FIELD DRESSING DEER 101- FIVE MINUTE VERSION
Since I created this website, I have had several requests to add a page
showing how to field dress a deer. There are a few pages on this
website showing how
I process the deer I harvest and other things of interest and finally got
around to doing a Reader's Digest version of how to field dress a deer.
Personally, I believe deer meat and any wild game harvested taste much
better when immediately field dressed. There are those of the opposite
opinion, but I can smell and taste the difference. Many hunters soak
there game in vinegar water to remove the harsh smell and taste that may be
present by not properly field dressing and processing which renders meat
that is bland in taste IMHO (in
my humble opinion). Others will use strong marinades that overpower
the meat leaving the primary flavor of the marinade. Marinades primary
function are to tenderize the tougher cuts of meat yet still impart some
additional flavor without removing the entire natural taste of the meat,
otherwise you might as well be eating grain fed cattle.
There are those individuals with a passion
for deer hunting that will not field dress a harvested deer and haul a buck
around for hours on the back of their truck/four wheeler displaying their
trophy, only interested in a set of horns. Yes, I have two hunter in
mind, but will leave it at that!
Basically, the only tool necessary to field dress a deer is a knife,
preferably one of the drop-point design with a blade length from 3 to 5
inches and around 4 to 4.5 inches being the optimum length. I
have observed hunters with hunting knives on their side long and large
enough to field dress a Mammoth of Mastodon........grin if you must. You
need a knife blade at least 1/8 inch in thickness and could be hollow
or flat ground depending on your personal preference. I have used many different
knives over the decades for
field dressing deer and to name a few; Smith & Wesson, Buck Vanguard, Buck
Folding Hunter, Randall Made # 3, Old Timer, J.A. Henckels and several others. I am
currently using a Buck Folding drop-point lock open knife with a 3.25 inch blade which is a little
short for field dressing but still works fine and is more versatile than a
knife dedicated solely for field dressing big game animals such as several
of the above listed knives including the Smith & Wesson, Buck Vanguard and
the Randall Made # 3.
SAFETY RULE # 1, Always make certain
the deer is dead before getting extremely close, otherwise a wounded deer
can inflict serious bodily injury and possible death. Approach the deer with
caution from the rear and touch the deer with a stick, bow, gun barrel, etc.,
making sure there is no movement. Follow up by checking the deer's
eyes which will be glazed over and most of the time the deer's tongue will
be hanging from the mouth, but not always! Below a few sequence pixs with
narrative comments:
Reposition and move the deer if necessary where you have room to work and you can
roll the deer on its back and straddle the carcass and hold in position with the inside of your
legs. I normally leave the deer on its side at this stage of field
dressing. Insert your knife about 4 inches deep beside the rectum and
as close to the pelvic bone as possible. Cut around the entire rectum
pulling it aside to keep from cutting into it. Pix below:
The next step isn't mandatory and most do not tie off the rectum (anal
opening) but
showing it in case you desire to do so which can keep feces from inside the
cavity. Processing hogs and cows, this technique is commonly used on
the small country farms. I used an old boot string that I carry
in my pack pack and you simply tie off the end of
the rectum (anal opening) with a
square knot or
surgeon's
knot,
etc..
I prefer the surgeon's knot since it maintains tension or friction while
completing the knot.:
After cutting around the rectum and tying it off, roll the deer onto it's
back and hold it into position between the inside of your lower legs.
Insert your knife tip at the base of the breastbone and pull the skin up
with your other hand and cut slowly with the tip of the knife so the paunch
and intestines are not punctured cutting within a few inches of the milk bag
or testicles. You can insert your first two fingers between the skin
and stomach after you have made the cut a few inches in length and form a V
with the two fingers and place the tip of the knife blade between the V of
your fingers to help keep the stomach and intestines away from the knife
point. At this stage, you do not have to cut into the breastbone
to the neck because you can cut around the diaphragm and remove the heart,
lungs, etc., but I normally will cut the entire length of the breastbone
which is optional. The disadvantage of cutting the entire length of
the breastbone is that you can accumulate dirt and debris from dragging the deer
out, but it has never been a problem for me. I cut a small nick in the
stomach, but avoid any cuts into the stomach as it can contaminate your deer
meat. I was lucky this time and didn't contaminate anything. Pix below:
I elected to cut the entire length of the breastbone which isn't required
and it takes a good sharp knife with some backbone to do so. I try and stay slightly off
center of the breastbone which makes it a little easier, but it takes some
"man power" and effort to make the cut.
As you can see, the little Buck folding lock open knife cut through the entire
breastbone without a problem. Roll the deer back on its side and pull out
the stomach and intestines and get hold of the lower intestine and pull the
rectum through the pelvic opening which will not be a problem if you cut deep
enough and close to the pelvic bone. The pix below shows the rectum
tied off after pulling through the rectum. Continue to pull the
intestines out and use your knife as needed to help free it up and cut
around the diaphragm close to the rib cage and remove the heart, lungs, etc.
and sever the windpipe as high up as possible. Cutting through the
entire breastbone is not mandatory since you can pull the heart, lungs,
windpipe, etc. out once you have cut around the diaphragm.
Continue to pull the intestines out and use your knife as needed to help
free the entire internal organs.
Roll the deer onto its stomach and allow excess blood to drain from the
carcass:
Below pix of the little
Buck # 345 USA folding
lock open knife with a 3
1/4 inch length drop-point blade which would still shave hair after field dressing the
above deer. I removed the belt clip from the side of the knife and use
an older leather Buck belt case instead:
It only takes between 5 to 10 minutes to
field dress a deer once you have done it a few times and
certainly renders much better tasting meat in my humble opinion. Also,
when dragging a deer out and/or loading onto your four wheeler or truck, you have about
20 to 30 percent less weight
to handle.
Work smarter not harder!
Check out my
deer skinning and
quartering page for the above doe and
Venison Chop Shop page and as
Paul Harvey would say,
"The rest of the story."
NOTE: I have used the book
After Your Deer Is Down
by Joe Fischl and Leonard Lee Rue, III published by Winchester Press Tulsa,
Oklahoma since 1982 which is a photo essay of the care and handling of big
game and very detailed.
Web published by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 10-11-13.
LEAVING ON A
SPIRITUAL NOTE
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please take
this moment to accept him by Faith into your Life, whereby Salvation
will be attained.
Ephesians 2:8 - 2:9 8 For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of
works, lest any man should boast.
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.”
Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God.”
Open this
link about faith in the King James
Bible.
Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Open this
link of Bible Verses About Salvation,
King James Version Bible (KJV).
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and
sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory
of God;”
Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what
doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and
to walk humbly with thy God?”
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me."