You shot a buck. It’s dead. And it’s down. Now what? It’s time to field dress, skin, and process your whitetail buck. Getting the meat from field to freezer is a part of the deal, and you need to get it done right.
First, make sure the deer is dead. Numerous instances have occurred where hunters thought deer were dead, but they were not. Then, they were either seriously harmed, and in some cases, killed by the wounded bucks. (Antler tines are weapons, and cornered deer use them.)
Once the deer is confirmed dead, and it’s been tagged and checked in, it’s time to process. (But not without the right tools.) And as always, be safe and smart when handling your MKC knives and saws and processing deer meat.
Deer Processing Tools
Hunters should ensure they have everything necessary to complete the task ahead. Hunters should fill their deer processing kit with:
● Gloves (to wear while processing)
● Bone saw
● Plastic or tarp (to place meat on)
● Game bags (to place meat in)
● First aid kit (in case of emergency)
Stop and Read: If You’re Getting a Shoulder Mount
If you plan to have a shoulder mount of your deer, do not follow the outline below. The buck caping process is much different, and requires different steps and precautions when gutting, skinning, and otherwise processing.
Gutless Field-Dressing Method
The gutless field-dressing method is a popular method available to most hunters. This is where you actually don’t remove the guts from the animal. Instead, you skin the deer. Then, you quarter it out or debone it on the spot. Ultimately, you skin and process the deer like normal. However, you never actually gut the animal and remove the entrails. Guts remain in the body cavity and stay with the carcass.
Gutless Method Pros:
● Less mess without handling guts
● Less smell without handling guts
● Less time spent processing the deer
● Still able to remove the tenderloins (pull through incisions made under the rump-end of the backstrap)
Gutless Method Cons:
● Must be done immediately upon recovering the deer (or risk deer spoilage from retained guts)
● Rarely works for harvested deer you haul out whole or allow to sit
● Can’t allow deer to hang and age
● Can’t get the heart (as easily, or at all)
● Can’t get rib meat (as easily, or at all)
Gutting Field-Dressing Method
The traditional gutting field-dressing method is more widely used. This is where you physically remove the entirety of the animal’s guts. It entails more steps. That said, if you want to get the heart and rib meat, and if allowing the deer to sit or hang for a while, this is the necessary gutting method.
Gutting Method Pros:
● Able to get the heart
● Able to get the ribs
● Able to hang and age the deer meat
● Able to take deer to a deer processor
Gutting Method Cons:
● Requires more time
● Produces more smell and mess
Gutting Deer the Traditional Way
The traditional gutting method requires multiple steps. It’s important to follow these and do the job the right way.
Step 1: Cut Around the Anus
The first step is cutting around the anus. This makes it possible to complete the next step and open the deer’s body cavity.
Step 2: Cut From Anus to Neck
Starting at the anus, cut the deer up the centerline of the belly. Make this cut from anus to the top of the neck. Stop the cut underneath the deer’s jaws. When making this long cut, do not cut all the way through to the body cavity. Only cut through the hide.
Step 3: Unzip the Abdominal Wall
With the long cut through the hide completed, it’s time to retrace it. Now, with only the tip of the knife blade, cut through the abdominal wall. With the sharp side of the blade pointing away from the deer, and using a finger on each flush side of the blade to feel your way through the cut (and to hold guts away from the blade), slice up the abdominal wall. Again, unzip it from anus to the throat. This should expose the internal organs. Do NOT puncture internal organs.
Step 4: Cut Through the Sternum and Pelvis
Using a saw, cut through the sternum and pelvis. This will finish opening the body cavity for entrail removal.
Step 5: Cut Away the Diaphragm
With the body cavity open, cut away the diaphragm. Be sure to slice through it on each side of the deer. Eventually, this will allow the guts to fall out of the cavity and away from the animal.
Step 6: Cut the Esophagus and Windpipe
Sever the esophagus and windpipe. This is the final hindrance for removing guts. Once this is complete, entrails should easily fall away.
Step 7: Pull Guts Out and Away from the Deer
If guts don’t fall out on their own, gently pull the entrails out and away from the deer. Drag the deer carcass away from the gut pile to keep it from getting dirty.
Step 8: Clean and Flush Out the Cavity
Finally, if a clean water source is nearby, flush out the cavity. Clean away debris and remaining pieces, such as blood clots. Once this is done, the field-dressing process is complete.
How to Skin a Deer
After field-dressing the deer, or if skipping that step and implementing the gutless method, it’s time to skin the animal. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Cut the Centerline
If you used the traditional field-dressing method, this step is already complete. If using the gutless method, it’s yet to be done. If implementing the latter method, make the long abdominal cut now, but only cut through the hide, and not into the body cavity.
Step 2: Make a Cut Around the Neck
Make a circle cut around the neck. Start and stop at the long centerline cut made while field dressing (or if completed in step No. 1 above).
Step 3: Make Cuts Down Each Leg
Cut around each ankle. Then, connect the leg cuts with the long cut down the middle of the deer made when gutting (or if completed in step No. 1 above).
Step 4: Work the Hide Away
Finally, with virtually all cuts completed, cape the hide away from the deer until you have a finished rug of the deer. The deer skinning process is complete. (If you want to keep the deer hide, finish it by fleshing and tanning it.)
Quartering a Deer
To quarter a deer, and pack it out in large pieces, a hunter must follow a series of cuts. First, using a bone saw, cut each leg off just above the knee. Then, remove each shoulder. (There are not bones to cut through or sockets to pop out. Just cut away connective tissue until it comes off.) Then, remove each hindquarter. (Cut through connective tissue. Pop the hip joints out of the sockets.) Lastly, remove both backstraps, both tenderloins, neck meat, rib meat, etc.
Deboning a Deer
Those who choose not to quarter out a deer might debone it on the spot. Or they might debone the meat after packing the deer out of the field. Regardless, deboning the two shoulders and two hindquarters requires careful cuts. Using a sharp knife, follow natural lines between each cut of meat. Do this until you’ve cut away each cut of venison. All that should remain is bone.
Packaging Venison
With the deer gutted, skinned, quartered, and deboned, it’s time to package the deer meat. Clean away any debris or unwanted fats and silver skin. Then, vacuum seal the meat. (If that isn’t possible, use quality freezer bags and remove all air.) Write the confirmation of the harvest on each package, along with the date of harvest, and any other identifiers you require.
Deer Processing Mistakes to Avoid
There are many mistakes hunters can make when processing deer. It’s best to avoid these. Making these blunders can hinder or outright spoil the deer meat.
● Recovering a deer too soon, resulting in pushing the yet-to-expire deer, producing a longer track job.
● Recovering a deer too late, resulting in meat spoilage.
● Failing to follow all deer recovery laws.
● Taking deer carcasses out of CWD zones or across state lines.
● Processing your deer before tagging and checking it in.
● Processing a deer without gloves.
● Implementing the wrong knives for various tasks.
● Processing deer with dull knives and saws.
● Making crazy cuts that are way off course.
● Contaminating the deer meat in one way or another.
● Failing to clean up properly.
● Packaging the venison improperly.
Enjoy Fine Dining
You’ve processed your deer. Some of it’s in the freezer. Part of it is sizzling in the griddle right now. Soon, you’ll taste that hard-earned deer meat. And it’ll be a meal (many meals, in fact) worth the time investment. Enjoy the fine dining ahead.
