Field dressing is very common in the hunting season and is a great hobby for many hunting enthusiasts.
It gives them the opportunity to wander out in the wild, look for potential game animals, and then most importantly, land the perfect shot.
Field dressing refers to the process of removing reproductive and other digestive organs out of the carcass so that the meat can be obtained without contamination and can be preserved for more extended periods of time according to Penn State University.
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How Long to Field Dress a Deer?
If you have hit the deer in the heart or the lungs, you need to be very careful because the animal will die extremely fast, probably around 15 minutes after shooting. However, if you have hit it in the liver or the adjoining areas, you can wait for about 2 hours.
How to Field Dress a Deer
Choose the Best Knife
The first and foremost thing to do while field-dressing a deer is to make the perfect choice when choosing your knife (whether it has holes or not).
If you choose a blunt and small knife, there are high chances that when you reach the bone in the process of cutting the animal, your knife will go sideways.
Therefore, it is essential to pick a knife that sustains its position while cutting and is strong enough to slit through the meat.
For field dressing, a sharp butcher knife is usually ideal.
Wear Gloves
Although you will not see many hunters and butchers making use of latex gloves while field-dressing an animal, it is extremely important to use them for a number of reasons.
The most important reason is that you will be safe against all the dangerous infections that prevail in a hunting environment if you wear gloves.
Some of the common infections you can get as a hunter are Lyme Disease, rabies, or chronic wasting disease.
Moreover, your hands will remain clean and prevent scratches in the process.
Get Your Animal in Position
The next thing you want to do in order to carry out the field dressing process conveniently is to bring your animal in position so that you can determine where and how to make the cuts.
To effectively do this step, you’ll need to put your deer on its back.
To do this in a more sophisticated manner, it is advised to place two rocks under the shoulders and two under the hips so that the animal has sufficient support to fall back on.
Make the First Cut
Once you have the deer in position, make a small cut starting right from the anus and head upwards till you reach the backside of the animal’s lower jaw.
You will be lucky if you can make this cut on the first try because this single cut will determine the effectiveness of your field dressing process.
Cut Along the Muscle Layer
While many hunters tend to leave the muscle layer intact, it is always advised to remove it after you have made the first cut that goes from the jawline to the anus.
Now using your knife, start peeling along the muscle layer slowly and gradually. You will have to put some effort into this part because it will be very hard to pull the uppermost layer of the animal.
Though it’s challenging, removing the skin has excellent benefits. It reduces the chances of animal fur and hair interfering with the meat and contaminating it.
Remove the Entrails
In this step, you will again have to apply some force to carry out the field dressing process successfully.
Keep one hand steadily on the animal’s body and, with the other, pull out the entrails of the animal.
At this point, you will not have the entire vision of what is inside the animal; therefore, you will have to use your touch sense to figure out what to pull out.
It would be best to ensure that the whole entrails are in your hand and that you are not leaving behind anything in the animal’s body cavity.
If this happens, your meat will most likely be contaminated because the contents of the entrails may spill inside the carcass.
Hang the Animal
Once you return to your camp with an animal in your hands after a successful hunting session, you will need to hang the animal in an upright position.
Doing this will allow the clean and fresh meat to come to room temperature quickly. It will also help you cut and clean the animal more thoroughly if it is hanging onto something.
If you intend to hang the animal indoors, you can do it in a shed.
However, if you want to hang it outdoors or lack space to do it indoors, you can also use a metal door or a tree branch.
Make sure that you cover the body of the animal in a game bag or with cheesecloth in order to prevent bees and insects from contaminating the meat.
Freeze the Meat
After cooling down the animal properly, you can cut the meat into whatever form your wish. It can then be washed so as to remove the bacteria.
It is recommended that you pat dry the meat before freezing it so that there is no excess moisture that can further spread bacteria.
After pat drying the meat, use zip lock bags to contain the meat before freezing them.
Frequently Asked Questions about How Long to Field Dress a Deer
How warm is too warm to hang a deer?
Temperatures higher than 41 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit) are not considered beneficial in field dressing a deer. If the temperature is too warm and the deer have been shot in the heart or lungs, you need to gut it as soon as possible as the meat will start to go bad very quickly.
Should you skin a deer before hanging it?
It is recommended to skin the big game animals before hanging them so that there are little to no chances of the animal hair contaminating the meat. Once you have skinned the animal properly, you do not need to worry about seeing hair in the meat.
What part of the deer is considered the best for eating?
The best meat of the deer that you can have is the inner loin, as it is the most tender part of the animal. This part will make a delicious and succulent steak with as little seasoning like salt and pepper.
Is deer meat healthy?
Deer meat is considered to be among the healthiest meat varieties. This is because it is very lean and has great benefits for people with heart diseases. It is abundant in protein, zinc, vitamin B, fat, and iron.
