Field dresiing a buck

Mr_sturgeon · 10-22-2005, 06:35 PM

This is my first year hunting, any web sites I can look at that shows how to gut a buck. or anyone can explain in detail would work also
thanks for the help
Ken

Ryan Pultz · 10-22-2005, 06:39 PM

Click here. rp

Ryan Pultz · 10-22-2005, 06:42 PM

or this one is a PDF file. rp

click here

FishTech101 · 10-22-2005, 06:46 PM

first you cut off the tarsol glands located on the insides of the legs put in plastic bags and freeze ( save those for next year during the rut). then you grab ahold of his man hood and pull up as you cut under it towards his bum. take it all the was back to the [petunias!]. now you cut around the [petunias!] with his balls and manhood too make a complete circle so it all comes free and can pull it out a little. take a rubberband and tie off the [petunias!] and [petunias!] real tight so nothing can coem out. then with the tip of your knife cut a little hole up where the ribs come together at the sternum. if you have a gut hook knife stick it in and unzip if not put 2 fingers in pull up on the skin and cut open the belly. that should drop the guts out pull the [petunias!] and bum threw the whole and let it drop out. DO NOT CUT THE GUT SACK it stinks. then all you have to do is get bloody to the elbows cut out the diaphram and the lungs and heart come out. be sure to get the esphogus out also. hope that helps.

FishTech101 · 10-22-2005, 06:47 PM

the petnaus stuff is saying anus well not really but thats what i meant LMAO

KeepFishingFun · 10-22-2005, 07:04 PM

As a professional meat cutter, and having cut THOUSANDS of game animals, I would like to use this space to clear up a very common MYTH.

Deer, Elk, or any other game animal does NOT need to be hung for any length of time to "age". The aging process we use for beef is desinged to allow the very thick carcass to fully cool (3-4 days @ 32-35 degrees)It does NOT make the meat any more tender. A study was done by the USDA that found that the carcass does not become more tender by aging. Allowing a beef carcass to hang to become more solid is ok due to the very think layer of unusable fat.

Aging game animals lets the outer layer of muscle tissue (not covered by fat on wild game) to dry out and become hard. As a rule, from a fresh carcass DEER, there is a 35-40% cutting loss. This means that you will get 60-65 lbs of meat back from a 100 lb animal. A deer that has been "aged" for over 5 days will have a 45-50% cutting loss.

It is also believed that hanging a deer "in the garage" is ok. Here is a rule that is used in most custom meat stores. take a pound of ground beef and set it aside the carcass. if you would eat the ground beef, you can eat the carcass. would you eat a t-bone that was left in the garage, or in the woods for 3 days?

No matter what the urge, or what people say, get your animals temp below 40 degrees as soon as possible and keep it there until you can cut it (1-3 days). (30 degrees at night and 50 during the day doesn't count.)

As much time and money as is spent to kill the animal, why not take care of it?

I don't visit the hunting posts here much, so if you have ANY questions, please send me a message.

Maddie'sDaddy · 10-22-2005, 08:33 PM

Excellent info Keepfishingfun , the same info was passed on to me by my uncle , 30 some years in the beef processing
buisness. Was told not to let it hang to long unless you have a pretty consistant temp at or near freezing, and it doesn,t help the tenderness of the meat. Also it is a good idea to use vinager or any kind of citric acid product just for sanitary purposes ,something to do with killing bacteria and helping to prevent it from forming to quick.A good wipe down.

StevenB · 10-22-2005, 08:46 PM

Well said and great advice.

There is one other thing that I've noticed gets left out of the recipie for geting some good meat out of a big game animal. It should be right up there with keeping it cool.

That is keeping it clean from dirt and plant matter so that the animal can be cut and wrapped faster and with more usable meat in at the end of the season.

I often wonder at how fast an animal must need to be taken out of the woods in the early archery season when nights seldom dip below 60 and days are at time well into the 80's.

scubaseth · 10-22-2005, 09:53 PM

Keeping it clean of debris when gutting it out and packing it out is a big nice tip. Also try not let the hair hit the meat. Helps alot when cutting the meat. A friend showed me some deer meat that he had traded for some fish. It took 3 hours of taking pine needles and hair of that thing. I could of cut up half a deer in that time I took to clean a handful of meat.

Hmm I guess I am not going to be leaving my deer hang for a day or two.

So does that soaking deer meat in milk actually get the gamey taste some people don't like? Just wondering since I recommend it to people. But I like the taste of venison so I have never tried it out.

Scuba

Ryan Pultz · 10-22-2005, 10:16 PM

Quote:

So does that soaking deer meat in milk actually get the gamey taste some people don't like? Just wondering since I recommend it to people. But I like the taste of venison so I have never tried it out.

Scuba

ahhh why soak it in milk you loose the best flavor! rp

Snakebite · 10-22-2005, 11:20 PM

Quote:

As a professional meat cutter, and having cut THOUSANDS of game animals, I would like to use this space to clear up a very common MYTH.

Deer, Elk, or any other game animal does NOT need to be hung for any length of time to "age". The aging process we use for beef is desinged to allow the very thick carcass to fully cool (3-4 days @ 32-35 degrees)It does NOT make the meat any more tender. A study was done by the USDA that found that the carcass does not become more tender by aging. Allowing a beef carcass to hang to become more solid is ok due to the very think layer of unusable fat.

Aging game animals lets the outer layer of muscle tissue (not covered by fat on wild game) to dry out and become hard. As a rule, from a fresh carcass DEER, there is a 35-40% cutting loss. This means that you will get 60-65 lbs of meat back from a 100 lb animal. A deer that has been "aged" for over 5 days will have a 45-50% cutting loss.

It is also believed that hanging a deer "in the garage" is ok. Here is a rule that is used in most custom meat stores. take a pound of ground beef and set it aside the carcass. if you would eat the ground beef, you can eat the carcass. would you eat a t-bone that was left in the garage, or in the woods for 3 days?

No matter what the urge, or what people say, get your animals temp below 40 degrees as soon as possible and keep it there until you can cut it (1-3 days). (30 degrees at night and 50 during the day doesn't count.)

As much time and money as is spent to kill the animal, why not take care of it?

I don't visit the hunting posts here much, so if you have ANY questions, please send me a message.

I have to wholeheartedtly disagree! But then that's just me! :grin:

I hung the tastiest buck I ever ate, for a week in temps up to 80 degrees during the day. It was "aged" just right in my opinion. I peppered the heck out of it to keep the bugs off.

Bait Bucket · 10-23-2005, 05:00 AM

Well, to each his own but no way on God�s green earth will I hang a deer for a week in 80 degree weather and expect to eat it. There�s no difference between �aging� and rotting.

StevenB · 10-23-2005, 05:39 AM

Anyone ever read that deer fat tastes bad and needs to be trimmed off etc?

I've tried leaving the fat on a backstrap steak and even putting the white thick fat in the ground meat and hav no poor flavors as a result. That was just done on two different deer. I didn't think the fat made the meat any better tasting. It just didn't ruin it while adding fat...

I grind mydeer & elk with no fat in it. I use egg sometimes to help bind it. Also I will at times grind in some very lean pork for a different sort of Swedish meat ball experience.

I think the lousy fat flavor advice came from some people hanging a deer or elk in too warm a weather. Just guessing.

StevenB

Old Coot · 10-23-2005, 05:57 AM

After you excise the tarsal glands, clean your knife and hands thoroughly BEFORE getting to work on the rest of the project.

Trust me on this. :grin:

FishTech101 · 10-23-2005, 07:27 AM

OH yeah FORGOT to say that you need to wash the knife and hands, after the tarsal gland. Eh if you dont want to keep it i would love to have it. the tarsal glands that is.

Rank Amateur · 10-23-2005, 10:07 AM

Well, we have always subscribed to the hang them theory. Elk if the weather is cold and dry-7 days. Deer this year counting time of death to freezer 6 days. No green fuzz and taste good to us. I agree that you have to waste some meat because you have skin the meat again, but I have never seen an animal that I would have just cut up without skinning the outer layer on. This may work in a slaughter house, but in the field there is always hair and debris, no matter how careful you are.

My Dad used to work in a locker store in the old days, they would take the tenderloins out of canner cows and hang them on hooks in the chill room. The meat would get a fuzz on them, he would wipe them down with water and vinegar solution and keep hanging them. He would give away free samples to the house wives to cook for their husbands, they were always back the next day to buy more. I guess the acid test would have been to do that with a fresh tenderloin?

KeepFishingFun · 10-23-2005, 11:28 AM

I'm not saying that hanging beef does not add to it's flavor, it does, the meat being aged will break down and produce a stronger beef flavor, just as an aged deer will produce a stronger game flavor (which is either desireable, or undesireable depending on who you ask). Bait Bucket, you are right, Aging and rotting is the same thing, no difference. Rank Amateur, you are absolutely right about the tenderlions. We still do that. This christmas, find a reputable butcher and have him "dry age" a prime rib for about a month for you.

Snake bite: I wont disagree, if you like the game flavor, you should hang it a few days, but 80 degrees is more than dangerous. Meat grows bacteria, it's the bacteria that "age" or "rott" the meat. In 80 degrees you are growing some dangerous levels of bacteria, take the example of leaving a steak hanging in a tree for 7 days. If you like the taste, let someone put it in a cooler below 35 degrees for a few days, I think you'll like the outcome, great tasting meat that can't make you sick. And the other side effect of getting it cold enough, is that you'll have a MUCH easier time cutting it.

Rank Amateur · 10-23-2005, 11:45 AM

Let me pick your brain. I understand what your getting at, but does an animal rot from the outside in or inside out or both. I always thought that the bacteria would work from the outside in if the animal had been properly cooled down in the first place. Is this correct?

KeepFishingFun · 10-23-2005, 02:20 PM

Somewhat yes, there is always bacteria inside the animal, even while it is alive. In a healthy animal, the immune system keeps those bacteria to a safe level. (thus the live deer can keep itself at 98 degrees without rotting :smile

If the immune system couldn't keep up for some reason this would be called gang green. Because bacteria emit toxins as they eat, high levels of bacteria (gang green) can be deadly. Other harmful bacteria though, come from outside, your hands, the knife, the dirt, and EXPECIALLY the animals hair.
Because it takes so long for the inside of the animal to cool, the bacteria inside has a HUGE "head start" advantave. 99% of animals rott from the inside out, "bone sour" is the term used to describe a carcas that is very rotten inside and slightly, if any, outside. Game animals bodies are designed to keep warm, and they do a fantastic job of it, in a cooler at freezing (32 degrees) it takes 24 hours for a deer to cool through. (3-5 days for beef)

If you leave that carcass outside on a "cool" day?!?!?!?!?

FishTech101 · 10-23-2005, 02:27 PM

sure hope the guy that started this thread can gut the deer. I am sure he now knows how to keep it from spoiling but you gotta get the guts out first....
you hijackers LOL.

Rank Amateur · 10-23-2005, 02:29 PM

So what would your opinion be of say an elk that is killed at dark and not found until the next morning, say in 40 degree weather?

Rank Amateur · 10-23-2005, 02:32 PM

Gee, if he hasn't got the guts out by now, I wouldn't want to eat it!

MikeN · 10-23-2005, 02:50 PM

Some guys I hunt with don't field dress their deer at all. They skin the shoulders, the hams and cut them off. They take out the back strap, get some of the kneck and rib meat and leave the rest for the critters in the field. They place all the meat in a x-large game bags. They then cut the head off at the base of the neck and take the skull and horns out whole.

When they get home they really wash the meat very, very well and then place the meat in containers in the fridge in the garage to cool over night. Then they dry the meat and cut and wrap.

I have tasted this vension and found it to be some of the back strap I have ever had!!!

Does anybody else use this method??

KeepFishingFun · 10-23-2005, 02:54 PM

One more thing to add, then I promise to go away, lol.

If keeping the hide on it means keeping it clean, leave it on till you get it home. stop and get some ice to throw in it on the trip home, and then skin it at home if that's easier.

Funny how many people buy ice for 15 pounds of fish, but wont for 100 pounds of costly game.

Skining it helps it cool, but with the ice and some care, it shouldn't be a problem. remember when I was babbling about cutting losses? I wont even go into what dirty or hairy animals cut like.

my 2 pennies. ok now I can shut up.

Chromaflage · 10-23-2005, 04:02 PM

My dad's deer gutting guide: Gut pile on one side, deer on the other. It works every time. A few things I have learned, though:

1. If I don't have something to clean my knife with, the tarsals stay intact - wrapped with a zip-lock bag and duct tape.

2. Avoid cutting into the bladder - if you do....yuck!

3. Make baby wipes and waterless hand cleaner your 11th and 12th essentials - multi-uses, both personal and for cleaning up after gutting a deer.

4. It's easier to skin a warm deer than a cold deer - don't ask me how I know this. :blush: :blush:

5. You just have to roll up your sleeves past the elbows and dive in - especially when you get the point of cutting out the diaphragm and reaching up to cut the wind pipe.

One other thing - If I'm taking a deer in for processing, I ALWAYS cut the backstrap off before hand. It's by far the best steak and I don't want anyone messin with my backstraps. Cut them off, butterfly them and vacuum pack. Except for the 4 or 5 steaks that go righ into the skillet with real butter, fresh garlic, mushroom and worcestershire sauce. :tongue:

Good luck!

CrF

Chesapeake · 10-24-2005, 03:05 PM

For the original question:

To propperly field dress deer and elk you will need a few items that will vary depending on your situation. You will need an understanding of where to cut. This is best taught by demonstration. You will also need to follow a few basic rules.

Rules:

1. Cool meat as fast as possible(gamey taste, spoilage).
2. Keep meat as clean as possible(spoilage,gamey taste, waste due to trimming).
3. Keep meat in as big of chunks as possible(waste due to trimming).

Dressing cuts:
Remove tarsal glands from inside of rear legs. Whipe knife blade clean. Make first cut from in front of genitals to base of sternum(cut just hide and muscle layer, not the stomach). Then grasp genitals and pull to the rear as you cut along sides of the [petunias!] toward the anus. Cut around the anus to free it from the pelvic tissue but don't cut the intestine (the genitals will pull through the pelvis in the next step). Pull the stomach out of the deer. Grasp the intestines and pull the genitals through the pelvis(you may need to cut to free them). Reach in the chest and cut the liver free(place it in a bag). Cut the diaphram free from the ribs. Reach in and cut the heart free(place it in a bag). Reach way in and cut the sophagus free. Pull all the guts, lungs free from the deer.

Note: Keep the heart and liver even if you dont eat these parts. Many people love these and they are easy to give away.

Situation:

Day hunt Elk/Deer (plan to drag/cart out whole)

Day pack: Knife, 2 gallon ziplock bags, 550 cord or substitute.

If you plan to drag the deer to a close road and then cart/ drag the deer down the road to a gate/truck then drag the deer to the road before dressing. This will help keep it clean. Then dress the deer placing the heart and liver in the gallon bags. Leave the bags open while you finish gutting to allow cooling.

If you plan to drag then put the heart and liver back in the chest cavity and stitch cavity closed with the 550 cord for the drag(helps keep it clean). Begin dragging. :depressed:

If you plan to cart then place the heart and liver to the side and prop the deers chest cavity open with a stick(helps cooling). Go get the cart. :smile:

Day hunt Elk/Deer (plan to quarter and pack out)

Day pack: Knife, bone saw, 550 cord, 3 gallon ziplock bags.
Truck: Packboard, 5x7 tarp.

Dress animal as described above. Return to truck for friends and pack boards.

Cut all 4 legs off at the joint with the saw. Lay the tarp out a few feet away. Skin down the front leg and the side of the animal to the back bone. Cut the skinned leg free and place it on the tarp. Do the same with the next. Be carefull to keep the animal on the hide and out of the dirt. Skin the sides of the animal to the back bone. Skin the hind legs down to the back. Cut the tenderloins free and place them in a plastic bag. Roll the animal on each side and cut the backstrap free and place it on the tarp. Saw through the backbone at the pelvice. Place the hind legs on the tarp. If and elk, saw the pelvice in half to sepparate the hind quarters. Saw the head off at the base of the skull and then saw through the backbone in front of the last rib to free the neck. Place the neck on the tarp. If keeping the ribs saw down the sternum and then along each side of the backbone to free them. Place them on the tarp.

Now stap what you can carry to your packboard and head for the truck. :shocked:

This is just a long but not so detailed description of what I do to care for my game. I always strive to get the hide off as soon as possible and to keep the meat clean. We have a walk in cooler and process all our own game. I wont even start on that subject.

ehunter · 10-25-2005, 12:52 PM

Steve I can answer that the same day period. It is a big concern for us during elk hunting season.

This was some good info on age old question of to age or not to age? You mentioned about leaving fat on during cooking and what about bone marrow. We always bone our meat vs cutting through the bone. We always heard that the bone marrow gives it a wild taste.

ehunter · 10-25-2005, 01:01 PM

Rick you forgot to mention to get the meat out of the plastic bag as soon as possible so that it can breath after you get it back to the truck? I think we have been told to use platics bags only for very short trips. Another thing we use painters tarps vs heave blue tarps they are light enough to carry in your day pack or on your pack board and can be thrown away later.

BrianMaguire · 10-25-2005, 01:02 PM

The tarsal glands are the last thing I come near with my knife, litterally. I also don't like to keep deer fat, I think it tastes like garbage and IMO greatly enhances any gammey taste. IMO of course, great subject BTW, always something new to learn.

ehunter · 10-25-2005, 01:27 PM

I am with you Brian I don't even bother touching them. The fat is all trimmed off.
We were taught also to cut the throat we don't do that any more. not sure if people are still doing that or not I was told by a butcher that was a old tale?? He said there is no reason to bleed the deer since they are not pumping blood any longer?

scubadad · 10-25-2005, 02:51 PM

Just a couple of points. Instead of using tarps to wrap quarters in, use old cotton cloth bed sheets/pillow cases etc. This allows the meat to cool quicker by allowing it to breathe. Second, all that is required for hanging an animal is that it goes into rigormortise (?) and comes back out. If the muscle is not relaxed, it will make for a tougher chunk of meat. At least this is what we've done for years.

Zippy · 10-25-2005, 03:48 PM

i agree with Brian and Elkhunter. do the glands last.

llama77 · 10-25-2005, 05:31 PM

Miken was right,
Why cut into the abdominal cavity until its the last thing you need to do?
We start at the scrotum and skin up the belly without penetrating the abdominal wall. Rmemeber the advise about the stinking gut? well what if the animal was A)gutshot B)you cut the gut C)you perforate the bladder? That stuff all flows down over the hams, some of the best meat.
We then skin out the hind leg and remove it from animal to start cooling. Pull it back until you can cut down into the hip socket.We then keep removing skin until we can get the front leg and the backstrap off.Front leg is a "floating" joint so it comes off easily. Keep skinning on the same side until you get the neck meat. Then roll the deer over on its other side and repeat the process.
You can then venture into the abdominal cavity to get the rest of the goodys.
Youve just about eliminated any chance of getting bad stuff on the meat and I believe get a higher percentage of the meat starting to cool sooner.
You can do a whole elk with a 6" blade.
I second the sheets and pillow cases. Light weight and provide good protection. Some of the commercial mesh bags will not keep flies from laying eggs. Then if you "age" your meat you will competiton eating it!!

Chesapeake · 10-25-2005, 05:52 PM

I agree the tarps and bags will slow cooling. I made a comment to keep the bags open to cool. I dont wrap the animal in the tarp, I just lay it on the tarp.

I also agree that sheets and pillowcases are good but I dont use them.

I have 2 reasons for not using them:

#1 They will absorb stuff. I often get my animals on wet days. I want more than a sheet between my meat and the wet, stagnant mossy ground. This of course is a small concern compared to my meat sitting in the back of my truck in oil, grease, and whatever else was thrown in my truck throught the year.

#2 I often carry my heart and liver out in my day pack. The plastic bags keep me from having to cleen a bloody mess out of my pack after every animal.

Tarps and plastic bags are a compromise at best but for me they do the job I need done.

ehunter · 10-26-2005, 07:53 AM

Another thing is that is ok to rinse the animal off say if your at home or in a creek before it dries, just wipe it down good. By doing a good job of cleaning it and getting all the blood and blood shot off with plenty of water you are fine. If we are in the field we will use a creek and rinse off all the hair and blood ect. Water is good until it has dried once. Then just a little dampness on a cloth is fine. For deer you as pointed out you don't need to open the body up all the way if you can get it back to the truck. We preffer to skin it whole if possible to keep it cleaner. Elk are quartered or boned in the field.

StevenB · 10-26-2005, 10:11 AM

AN uncle of my mom's was a fan of Moose marrow. I think when it's real cold out and the marrow is cooled quickly the marrow will be great.

Might be why pronghorn gets a bad rap. It is so often hot when they are taken. The marrow being last to be cooled just flavors the meat when not boned. Also I think if left on the bone for several days the flavor of the marrow will leach into the meat of the pronghorn.

This is all speculation on my part.

I sure like the worry free weather of late fall hunting for the easier meat care reason.

KeepFishingFun · 10-26-2005, 10:20 PM

I was talking to the head of the meat science dept at OSU today, we did talk about this discussion and how it really would be nice to have more classes and seminars for hunters to learn more about taking care of game. If you ever hear of a group that wants to do this, let me know, a lot of people in the meat industry (myself included) would be more than happy to donate a little time for such a worthwhile cause.

BONE MARROW : The bones themselves (possibly the marrow too) and tissure closest to the bone hold a lot of flavor, that's what makes a prime rib better than a ribeye. On a deer, more flavor means more "gamey". good or bad??????

BLEEDING A DEER (or any animal) is a must. But most of the time just shooting the dear causes enough damage to bleed it out before the heart stops, remember bleeding out can only occur within a couple of minutes of shooting it, if the heart is already stopped, the blood wont pump out anyway. You will MOST definetly notice higher quality with a "bled out" carcass. Cutting the neck near the chin will do the trick, if the heart is still pumping, YOULL KNOW!

GUTTING: In a clean area where you plan to skin right away anyway, skinning before gutting is a great way to keep the cavity clean. under "perfect" conditions, hang it, skin it, gut it, in that order. As a butcher, we always skin the animals underside and legs with it propped on it's back laying down, then hang it up to skin the back side, after it's skinned, we gut them hanging. You have until the animals abdomen starts to get "tight" (or slightly bloated) to gut them, so don't waste time. I have had 0 experience cutting quarters off before it is completely skinned and gutted, so I wont say it's bad, but it sure does seem to me that it would be harder not easier to keep clean.

FAT: fat ALWAYS = flavor, prime rib, bbq ribs, etc are better than round steak because they have FAT :grin:. If you want to keep the gamey flavor, keep the fat.

ANOTHER HINT: If you do decide the area is clean enough, and easy enough to skin the animal in the field, skin it first, then while it is hanging (by its HIND legs), make a cut about 5 inches long just below it's @#$%^ (man parts) :shocked:. if you put your hand IN the cavity, with the knife blade sticking out, you should be able with one knife stroke to open the entire cavity, keeping your hand and handle inside, and the blade outside, and slide all the way to the brisket. Doing it this way, it is IMPOSSIBLE to cut any intestines, bladder, stomach, etc.

It REALLY EXCITES me to see that people on here do care so much, you are all obviously above average outdoorsmen. Just caring sets you above many. I could go on and on all night

here, so if ANY of you have ANY questions about processing or dressing, send me messages and I can send you back without filling up this discussion

with my babble.

TheTexan · 10-27-2005, 06:33 AM

Thankyou for sharing your real life experiences and the facts. I can appreciate the posts like yours much more than the ones that are just arguments, becasue that's the way I/we do it.

I would be intersted in learning moer.

ehunter · 10-27-2005, 07:28 AM

Keepfishing I too apprecaite the input.
Are there any points that should be made when freezer packing meat? We usally wrap the meat in plastic and then wrap it with freezer paper.

So my grand father was not wrong to go ahead and bleed the animal. Fat and bone marrow do count.

Great info thanks again

I would love a class about this thanks for taking the time to clarify some things.

Chinooked · 10-27-2005, 07:46 AM

Has anyone tried dry ice to cool down there kill? I have always wondered if you left the hide on and put the dry ice in the pelvic area and front shoulders/neck, it would prevent "bone sour" b/c the bones would act as a pathway for the temp of the dry ice. With the hide on it would also insulate and keep it cool. What do you guys think? Sorry about the continued hijack.

sunshinefisherman · 10-27-2005, 11:48 AM

Quote:

dry ice to cool down there kill?

Dry ice will freeze the meat and will probably result in freezer burn. I have used regular bags of cocktail ice inside the body cavity to transport an early buck back from eastern Oregon. It worked great.

As to field dressing, I was shown a method that is easier and faster than the by the book method of removing the anus and bladder. Instead of trying to pull the anus and urethra through the body cavity, the alternative is to squeegee the contents of the intestine and bladder away from the exit with your fingers much as you would get the last toothpaste out of the tube. Then cut the intestine while holding it closed and release once it's out of the body and pointed in a safe direction. The other end can then be easily removed from the other side. Then rinse the lower cavity with water just in case. I have seen this guy field dress a buck in 2 minutes flat.

llama77 · 10-27-2005, 05:17 PM

Keepfishinfun,
Thanks for the info. A friend went through OSUs food science program years ago , in the early 80s. He taught us many of the same things you are saying.
As for skinning first and keeping the quarters clean, I think it is a lot better. I first started doing it this way in the Walla Walla unit around 89 or 90. I had shot a bull and it was so steep that I could not do anything with it by myself. The Back leg was in the way so I skinned and cut it off. Then continued up until I had the shoulder and the backstrap off. Parts go imediately into a bag and get hung.
After I was done I surveyed what and how I had done and it just seemed to make so much more sense. I doubt I was th efirst to do this but I had never heard of it being done before.
And just to show everyone how different things are done in differnet areas. Yeras ago I hunted in Utah with some friends form Oregon and their friends from Michigan. I think we killed about 11 bucks. The bucks we killed were all skinned washed and hung to cool. The guys from Michigan just gutted them and yarded them home that way with the skin on. I cant imagine they were any good. But they were used to hunting in freezing temps and took care of their deer the same way they would have at home.

KeepFishingFun · 10-28-2005, 12:57 AM

Plastic and freezer paper. Nothing better. Even a vacuum bag with a small leak is worse. The important thing is to get the air out. Plastic is much easier to pull tight and get air out, that's the main purpose for the plasic.

Dry ice? Dry ice works, just make sure it's wrapped up well enough that it isn't touching the meat directly. Just remember the best cut of the whole animal (the tenderloins) are exposed to the inside of the cavity. so be careful in there. A few blocks of ice work just fine also.

Leaving the hide on, and adding enough ice inside to cool the animal from the inside out in my opinion would be the perfect senario. just fill it up tip top with ice and get it home to skin the the comfort and neatness of your garage. just keep in mind the ice. in warm weather, without ice, you'll need to skin it.

StevenB · 10-28-2005, 10:11 AM

Clean Skinning.

In gutting and skinning I try to keep in mind what a store cut piece of meat looks like. Clean and on a styrofoam tray. ALso to imagine the price helps keep me motivated to get my animal cut and wrapped.

It's a part of the challenge to skin and carry out an animal so it remains free of dirt, hair, and plant matter. Snow can help but even snowy conditions can end up a mess for the meat.

I agree vacum packing is only as good as the biggest hole.

Thin plasitc wrap and those sandwitch bags that fold over make great seals once also wrapped with butcher paper and taped. The sandwitch bags are so easy to use compared to sheets of plastic wrap.

I'll try to post some photos of a wrapping method that uses very little paper and keeps the meat air tight. After getting a deer nest week or elk in November I think.

StevenB