There are a lot of deer processors who examine deer that come into their shops BEFORE agreeing to process them for “unlucky” hunters. I say unlucky because most hunters kill deer two or three times: once in the field, second when they field dress it, and third by overcooking in the kitchen.
The following tidbit of information will help hunters who harvest a deer, learn a great way to successfully field dress it without “killing” it a second time by turning it into a hack job of ruined meat. I have never understood why hunters feel the need to use huge Bowie knives and axes to field dress deer. All you need is a small, scary-sharp, high-carbon steel blade, and a piece of string or shoe lace.
Position the deer so that the upper part of the body is facing uphill. First, use a small knife blade to cut around the deer’s anus. Next, grab and pull the large intestine out a few inches, then use the string to tie it off to prevent fecal matter from escaping into the body cavity.
Then make shallow cuts around the sex organ. Next, with the cutting edge of the knife blade facing up, zip open the body cavity and continue up to the sternum by pressing the knife upward and away. While opening the body cavity, you do not want to cut the large or small intestine spilling the contents. Too, be especially careful to not cut or burst the bladder, which will spill urine into the cavity. Also do not break the body membrane which holds the innards intact; breaking it will make everything smell bad!
After opening the deer, carefully look and feel for any foreign objects inside the cavity. Warning: not only might you encounter your broadhead (or someone else’s that was non-fatal), but even broken bones can be razor sharp! Next, replace the large intestine that you pulled out a few inches to tie off, back into the body cavity. Then, reach up inside the body cavity to the neck, cut the windpipe (esophagus), and pull it out. All of the innards should come out like a large garbage bag.
As you may have noted, a huge knife or axe was not used to cut or hack apart the pelvic cartilage as is sometimes advocated. Not doing so helps to prevent you from cutting yourself, and prevents doing a hack job on your venison and possibly destroying good meat.
I agree with this tip of the week, this is the way I’ve been field dressing deer sense I was little. However I have changed a few things along the way. If I’m not concerned with keeping the cape in tact, after the but hole is taken care of, I go to the throat area of the deer and start my length way cut from the top down. This way the knife follows the lay of the hair, and results in less hair on the meat. After splitting the hide from the chin down, I cut through the neck meat, all the way to the esophagus, cut through the wind pipe and arteries, this way I don’t have to split the brisket or reach up so far inside the chest, to do my cutting blind. Keeps me clean.
Brett
Forget to mention cutting the diafram loose.
diaphragm
And forgot how to spell diafram.
Good tip, but left out a very important part; temperature control. The animal should be cooled ASAP. More venison is ruined by not cooling the animal, then overcooking the meat.
Really good tasting game animals starts before you take the shot.
Thank you and have a blessed day.
Great suggestions! I happen to cut along the back/spine. For me, this is much quicker (cooking the meat) and cleaner (less hair & other “stuff”). I’ve got elk in the game bags and hanging within 30 minutes (give or take depending upon the terrain). Good instructions and descriptive words to help a beginner!
When you reach up inside the neck you need to cut the windpipe (trachea) AND the esophagus (food pipe).
I have read a tip that a small zip tie is good to tie off the intestine after you have pulled it out. One might even
tie the intestine in two places close together, then cut it between the 2 ties.
Good suggestions in this post and in the other comments.
Diaphragm as already noted above.
Just use the gutless method instead. It’s easier and faster with a little practice.
Very good advice and a very good write up.
Thank you for posting. The only thing I add is I carry20+ feet of 1/4″ or less string/rope so I can tie to two legs (one fron & one rear on same side) to a tree or stump to aid in keeping body cavity open. After that I do exactly as you say, cutting and pulling the esophagus first. It’s the easiest thing to hold on to while pulling.