Field dressing a deer.

I use the butt out for deer. Got it last year and it worked as advertised. CLeaner? not really. Easier for a noob? Sure. It does NOT however work so well for moose even though it says it will work on deer. elk, pigs, moose. It is too small for moose, and, although I have not used it on elk, I suspect it will be too small there as well.
Mentoring will be helpful and I try to teach as many as I can, because when growing up, my father did it all and you weren't allowed to get in the way. He really never taught us how to do it. Had to learn myself and it was a little daunting. However you can do it yourself and there are some great videos available. Even the stuff on you tube will help. I have one from Realtree Outdoors and it was a great instructional DVD.
 
heavyBullet said:
:puke: it should be illegal to even mention that.
Click to expand...

Your telling me. I used to be able to clean up puke and **** that landed on the floor when I got sick. Now I barely can clean the toliet seat.

Although I am hardened enough that I think I can muscle my way through a deer.


Surgical gloves and someone who knows what they are doing.
 
I've always just used baler twine but after watching some of the Utube stuff, I think I'm going to try cutting the pelvic bone lifting up with the blade. Looked easy enough.
 
Just take a lieberal hunting with you. Upon seeing a critter down and out, they will place their lips on the bunghole and suck any remaning life out it.
 
The first few times can take a while, even with a mentor. The biggest thing is to take your time and always think about where you are putting your knife and what is behind that, so you don't accidentally cut the guts open or yourself.
The anus isn't that difficult or messy to take out. I agree with most other people here, a medium sized knife with a slightly curved blade seems best. some baler twine or string is nice to have to tie it off.
 
First time I did it alone, I forgot to make sure I got the wind pipe out completely. It will rot your meat I was told. I've been using the same Schrade LB7, or Camillus Wild Life for thirty plus years, they still work. 4" blade or there about. SAK Climber makes a nice mate to either.

What ever you do, a Texas Heart Shot makes for a poor choice and poor tasting meat. ( a shot through the butt hole )
 
Meh. Never bothered with string. Some guys cut off the scent glands on the legs, too, supposedly to keep things from getting "contaminated". I figure the best way is to leave them alone, rather than getting the stuff on your knife.

I start at the back end, cutting skin open at the pelvic bone, splitting that with a knife or saw, working forward to the chin, splitting the ribcage along the way, then pull the windpipe and everything else back towards the tail, cutting the diaphragm as I pull stuff back.
Leave the anus, etc alone until the guts are rolled out onto the ground, then cut the skin free around it.

Get over the idea that a gut shot critter is hopelessly contaminated, if ya thought that. Rinse clean ASAP, trim away bloodshot meat, hang. Pretty straightforward and a lot easier to do than it sounds like from some of the descriptions I have seen in print and video.

About the best thing I ever learned was to cut through the skin carefully to start, cut the skin open with the knife inside the skin cutting outward, to minimize the amount of cut hairs (saves on clean-up time a LOT).

Somewhere on Youtube there is a classic vid of some joker cutting open an elk that had been sitting for a while using classic bad form with his blade. He hacks away at the stomach area, and the stomach contents hose him down. Serves him right!

Cheers
Trev
 
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