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

[Backpacker]

Since camp isn’t far from hunting, I gut and skin at camp. It doesn’t add more than 15-20 minutes, and is much easier to do it all from same spot, on a tripod with a pulley, in a barn. Once done, deer can age there and be boned out. One stop shopping.

Are you required to take the deer to a check in station prior to skinning and processing? I am not familiar with the rules.

 

[Mattroth54]

Are you required to take the deer to a check in station prior to skinning and processing? I am not familiar with the rules.

No. Indiana switched to echeck a few years back. Super easy and makes for much better meat.

 

[Backpacker]

No. Indiana switched to echeck a few years back. Super easy and makes for much better meat.

Thanks for clarifying that. I'm thinking of hunting this year.

 

[Kgrubbs]

I field dress it right after harvest .after I get it home I wash it off with garden hose then hang it and skin it if possible, it cools meat a lot quicker.you want to get it cooled as soon as you can .we made a lot of summer sausage, this is only way my wife will eat it.

 

[Ruger_Ronin]

Field dressing is done in the field. It is truly an art to do fast and efficient. Takes practice over a lifetime.
Learning to process yourself seems overwhelming, but is more intimidating than it actually is.

And as for knife suggestions? After all this time, this one is my favorite to gut a deer. Hands down. (After being a 110 guy for years)

https://www.bladehq.com/item--Schrade-Old-Timer-152OT-Sharpfinger--22081