Results 1 to 6 of 6
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Clarksville TN
    Posts
    3,037

    field dressing/butchering deer?

    Yesterday I was reading a few articles and watching some youtube videos on field dressing a deer. One of the outfitters does not field dress the animal. Instead he hung the deer, took off the legs then pulled the skin off the animal with guts intact. He then cut out the back straps, quartered the deer and took out the loins. At some point he cut the deer so the ribs and insides fell into the gut bucket. My question is about the quality of the meat due time passed since shooting the animal. It would take me about 1.5 hours to get the deer home before I could do that process. How does having the guts in a animal for a few hours after harvesting affect the meat? The temps here will be between 30-45 degrees tomorrow. I'm a late comer to dear hunting with only 2 does and 1 buck to my credit. So, what say you all who has the experience in processing deer? thanks!

  2. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Hot Springs, AR
    Posts
    3,620
    #2
    We used to do that at the last lease I was in only because it was usually a matter of minutes from kill to skinning shack. If you hang them by the back legs gravity pulls the guts toward the upper chest cavity. If it's going to take a while to get one home and go to work on it I would gut it where it lays and then haul it out and back home. As far as leaving the guts in the animal for a few hours....honestly if it's not gut shot at all I bet it wouldn't matter but you are never going to know if the stomach or intestines has been hit by a piece of bone or shard of stray bullet jacket for sure until you open one up unless it's a head or neck shot. I've seen bullets do some weird things when they hit flesh and bone. You may have made a perfect shot to the shoulder and a chunk of bone could still find it's way down into the stomach area and pierce something that's gonna release junk you don't want getting into you meat. Like I said, I'd gut it where it lays and haul it out.

  3. Member Skeet'r89's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    North East, Top of the BAY, MD.
    Posts
    7,093
    #3
    The 1.5 hrs. to get home wouldn't be that big a deal as long as it didn't 6 hrs to find it. Many a deer has been down on the ground for a while before it was found. Stop and get a couple of bags of ice on the ride home if you think it would help. I usually did all my deer in the woods. didn't want to haul that extra 30 pounds of guts.

  4. Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Lake Ivie, Texas
    Posts
    16,400
    #4
    No problem doing it that way if it's done fairly quick after the kill. I prefer to gut it, wash it out good and hang it in the cooler for a couple days.

  5. Georgia Bass Club Moderator fishnfool38's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Cumming, GA
    Posts
    10,569
    #5
    I too will not gut if at the club and going str as ight to skinning rack. But if it's going to be any time longer I gut and throw a bag of ice inside unless the temps are below and staying below 38°. The faster you cool it down the better.

  6. Georgia Bass Club Moderator fishnfool38's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Cumming, GA
    Posts
    10,569
    #6
    I too will not gut if at the club and going straight to skinning rack. But if it's going to be any time longer I gut and throw a bag of ice inside unless the temps are below and staying below 38°. The faster you cool it down the better.