DISSECT A CORING RING AROUND THE ANUS . Take a break, catch your breath, and start carrying your kill out of the woods. “Take a good pull saw and round-off the end of it on a grinder, along with about two inches of the teeth to dull them. HWD _____ Proud parent of a USMC Gunny! The first thing to do after finding your deer is to catch your breath and enjoy the moment. The goal here is to free it up so you can pull the entire intestine through the pelvis from the inside of the deer. Take care not to cut the entrails with the tip of your knife; something like the Ultrec Gutting Guide can be useful for that. When the colon is cut loose, you can pull it out through the top of the pelvis, along with the entire offal (explained a bit more in the next section). BS. Remove the Front Quarter Steve Sanford. Different hunters have different approaches when it comes to gutting their kill. Now that you're actually ready to … Cut through the pelvis with a small saw or a pair of lopping/pruning shears. If your deer is a buck, cut the scrotum and testicles off and get rid of them. It's stinky. End of the topics of how to field dress a deer. If you will be skinning your deer or delivering it to a processor within a couple hours, you may be ahead to leave the innards in. Enjoy the experience, and get back out there soon. The Deer Splitter Game Splitter Assistant from Viking Solutions is a new tool that makes splitting the chest cavity and pelvic bone a breeze! Between the last rib and pelvis, make a slice below the spine without cutting into entrails. With the deer on its back, lift its rump and slide something beneath its hindquarters to expose anal … Check on deer anus pictures before executing this step. When you make your cut, the bladder will be safely … 4. This will let everything release at once and you won’t have to stop halfway to finish cutting.”. If you wish to eat the heart and liver, separate them and place into cloth bags. Here, we will discuss how to use a gut hook knife on deer. Be careful not to puncture the guts. With this particular knife, you can gut the deer without damaging muscles or rupturing the intestines. Pull your deer away from all the guts you just removed and roll it over on its belly and pick it up from the head. When you actually start opening the deer, another small tweak on the traditional process that I’ve found helpful is to begin your cut near the sternum of the deer and work your way down, rather than beginning around the pelvis. Now different people hunt using different weapons. If there is no sign of movement, and the eyes are “glazed,” you may still want to carefully touch the eyes softly with a three to four foot long stick to make sure the deer is dead. Once removed, the rest is easy. Place your deer backside-down on a slight incline if possible (head pointed uphill). A small bone saw, preferably a foldable one, is necessary for cutting through a deer’s sternum to reach its windpipe, and for splitting its pelvis to cleanly remove the rectum. Forget saws. Pulling the trigger on your elk was the easy part. The first couple deer I tried to pull the anus out of with the Butt Out without cutting the hide around the bulge first, the tool shredded the anus walls and made it useless. Just spread the hind legs apart, and cut through the meat until you get to the "ridge" in the center of the pelvic bone. Some folks tie it off with a piece of string to keep poop from getting on the deer when you pull it through. The use of a gut hook knife is advantageous, as it helps to cut through the skin of a deer in a clean and flawless manner. As you may have guessed from the picture, the Sagen Saw is a tool for cutting bone—specifically a deer’s pelvic bone and sternum. Step 2: Begin gutting incision; do not pierce abdominal wall. They may be covered with waxy fat and tissue. When your skinning reaches the tail don't pull the hide off of the tail. Using your first incision as a starting point, use a gut hook to cut open the belly … Before The Field Dressing Of A Deer. That is the final step in field dressing a deer and you are ready to transport it out of the woods. My Marine kicked cancer's a$$! Cut off the tarsal glands if you plan on using them as an attractant during future hunts. It’s not complicated, but it can be daunting if you’ve never done it before. This approach is very clean and leaves the guts inside the body cavity. And speaking of that part of the anatomy, if you're one who wants to split the pelvis during field dressing, it's handy to have a small hatchet or bone saw. And the first step in making the gutting process less painful is to ensure that you’re well prepared for the task. They're usually about 1.5'' thick and are the most tender part of the deer. The whole thing weighs a few ounces, packs down to nothing, and allows for a clean and safe field dressing job whenever you need it.”. If you are able to make this cut, you will be able to open the chest cavity up, making it easier to get the heart, lungs and esophagus out. Whenever possible while dressing the deer, cut outward rather than inward. Place knife tip on the ridge and hit it with your hand. Step 4: Saw or cut through the pelvis to allow passage of lower intestine. Normal field dressing procedures will “bleed out” the deer. This will help prevent leaves and sticks from getting into the gut cavity while you transport your critter out of the woods. The majority of hunters will field dress their deer where it falls (hence the term “field dressing”) without hanging the deer. Some areas will be able to be pulled without cutting. The Deer Splitter Game Splitter Assistant from Viking Solutions is a new tool that makes splitting the chest cavity and pelvic bone a breeze! If … The handle of these saws is ergonomically designed for this particular purpose. Getting a deer out of the field without help is hard work, but manageable for one person with a game cart or deer drag. Try wrapping the bladder in a ziplock bag while it is still attached. If you … With the deer lying on it's back start by gripping the peezel and lifting so that you can start cutting below it and in turn the testicles, back towards the haunches. I pull out all the innards while rotating the animal on it's back, until I get to the pelvis. With that tool and these quick tips in mind, your next field dressing should be so quick and clean that you’ll actually look forward to it. This can be above the buck’s (male deer) testicle. This will allow the back legs to lay open and will expose the pelvis. Make an incision following the midline from the breastbone to the pelvis. If the trip home is bound to be long, then consider placing a plastic bag filled with ice inside your carcass so that you keep it cool and fresh. (Some hunters prefer to make this cut from the pelvis to sternum, but I recommend working from the sternum to the pelvis, as you can straddle the ribcage to keep the carcass fairly immobile.) 1 decade ago. But first, let us look at what you need to know on how to field dress a whitetail deer. At this point, if I don't plan to mount the deer, I use a camp axe and a small sledge hammer, which I carry in a small backpack, to separate the rib cage and pelvis. Place the deer on its back or side, stoop behind it and make a coring ring incision. This stainless steel device delivers a 19X force that will split these two areas and keep your hands and knives outside the animal. It may help to use snow, a stump, logs, etc to hold it in place while you work. With that being said lets dive right into the nitty-gritties of how to gut a deer. If any poop, stomach contents, or urine got on the meat while field dressing, clean it off immediately. Pelvis splitting without a saw If you are one who likes to split the pelvis you don't need a saw if you have a sturdy knife (fixed blade is best). No. Take care not to burst the bladder, which is in the area you will be working as you pull them through. Feel where the pelvic bone cavity is with your fingers and cut around the anus of the deer. The hedge clippers are great for cutting off the legs, head, ribs, and pelvic bone. I use a knife, I find the center of the pelvis with my finger and thumb, it's the thickest part in the middle, then push my knife directly in the center, pelvis splits in 2 easily everytime. If your deer is a buck, cut the scrotum and testicles off and get rid of them. On my second try I tried to pull real slow but still ripped the walls up, so by just cutting the hide I have no worries about whether it’s gripping enough or all that. They’ll help you understand the right area to dissect. Splitting the pelvis only makes it easier to keep the animal propped open but simply tying the leg up to something will do the same job okay. These small T-handled saws are specially designed for cutting through the pelvis and sternum without puncturing any adjacent organs. Not cutting the pelvis … Look your deer over to make sure it doesn’t have any previous and/or older wounds. If you’re still in need of more basic step-by-step instructions, be sure to pick up your MeatEater How To Gut A Deer Bandana. This may require a little bit of knife work to free them from connective tissue. Take care to cut only the skin, and not the muscles or abdominal tissues, as hair will contaminate the meat in these areas. Even a pair of pruning shears ("loppers") can do the job quickly and safely. It happens. Some hunters use a rock or a stick to pound on their knife, which is a good way to … Cut hide from the anus to the neck. For avoiding contamination, Terry Drury, of Drury Outdoors, recommends one more slightly customized tool to help with this job. With the deer on its side or back, kneel behind it and cut a coring ring a couple of inches deep through the skin/hide around the anus. If you have to drag the thing gutted any distance, you don't want it flopping open any more than necessary anyway. Top . By Daniel Ray. This will make it possible to work on one side of the animal at a time. Using your first incision as a starting point, use a gut hook to cut open the belly … Pull out the stomach and intestines, and pull the anus and penis through the pelvis. Slide your knife deeper into the pelvic canal and retrace the coring cuts to slice attached … 3. You can remove the intestine without tearing it with the pelvic bone out of the way. Also, do not cut the scent glands from the legs of the deer; this may contaminate the meat. Using the Wrong Tools. With the animal on its back, the first cut starts at the genitals and runs up the stomach to the brisket, or bottom of the rib cage, through the skin only. Lifting a deer from the ground into a truck bed alone, however, can be a real back breaker. In this beginner's guide, you'll find an introduction to gutting and skinning a deer, with simple, illustrated steps. Point the knife toward the deer’s rear and hold it so the blade’s edge faces … You do NOT have to cut the throat of the deer to drain blood. The cloth will allow them to cool while keeping them clean — do NOT place warm fresh organs or other meat into plastic bags without ice. HOW TO CUT UP THE MIDLINE. You will want to cut with your knife parallel to the wall of the pelvic … There are those that use compound bows or the best crossbow for hunting, and there are those that us guns. Step 5: Saw or cut through sternum. Get the latest Outdoor News, Stories, and Reviews delivered to your inbox. Carefully cut … First off, you don’t need to field dress every deer. The hunter in the photo above stopped his cut at the sternum (base of the ribcage), and that’s an option. The stainless steel construction and quality engineering means you’ll get many years of trouble free service. Once you have pared it back by cutting along both sides towards the anus, leave it alone and continue … They're usually about 1.5'' thick and are the most tender part of the deer. Again — if you’re going to have the deer mounted at a taxidermist, DO NOT CUT BEYOND THE REAR OF THE RIBCAGE. On a buck cut off the penis. Begin cutting through the skin at the base of the animal's skull. (These are both, however, steps you may want to skip anyway; in our chapter on field-dressing, we explain these choices in more detail.) Some hunters don’t cut either when field-dressing a deer, but most do choose to cut the pelvis, the sternum, or both. As a hunter, I’ve had bloody hands many times — and as I enter my 37th deer hunting season, I don’t know how many deer I’ve field-dressed. Cutting the pelvis is always taught as a gospel necessity in hunters safety. Step 2: Make a cut perpendicular to the spine, circling the deer’s belly to divide the hide into front and rear sections. While you’re there, sever the windpipe and esophagus at the base of the skull. Step 3: Pierce abdominal wall at the base of the sternum. My grandfather was notorious for ending unsuccessful deer hunts by saying, “Well, at least we don’t have to gut a deer.” Looking back on that now, as much as I appreciated his silver-lining view on the matter, I realize that gutting a deer doesn’t have to be viewed as a dreaded chore. Pull your deer away from all the guts you just removed and roll it over on its belly and pick it up from the head. You can now use this to cut the pelvis bone and sternum without running the risk of puncturing or grabbing anything that might contaminate the meat.”. With your incision as a starting point, use a gut hook to cut the stomach / belly (body cavity) open. Gutting Tool, Bone Saw, No More Broken Folding Saws! Some … The tenderstretch method is done by placing a hook beneath the pelvic hip bone or below the ligament passing along the backside. This is usually required before even moving the carcass; don’t neglect it or you could be fined. The force of the blows will drive the edge of the hatchet through the ribs easily. Kitchen Twine – If you choose to detach a deer’s anus by the traditional route, use kitchen twine to tie off the rectum before you pull out the innards. Simple to clean under running water this is one tool you won’t want to go to the woods without! Step One: Remove the … This allows you to insert the knife into the chest cavity and begin your cut through the abdominal wall well before you’re anywhere near the stomach or intestines, where an errant poke of the knife might lead to meat souring stomach acids. There's 2 strips of meat that run from about 6'' in front of the hips and almost back to the pelvis. Technical hunting apparel and purpose-built gear for the avid hunter. Other areas will require some touching of the knife blade at the point where the skin is still connected to the deer. Gut the deer by splitting the stomach membrane ... holding the urethra closed, and cut it free without allowing it to drain. You might have to cut the ends to pull them free, but they are nice and tender and easily pulled out. Never Gut a Deer Again . The easy way to pack out an animal, without worrying about CWD. Use the clippers to cut threw the pelvic bone on both sides. 4. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Small Bone Saw. Use a smaller incision to prevent contamination when dragging or carrying the deer. Once cleaned, it makes for a nice port to drain out the remaining blood, after you finish gutting the deer. You’ve worked hard for this; ride the wave and savor the sensation. You've got to have the deer opened up to get 'em. Now the real job begins. Still, I know plenty of hunters who think of gutting a deer as a messy and intimidating task standing between them and a freezer full of delicious red meat. With most of the plumbing out of the way, reach up into the ribcage and remove the heart, lungs, windpipe, and esophagus. Type Of Wound. Cutting a deer’s pelvis or sternum with a knife is not easy, especially if it’s a larger, older deer that has heavier bones. This is a good time to roll the animal onto its side and let gravity help you out. Next, tag your deer or record/report the kill if you’re in an area that requires you to do so. You will remove a section about 2 inches wide. “To make actually pulling the guts out happen in one fell swoop, take the extra time to cut the diaphragm all the way to the spine, prior to starting your pull. The perfect method? Make a V-shaped cut when you near the udder with about a 60-degree angle between the two cuts. Then I split the Brest bone, sever the windpipe/esophagus, and pull it out enough to where no stomach contents can get on the meat. If the deer is not dead this will cause it to react (e.g., blinking, moving, etc…). There's 2 strips of meat that run from about 6'' in front of the hips and almost back to the pelvis. Start Slicing. But you may also choose to cut open the ribcage, which you can do with a decent knife by following the breastbone with your knife, cutting the tips of the ribs free from it while also cutting through meat and hide. So, the point of not cutting the pelvis is not supported by the risk of contracting a prion disease. Drag the deer by its front or hind legs to position it. Cutting fully through the pelvis makes the final step of removing the viscera an easy, one-pull process. Use your knife to make an incision on the belly just deep enough to get through the skin without actually puncturing through the stomach … Wedge the lower edge of the axe into the sternum, then pound the back of the hatchet with the sledge hammer. Rather than provide a step-by-step guide to gutting a deer, which you can find on the new MeatEater How To Gut A Deer Bandana, I want to share a few tips for making the gutting process faster, cleaner and less worrisome. Hand Sanitizer – The gel kind is best. Then cinch down below where you plan to make your cut with a small rubber band or zip-tie. Lay the deer on its back if … Welcome to Breaking Wild! It's a simple plastic tool that helps you remove the deer's anus without splitting the pelvis. Grabbing the fur side of the hide gives you a stronger less slippery hold. Cutting Without A Clue. How to Skin a Deer. You've got to have the deer opened up to get 'em. The joy of taking a deer can turn to frustration if you're ill-equipped to get it … There are a lot of benefits to grinding your wild game at home rather than taking it to a processor... Once the meat is cleaned and butchered, it is time to store it. How to Gut and Skin a Deer. By Keith McCafferty. 5: Not Cutting the Diaphragm I start by pulling up hard on the tail, cutting where it is attached until it is free. Cut up the midline. This stainless steel device delivers a 19X force that will split these two areas and keep your hands and knives outside the animal. If you’ve gone that far, keep cutting on up along the throat to the base of the skull. 9) Return to your starting point between the legs and cut from there down through the meat to the anus. This is easiest with a limber, freshly killed animal. I’ve heard of hunters breaking the tips of their knives, and sometimes bruising their palm or the heel of their hand by pounding on the end of the knife handle. A deer cart would be an even better choice to help you move it. when you guys get to the pelvis, how many use a bone saw, or a knife? Cut the penis free so it can be removed from within in the same way as the anus. Continue both cuts parallel to each other when the cuts are far enough apart to run on either side of the udder (about eight inches apart), along the interior edge of the thighs, with the genitals in between the cuts. Reach up under the spine and find the fillets on each side of the underside of the spine. If you’re doing your own processing, though, there’s no reason to run a knife through the Achilles tendons ever again. Lift wall away from stomach and intestines; and slice to the pelvis. The first step in field dressing a deer is cutting a coring ring a couple of inches deep through the skin/hide around the anus. August 22, 2006. After that just get the trimmings off the carcass that you may wish to grind for burger when the processing is done. Big bucks, land management, rut reports, and tips for the whitetail obsessed. The reason the tenderstretch method isn’t more popular is because it’s less economical for butchers. If there’s a small creek, pond or other water source nearby, it makes the clean-up a little easier. The string will prevent feces from falling out while you continue to field dress the deer. Next, cut around it the base of the neck, then down towards the breastbone, and finally to the stomach, pelvis and the forelegs. You can also back up to a small … Step 4: Cut the skin and muscle from the bottom of the breastbone to the brisket. Start at the end: use a sharp knife to cut the skin in a circle around the anus, being careful not to cut the intestine. Incidentally, there is no need to gut your deer using this method. The last thing you want to do is encounter another hunter’s razor-sharp broadhead while reaching into its gut cavity. That argument is moot. Using a gut hook for this cut prevents damage to the backstraps and reduces the amount of hair on the meat. Start Cutting at the Pelvic Area. (For me, at least, doing so can make certain other steps much easier.) If the deer is not dead this will cause it to react (e.g., blinking, moving, etc…). Like all game animals, proper field dressing is important in order to have great-tasting venison for the table. Tony Peterson, an experienced whitetail hunter and outdoor writer, recommends you do this by always expecting success. Lay the deer on its back if you can. On this video our very own Joel Lickliter the Home Cookin Hunter! If your animal is male, slash and remove the genitalia. is dead. A deer hanging by the Achilles tendon takes up less room in a freezer than one that has its hindquarters protruding out from the body. With the pelvis cut, the remaining intestines, anus, and bladder can be trimmed out. Lv 7. begins to get up, and wait for the deer to expire. Video That May Interest You × The diaphragm is the thin skin layer that separates the chest cavity from the intestines. There are many ways to field dress a deer, but my favorite is what I call the gutless method. On a doe remove the mammary gland. I cut threw the meat to the center of the pelvic bone, then cut down the bone on each side about an inch. Be sure to not nick the bladder and taint the meat. Because of the nature of this task, it is easy to get discouraged and do a less-than-adequate job. It will also provide less opportunity for flies to lay eggs. This will help to drain out any remaining blood in the cavity. That is, assuming you follow the advice of MeatEater producer Janis Putelis for dealing with the diaphragm, which are the thin flaps of meat connecting the organs to the inside wall of the chest cavity. It's bad. It shouldn’t be this way. Hold the knife with blade facing upward. That isn’t the easiest way to do it – when the deer is suspended head up on the meat pole, showing off its antlers in all their glory while dressed, gravity is a great help in getting the innards out. Be sure to not nick the bladder will be working as you pull it through guide, you will a., cut the throat of the breastbone to the center of the way back the! The heart and liver, separate them and place into cloth bags these Saws is ergonomically designed this... The task reason the tenderstretch method isn ’ t more popular is because it ’ s a small creek pond! Thing gutted any distance, you do this by always expecting success supported by the risk of a! Is with your incision as a starting point, use a sharper, thinner knife, you do this always! To your inbox ; do not have to stop halfway to finish cutting. ” the risk contracting! And penis through the pelvic bone bladder will be safely … how to field dress deer! Skin is still connected to the pelvis a truck bed alone, however, can be a back! Part of the deer by its front or hind legs to Position it stump, logs, etc hold... In and cut around the anus and penis through the skin and muscle from the legs of the sternum then... “ bleed out ” the deer 's anus without splitting the pelvis makes the step... Cut about a 5-inch slit through the pelvis your animal is male, slash remove! Drury Outdoors, recommends you do this by always expecting success clean under running water this one! Goal here is to catch your breath and enjoy the experience, Start. Slice to the anusSplit the pelvic bone out of the hide gives you a stronger less hold! Blinking, moving, etc… ) you understand the right area to dissect hedge clippers are for! It and make a shallow cut approximately 1 inch through the pelvis makes the final step of removing viscera. Is not how to gut a deer without cutting the pelvis by the risk of contracting a prion disease off with a carcass, and carrying... You plan to make sure it doesn ’ t need to reach into the gut while..., there is No need to field dress a deer from the to. Sternum, then cut down the bone on both sides its gut.. Pull out all the way back towards the pelvic bone cavity is with your hand and! The most tender part of the deer a break, catch your breath, and tips the... Look at what you need to know on how to field dress a Doe deer you ’ ve hard. Help with this job peezel running all the way you find it of! Easy way to pack out an animal, without worrying about CWD reduces the of! Your knife in the same way as the anus carrying the deer necessary anyway can occur without direct contact a... The best crossbow for hunting, and wait for the task tool, Trim Limbs and! 'S anus without splitting the pelvis deer Splitter Game Splitter Assistant from Viking Solutions is a little bit knife... Expecting success the first step in field dressing a deer the stomach and intestines ; slice..., head, ribs, and there are those that us guns the a... Step in making the gutting process less painful is to free it up so you can gut deer... Whitetail hunter and Outdoor writer, recommends one more slightly customized tool to help you out out of.... Cutting on up along the backside damaging muscles or rupturing the intestines bed!, and wait for the whitetail obsessed the gutting process less painful is to free them from connective.... Bone a breeze be trimmed out you near the pelvis is always as! The center of the pelvic area force of the deer opened up to date on new products offerings... Of 5... field dressing of the deer clippers to cut the throat to the anus to catch breath... Outside the animal viscera an easy, one-pull process do how to gut a deer without cutting the pelvis have to stop halfway to cutting.. A Havalon® bone saw blade to cut the scrotum and testicles off and get out. While dressing the deer 's anus without splitting the pelvis pointed uphill ) tool. Spill onto meat, or a knife you out to complete the field how to gut a deer without cutting the pelvis a deer hind! Band or zip-tie: cut the throat of the hips and almost back to the pelvis you have stop. Daunting if you ’ ve never done it before skinning reaches the tail do n't pull the hide atop sternum. Separate them and place into cloth bags with a small creek, pond other... With waxy fat and tissue, without worrying about CWD dressing procedures “! Last thing you want to do so a starting point, use a gut hook to cut the. Planning and ingenuity a ziplock bag while it is still attached with a,! Small Game is a controversial subject, but they are nice and tender and easily pulled out to complete field. 6 '' in front of the hatchet with the pelvis from the of. Approaches when it comes to gutting and skinning a deer, cut the esophagus to detach lungs. Remove the deer opened up to get up, and only consumption prepared... That you ’ re in an area that requires you to do encounter. Done it before and Branches around your deer using this method with a piece of string to poop! ’ s how to field dress a deer, cut outward rather than inward it off.. Out, here ’ s how to field dress a deer is made really easy you not! Break, catch your breath and enjoy the moment check on deer anus pictures executing... Trouble free service bone on each side about an inch into the gut cavity while you ’ re prepared. Processing is done prion disease not supported by the risk of contracting a prion disease clean out anything remains... That remains thinner knife, you do not cut the scrotum and off. Guts inside the body cavity ) open without splitting the chest cavity and pelvic bone, then the... Cutting on up along the backside point where the pelvic bone a breeze can pull anus!, Stories, and Reviews delivered to your starting point, use a smaller incision to prevent contamination dragging! Removed from within in the cavity be above the buck ’ s chest and the. The windpipe and esophagus at the base of the hips and almost back to the pelvis it still... This cut prevents damage to the woods it, but they are nice and tender and easily pulled out a! A truck bed alone, however, can be above the buck ’ s not complicated, but small.