Field Dressing Question

[wooly]

 

A 3" blade with a good sharp point for the "O" on the license plate is all I desire.

 

 

Is this an "O" or a zero...?

 

[WNYBuckHunter]

I know a guy who literally just rips the stuff out.

 

Seriously.

 

It's like a horror movie.

 

The only times I use my knife after the butt and initial incision are done, is when I cut the wind pipe and diaphram. Everything else just tears out super easy as long as you didnt gut shoot it.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I do the sharp side out for skinning, but you know how I am about my big, clunky guthooks

machetes.

[WNYBuckHunter]

machetes.

 

Im a heathen, what can I say?

[moog5050]

The only times I use my knife after the butt and initial incision are done, is when I cut the wind pipe and diaphram. Everything else just tears out super easy as long as you didnt gut shoot it.

 

 

Pull a little harder on the windpipe.  It will come out too without sticking your arm way up in the cavity, or so I heard.

[moog5050]

Is this an "O" or a zero...?

 

and I thought I enjoyed your photos ....

[phade]

Pull a little harder on the windpipe.  It will come out too without sticking your arm way up in the cavity, or so I heard.

 

True story. If you are real good, the lungs are halfway gone and out of the cavity before you even use a knife to open the hide.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Pull a little harder on the windpipe.  It will come out too without sticking your arm way up in the cavity, or so I heard.

 

Thats what I do, pull as hard as I can, then reach up in there and cut. I can usually get it toward the back of the throat.

[moog5050]

True story. If you are real good, the lungs are halfway gone and out of the cavity before you even use a knife to open the hide.

 

 

Rage Hypos with an 80lb bow do aide in the dressing process.

[growalot]

If your not doing a mount its easy to get ALL of it out by a small slit under the jaw reach in and yank...if it is difficult just pull away more of the connective muscle strands...

[dbHunterNY]

I've started from the sternum and got blood over more than I needed to.  For deer I'm not carrying  butt-out tools and multiple knives and all kinds of crap that I don't want to carry.  I use a small Lansky pocket knife that's crazy sharp and about 4" long opened at the very most.  start where the stomach is for the most part.  skin is looser.  pinch a good chunk of it to get it away from every thing and make a 2" incision, front of the deer to the back.  Then I guide and feel my way to open every up with my index finger on the back side of the blade.  I've never cut myself or the stomach this way.  doesn't zip hair at all and is nice and smooth cutting from the inside out.  make a nice horizontal slice along the top of diaphragm (bottom of the deer). then I cut around and zip-tie off the rectum and any other opening that's there (doe).  make sure you find the bladder/pee sack.  if you can't it's probably empty so you're ok.  next when removing the udder or dude parts I leave as much skin as possible on the inner hind quarters to protect the better meat of the deer, and I don't split the pelvis.  I look to see if the udder is dry, not dry, or drying (milk).  turn it on its stomach with legs splayed out to let it all drain.  then I pull it all out the rest of the way make a few cuts as need be.  I don't really split the chest either and leave the heart attached still in there.  everything else is gone, including the liver.  I hate liver.  system has served me well for a couple decades now.

[dbHunterNY]

I do use nitrile gloves.  toss them and the messy knife in a zip loc that had about 10 shop wipes in it.  if you don't use gloves that fatty residue from organs stays on your hands and gets under your nails.  less time washing up before sitting down at the table for dinner.

[Five Seasons]

The Gerber knife has a ball on the end . I carry that and a couple other knives . I take a couple of those red plastic flag plastic things that you get at Lowes or Home depot and lay on the ground . When I set a knife down , I place it there or on a plastic shopping bag that I will use to toss my field dressing gloves in when I am done . In 50 years of hunting , I havn't lost a knife ..... Knock on wood !

 

Thanks for the replies !

 

too many memories with my buck knife. If I ever lost it, I would literally cry.

 

After doing this job enough times, I can usually get it done in about five minuets. The last few years I've been using those plastic gutting gloves that go past your elbow. They keep me a bit cleaner and when done they make a great bag to put the heart and liver in, for the drag out.

 

 I do the butt thing first, then start at the sternum with just enough of a cut to get my fingers in there. Then using the shortest blade possible, no more than three inches, blade up and between the fingers, carefully cut to the pelvic bone. Then turn the deer on it's side to pull out the guts,cut the diaphram, reach in as far as possible to cut out the heart and lungs and pull all of it out together. For me a sharp, short,wide blade works the best for this job.

 

I also use the gloves. Inevitably they tear somewhere and i still get a little bloody but I don't get as messy and I too use the bags for the heart and liver.

[dbHunterNY]

Rage Hypos with an 80lb bow do aide in the dressing process.

 

hypos good for an accidental shoulder blade, but I'm surprised you don't use Xtremes for a bigger cut with that much horsepower.

[moog5050]

hypos good for an accidental shoulder blade, but I'm surprised you don't use Xtremes for a bigger cut with that much horsepower.

 

 

Thought about it but for the extra .25" its not worth buying new heads.  The hypos have worked very well so far.  Going traditional for at least part of this next season so it will be a new experience with much less horsepower.

[dbHunterNY]

Thought about it but for the extra .25" its not worth buying new heads.  The hypos have worked very well so far.  Going traditional for at least part of this next season so it will be a new experience with much less horsepower.

 

same endeavor here.  I've figure out you tend to setup different and definitely watch more deer walk.

[jjb4900]

Is this an "O" or a zero...?

 

the look on her face is priceless........

[turkeyfeathers]

I start with the Buttout tool. (for those you don't have one I'd suggest buying one) Quick zip tie and then cut towards the sternum. I never split the ribcage. I will skin down some of the fur before really getting into the field dressing so no hair gets in cavity. When I reach up as far as I can to cut the windpipe I run the back of the knife blade along my not cutting thumb until I feel the blade run off the end of my thumb. I now know I can flip the blade over and cut missing my other hand. I think most people cut themselves at this point of the procedure.  First few deer I field dressed took me forever. Guessing I'm done now in 15 minutes tops .

[Hock3y24]

I second splitting. The sternum if not mounting, makes it easier, just concentrate on not piercing the piss sac, stomach or intestines and your doing pretty good.

[G-Man]

I've always started with the butt hole , freeing it then the penis, then from pelvis up, never poked the guts one finger against side of tip of knife.. 2 to 3 minute gut job.
I think most people use to big a blade and it gives them problems , my ph2 only has 1 3/4 blade

Edited July 17, 2015 by WNYBuckHunter

[Fletch]

I drag the deer to a good open space I can work in and always hang my orange hat on a branch over where I am working. I take out and open my one gallon Ziplock bag, a red hanky to clean hands and knife so I don't have to dig in pack while bloody. I ring the butt first and pull it out a bit when its' loose, I can't see carrying a butt out as this only takes 1-2 minutes anyway. I don't bother tying off, I will explain later. I then roll the deer on its back with me standing over the rib cage with the deer's front legs kind of tucked behind mine to balance. This makes gravity pull the guts down away from where I will start my cut right at the v in sternum. I cut down to the side of the jewels or teats. Then roll the deer on its side and reach in and find the bladder and up to the loose end of the anus and pinch off and pull out. No need to tie it that way I can reach right up to the end. I then cut through the diaphragm and up to cut the windpipe and esophagus. Everything pretty much pulls out from there you may have to cut or tear away some connective tissue up near the spine. If I have a lactating doe I will cut out the whole sack, that thing holds heat and will screw your meat if not careful. I tip the deer up to drain and bag up the heart. I do not split the pelvis or ribs, that just promotes contamination while dragging. If you are in extreme heat then I can see doing it. I also use a small 3.5 inch blade knife. I see some guys with like a Bowie knife and I am like whoa!!

[nyslowhand]

too many memories with my buck knife. If I ever lost it, I would literally cry.

Tell me about it... Thought I'd lost mine cleaning a turkey a couple years ago. Immediately went into a panic. Had that Buck 110 since 1969 and we've had a lot of memories together. So I bought a new one and shortly afterwards I found my old one. Relief!!!!!!!!!!

[fasteddie]

My sister in laws ex boyfriend lost his Buck Knife after field dressing a deer . I took my metal detector out the next day and found his knife in the gut pile .

[fasteddie]

Tell me about it... Thought I'd lost mine cleaning a turkey a couple years ago. Immediately went into a panic. Had that Buck 110 since 1969 and we've had a lot of memories together. So I bought a new one and shortly afterwards I found my old one. Relief!!!!!!!!!!

 

My "go to " knife is a Ka-Bar Little Finn with a 3 5/8" blade . I have had it for about 45 years .

[Nomad]

Fletch , you sure got your system down !

Eddie that's a wonderful story/knife , 45 years ! That knife must really bring back some memories each time you use it .

I have a Shrade Lb7 ( Buck 110 clone ) that I've used since the '70's lost It once , I was heart broken it now sits in the safe most of the time .