field dressing a deer

[spivak]

Another vote for the Hesselgrave video. He makes good points for not splitting the pelvic bone and not opening the rib cage. End up with cleaner and nicer meat. It's also a fast and clean way to field dress.

[TrophyEyes]

Hesselgrave is top notch. I used to schedule him for Grand openings and once saw him butcher a deer in under 10 minutes. That guy is flat out amazing. I still use a knife he sharpened for me over 3 years ago, still sharp as the first time he handed it to me.

Here is the best tip you will ever get. If you forget your gloves, knife, rope, saw, tap hammer, and whatever else you think you will need....you will surely need them. It like forgetting the fishing net, you always do better when you aren't prepared.

[Arctic]

One of the most important things about dressing that deer starts before the animal is dead: make sure you get a clean shot through the vitals (heart/lung) or neck. I've seen plenty of deer gutted after the bullet traveled through the guts, leaving a horrific mess to deal with. Not good, if you enjoy tasty venison!

[paul pachowicz]

Trophy, I'd like to see that done in ten minutes. I'm wondering how far he went. I mean, did he steak out the top sirloin, tip, the round and the loin, take out the whole lug and split it for roasts, make rump roasts, or what?

[CrappieAttitude]

As far as the windpipe goes, if you aren't mounting the head, just pick the neck on the outside and feel for the windpipe. Cut it from the outside then you don't have to reach all the way up inside the deer. Its much faster and cleaner.

If you are planning on taking pictures of you with the deer, do so before you try the above. It makes a not so pretty of a picture after the fact.

[ntrider]

the shoulder gloves work great...also, when i go thru the sternum i actually go up one side of the sternum and cut where the cartilage connects the ribs to the sternum...any decent knife should cut that pretty easy...

[elkhuntingfan]

After you cut the wind pipe from the outside, pull slowly from the inside. Many years ago, I was gutting one of the first deer I got. I cut the windpipe and pulled from inside the chest cavity. It wasn't coming so I pulled real hard. The windpipe snapped out. It was full of green %$#&^^% from the stomach. It sprayed in my face and mouth. I stood there and puked for a while before finishing the job.

[fishorgolf]

I used to cut around the anus but started using the "but out" a few years ago and will never go back. insert, twist, pull out 8-12' and tie off. I also do not cut the pelvis or sternum.

I do like the idea of cutting the windpipe from the outside. Never thought of this but sounds like it would work well.