P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
Well - not a new subject amd most folks will I am sure have their methods and reference maybe too from written material.
This is a piece I kept from five years ago - not sure who wrote it but - moderately concise and so perhaps useful to some. never know.
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How To Field Dress Your Big Game
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Okay, you are all prepared to go on your big hunt this year. Your checklist is complete, but you are worried about one thing. What do you do with your animal once you have brought it down either with a bullet or an arrow? If you want good wild game meat on your table the following information is equally as important as knowing where to hunt.
Meat can spoil, and pounds of venison may be wasted if not handled correctly ? and immediately. Field dressing game is not difficult if done properly. Field dress all game as soon as possible after it has been killed. Prompt, clean removal of the internal organs will speed cooling and help prevent spoiling to improve the taste later on.
The first step in field dressing is to cut the animal open. Don?t just start slashing away. Take it easy. It?s important to do it right. First, make a small slit in the belly with the knife Be careful not to cut any internal organs. Work your fingers through this hole and press the paunch or intestines away. Cut through the hide along the center of the belly from brisket to vent. Deepen the cut through the belly muscles. Use your fingers to guide the knife to avoid cutting the intestines.
Cut deeply around the ???? and free the organs in the pelvic cavity. Remove ???? with the intestines. Separate the hindquarters by splitting the pelvic bone with a sharp, heavy knife, hand ax, or saw. If you need to use a knife, a few taps with a rock on the back of the blade will help split the pelvis.
Open the chest cavity from front to back through the breastbone. Cut muscles of the diaphragm where they are attached to rib cage, separating the chest from the stomach cavity. It?s a good idea to place the carcass so the entrails will roll out downhill.
Use one hand to press the lungs out of the way. With your knife in the other hand, reach into the chest cavity and sever the windpipe and gullet where they enter the chest from the neck. Pull out the heart, liver, lungs, paunch, and intestines. It will be necessary to reach right into the carcass with your arms to drag them out, so don?t be squeamish. You may have to loosen some entrails from the back with your knife, but usually just about everything can be pulled away without too much trouble.
Use some sticks to prop the body cavity open, and hang the animal by its head in an airy, shady place. Hanging the animal will assure good circulation of air to remove body heat. Use a dry cloth to remove any blood remaining in the body cavity.
Let the animal hang for about an hour before transporting it to camp or car. If it is not possible to hang the game in the air, drape it over a log or pile of rocks belly side up ? anything to get it off the ground. The important thing is to get the meat cooled so it won?t spoil. If you save the heart and liver, put them in a clean cloth or sack and keep them cool.
If the weather is warm, it may even be necessary to skin the animal as soon as possible, allowing the animal to cool even faster. Experienced hunters skin big game animals in the field.
A word of caution about the musk, or scent, glands on the lower hind legs - avoid touching them while handling the carcass. The scent will cling to your hands and may taint the meat when you touch it. Some hunters remove these glands by peeling or slicing off the entire skin surrounding them, but it?s not necessary.
SUMMARY Of FIELD DRESSING
1) Cut through hide along centerline of belly from brisket to vent. Deepen cut through belly muscles, using fingers to guide knife and avoid cutting intestines.
2) Cut deeply around ????. Remove it with intestines. Separate hindquarters by splitting pelvic bone with sharp, heavy knife, or hand ax.
3) Open chest cavity, front to back, through breastbone. Split muscle (diaphragm) separating chest from stomach cavity.
4) Sever gullet and windpipe as far forward as possible. Pull heart, liver, lungs, paunch and intestines out on the ground.
5) Prop body cavity open with sticks and cool quickly by hanging, head up, in a shady, airy place. Let it hang this way for about an hour before moving it to camp or car.
Dress big game animals immediately to ensure rapid loss of body heat. Hang animal head up or lay it on a slope with rump lower than shoulders.
This is a piece I kept from five years ago - not sure who wrote it but - moderately concise and so perhaps useful to some. never know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How To Field Dress Your Big Game
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, you are all prepared to go on your big hunt this year. Your checklist is complete, but you are worried about one thing. What do you do with your animal once you have brought it down either with a bullet or an arrow? If you want good wild game meat on your table the following information is equally as important as knowing where to hunt.
Meat can spoil, and pounds of venison may be wasted if not handled correctly ? and immediately. Field dressing game is not difficult if done properly. Field dress all game as soon as possible after it has been killed. Prompt, clean removal of the internal organs will speed cooling and help prevent spoiling to improve the taste later on.
The first step in field dressing is to cut the animal open. Don?t just start slashing away. Take it easy. It?s important to do it right. First, make a small slit in the belly with the knife Be careful not to cut any internal organs. Work your fingers through this hole and press the paunch or intestines away. Cut through the hide along the center of the belly from brisket to vent. Deepen the cut through the belly muscles. Use your fingers to guide the knife to avoid cutting the intestines.
Cut deeply around the ???? and free the organs in the pelvic cavity. Remove ???? with the intestines. Separate the hindquarters by splitting the pelvic bone with a sharp, heavy knife, hand ax, or saw. If you need to use a knife, a few taps with a rock on the back of the blade will help split the pelvis.
Open the chest cavity from front to back through the breastbone. Cut muscles of the diaphragm where they are attached to rib cage, separating the chest from the stomach cavity. It?s a good idea to place the carcass so the entrails will roll out downhill.
Use one hand to press the lungs out of the way. With your knife in the other hand, reach into the chest cavity and sever the windpipe and gullet where they enter the chest from the neck. Pull out the heart, liver, lungs, paunch, and intestines. It will be necessary to reach right into the carcass with your arms to drag them out, so don?t be squeamish. You may have to loosen some entrails from the back with your knife, but usually just about everything can be pulled away without too much trouble.
Use some sticks to prop the body cavity open, and hang the animal by its head in an airy, shady place. Hanging the animal will assure good circulation of air to remove body heat. Use a dry cloth to remove any blood remaining in the body cavity.
Let the animal hang for about an hour before transporting it to camp or car. If it is not possible to hang the game in the air, drape it over a log or pile of rocks belly side up ? anything to get it off the ground. The important thing is to get the meat cooled so it won?t spoil. If you save the heart and liver, put them in a clean cloth or sack and keep them cool.
If the weather is warm, it may even be necessary to skin the animal as soon as possible, allowing the animal to cool even faster. Experienced hunters skin big game animals in the field.
A word of caution about the musk, or scent, glands on the lower hind legs - avoid touching them while handling the carcass. The scent will cling to your hands and may taint the meat when you touch it. Some hunters remove these glands by peeling or slicing off the entire skin surrounding them, but it?s not necessary.
SUMMARY Of FIELD DRESSING
1) Cut through hide along centerline of belly from brisket to vent. Deepen cut through belly muscles, using fingers to guide knife and avoid cutting intestines.
2) Cut deeply around ????. Remove it with intestines. Separate hindquarters by splitting pelvic bone with sharp, heavy knife, or hand ax.
3) Open chest cavity, front to back, through breastbone. Split muscle (diaphragm) separating chest from stomach cavity.
4) Sever gullet and windpipe as far forward as possible. Pull heart, liver, lungs, paunch and intestines out on the ground.
5) Prop body cavity open with sticks and cool quickly by hanging, head up, in a shady, airy place. Let it hang this way for about an hour before moving it to camp or car.
Dress big game animals immediately to ensure rapid loss of body heat. Hang animal head up or lay it on a slope with rump lower than shoulders.