Do You Field Dress Your Deer Kill or Haul It Back to Camp?

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  • Bapak2ja

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    I saw this question on another forum, but most of the comments were from the far West or the deep South. It made be wonder what is typical in Indiana. I am still only a wanna be when it comes to deer hunting, but as I hope to get in the game next season I have already started the learning process. So, how do you accomplished deer hunters handle your kills?

    Do you gut your deer in the field or in the camp? Or do you take it straight to the processor?

    How does this affect your gear and knife selection?

    Looking to learn from the veteran hunters. Thanks.
     

    diver dan

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    You could start out by watching some videos on you tube, but you should honestly field dress right away, that means gut the deer being carefull not to cut any insides or guts, makes for better meat, you only really need a medium sized blade about 5 inches, or get a gut hook knife and run it down body to neck and let guts roll out.Take it to proccessor as soon as you can to get meat hanging in a cooler.
     

    jagee

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    I field dress right away. Depending on the outside temp and time of day, sometimes I pack the cavity with ice and hang it over night then take it to processor the next day. If it's warm out I take it to processor right away.
     

    dprimm

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    I take it out of the woods and into the field. Hang. Later cut up enough for the coolers and transport home. How long it hangs depends on time and weather. I will she in the coolers for a couple of days. Riga mortis must have been done before I do final processing.
     

    bwframe

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    You want the meat to go from alive to under 40 degrees ASAP. That can only be accomplished by field dressing quickly. Even if handled ideally, the body cavity filled with ice or snow, it still takes longer than expected for a dear with hide to cool the backstraps and loins.

    A lot of the reason for some folks not liking venison is poorly handled meat.

    My personal advice would be to study up on butchering yourself also. Best venison you'll ever get, if handled correctly. Hard to trust a processor after you have done this for the first time.
     
    Last edited:

    dak109

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    Gut ASAP. I prefer a good old Buck 110 to accomplish this chore. Not too big but big enough to go through where it needs to.
    Hanging depends on weather. The goal is to get the meat to 40* as quickly as possible without freezing. We process our own so sometimes they sit in the refrigerator or hang for a couple of days. When put in the fridge we quarter and bag them.
     

    1mil-high

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    I always gut right away and will quarter it out if temps are above 50 degrees. If I quarter it then the quarters and backstraps go in a cooler with the drain open and filled with ice. I will keep it in the cooler for about a week before completing the butchering.
     

    2in1evtime

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    Deer is field dressed asap, elk is field dressed and deboned in the field{been a few years for me on this} Proper care in the field and when you get home with it is very important, when i hunted deer a lot, i actually built a small cooler in the barn so i could keep the skinned carcasses cool and let them properly drain before butchering, also always deboned never cut thru bone as i think the marrow gives it a off taste!
     

    HuntMeister

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    Gut ASAP if you have to drag the carcass out. Last few years I have been quartering the deer (aka the gutless method) and just hauling out the usable portions and leaving the rest for the yotes.
     

    Restroyer

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    I try and field dress ("gut" as some call it) asap. However, it seems that most of the deer I get have been right before it gets dark. Being that I hunt on my own property I have often dragged it back home to field dress it under the porch lights or garage lights. Then off to the processor (I have a very good processor who I trust). I will reiterate I would not take my deer a far ways before field dressing but since I hunt where I live I can tie a harness around it and drag it back home if it's getting dark.
     

    Leadeye

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    Having my own land I pick up the deer with the front loader then take it back and suspend it from the bucket with chain/hooks I have for that. Dress the carcass then drive it into the barn.
     

    w_ADAM_d88

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    Depends on how close the deer drops to my stand. I usually try to drag the deer to the closest body of water even if that is a puddle of water. But, yes... field dress ASAP!
     

    gregkl

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    And after immediate field dress, hanging cool, make sure whomever processes it does not saw through bone. All venison must be deboned to obtain the best flavor.


    There are a lot of ideas out there about how to get the best tasting venison. Some are good, a lot are debatable. But getting bone dust in your venison is not adding good flavor to the meat.

    I have gotten to the point in life that the only venison I eat is that which is process by either of my two brothers or myself.
     

    ndawoods25

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    I always field dress it. Day, night, I have 2 headlamps incase one quits. Its less for me to drag out of the woods and cools it off quicker. I do use a butt-out. I dont have to break it at the pelvis to get the poop tube out. I think it stays cleaner transporting it out of the woods using that little tool. I 've get 3-5 deer a year.
     

    Willie

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    ASAP... If the deer dropped where I hunt and I or my grandson plan on hunting that stand in the near future we drag it aways before gutting. I don't think gut piles bother other deer but they do attract varmints such as coyotes. A pack of coyote smell can mess up an area for awhile.

    There are a lot of "how to" videos on YouTube but here is how I do it.. YMMV.. an article I wrote many years ago for Hoosier Outdoors.

    Field Dressing Deer


    Most "strong-tasting" venison is caused by one thing, improperhandling of the deer once it is dead. Most deer hunters are not aware that oncethe deer is dead it is no longer just a deer, but is now "meat." Howthat meat is handled determines whether it will be gourmet food or dog meat.Heat is the number one spoiler of meat. Therefore, it is necessary to cool thecarcass quickly by immediately field dressing the deer. This is not toodifficult of a task if done properly. After making sure the animal is dead you:

    * TAKE YOUR TIME

    *If it is as a bow kill, be cautious if you do not know where the broadhead is.

    *Roll the animal onto its back.

    *Starting at the sternum or breastbone, cut carefully towards the pelvisthrough the skin and thin wall of the body cavity. By inserting two fingers inthe cut that will slide just ahead of and on each side of the knife blade, youcan prevent puncturing the stomach or intestines.

    *If your animal is a buck, make cuts on both sides of his penis all the wayback to his anus. This will free the urine track. You may leave this attachedto prevent any urinal flow that may contaminate the meat. If your animal is adoe, simply cutting away the milk glands is sufficient.

    *Insert the tip of your knife next to the anus and cut completely around theanus. This will free up the end of the intestines.

    *Rolling the deer onto each of it’s sides, you can then reach in to cut aroundthe edges of the diaphragm separating it from the chest wall.

    *You then cut the ribs off to the side of the breastbone by pulling up on yourknife. Be careful how far you cut if you are planning on mounting your trophy.

    A word of warning - NEVER pull the knife towards you. Always pushthe knife away from you.

    *Reach up into the chest cavity and grasp the windpipe. Cut the windpipe in twoahead of where you are holding. Once the windpipe has been cut, start pullingon it towards the rear of the deer. You might have to use your knife to helpfree the organs as you pull.

    *After pulling the organs free, turn the animal over on its belly and elevatethe head if possible to allow drainage of blood.

    *If the weather is warm, the deer needs to be hung in a controlled temperaturecooler or butchered immediately. If the weather is cool (no more than 45øF) thedeer can be hung and aged for up to a week out of the sun.

    *The deer should be hung in a garage or shed to provide shade and keep theneighbor's dog away. A game bag and/or a liberal dose of pepper will help keepaway the flies.
     

    patience0830

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    I use the leadeye method. I usually take mine to Archers in Greenwood. Cheaper to pay them than it is to waste my time doing something I don't like and I'm not all that good at. We've done many at home but I just don't have the inclination these days.
     

    sugarcreekbrass

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    Lime others have said, I do it as soon ad possible. I do go back to the truck first to change out of my hunting clothes to keep them clean. I will usually drag it away from any stand location, however I have noticed deer stop and check out a gut pile and not seemed to be bothered.
     

    Expat

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    I usually gutted them out where they fell unless they were head down on a hill. Don’t forget the heart and liver though.
    If cold out, take it home to hang in the garage. Then cut the inner back strap out and that was supper.
    if it was cold enough I would let it hang a couple days.
     
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