Field Dressing a Deer - How Do You Do It?

[Marc Adamchek]

Gentlemen - I realize I'm about to ask for the nearly impossible: that is, can you effectively pass on usable, workable instructions on how to field dress a deer? I explained in a previous post that I'm planning to embark on my first deer season this coming December, strictly blackpowder of course. With all the confidence in beginner's luck, let's just say I've got off a perfect one-stop shot on a nice New England buck. Now comes the work. I've gotta learn how to field dress the darn thing. What would you suggest?

 

[Rebel]

Well, do you want that casual look or more elegant. For casual a pair of Levis and a flannel shirt would suffice. For the more elegant look, maybe slacks, white shirt and tie. Make sure deer is dead before you start to dress him though. Sorry, couldn't resist, But it was the way you worded the question i guess. Check link below for instructions on actual field dressing.
http://www.learn-taxidermy.com/field_dressing_deer.htm

 

[AZ-Robert]

Here is another good one, Marc:

http://www.whitetails.com/field.html

And somewhere around here I know there is a guide on processing that baby into cuts of meat.... lemme see if I can find it.

Yep! Here it is:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/foods/458-877/458-877.html

Note there is a link at the bottom that will let you download it as a PDF.

 

[Runner]

Straddle the deer. Stab straight down into the middle of the chest. Rip towards the back splitting the ribcage down the center. At the diaphram, carefully get a cut started into the belly area without cutting deep enough to split anything. Reach inside and pull up on the skin using one hand with your fingers spread. Insert the knife between your fingers with the sharp edge up and work to the pelvis area. Your hand will keep the paunch and intestines down away from the blade and lifting up gives you more clearance. Stop when you get to the pelvis. Go back and cut the windpipe and the diaphram around the rib wall. Grab the windpipe and drag the whole mess out of the deer. At that point you have the bladder and the end of the intestine to deal with. Carefully split the hide over the pelvis in the center. There is a soft spot right in the middle. Slide your fingers in under the pelvis and hold the bladder down out of the way. Insert your knife thru the soft spot right in the middle of the pelvis being careful not to stab your fingers or the bladder. Rocking the knife back will force the blade to split the front part of the bone. Same in the other way. Alternately, this can be split many ways. A knife with a piece of wood to hit it with to drive it thru the bone, a hatchet, or other ways. The idea is to not break the bladder. Breaking the bone leaves sharp edges. The other way doesn't and is easier. Lots of guys never can learn to do that right tho. Now cut the hide that is still holding the end of the intestine in place and pull the whole mess out of the deer. Go back to the other end and split the throat all the way to the jaw. Remove the windpipe completely. Often stomache contents will have moved up into it from the stomache.

If it is a trophy you are planning to have mounted, instead of stabbing through the middle of the chest, start your cut at the end of the ribcage. Grasp some of the hair and pull up. With your knife make a cut side to side into the part you are holding up on deep enough to just break into the abdomen. Split the skin back to the pelvis as before. Roll the stomache and intestines out of your way and carefully cut the diaphram around the ribcage. Reach as far up into the chest as you can and grab onto what you can. Rip it out and drag the stomache, intestines, and the liver out with what you have. Go back for the heart and lungs after you have split the pelvis and have the intestines and bladder completely out of the deer. Get the hide off and the windpipe out as soon as you can.

It is easier than it sounds, but is best learned from someone that knows what they are doing. If nothing else, on the first one you need someone to hold the legs out of your way and such. Hope this helps.

 

[arcticap]

... Make sure deer is dead before you start to dress him though. Sorry, couldn't resist...

That is not such a far fetched idea. Every animal dies with open eyes. If the eyes are not open, it's not dead, only unconcious. :nono:

There is also basic field dressing information in the "Conservation Education Firearms Safety Handbook" in the Game Care chapter under Large Game, if you still have it from when you took the Hunter/Safety Certification Course.

 

[boar]

Runners way is good I will add About the legs geting in way. I cut a strong sapling with fork on end I cut slit in hock area and prop up back leg you could tie if you want too . I carry a small piece of band saw blade with douct tape handle to cut pelvic and chest area lot easier then useing knife. knife can silp and get you cut. I tie off anus with sting. Dont forget zip-lock bag for heart,liver.tongue. Hope this helps . Dilly

 

[bob1961]

find one of yer friends that will let ya help with one of theres....if theres days to hunt before you do ya can git first hand experence helping a friend....or call a friend when ya git one and have them show ya..........bob

 

[jim gray]

I agree with White Buffalo; there's no substitute for a hands on demonstration when it comes to field dressing. If you can find someone to show you how and they do it slowly and explain as they go, you'll find it a lot easier to do it yourself.

However in my opinion and experience a sharp short blade is the best for this job. You don't need a "Rambo" knife to dress a deer. Get yourself a blade no longer than two and a half inches for field dressing use. And if you're going to be butchering yourself (that doesn't sound right, does it?), have a couple good sharp knives had hand when you start. It's easier to switch knives in the middle of the job than to stop and sharpen one.

 

[Runner]

The blade length is not as important as the handle being comfortable and easy to control the knife with, especially when it is covered in blood and fat. A finger guard is a nice thing. Nothing is worse than letting a very sharp greasy knife slide back between your fingers or fall thru them. I prefer the finger groove over the actual guard, but others have different choices. You don't need a stabbing straight point. A curved working point is better. The handle also needs to be big enough for you to get a good hold on it for things like cutting thru the chest. A good 2.5 to 4 inch blade with a good strong spine and a decent finger groove or guard with a comfortable handle big enough to get a good hold on. You definately don't need a "Bowie" when it is time to dress a deer. I used to carry a pocket knife only until I put a buck on the ground big enough that I could not bust his chest with that knife. The 250 pounders are few and far between tho. Another thing, once you start getting tired and loosing your grip on the knife, stop and rest. I cut myself bad once skinning the fourth deer after having completely worked up three without a break. A few minutes rest and I would most likely have not gotten cut. The advise to get help or hands on teaching on at least one is the best advise in this thread so far!

 

[Dale D]

There are quite a few videos out there that show how and they're only about 10 dollars.It's almost as good as looking over someones shoulder and you can watch it as many times as you want before you get a deer so that you will feel more comfortable about knowing what to do.DALE

 

[roundball]

I like large two blade lock-back folding knives made for this purpose (mine happen to be Remingtons).
One blade is a regular cutting blade, the other is a bone saw...makes short work of going through the sternum and the pelvic hinge safely without requiring a lot of force so there's less chance of slippage/damage, or of injury to me.

I hold knives with my forfinger well up on the back side of the blade with most work being done by the front couple of inches of the blade, except for "cutting around the back door".

For skinning/butchering, I keep a couple of sharp Schrade 'Old Timer" curved tip skinning knives and a hack saw in the hunting box in the truck.

 

[rudy parnell]

Everything said, just cut the critter from stem to stern. Careful not to cut the stomach and intestines...which you will probably do...don't fret. Turn the animal and flip it part way over...everything falls out, so just cut it loose and drag the whole deer over to a fallen log and straddle carcass over the log. Cut all the way round the hocks and on the inside of the legs cut your way back to the big opening where the guts fell out. Now just pull the hide loose and pull back towards the head. When you get to the shoulder area repeat the proceedure. Now just take your knife and feel around with it and sever the whole ham away from the pelvis. Donot saw or break or bust any bones. Just cut muscles and tendons. Its easy just take you time and work the legs up and down too see how they are attached. Now the whole body of the deer should be naked and perched up on that log. So take your knifeblade and work it along the backbone pull the meat away from the bone as you go. You'll also have to sever these backstraps along where they meet the ribs. Your're done. Punch holes thru the hocks of ham and shoulder and stick-um on a stiff stick.Tie um off with with twine if you got it. Put your backstraps in meat sack...you can put organs in here too if you care too. Hit the trail...other critters got to eat too. And, by now you have probably lost your knife so always take two knives and if you got a hole in the handle tie something colorful on it. A feather or a bead maybe. Remember don't break or saw thru no bone. There is some vexing diseases that you can get ...don't play in the brain material either. Take the hide and the head to a taxidermist if you like. Wash your hands and try to leave the remains out in the open...donot under any circumstances throw anything into a stream. adios

 

[Runner]

The Shrade skinners are a good choice because they have a very good finger groove on the blade.

 

[mart]

Marc,

The advice given on this thread is great. I would recommend avoiding the great big pig sticker knives. Nothing says rookie or inexperience faster than the knife with a 12 inch blade hanging off someone's hip. As mentioned before, a 2.5 to 4 inch knife works great.

Meat care is everything in providing quality meat for the table. Take care to keep the meat clean, get the hide off and the meat cooled out quickly. When we lived in Washington before moving up here to Alaska, my wife and I always hung our deer in the garage and went over it with damp clothes to remove any dirt or hair. After we were convinced the meat was as clean as we could get it we took it to a meat locker to hang for around 7 days, 10 days is not to many. We cut and wrapped all of our own deer and elk with an occasional exception because of time constraints.

I am firmly convinced that the majority of people who claim to dislike venison have had meat from poorly cared for game. Strapping a deer to the hood of a car and driving 100 miles home may have bolstered the ego a couple generations ago but did little for the meat quailty. Many people who thought they disliked deer have left my table saying it was excellent.

An animal that has the adrenelin up (wounded, chased extensively) is likely to taste bad. Make your first shot a good one, or as my mentor used to say "lay a good egg" and you are well on your way to quality meat. Good hunting. Mart

 

[Stumpkiller]

I work backwards of Runner. I use a small blade (or choke up on a larger blade) and make a small cut in the skin below the belly. I pinch the skin up and open the slit into the body cavity, being careful not to slice entrails. I then slip my finger in and, with the blade laying up and the tip covered with my index finger, I slice the belly open in one, upward motion. My neck knife has a 2-3/4" blade, and that's just right.

I then pull and slice the diaphram loose and, reaching up into the chest (be careful - a shot through rib can be sharp!), slice the esophagus as far up into the throat as I can reach. Then, I spread the rear legs as far apart as possible, slicing down through the muscle, until the pelvis is exposed. I then lift the bladder up with my left have and rap the pelvis with my hawk to split it. Then the urethra is carefully cut loose. I have to leave the genitals on for a deer-check station.

Then, the deer is laid over on it's side and everything is slid out and sliced loose as necessary. I never do open the ribs. It's usually below freezing and I have no trouble cooling the carcass.

Before I started carrying a hawk, the method I was shown and used was to "bung" the poop hole by slicing around it, pulling it back enough to tie off with a wire tie, and then pulling it back through and out through the belly cavity. If you nick the bladder or otherwise leak urine you should use snow, water or blood to rinse it out quickly.

Save the liver and heart. Good eats.

 

[KampKool]

We use a local butcher near our camp. He has his own way. He says splitting the pelvis is a waste of meat. When we bring him our deer it is the evening of the day it was shot, run them down after dinner. He has us cut the urethra & rectum from the inside after sliding anthing inside back and then pull the bladder & instines clear...

When we get to his shop, he skins the deer, removes the anus, etc. w/ a long thin knife & then splits the pelvis & ribs w/ a saw. Then it is off to the locker for 3 - 4 days. He makes an appointment & cuts your deer in front of you.

He says alot of guys make a mess of cutting the pelvis & ruin a lot of good meat. I've been doing it this way for so logn I forget when we're somewhere else & still do it this way...

 

[roundball]

He says alot of guys make a mess of cutting the pelvis & ruin a lot of good meat.

:hmm:
I guess he's not talking about the "pelvic hinge"...the hinge is just a little piece of cartlidge to saw through...but I could see where meat could be wasted from the hams if someone got a little careless cutting around the "back door"

 

[Stumpkiller]

Yeah. The bit below the pelvis between the butt and the willy wasn't the portion of the deer I was most looking forward to enjoying, anyway. :hmm: I think I waste less meat making a single slice down and then parting the pelvis to get to the colon than bunging it out from behind. (The old A.Russell folding "Arkanses Toothpick" or the Victornox "Hunter" knives are perfect for dressing out a deer with that system).

The deer gets split down the spine to be processed in halves where I take it, anyhow.

 

[Randal Zartman]

Marc,

:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
Now that brings back memories. I was hunting 15 years before I got my first deer. I was up at deer camp and had decided to hunt doe instead of just buck. I was getting desperate. So everybody in camp wants to help me get my first so they put a drive on. Five doe walk by and I shoot one. Like a good hunter I wait to make sure it is dead. Everybody else goes back to camp. I walk down and start tracking the red snow . I find the deer, unload the gun tie rope on deer around the neck and after much admiring and rejoicing I start dragging. It is all downhill in white snow and I am full of adrenaline. It was an easy pull. I stopped just short of camp and all the guys came out to admire my first deer and to congratulate me. Then the laughter started when they realized that I had not gutted the deer or even tug it. Didn't know how and tagging had slipped my mind full of adrenaline. They showed me how as we continued to laugh. Now after all these years it is even funnier to me. Thanks for reminding me :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:

Later,
Zman

 

[rhwestfall]

agree with SK's advice for the top end, but as I learned it, splitting the pelvis is unnecessary and also opens things up where you have a better chance of getting leaves/dirt/etc. in it when draging. I only carry a small folding knife for cutting around the anus, and the rest is done with a Wyoming knife. The handle/shape really protects the hands when searching for the "radiator hose". Over the years, the cutters (yes, I pay someone to cut it up) I have used have been pleased to get the animal that way....Good luck

BobW