So how many different ways are there to field dress a deer?

[mowin]

8 minutes ago, BowmanMike said:

where do you cut the poop chute if you dont pull the anus through? Sounds odd to me,but i am curious..

From the inside I'll grab the large intestine as far into the pelvis as I can then cut.  If there and waste in it, most of it is with the gut sack.  I'll bung and remove the bladder when home and hanging. 

Edited December 3, 2018 by mowin

[Chef]

1- use but out tool
2- use gut hook, go from the hole I left from the anus all the way to sternum
3- reach up cut Wind pipe
4- cut away diaphragm
5-pull everything out
@jmp5008 at this point I’d say it’s about 5 min from start to finish?




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[NFA-ADK]

3 different ways.

1) Don't cut anything except what needs to be done

2) Open the chest cavity

3) brake open the connecting hip bone

I open the cavity from the chest to the genitals, place on one side and scrape or cut connecting tissue flip over for the other side and do the same.  Cut esophagus remove anus keeping ass end up so not to puncture bladder.  Pull everything out cutting any connecting tissue.  Usually less than 10 min for me.  You get a bit more bloody doing it this way but it only requires one knife.  Did one of my deer with a 2 inch blade, worked great except the esophagus was a bit of a pain. 

[dbHunterNY]

14 hours ago, crappyice said:

Anyone ever bring it home and gut it as it hangs? I have not but dude across the street had one that he hung by the head, split from ribs to hole, cut diaphragms and wind pipe and allow gravity to help with the pull. He places a large keg pail under it before the process begins to “easy” guy removal later.


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once with a doe that i dropped right behind the house. i bled it out first. opened it up into a wheel barrow in the garage. a tall plastic barrel would work better. wouldn't bother with a buck to heavy.

[dbHunterNY]

i don't do others are saying. i do the whole process with a small 2.5" blade lansky pocket knife. put deer on it's back and stand between its hind legs. pinch and pull up hide in front of crank or udder getting it away from guts. make first incision. two fingers in a peace sign guide other hand with index finger on blade spine.  run up to sternum then stop. go back down and remove parts and leave as much hide as possible. make sure to cut away diaphragm at sternum. plant one boot under a knee and tip it up to bedded position to let it all drain a bit. recap story to a buddy or reflect. pull it away and tip it back over to work out guts accept anus and wind pipe. reach up into chest as high as you then with knife hand and index finger back on blade spine cut it all free. half the time to hearts toast but if not then put in a ziploc bag. go back to the rear. reach as far in as possible pinch lightly and pull any turds back into the intestines. use small piece baler twine (better choice) or zip tie to tie off, pinch and cut in between. same for a box on a doe. fold the knife back up, reverse nitrile gloves, and put it all in the zip loc bag you brought it in with. this dad then uses scent free scott septic safe baby wipes to get my arms clean from elbows to wrist. should be little blood or mess (unless i'm really rushing).  it's protected and not opened up to let dragged leaves get up in there. plus little hide is off the bottom round so there's less waste. what i do.

[The_Real_TCIII]

Im telling you friends, make the slit from the sternum to the pelvis next time, you wont believe how much less hair ends up all over the cavity. Everything else is the same just make the long cut "with the grain"

[dbHunterNY]

23 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

Im telling you friends, make the slit from the sternum to the pelvis next time, you wont believe how much less hair ends up all over the cavity. Everything else is the same just make the long cut "with the grain"

the way i explained it there's really none. is it mostly from getting into the sternum? i don't really cut into that.

[The_Real_TCIII]

3 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

the way i explained it there's really none. is it mostly from getting into the sternum? i don't really cut into that.

Youre cutting the length of the belly and not getting hair?

[dbHunterNY]

10 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

Youre cutting the length of the belly and not getting hair?

not much of anything no. same concept when skinning different areas like legs. you've got me thinking now. i've used a a couple different styles of "gut hooks" and then got more hair from what i remember. knife cutting from inside out and pulling up with two fingers on your other hand.

first incision is best chance for hair. thinking about it i'm poking in straight but any movement is sternum to crank just enough to get three fingers in, then it's up to sternum the blade goes.

Edited December 3, 2018 by dbHunterNY

[dbHunterNY]

if i think about skinning deer though it's better to start where the sack was and run up the hind quarter between both rounds. to start peeling away the hide, versus going down (hung hind quarters up). so what you're saying does make sense and could only help.

[The_Real_TCIII]

I hope to skin one more this year lol

[dbHunterNY]

Just now, The_Real_TCIII said:

I hope to skin one more this year lol

i should've just shot another doe yesterday but i admit i was buck hunting and it was a warm Sunday evening.

[Fletch]

I use just a small 3-4 inch blade, if you need a Bowie knife well I don't know lol

Ring and free up anus use zip tie to tie off

Cut from diaphragm down to and past side of milk sac or genitals use two fingers in a V to hold up skin away from entrails this direction is less hairs cut to get other places.

tip on side and gravity and you start pulling out intestines and stomach reach up in and pull anus through, i reach up in and find bladder and pinch off and pull that out.

Cut through top half of diaphragm and reach up as far as possible to cut off windpipe and esophagus

As you pull those down with lungs and heart use your knife to separate a couple places where your attached up near spine and the rest of the diaphragm.

If it is a doe remove the whole milk sack

The only time I rinse is if the inside gets contaminated otherwise water just spreads bacteria around.

I never split pelvis or ribcage. It just opens up the deer to more contamination.

I can typically gut a deer in ten minutes.

 

Edited December 3, 2018 by Fletch

[dbHunterNY]

3 minutes ago, Fletch said:

...The only time I rinse is if the inside gets contaminated otherwise water just spreads bacteria around.

 

this too.

[Fletch]

14 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

if i think about skinning deer though it's better to start where the sack was and run up the hind quarter between both rounds. to start peeling away the hide, versus going down (hung hind quarters up). so what you're saying does make sense and could only help.

I've always skinned head hanging up. Cut ring top of neck and work down. As you pull down the legs all angle down and it just works.

 

[dbHunterNY]

12 minutes ago, Fletch said:

I've always skinned head hanging up. Cut ring top of neck and work down. As you pull down the legs all angle down and it just works.

 

i've done it both ways and agree with the legs being easy to skin around when angled down.  usually though i'm not screwing up cape hair for a buck by hanging it by the neck. also doe are typically hung from a grambel attached to my Moultie scale to weigh anyway. if either left hanging for any period of time it's hind quarters up so it's not draining into them. all depends on the situation. most deer are hung nose to the ground for me.

[OldNewbie]

As a beginner I've found it helpful to tie the back legs to nearby trees to hold them apart. 

[moog5050]

Since you asked about different ways, I will offer one that just became a habit for me out of frustration of trying to fit my hands and the knife in the cavity.  Once I open a deer up and free the butt, I utilize the grip and rip method.  Not much if any cutting after inside the cavity.  Its quick but you need to push through the diaphragm and pull pretty hard on the windpipe.  Occasionally I do have to follow up with a cut here or there if its a tough deer, but often not.  My buddies now joke about my unique method but it works fine, kinda brutal but fine.

[Five Seasons]

alwasys core out the booty first. Then go from tip of his junk up to breast plate. move some stuff around and do some light cutting. reach up to the esophagus and cut it. rip and cut it all out. done.

never sawed anything in the field.

[Five Seasons]

19 hours ago, crappyice said:

Anyone ever bring it home and gut it as it hangs? I have not but dude across the street had one that he hung by the head, split from ribs to hole, cut diaphragms and wind pipe and allow gravity to help with the pull. He places a large keg pail under it before the process begins to “easy” guy removal later.


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always something i've preferred to leave in the woods. less weight to drag out, less mess to clean up at home and the sooner you get the core cooled the better.

[SilentStalker]

8 minutes ago, Belo said:

alwasys core out the booty first. Then go from tip of his junk up to breast plate. move some stuff around and do some light cutting. reach up to the esophagus and cut it. rip and cut it all out. done.

never sawed anything in the field.

Same here.

[mowin]

3 hours ago, dbHunterNY said:

i don't do others are saying. i do the whole process with a small 2.5" blade lansky pocket knife. put deer on it's back and stand between its hind legs. pinch and pull up hide in front of crank or udder getting it away from guts. make first incision. two fingers in a peace sign guide other hand with index finger on blade spine.  run up to sternum then stop. go back down and remove parts and leave as much hide as possible. make sure to cut away diaphragm at sternum. plant one boot under a knee and tip it up to bedded position to let it all drain a bit. recap story to a buddy or reflect. pull it away and tip it back over to work out guts accept anus and wind pipe. reach up into chest as high as you then with knife hand and index finger back on blade spine cut it all free. half the time to hearts toast but if not then put in a ziploc bag. go back to the rear. reach as far in as possible pinch lightly and pull any turds back into the intestines. use small piece baler twine (better choice) or zip tie to tie off, pinch and cut in between. same for a box on a doe. fold the knife back up, reverse nitrile gloves, and put it all in the zip loc bag you brought it in with. this dad then uses scent free scott septic safe baby wipes to get my arms clean from elbows to wrist. should be little blood or mess (unless i'm really rushing).  it's protected and not opened up to let dragged leaves get up in there. plus little hide is off the bottom round so there's less waste. what i do.

This is exactly what I do.  U just explained it better.. lol

One bow kill I realized I forgotten my knife. Used the blade from a broadhead to get the job done. No need for multiple knives or larger ones. 

[Five Seasons]

21 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

Since you asked about different ways, I will offer one that just became a habit for me out of frustration of trying to fit my hands and the knife in the cavity.  Once I open a deer up and free the butt, I utilize the grip and rip method.  Not much if any cutting after inside the cavity.  Its quick but you need to push through the diaphragm and pull pretty hard on the windpipe.  Occasionally I do have to follow up with a cut here or there if its a tough deer, but often not.  My buddies now joke about my unique method but it works fine, kinda brutal but fine.

ditto. i rip almost all of it as well. I will add that some guys over estimate how far up they really need to get. Field dressing should be looked at as a quick job in any condition. Then when you get it hung up you can be a little more picky with what was left. There should be no bad stuff in the 

[dbHunterNY]

48 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

Since you asked about different ways, I will offer one that just became a habit for me out of frustration of trying to fit my hands and the knife in the cavity.  Once I open a deer up and free the butt, I utilize the grip and rip method.  Not much if any cutting after inside the cavity.  Its quick but you need to push through the diaphragm and pull pretty hard on the windpipe.  Occasionally I do have to follow up with a cut here or there if its a tough deer, but often not.  My buddies now joke about my unique method but it works fine, kinda brutal but fine.

i grip and rip too, just most likely not to the same capacity as yourself. lol  gotta grab high and tight for the stomach though unless you want to make a mess. that was the first hard earned lesson i found out gutting a deer. another was a drained deer. otherwise every time something pops free there blood spatter to go with it.

[wolc123]

First, I stick the barrel of my loaded (safety off) weapon into the eye and watch for a blink.  After that, I put on some long rubber gloves.  I start out with the butt-out:  Insert, turn 1-1/2 times or until you feel the teeth engage the anus wall, then pull it out.   Tie off near the end (I usually use surveyors ribbon), and cut off the end with my Buck 110.  Next, roll the deer onto it's back and cut off the genetalia if it is a buck (toss the nuts into a zip lock bag if you prefer, that will also get the heart and liver if it is a 6-month old deer).   Carefully cut thru the hide at the center of the sternum with the tip of the knife, then get a couple fingers next to the blade and guide it down to the pelvis.  Cutting towards the pelvis results in less hair hair on the meat like like Tacs has already mentioned.   After that, I rip everything out behind the diaphram.

Next, I cut thru the pelvis bone with a Gerber folding saw and make sure the bladder and any other "bad" stuff is cleared out of that area.   Then I cut out the diaphram and rip everything in front out, rarely needing the knife.  With the carcass still on it's back, and the head slightly uphill, I use the blood to rinse out the rear section.  I never use water to rinse a carcass, even if some gut juice, piss or crap has spilled inside.  The blood rinse gets rid of all that stuff and it is always handy.  Last, I cut open the stomach to see what it has been eating (usually finding corn). This whole process takes me about 10 minutes.  Before the butt-out, it took 20 (Thanks again Chef).   That has been a lot of "prime-time" gained over the last three seasons.  

Edited December 4, 2018 by wolc123