Question on field dressing technique...crazy thing is that i have gutted and skinned several deer in my day. I have always had a pulley system setup on my private property where i could string a deer up with head toward ground. seemed easy to gut when the insides would fall out naturally by way of gravity. However, i plan to hunt some public wma's next season and will not have the same setup available. What's the easiest and cleanest way to field dress on the ground without creating a mess? how do you cut through the chest bone to clear lungs and heart?
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A lot of WMA's have cleaning stations. You can buy a hoist that fits in the receiver hitch if you want to continue the way that you already do. Not exactly the answer to the question you have but may help. I can't clean a deer head up to save my life. -
Most wmas make you field dress before coming to the check station.
A sharp knife will slice though the sternum. Thrn just reach in and pull! Cut away what won't pull free.
After you can flop them over and open up the chest to drain excess blood.Last edited by ShockValue; 01-05-2009, 09:34 PM.Comment
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I get the deer on it's back and put a back leg under each of my knees.A sharp knife will handle the rest then role the deer over to empty him out.Comment
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Mostly stuff you already know, but here's how I do it.
Cut around the genitals and back end. Put the back end of the deer uphill or on top of a rock or something to get everything inside to slide toward the head as much as possible. Trim around the inside of the pelvis to get everything loose without cutting the intestines or bladder. You can split the pelvis if you want, but I usually don't anymore. Faster to just cut things loose around the inside of the pelvis.
Open the abdomen. DON'T nick the stomach or intestines. Hold 2 fingers of one hand inside the stomach wall and use the tip of the knife to split the muscle with the other hand.
Turn deer around so head is uphill now.
(IF YOU'RE NOT DOING A SHOULDER MOUNT) Place the knife at the base of the sternum, but on the side of it. The sternum and ribs are joined by soft bone/cartilage. Hold knife with both hands while straddling the deer, facing the head. Forcefully cut AWAY from your body towards the deer's neck. I usually go fully through the brisket so I don't have to reach far for the windpipe.
Roll the animal on one side so the guts sag away from the diaphram. Cut diaphram loose from the ribcage from sternum to spine. Roll animal to the other side and cut the diaphram loose on the other side.
Cut windpipe and esophagus up at base of neck. Grab hold and start pulling. Trim whatever is still hanging on to the spine and ribcage. Keep pulling until everything comes out. I usually pull towards one flank and drag the pile away from the carcass a bit.
Lift up the carcass by the head/front shoulders and let the cavity drain out.Comment
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thanks for the information to all. i have always used a nice sharp buck hatchet. works well to crack sternum open, pelvis, and leg bones. wouldn't be as easy on the ground with a hatchet though.Originally posted by ShockValue View PostComment
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I'm the other way around. Can't clean a deer with legs up.Originally posted by Dejashoot View Post
As far as the ??, every WMA I've been to, they will tell you to field dress the deer. I keep a saw in my pack, so I start at the A-hole and go all the way to the breast plate. A good sharp knife will cut thru that. Take my saw and cut thru the pelvis bone. Cut and rake everything out from there. It's not as bad as you think!!
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I have pocket knife with a !/2 serrated blade for ripping the sternum and general field dressing. And I'm a reamer wich means cut-n the tail off before reaming. If I preffer, then I can also break the pelvis with the serrated edge. I do preffer a long blade for reaming. The receiver cargo rack on my truck is the perfect height so I don't have to stoop and make my back ache when field dressing. But when in the field and it ain't handy, just rollem over on its back and do the same as you would when it's hanging. Also, a game cart helps make for easy transport out of the field. I've also used frame packs in the past, but game carts are the way to go. You can also use them for hauling in your gear and stand, and corn where allowed. I have two sets of tires/wheels for mine, one nematic set that is very quiet but has limited load range. The other set are hard rubber and noisy, but can carry 350 lbs. They can be found at Northern Tool or hard ware stores, ectLast edited by Texas Grown; 01-05-2009, 10:13 PM.Comment
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Just reach your arms up on the cavity and yank the guts out. There ain't no need to be pretty about it just do it.Comment
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You and I could tag team one and have him done in about a minute and 45 seconds. Exactly how I do it but I use a gut knife and a special one for inside of the pelvis (its an old schrade boot knife long and skinny blade).Originally posted by Shane View Post
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im with J-Bone on this....no need to be pretty about just reach in cut and pull....works like a charmComment
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If you straddle the deer on it's back and put a sharp knife next to the sternum, you cut through cartilage all the way up to the windpipe, and then I can see inside the chest cavity to cut everything away without reaching in. Also removes my fear that there could be somebody else's broadhead inside the chest cavity and I grab it with my hand.
Only other thing I can add, is Wildman showed me instead of cutting all the way to one side or the other of the male genitalia, if I cut to a couple inches in front of the genitalia, and then cut like a Y going up the inside of both legs, the whole thing lifts up like a flap, and I can get to the tube leading to the bladder and remove it without spilling on the meat.
Once I cut all the organs from the chest cavity, roll the deer over to one side and everything falls out.Comment
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