# Best way to field dress a buck



## browningboy

This is my first year shooting a buck. What are some tips? I alaways ahad trouble with does. I pretty much forget how to field fress too so any help would be appreciated.


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## Bandcollector02

Cut that belly open, pull out the guts. Don't forget to get the ***, windpipe and "food tube" (try spelling espophogus). Not much too it. Do several deer so you get to know what you're doing and its not really that messy. Just be careful not to cut the guts or piss sack open or you may uke: . Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Gildog

first make sure deer is dead

then on a buck, first thing is to remove the genitals without piercing the body cavity. then cut around the anus until all the tissue is loose, as you will be pulling it back into the cavity later. then start cutting into the paunch cavity, being careful not to puncture the intestines, and cut up to the ribcage. if you are going to mount the buck, don't cut past here. if you aren't going to use the cape, then place your knife just off center of the sternum and pull upwards with some force--this should get you thru a couple ribs each stroke. Repeat until you have cut up to the top of the sternum.

Reach up into the neck and cut the windpipe. then cut the diaphram muscle (the muscle that separates the chest from the paunch) on one side, then roll deer other way and cut other side of diaphram.

then grab the windpipe you cut, and pull down...you might have to "scoop" or cut the tissue holding the lungs to the back, but it should pull down. then the stomach and intestines will follow...this should all be pulled out of the cavity, over the pelvis. when all this is out, you will need to pull the end of the large intesine up thru the pelvic canal--this is the area you cut around the anus at the beginning. pull this out, and then pull the deer away from the gut pile.

drain the deer by turning it over in grass or snow. retrieve the heart and or liver from the gut pile and you are done


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## Bandcollector02

Great Detail!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## huntingtim08

Do you take the heart and liver and eat it? I know when i shot my first buck the older hunters in my group said it was a tradition to take a fresh bite out of the heart. Im not stupid and i didn't do it but it would be funny to see.


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## dakotashooter2

You see many guys try to chop through the pelvic bone. This is not really necessary. You don't really gain much in cooling effect and it allows the meat to get dirtier if you have a long drag. not to mention it can be dangerous (with a knife) and is hard on the knife.

The first few you just have to dig in and get dirty. You'll learn to do it faster and with less mess as you get more practice.

Note: Urine is sterile. It generally will not contaminate the meat unless it is left on for a period of time. In most cases the flow of blood being flushed from the body cavity will do a sufficient job of flushing it off. Some guys make it to be a bigger issue than it is.


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## Gildog

I don't eat heart or liver raw at the site, but I do take the heart and boil it with pickling spice, then slice for sandwiches. I have also included it in grinding meat. The heart is just a big muscle, like steak (leg muscles) or chops (back muscles).

we used to have a liver fry at deer camp, and I remember it was excellent--looked forward to it every year. then the guy who was the cook stopped coming to camp, and the liver fry was never the same and has stopped being a tradition. Liver of course is a filter to take out waste, so some people don't like the idea of eating it. But I can vouch that deer liver CAN be really, really good if someone knows how to cook it.

I also enjoy chicken, duck, and turkey livers fried up.


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## bradguck

A couple of other points to mention, #1 if you are going to have the deer mounted make absolutely certain that you DO NOT cut the throat for any reason. Also, pick up some of the shoulder length "gutting gloves" from your local sporting goods store, they will make it a much cleaner job.

Also something we do with all our deer is make sure to wash them out asap with clean water.


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## jgat

I like to cut the tender loins out right away especially if I am going to hang the deer for a few days.


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## holmsvc

I like to bring zip lock bags along to put the tenderloins in. I cut them out of the deer and wash them right after gutting the deer.


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## jgat

holmsvc said:


> I like to bring zip lock bags along to put the tenderloins in. I cut them out of the deer and wash them right after gutting the deer.


Exactly. Then dash em with a little Lawry's, and put 'em on the grill as soon as you get back to camp. 9 days and counting, can't wait!


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## Fallguy

jgat said:


> I like to cut the tender loins out right away especially if I am going to hang the deer for a few days.


You bet. Get those suckers out right away!


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## lvmylabs

We always bring the deer back to the yard and clean them behind the shed. Gives the cats something to munch on for a while. We keep the hachet and the hammer in the pick-up to split the pelvic bone. After we gut them we bring them over to the hose which is hooked up to the hot water supply of the house. Cleans your hands, knife and the deer no matter how cold it is. we then hang the deer in the shed. The whole process takes a while, but we are very patient and laid back while we hunt. We found we are more successful when we take our time. Good Luck tomorrow.

Jim


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## dogdonthunt

hey great tips guys... another is to bring a couple gallons of water... for both drinking and for cleaning up in the middle of nowhere... might wanna try keep it some what warm cuz it gets a lil cold trying to wash up


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## Bandcollector02

Last weekend at deer opener there was a little bit of discussion about this. One guy said he always will butcher the deer the same day. Another guy claims he likes to age deer for a couple of days. The same guy says he knows someone who ages the deer for a week. What has everyone elses experience been???? Has anyone tried it both ways, not aging, and aging and have you noticed a difference????


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## jgat

It depends how cold it is outside. If it is getting down into the 30's at night then hanging the deer for a few days is ok. If it is hot out though, I would get the deer cut up ASAP. From my experience I think when a deer has hung for a few days it makes the butchering process much easier, unless the deer is frozen.....that's tough on the hands! As far as taste, I guess I have never noticed a difference.


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## zettler

Just make sure you get one first...


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## muzzynat

All of this is pretty much how I've gutted my deer. I will recommend purchasing a "Sagen Saw" (those little orange handled saws they sell for hunting). They make splitting the chest/pelvis very easy and safe, the ones I've used have all been the Sagen brand, but I'm guessing there are similar ones out there, make sure the saw you buy has plastic on the bottom side too, this keeps it from slicing open the intestine when you cut the pelvis.

In general, I remove the genitals, cut the anus loose, saw the pelvis, open the abdomen, then slice up the ribs and throat, saw open the ribs, grab the windpipe and use it to pull all the guts out, cutting away the lung/diaphragm tissue if needed.

I also carry latex gloves for gutting, just the short little doctor style ones, I seem to cut my fingers on the bones less, despite how thin they are, and it saves the washing up mess to a point.


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