Field dressing tips


jaret

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Guest madabouthuntin

Where I hunt I don't have to field dress the deer, matter of fact I don't gut them. Yes, I do skin and quarter it, but I have found a way to remove every piece of meat off the deer (other than the ribs) that I want without gutting it! It saves time and is much, much cleaner. I will see if I can get a picture to show what I do and post it.

Steve

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I don't really have any tips,but here's how I do it.I start at the bottom of the rib cage and cut up through the ribs towards the neck.After tha I cut the windpipe.Then I turn the knife around,stick it in about 1/4" ,and angle it back so I just cut the belly open and not the stomach.I cut all the way down to the pelvis.I pack pretty light and don't carry a hatchet,so I just cut around anus and pull it back through.I cut the diaphragm, grab the windpipe and everything yanks right out.By the end of the year it only takes about 5 minutes.It takes a little longer until I get back in practice.:D

The sharper the knife the better.The ribs can be pretty tough to get through sometimes.

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Where I hunt I don't have to field dress the deer, matter of fact I don't gut them. Yes, I do skin and quarter it, but I have found a way to remove every piece of meat off the deer (other than the ribs) that I want without gutting it! It saves time and is much, much cleaner. I will see if I can get a picture to show what I do and post it.

Steve

I have always wondered about the point of gutting a deer. What meat is lost by not gutting?, other then the ribs. I think I read something in Field and Stream about this topic.

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Prime Meat!

There are 2 cuts of prime tenderloin that many people don't know about that go to waste when dressing a deer. Most of the time the meat isn't worth cutting out because when you cool the animal down by hanging it the tenderloin just dries out. The 2 cuts run along the middle of the spine on the inside cavity. These are super tender and super delicious. I always keep a ziploc handy just for these cuts every time i field dress a deer. Just something to remember when the time comes. Good luck!

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Here is a tip that I wish alot of people would practice.....I carry a sandwich bag along and after I gut my deer I take my field dressing gloves and any paper towels I used to clean my hands and place them in the bag and take it home to dispose of..not throw it on the ground for others to see. It really burns me when I find this trash in the woods.

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Guest madabouthuntin

RackBlaster I didn't know about those very deilicious pieces of deer until about 2 years ago. I can't tell you how many of them I missed out on! Since them I don't give that meat up to anyone!!

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Where I hunt I don't have to field dress the deer, matter of fact I don't gut them. Yes, I do skin and quarter it, but I have found a way to remove every piece of meat off the deer (other than the ribs) that I want without gutting it! It saves time and is much, much cleaner. I will see if I can get a picture to show what I do and post it.

Steve

Same here at home and I never need to gut them either even while they're hanging. Basically I'll get the backstraps, front shoulders (if I don't bone them out), bone out the neck, bone out the hind quarters (with the deer hanging), and the last thing is to open the deer up (hanging from hind legs) just enough to get the tenderloins out. The only thing left (all in 1 piece) is ribs, bones, head, and guts. What's left goes into the gut bucket in 1 piece and on to the disposal site.

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There are 2 cuts of prime tenderloin that many people don't know about that go to waste when dressing a deer. Most of the time the meat isn't worth cutting out because when you cool the animal down by hanging it the tenderloin just dries out. The 2 cuts run along the middle of the spine on the inside cavity. These are super tender and super delicious. I always keep a ziploc handy just for these cuts every time i field dress a deer. Just something to remember when the time comes. Good luck!

I have always gutted my deer to help the cooling process. As far as these 2 loins, which we call the sweetbread, these get cut out as soon as we hang the deer. 9 times out of 10 that is supper. I have never lost these 2 by gutting a deer.

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Guest Trapper243

When I gut either whitetails or Bears.I start between the two front legs and work back to the tail.this keeps me cutting with the grain of hair and it doesn't cause as much hair on a whitetail to come out.

I also use what's called a carpenters knife.The kind thats used for cutting ashfault shingles.The knife is plastic,which means its light weight and the blades are really cheap.The blades are shaped just like a gut hook and are like razors.Way less expensive then some of the brand named hunting kinfes and make for really good field dressing knifes.Most hardware stores carry these knives and for under $20 you get knife and enough blades to last several seasons in the field.

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Guest doublelung45

belly loins

We call the those two little chunks of heaven "belly loins" and there is nothing better then very, very FRESH belly loin and a cold beer(or 12) after a sucessful hunt...Just dont forget the T.P. for your hunt the next morning.

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There are 2 cuts of prime tenderloin that many people don't know about that go to waste when dressing a deer. Most of the time the meat isn't worth cutting out because when you cool the animal down by hanging it the tenderloin just dries out. The 2 cuts run along the middle of the spine on the inside cavity. These are super tender and super delicious. I always keep a ziploc handy just for these cuts every time i field dress a deer. Just something to remember when the time comes. Good luck!

Yep, let it sit in the fridge overnight and fry it up the next night....best meat on the deer! icon_smile_thumbup.gif

I don't cut the pelvis...to me, it's seems easier to ream the anus well and pull it back through.

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