Field Dressing Deer

[clfergus]

First year hunting....do i need to field dress any deer I shoot or can I take it to be processed soon after?

 

[mikea46996]

First year hunting....do i need to field dress any deer I shoot or can I take it to be processed soon after?

I like to put mine in nice evening wear, maybe something a little lacy underneath, not trashy but you know provocative.

OK now that that is out of my system....

This will be my first year too, everything I have read says to field dress it or the meat will be real gamey.

 

[colt45er]

I like to put mine in nice evening wear, maybe something a little lacy underneath, not trashy but you know provocative.

OK now that that is out of my system....

This will be my first year too, everything I have read says to field dress it or the meat will be real gamey.

Correct.

Gamey taste comes from a few areas....one is what the deer eats and well you cant help that. The good news is that in Indiana they eat corn and beans so we are good to go there.

The next step is a clean shot. If you get a bad shot and they run a long ways, they will be pumped full of adrenalin which can affect the taste.

Next is the field dress process. You want to get the guts out ASAP. If not, you are basically letting the blood, stomach matter (if you got a gut shot) and bile all soak into the meat.

Field dressing is not very difficult but can take a few times to get good at. There are a lot of links online (sorry I’m late for an appt so I can’t look them up) that have detailed instructions as well as Youtube probably has some vids on it.

I always like to hang the deer to get all the blood out and then if possible hose out the cavity. Then off to the processor.

I am sure you will get some response but I will weigh in more later tonight.

 

[haldir]

Yeah, you want to field dress it right away. If something in there is leaking, you want it out right away. It also makes it lighter to drag out of the woods. Don't forget the heart and liver though, I always save those babies in a zip lock that I always have in my coat. Field dressing isn't really hard as long as you take your time, keep in mind you don't want to nick anything (it really smells worse than you expect) including your hand. I use just a regular Buck folder that I have had for 30 years. Put a good edge on it before you go out. If it is hilly at all, I put butt end downward. Hanging it depends on the weather. If it is warm out, you need to process it right away if you do it yourself. If it is cold out, I let it hang in the garage for a few days. I leave the hide on while it is hanging.

 

[longbarrel]

field dressing

I would say that you will need to field dress an animal before taking it to process. However, the time you can wait depends on a couple of variables. 1. What is the temperature? The hotter it is, the quicker you should dress it.
2. Where was my shot placement? A double lung or heart shot will give you more time than most because: the deer will die quick and the quciker it is down the better the meat. If you hit one in the liver or the gut, you might not ever find it. I know a lot of people who say give a liver shot 6 hours. Well I have and guess what, I jumped the deer and didn't find it for 16 hours. A gutshot deer will run for days and you probably won't find it. Shoot one in the ass and the same thing. You might get lucky and hit the femoral artery and it will bleed out in 15 min. Shot placement is key to field dressing, but yes you should always dress before you take for processing.

 

[turkeykiller]

Hope this helps
How to Field Dress a Deer gut a deer or skin a deer

 

[Sailor]

There are videos out their somewhere on the net, I remember seeing them. The sooner the meat cools the better.

Be very careful you do not nick the stomach when field dressing it. You will regret it.

If you can field dress it you can butcher it. Try it.

 

[Bucky623]

The first few deer I took, I didn’t field dress ‘cause I figured it wouldn’t take long to get it to the house and take care of it there. Later on, I started field dressing and what a difference it makes. The meat tastes much better.

I always bring twist-ties with me to tie off the pee tube just downstream of the bladder. I wrap the two around the tube about an inch or two apart and cut in between them. Make sure you get them tight so the urine doesn’t leak out.

A 3.5 inch to 5 inch blade is all you need for field dressing. One on my favorites is a 4 inch Rapala fillet knife.

Bucky

 

[Jack Ryan]

One on my favorites is a 4 inch Rapala fillet knife.

Bucky

I'll second the 4" Rapala fillet knife. Easy to get razor sharp. Easy to get clean after.

 

[target64]

It is always best to feild dress the deer as soon as possible. I would suggest that you have help with your first one so as not to cut the wrong thing and spoil the meat. I prefer the "old timer" series knives for field dressing, and subsequent processing.

 

[backtrail540]

Yeah, you want to field dress it right away. If something in there is leaking, you want it out right away. It also makes it lighter to drag out of the woods. Don't forget the heart and liver though, I always save those babies in a zip lock that I always have in my coat. Field dressing isn't really hard as long as you take your time, keep in mind you don't want to nick anything (it really smells worse than you expect) including your hand. I use just a regular Buck folder that I have had for 30 years. Put a good edge on it before you go out. If it is hilly at all, I put butt end downward. Hanging it depends on the weather. If it is warm out, you need to process it right away if you do it yourself. If it is cold out, I let it hang in the garage for a few days. I leave the hide on while it is hanging.

I second this. Especially the goodies in the ziploc, nothing better than a heart and liver dinner.

 

[HICKMAN]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECdaKBbmGnU

An issue that is not addressed in this video:

Cutting around and removing the anal canal on deer is a necessary step in field dressing that is difficult and potentially dangerous, often resulting in contaminated meat. I strongly recommend tying off the anal canal before pulling it through the cavity.

 

[jmiller676]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECdaKBbmGnU

An issue that is not addressed in this video:

Cutting around and removing the anal canal on deer is a necessary step in field dressing that is difficult and potentially dangerous, often resulting in contaminated meat. I strongly recommend tying off the anal canal before pulling it through the cavity.

 

[Jack Ryan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECdaKBbmGnU

An issue that is not addressed in this video:

Cutting around and removing the anal canal on deer is a necessary step in field dressing that is difficult and potentially dangerous, often resulting in contaminated meat. I strongly recommend tying off the anal canal before pulling it through the cavity.

Easy as coring an apple with the right knife. Always do it last.

Only thing easier is if you have a tomahawk or hatchet handy to break out that bone like it was lid and then you don't have to do the coring thing.

 

[huntall50]

Field DRess ASAP

 

[straittactical]

Yes field dress it as soon as possiabe BUT when you take it to the meet locker and it weighs in say 100 pounds or whatever. when you go pick it up you get 100 pounds of meet ( the way you ordered it of course ) that dosent mean you get the same deer you took in.
at least that is what he meet locker in my area told me

 

[Greg.B]

Yes field dress it as soon as possiabe BUT when you take it to the meet locker and it weighs in say 100 pounds or whatever. when you go pick it up you get 100 pounds of meet ( the way you ordered it of course ) that dosent mean you get the same deer you took in.
at least that is what he meet locker in my area told me

This is very common, and is the reason I process my own. I like to know what I'm getting back, and that I'm getting all of it! One thing though, if you do have it done commercially, besides possibly not getting back your actual meat is to be aware that if it weighs in at 100lbs. you won't get 100lbs. of meat back. You gotta remember that 100lbs. includes the bones, skin, and meat lost due to processing.

Now, back to the OP's question. Everyone has pretty much summed it up. Field dressing ASAP help in cooling, and the quicker you can cool the meat the better it's going to taste. It also gets out blood and other bodily fluids/substances that can taint the meat. Proper field dressing is the second step to better tasting venison. The first? A good, quick killing shot at an unalert animal (an alert animal will release more adrenaline and other hormones, as will an animal that is hit poorly and runs; these will affect the quality of the finished venison.)

Good luck, don't forget the liver and heart (mmmm) and enjoy the hunt!

 

[colt45er]

Yes field dress it as soon as possiabe BUT when you take it to the meet locker and it weighs in say 100 pounds or whatever. when you go pick it up you get 100 pounds of meet ( the way you ordered it of course ) that dosent mean you get the same deer you took in.
at least that is what he meet locker in my area told me

I would say find a new meet locker.

Both that I have used have guaranteed me that the deer I take home is the deer I took in. I field dress ASAP and make good shots for good meet....I would be very unhappy if I walked away with meet a guy let sit in bile and not field dressed properly.

 

[redneckmedic]

40 hrs at 40 degrees is the rule for good curing

Bring it to me I will process it for you. 24 hr turn around time

 

[Bucky623]

Cutting around and removing the anal canal on deer is a necessary step in field dressing...

[FONT=&quot]This is where a small blade (4" Rapala fillet knife) comes in handy.

Bucky

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