WantBuck

I used to hunt with a freind that got me started and hooked in hunting and unfortantly I never got a deer for him to show me how and the freind is no longer with me.I got hooked on hunting and I don't want to give up hunting just because I don't know how to feild dress.I probably will try it on my own since I now know that I won't just waste my meat.I also had a guy that would do it for me which gave me even more of reason to continue hunting.
Thanks
JE

little-d

you got one reply on how to gut a deer ,it sounded right but to hard to understand.If its bad hot you need to gut the deer as quick as you can,if you have to drag the deer through a swamp or a lot of mud such as a field wait till you get close to the truck or your atv.When your ready Roll the deer on it back and get straddle of it .Find with your finger where the ribbs end at the belly and stick the knife in a little maybe a half inch (right now if you have a gutting tool use it just stick it in the hole and open it up all the way down)if not and your using a knife,get your finger up under the skin and cut the skin and the muscle open but be very carefull or you will ripp the guts open then you got a real mess to deal with, cut all the way down to the pecker if its a buck and stop.Then go back up to the ribbs and cut them open ,if you are going to get the deer mounted do not rip the ribbs open all the way to the end but stop about 6 inches from the end of the rib cage if you are not going to mount rip it open all the way to the neck.When you get the deer open you will see on each side the muscle that seperates the guts from the lungs and heart,take you knife and cut this muscle on both sides all the way around down towards the backbone then go up to the windpipe and cut this into,let the deer lay on its side and drain some of the blood out ,then grab the windpipe and pull the whole package out,you will need to cut it as you go down by the kidney's and then just cut lower intestine where it goes into the hips,a few turds will come out but they an't going to hurt nothing.I always leave the piss sack alone if it's full that a plus it's free deer lure it an't going to bust so don't worry about that. When you get the deer skined out cut around the but and up on the inside around the piss sack and pull the whole department out in one piece and drain the urine into a old cup or bottle.ALWAYS WEAR PLASTIC GLOVES IF YOU CAN AND IF YOU HAVE A CUT ON YOUR HAND OR LOWER ARM YOU NEED TO WEAR GLOVES AND WATCH OUT FOR THE RIBS THEY WILL CUT YOU. I KNOW THIS PROCESS SOUNDS LONG BUT AFTER YOU DO IT FOR YOURSELF A FEW TIMES YOU WILL BE A PRO,IF NOT RUN IT BY MY HOUSE I WILL DO IT FOR $10. EACH ALL DAY LONG

Whitetail_Buck

I gut my First Deer myself back in 1989... Just took me Hand's on experience. I knew I could do it... and of course I've got better as the year's have gone by. But I was able to Gut my first Deer myself... not real hard.

I just make it a point to Gut the Deer right away, and keep from cutting into the Paunch, and Bladder... and watch the Poop too. That Spike I got this year was so fiull... it was really tricky getting them out, without getting on the Meat. Some Deer is easier if they've peed and pooped recently.

DoeCuller

Good Luck there Wantabuck.
Check out the sites already mentioned for some help on field dressing. Print out a guide for you and your cousin and keep in your pocket in case you need it.

The sooner the animal is field dressed the quicker the meat will cool. This is key for quality meat.

At our farm we weigh all the deer before field dressing. We do this to keep accurate records of the animals harvested. This isn't a big effort since we can get 4-wheelers to almost any downed animal. After weighing we field dress and hang the meat.

Don't be afraid to tackle the field dressing of a deer. Get-R-Done. Learn the anatomy of a deer and not only will it help you understand field dressing but also the shot zone.

MOTOWNHONKEY

In foreign countrys they hang their meat out all dang day with flys and other insects all over it. A little poo poo or pee pee won,t hurt the meat. Reasearch on the internet about feild dressing a deer. There are tons of information out there. Maybe someone knows a good site to steer you towards. You can do it!

Sswpriz

Why ? do so many people rip the deer wide open ??? I was always told by a butcher that the smallest opening is the best because any meat that is exposed to the air is basically wasted meat ! I start at the bottom and just make a cut up to the breast bone, no further. I NEVER cut thru the pelvic bone...I just cut the poop chute out from the rear of the deer, that way all that meat on the hind quarter is protected by the skin yet. It takes a time or two and a little practice, but once it's done properly, it gets easier.
My brother only makes a cut in the belly about 12" long and he gets everything out of there and very little wasted meat.

WantBuck

Thanks for all the support fellas.I'll probably try it.The only part that i'm a little unsure about is the area around the anus.From there up I think I got it.Now I just need the deer huh?
Thanks again,
JE

bertos750

Edward,

Can you tell me more about the gland on the hind leg? I assume only the bucks have it. Where exactly is it and what does it look like? Thanks

Canuck_2

WantBuck, I applaud your enthusiasm and your desire to learn how to do this. What's great about sites like this is that there are many experienced people who are willing to help out a bit. I don't know where you are, but if you're in a relatively cool climate, rapid field dressing isn't as critical as if you were in place where the weather is warm. Still, you shouldn't dilly dally.

Check the links that were provided on the previous page; they have some good information. Maybe you will also find my page, as follows, to be of some help too. But if you can get someone to guide you through the process first hand once you shoot a deer, so much the better. Good luck.

http://www.angelfire.com/bc/canuck2/gutting.html

Firehawk7309

Wantbuck,
Everyone that has given you instructions is correct. You'll find that some people have their own way to doing things...not wrong just different. (Now for my 2 cents worth) As far as the anus is concerned, cut the pelvis bone (slowly and carefully) and you'll have exposed the anus. Grab a hold of the anus and cut it free. Once it's free, get all of the gut out of the deer and wash it out as soon as you can. Try to keep leaves, mud, and the likes out of the cavity.