How To Field Dress Your Deer
The time of year that you have been waiting for has finally made it. You have arranged to take some time off work and even have a buddy to go hunting with you. You may have even taken your child with you and you are ready to prove that you are the great hunter that everyone thinks that you are.
You have found the perfect spot to hunt, and now you have actually taken an awesome specimen and the next step is to make the deer ready to take it to the processor to have it made ready to eat. Any good hunter knows that you cannot take a deer to the processor unless you have first field dressed it. You realize that the real work has only just begun.
Field dressing a deer is essential to the proper transfer from the hunt site to the meat processing center of your choice.
Knowing the best way to field dress a deer is significant in rendering the very best possible meat to serve to your family and friends. You do not just take a knife and split the gut area open and spill the insides out in any old fashion. There is a technique that will insure that the meat is not contaminated by the contents of the intestines and stomach. In order to do it right you must first know something about the anatomy of the deer.
The first thing that you need to do before you begin to slice at the skin of the deer is to get it hung at a height that is comfortable for you to work. This can be done using the bare raw muscle power that is present after a successful hunt, or that offered by friends that want to help you revel in your conquest. You could also attach a come along to the antlers of the deer and draw it up to the proper height in that manner.
Whatever means that you use to get your deer hung, you should hang the deer with its head in the upper position and its hind legs spread for easy access to the work that needs to be done. Make sure that the deer is secure and will not be apt to fall and that the legs are tied off in a spread position.
Just below what we would call the breast bone is the perfect spot to begin the incision that will allow you to open the abdominal cavity without also cutting into the intestines. Remember that the intestines contain elements of digested food and may also contain some harmful bacteria. With this in mind you need to take great care so as not to open the intestines and expose the flesh of the deer to contamination.
Using a sharp knife, make an incision in the area just below the breast bone and using your finger you will want to feel your way down from there guiding the knife to continue slicing the skin to finish at the scrotum. Do not cut into the scrotum, but cut around it to remove it with the colon with the rest of the intestines.
Leaving the mesentery intact, and using it as a bag to control the flow of the organs you have just freed from the inside of your deer, you can then roll the contents of the abdominal cavity into a waste receptacle to be disposed of properly. It is best not to leave this waste just lying around. Instead, you will want to carry it to a proper disposal area in order to not encourage the wrong types of behavior from carnivores in the area.
You might want to salvage the heart and liver and use them as a flavorful addition to family mealtime or even as a food source for your family pets.
After leaving your deer at the processors, you can anticipate the time when you can bring your packages of venison home to place in your freezer to take out whenever you like to enjoy that one of a kind taste treat.
