The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting What are your field dressing tips?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Most of my hunts are guided and when they are not my buddies always take the knife away from me when they see how slow I am... Curious to other people's techniques especially related to bladder, urethra, and rectum. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | ||
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I usually bone out my deer and elk so I don't do anything. But when I shoot a bear for example or the one time I shot an Elk that was down hill to a road, this is what I do. Male. I skin and pull back the penis until I get to the point where it disappears into the body right below the anus. I then skin around it and the anus and carefully free them from the body say 2-3 inches from the outer skin. I then tie off the penis tube and rectum with a piece of para cord. Only then do I cut the penis tube flush with the anus opening. I live it tied off, and gut the animal as normal, then return to the business end and with an elk I grab the knotted penis/rectum piece and gently push it forward into the body cavity. This frees it and it comes out with the intestines and full bladder of the guts. This prevents getting any urine or feces on the meat, especially the exposed tenderloins. Hope you can follow this. Basically what I try to do is to seal any urine and feces within the system. Did you get your blacktail? | |||
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#1 Tip: Avoid putting a bullet through any of those areas! Also through anything that has green or brown stinky stuff. Okay, I'll get serious. Last couple years I've been involved in an annual deer culling operation and it's not unusual to play a part in the gutting of several dozen deer. I find two gadgets very handy; a small folding saw to split the pelvis open and these 'buttplugs' work well too. Although I still field dress stuff in the field, I've become a fan (when circumstances allow) of getting dead deer to a place with a means of elevating them off the ground to gut them out. | |||
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SG Olds, Thanks for the tips. I am going the weekend of Sept 8/9 for blacktail. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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I use the gutless method. Four quaters, back straps, and bone off neck and brisket. Inner lions through the back leg cavity. I have done it this way for 25 years. Elk, deer, and antelope. Unless the pickup is real close. Even though we have four mules, it seems like I always drag out a game cart or pack frame. | |||
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The best tip I have to offer is to study the anatomy. Know where the parts are. There are many ways to field dress an animal and lots videos and printed instructions available. The rectum is cut loose in much the same way as one would core an apple. Cut around the anus, going straight in with the knife. Pull out the plumbing and cut the colon free. Keep the knife in line, don't slash or dig in too far. (I recommend the "Butt-Out" tool. It really works.) Some festidious hunters tie the colon off. The colon, rectum and assoicated plumbing should stay attached to, and are removed from the carcass with, the rest of the digestive tract. The bladder resembles a balloon and is located in the same "tunnel" that contains the plumbing to the anus, if you get careless with the knife you risk puncturing it. The urethra is a small tube located just under the skin, in the "valley" or centerline separating the left and right legs. It runs from the penis up and into the "tunnel" where it connects to the bladder. Carefully cut the urethra free and tie it off. (Added in edit) Others have suggested the gutless method. It works for large animals (elk or moose) that have to be packed out in pieces but do not recommend it for a beginner or for smaller animals like deer, antelope etc. No longer Bigasanelk | |||
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The main question having been answered, just a few general suggestions. You will definitely find that your speed increases in direct proportion to the number of kills, or the number of times you have to do it. First thing, get that knife SHARP before the hunt. Get it to where you can hold up a piece of paper and slice it with one stoke. And take along a sharpening stone. And take some water. You need it to clean up the knife, yourself, and to slosh around in the deer insides to rinse it out (some don't like water in the cavity, but the blood does run out faster mixed with it). Two, this - I used to be slow too. Now how I dramatically sped up my cleaning time? It was because I HAD to on one occasion. Conditions required it and left no choice. After dark, only the light of the four wheeler to help which didn't reach the deer insides, below twenty degrees, other deer to clean, long way back up a steep hill thru unknown territory, fallen trees and thick stuff to find our way thru, and in a hurry to get back to the city and so forth and so on. And competing somewhat with others who are cleaning theirs. So no time to screw around with it. You just GET it done. And surprise yourself how fast. Oh, and three. Don't worry about being overly meticulous. Cut where you have to and don't be afraid to YANK those insides on out. A little elbow grease will help about as much as cutting when you're in a hurry. Four, the best way to speed up cutting the wind pipe is, grab it as far up as you can and stick the knife point thru it, then slice, which gets half of it. Then do that again in the other half and pull hard. It will come loose. The other way is to try and cut it from one side. That takes more time than sticking the point thru it first because it's not that easy to cut with the side of your blade. And, five, do CAREFULLY cut out the tenderloins. Otherwise, good chance of never seeing them again once you take it to the butcher... | |||
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Kudu56, You say inner loans thru the back leg cavity? not sure what you mean. I have seen the inner loans taken by opening the stomach cavity and reaching around/under the organ sack. Is that what you mean? Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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I hope you could follow. With your blacktail buck the only change is that you will need to push the knot in as far as you can then go to the gut side of the hips and grab the intestines between the bladder and the anus and gently pull while carefully cutting the plumbing free. Do a little on this side then go back to the knot side and pull the knot to the side and carefully cut the little bits that connect the rectum etc to the deer, then pul the knot to the other side and repeat. You want to free the plumbing without cutting the plumbing. Same as when you gut the rest of the deer. System integrity is more important than speed. It's not a race. It's done right or it's done wrong. Bring some handi wipes, take your time and do it right, so the meat is the best it can be. The other critical part is starting the main gutting cut and separating the diaphragm. On the intial cut. A 3 inch drop point knife works best for me. Find the sternum and where it ends over the stomach. With the deers but down hill on his back, I cut carefully throught the hide right on the edge of the sternum and push through into the cavity with my finger. You cut the stomach and it's over. Once I get this hole say 2-3 inches long, I slip 2 fingers in a Peace sign into the cavity and pointed away from the rib cage. Then with just my 2 fingers inside, I pull up away from the deer and using only the first inch of my blade, I carefully unzip the deer down the centerline until I get to the hips. The other point is cutting the diaphragm free. Always turn the deer onto one side or another until the area you want to cut is visible. Then only cut the diaphragm from the stomach side toward the lung/heart side which will be full of blood from your perfect shot. Again the point is to not ever cut into the stomach intestine system. Good luck. I look forward to the deer picture. | |||
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Kudu56 is talking about boning the animal. He is referring to removing the tenderloins without gutting. But I think you asked about gutting your animal with specific concern as to urine/ feces. There are videos on the net on gut free animal recovery. It's how I end up doing it because of the horrible places I always seem to shoot my elk in, here in Idaho. You need to bring other gear such as game bags pack frame etc. | |||
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SG, I know what Kudu is referring to...I just wasn't sure what he meant by leg cavity but thanks for the youtube tip. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Excellent advice from everyone. Don't gut shoot and that helps a lot. Processing the way Kudu mentioned seems awkward the first time or two that most folks try it, but after you get the hang of it, it is a damn good way of taking care of a critter.  Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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I know this is off track, but; How would this would be viewed by game wardens where proof of sex is required to be attached to the carcass and the quarters were packed out one at a time? I have been thinking about what I would need to do on a DIY elk hunt this fall "when"  I get my trophy bull down several miles away from camp with no pack animals or help around.Obviously I would want to bring the head out first but the state boys frown on that. In the past I always had buddies close by but probably not this year. How does everyone else do it? "The right to bear arms" insures your right to freedom, free speech, religion, your choice of doctors, etc. ....etc. ....etc.... -----------------------------------one trillion seconds = 31,709 years------------------- | |||
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get a couple of pairs of plastic gloves and wear them. Aim for the exit hole | |||
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If we're close to the truck, we get a bag of ice out of the cooler and put it in the body cavity. Otherwise, just open it up, cut the stuff loose, and pull it out where the coyotes can get it. The roof rack on a rented Suburban turned out to be a good place to hang an antelope for skinning once... | |||
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for proof of sex on a quartered animal, just leave the scrotum attached to one of the quarters. Here in Wy I remove the testicles and JUST retain the scrotum. Can do the same with a cow leaving the cooter. | |||
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yup! or udder!
I have never had a Wy G & F employee frown on that. I even had one check me as I was unloading the head, he then walked the mile back to my downed and quatered elk, and helped me load my pack for a second trip. Some times the head or horns are stolen, rarely does anyone steal the meat.
When I remove the quarters, all you have is a body, I roll it over, reach in through the hole where the leg socket is, fish around a little, remove one side of the tenderlions, then roll it over and do the same on the other side. I have been accused of waste, but I have a different theory, and follow the law. When you have to use a cart, or pack frame, most of the trimmed meat dries out so bad that it is wasted by the time you get it to the cooler. If hosres/mules, and or a vehicle are close I take more out. By using the gutless method, there is a few pounds of trimmed meat that is left. What ever I leave, I figure the bears, wolves, coyotes, and ravens have to eat to. There has been heated discussion regarding this topic in the past on this forum. | |||
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a trick for tenderloins. roll carcuss on its belly cut thru 1st vertabrea joint behind ribs can be done with a knife (cut thru disc) grab and pull up remaining spine will rotate up tenders are attached to underneath side for easy access to tenders (better than standing on your head) | |||
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I am surprised at the debate because you take the quarters, the straps, the loins, the brisket, and strip the big hunks off the neck...I dunno how you could say anything is wasted...whaddya gonna do pick scraps between the ribs... Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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ravenr, like this...  Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Me to!  | |||
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Cool! Now I gotta shoot an elk to try it. Thanks, always looking for shortcuts and bloodless methods. | |||
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Just an observation on this, but I think in Alaska, a hunter is required to salvage the meat between the ribs. In fact I think up there all edible meat from the carcass has to be salvaged. Someone please correct me if I am wrong on that. Here in Texas the type processing that Kudu described is fairly popular, since all TP&W requires a hunter to salvage are the four quarters and the back strap/loin. no mention in the regs about the neck or the tenders. When I pull the tenders I go in from the side, in front of the hind leg and under the short ribs anmd pull them out. Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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lesee - field dressing - first i put on my slippers, then my underwear, then my pant etc. etc  | |||
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Butch, Rumor has it you just wear a leather loin cloth and put a knife between your teeth. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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No, quartering without gutting. | |||
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I bone them out where they hit the ground. This reduces the weight by well over 50% and I don't have to fool around with disposing of the bones and skin later. If you want the rack, take it off the skull and tote it out with the meat. I usually leave them in the field too. The coyotes, foxes, buzzards and mice need to eat too so I leave their share in the woods. If I am hunting in an area that reqquires evidence of sex, it is very east to leave either a testicle or a mammary gland on one of the boned out hindquarters. I carry a packframe, a couple of knives, a small folding saw and 3 or 4 gamebags with me every time I go out. That way I'm prepared to take care of the game after the shot. The meat stays clean and I can put it straight into the cooler when I get back to the truck. This system works well for me. Pirate | |||
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So I have a question. I normally gut my deer and bring the carcass back to hang for at least one day, more if possible. I've always heard the muscle needs to be attached to the bones to let the rigor come out otherwise the meat will be tough. So is this true? Many of you are boning out still-hot meat. I imagine it must be tough? ~Ann  | |||
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Can't speak for anyone else, but Lora and I don't find it tough. Most of the time we don't actually bone the meat out until we actually do the processing. I quarter up the carcass and then put the quarters in a large ice chest. We then set the ice chest on an incline, with the drain end down about and inch or so lower than the opposite end, and leave the drain open. We just keep adding ice as needed and the melt water leaches all or most of the blood out of the meat. Depending on the weather, we will keep the meat that way for a week to 10 days and then do final processing. We are usually using the meat during this time and with the back traps epecially I have gone to eating deer sushi and that definitely isn't tough. The other thing we have noticed and it is the reason we only give friends/family ground venison, is that many folks try to cook deer cutlets/steaks just like they do beef which contributes to the toughness many people experience with game meat. Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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That is a new one to me. Thanks for the tip! I hope to get to try it this weekend on an archery cow elk. ____________________________________________ "Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." Terry Pratchett. | |||
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Personally I like to gut out and hang to make sure all the blood is out and age for a week or so skin on.Ann you are right about letting rigor set in.The meat just taste better of it goes through rigor and loosens up again.I do not like to waste any meat and we grill or smoke the ribs. | |||
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Take a pair of dish gloves. Keeps your hands warm and clean. Ski+3 | |||
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+1 With some practice, this is just as fast as gutting out the animal and cools your meat off faster. | |||
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I use the heavy kind of work gloves you find at auto supply or hardware stores that are covered with thick black rubber. They last forever. A doctor friend uses the thin rubber surgical gloves like you can buy at the drug store. Only good for one use and they don't keep your hands warm. With surgical gloves you can easily poke a hole in those and stick yourself with your knife. The kind I prefer are hard to accidentally poke thru. Anyway, for health reasons and to keep your hands warmer in bitter cold weather, I think gloves are close to essential. | |||
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I have got to try this! | |||
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I also knock the ivories out with a dry limb maybe 1" in dia. roll the lip up and place the edge of the dia. againest the FRONT of the tooth at gum line. (like you are trying to drive it down the throat) Easier after you have caped the head. a couple whacks with a fist sized rock and you will have nearly flesh clean ivories. | |||
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Yes, in Alaska all edible meat must be salvaged on critters so required, including meat between the ribs. If boat hunting or in a situation where I can haul the large pieces, after the animal is cleaned-out, I cut through the backbone between the last and second-to-last rib, then cut down the backbone fore and aft to get 4 total pieces. Sure makes the butcher happy when I can have it done. Just did it with a little blacktail buck and we put a whole front quarter on the smoker BBQ. Good stuff. | |||
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Sometimes I wonder if hunters are all on the same page on defining "tenderloins" or "backstraps". It's a subject I think there tends to be a little confusion on. In my world of deer hunting, I learned to refer to as "tenderloins" the two long slender pieces you cut out from the INSIDE on either side in the animal's aft portion. They're about 2-3" x 6-8" and are real easy to remove and take about a minute to do. And you're working in that area anyway to free the guts, so you're already there as far as that's concerned. The rest of the deer gets taken to the butcher. He asks what you want done with what I've been calling the "tenderloins", and he calls them that too; whether we want them packed separately or added to the ground. But, generally we do that ourselves in the field so we can have two nice, fresh never frozen cuts of meat that evening for dinner. Usually they are excellent. Although on a few occasions I've noticed the two cuts are way different in size and the bigger of the two can be very chewy, although taste well enough. Whereas the smaller one is, well, tender. | |||
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This is the way we processed and packed out a caribou last week. Didn't gut it, #1 cut the skin from chin to anus. #2 Skin it to the backbone and remove the hind, front, backstrap and start filleting i/2 of the neck. #3 turn the animal over and start skinning the other side and repeat with quarters, backstrap and neck. We just sawed out the ribs after cutting up the sternum with a good knife and filleted off the briskit.  "If you are not working to protect hunting, then you are working to destroy it". Fred Bear | |||
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Keep hunting with the same friends and family and don't change a thing. You have them fooled and you rarely have to do the wet and nasty part of hunting. My father hasn't had to dress out a deer in over forty years . Perry | |||
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