: Field dressing
 

I agree uncle. I have a letter opener (plastic with a razor blade inside it). I cut a small hole, enter the guide spike and run it down. That way I dont accidentally pierce intestines or anything. I also wash my deer out almost all the time. The difference is, I rinse it out while hanging, stick a bag or 2 of ice in the chest cavity, then skin it right then and there. After skinning I rinse it once more. The deer never hangs more than 2-3 hours because gravity bleeding really is only effective for the first hour. After that the blood is spoiling and bacteria is building up. The faster you cool and butcher your deer, the better tasting it will be. Of coures if its 40 degrees outside for several days you can age it but I am big about bacteria build up so I dont let that happen. Also remember to trim the fat.
Good luck on your hunt!
Stryker777

RE: Field dressing
 

Thanks for the comments to my reply post. I appreciate the advice. I bought an all season license here in Minnesota and can take two deer so I will take the first thing I see - at least for my first deer ever. In any case, I will bow out now as I don't want to hijack this post and deviate too much from the original topic.

Here is another web site I found with pics and advice on how to field dress:

http://www.huntingnut.com/faq/fieldd...ielddress.html

RE: Field dressing
 

I guess I had a couple more quick questions. First, I've seen two ways of making the body opening cut - from the pelvic area to the breast or from the breast down to the pelvic area. Are there advantages to either? Finally, the advice I've seen says if its a doe, cut around the anus and genital area to pull out through the body cavity. But for Bucks, the advice is confusing. Some sites say to just lop off the penis while others say to separate it, but not cut it off completely? Any advice. Again, what to do downstairs seems to perplex me the most.

RE: Field dressing
 

Chucker - I don't think either way - top to bottom or bottom to top is either right or wrong, but I do it from bottom to top - it makes it easier to get through the ribcage. I also go further up the neck than most guys do - there's not a lot of meat there, and what is there usually ends up getting ground anyway. The reason I do this is so that I don't have to reach up into the neck to get the windpipe/troat out.

As far as what to do in the crotch, well, that depends. Some states require evidence of sex to remain intact - which means the "package" stays on. That's the way it is in NY where I grew up, and I just got so used to doing it that way that I still do it even though it's not required in NC.

What I do is cut along side of the scrotum and penis and pull it aside. If you're going to do this (leave his manhood on) you should do it FIRST - especially since this will be your first deer. That way, if you accidentally cut through the little pee tubes going from the bladder to the penis, you won't get wee-wee all over the meat. Then gut as discussed. (I started a link about field dressing and butchering, in it is a link to Canuck's website and he has a pretty decent tutorial on how to field dress).

If you can, watch one of your hunting buddies gut his deer. When you do yours, PAY CLOSE ATTENTION - look at where everything is - parts is part - they're the same on the inside on all deer.

I hope this helps.

RE: Field dressing
 

Double post sorry.

RE: Field dressing
 

ORIGINAL: zak123

More than that now! No I don't post whenever I see an ant. I stick to beetles. :D


The topic is about field dressing and that is what your posting about. Post away. Thanks for the help guys.

RE: Field dressing
 

one of the best peices of advice that i can give is to get a knife with a gut hook, not that gu.. errr field dresing is difficult but the gut hook makes it that much easier, there is much less of a chance of slicing through things that should be cut open.