# Do YOU Field Dress Your Own Deer?



## poisonivie

This might seem like a silly quiestion, but I am kind of curious. I am a female hunter too, but I was curious of how many of you ladies actually field dress your own deer (without help), when you bag your deer.

I was expected to field dress my own deer the very first time I shot one. I had helped my dad field dress his own bucks before I actually shot my first deer. When I got my first one, my Dad helped me a little bit, but for the most part, I had to do most of the dirty work. After that, when I got a buck, I was on my own until they were done hunting for that day. 

Many times, I am out hunting on my own, anyway.... so it's nice to know what to do when you're out there.

Anyway...just curious...


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## bluesun7602

i plan on field dressing my next one. didn't do my first one but there were other circumstances surrounding that which i couldn't be there for it. but i'd love to get my hands in them guts and i hope to do the next one!! :evil:


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## tangleknot

I plan on field dressing my own deer. I wouldn't mind my husband giving me some pointers the first time, I'm sure some guidance would be helpful. I have helped process deer many times and it doesn't bother me a bit but I know dressing it out is a different. 

I have field dressed other game with no problems. I must admit however, I don't know what it is about goose........the whole smell of raw goose turns my stomach.


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## plugger

My wife and daughter both hunt my daughter will dress her own deer. My wife usualy hunts with my son or I, we gladly field dress her deer, she processes all our deer and turkeys. When people tease my wife about not guting her deer she says she changed our sons diaper he can gut her deer. I have field dressed deer for alot of people, esp younger family or women I dont want someone not to hunt because they cant handle one aspect.


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## poisonivie

tangleknot said:


> I don't know what it is about goose........the whole smell of raw goose turns my stomach.


I don't think deer smell that bad as long as your don't gut shot it. I've cleaned some stinky waterfowl too, but normally it not bad. Once my mom (20 years ago) baked a goose that was bad and it stunk up the house. :sad: I think it must have been hit in the gut and we didn't realize how bad until she cooked it. Needless to say, that goose got pitched and we went out for dinner that night.


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## Backwoods-Savage

My wife had never field dressed her deer, but she does about 75% of the butchering after the gutting and skinning. 

btw, she pressure cans about 90% of all our venison and it is delicious that way. For those who have never tried it, you would be in for a big surprise. Many people claim they hate venison but I've never met anyone who did not like canned venison. It does change the flavor some and also makes it extremely tender. 1000's of ways of fixing it for meals, or you can even eat it right out of the can. My wife likes it for cold sandwiches. I like it warmed in a frying pan with lots of margarine. 

She just added that 99% of the people who taste canned venison and canned beef woudl not be able to tell the difference. Not only that, but if cleaned properly, venison is virtually cholesterol free because the fat is not marbled in venison as it is in beef.

If anyone would like to more about this method, feel free to PM me.


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## frznFinn

I wish I had been taught how to dress my deer. I've hunted with my dad since I was a kid and I have always helped but never actually done it myself. Although I think I would like to learn from someone else. He seems to always cut the wrong thing and well we usually have to rinse the inside down......not a good thing....... :bloos:


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## 1wildchild

I learned how to field dress at a beyond bow weekend. We actually gutted a goat for practice! I have not gotten my first deer yet, but I think I will be able to field dress on my own.


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## dinoday

1wildchild said:


> I learned how to field dress at a beyond bow weekend. We actually gutted a goat for practice! I have not gotten my first deer yet, but I think I will be able to field dress on my own.


 Did ya eat the goat...hmmmmm?? might be tasty :corkysm55 :lol:


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## PrtyMolusk

Howdy-



dinoday said:


> Did ya eat the goat...hmmmmm?? might be tasty :corkysm55 :lol:


It is _very_ tasty! _Cabra_ in Spanish, it is a staple of the Mexican kitchen.


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## hartman886

I did my first one tonight and lets just say it was not pretty. BF was supervising and lets just say it was not a 10 min job like the internet sites say! But I expect I will get better with it as time goes by. I did not mind the blood or the smell. I do think it would be easier if I were stronger and had bigger hands!


Robin


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## Thunderhead

Only if I can't find someone dumb enough to do it for me..........lol


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## Amy

I do not field dress my own deer. Dad or husband does it for me. My brother and I do all skinning and butchering, plus I do all the cooking. I think its a fair trade...


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## tangleknot

I helped my husband dress his deer today and I was completely fine with it. Our oldest son helped out, too.


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## hartman886

I did my second tonight and I'm happy to say it came out much better this time! so I guess practise does make perfect and I must say it does add to the satisfaction. I saw it, I shot it, I found it, I gutted it and all that's left is to learn how to drag it. Although letting someone else do it does have it's pluses too... 


Robin


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## bluesun7602

i had 3 assists today! but i don't like the poopal area... i won't go there. i'm not that brave.


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## Thunderhead

We call it the " touch hole " lol  Ya_ have_ to get this out. If you don't do it right away, you'll have tainted meat.

Here's how I do it to avoid any unpleasantness.

After cutting off the milk sak, or ***** if it's a buck, roll it on it's side and lift the tail. Take your _sharp_ knife and cut _around_ the touch hole cutting as deep as you can. Feel for the outer wall with your knike and run your blade around that. You'll see what I mean when you actually do it.

Once your cut is complete, and no flesh is left on the outer rim, gently grab a side and pull.

It'll all come out in one piece. A long " tube" aka poopshoot.  Nothing gross here. Just a closed organ.
If you can get past gutting, you can do this. 

All nasty stuff will remain inside and you will not get anything on your hands but maybe a little fat.

This is part of cleaning it up and necessary to do in the field. If you wait, you'll risk contamination. 

After gutting and hanging the animal, you'll also see that there is no reason to split the pelvic either as all that will remain is a clear, open hole where all the nasties were.

Nice and clean.


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## Thunderhead

They block the anatomically correct " P " word for a male ?

What would the powers that be have us call it ??????????


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## tangleknot

Dressed out my own deer today from start to finish. Next time should be much better, learned a few from my own mistakes but not bad overall.


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## dinoday

tangleknot said:


> Dressed out my own deer today from start to finish. Next time should be much better, learned a few from my own mistakes but not bad overall.


 Ok TK....thread? Pics?  

Congratulations on your deer!! :woohoo1: Now for the best part :corkysm55


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## booker81

I've dressed most of mine, except for the ones that the guys who lease our property jump in on. They get a little excited - they treat me like a daughter or granddaughter 


I have no problem dressing, skinning and procsessing - I've managed to get pretty quick, but the only thing I can't do alone is dragging. We have a deercart up at the cabin, but my favorite spot is about 1/2 - 3/4 mile walk from the barn, up and down hills. Alone, it would take me a long time to get back, if I ever did (bad knees - surgery 5 years ago) , so with someone else, we can get it hung a bit quicker


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## Brownsdown

I will gut if i dont have to drag,,,,,, that in itself is worth 10 min of time and some red hands,,,,,,,i always offer to do it for someone but that means they be dragging....:evil: :evil:


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## nessenswamper

This will be my first year deer hunting. My husband has told me over & over again "how to field dress a deer" With his guidance, I'm sure I will gut my first deer by watching him do it. :corkysm55 When he first decided to process his own deer, he asked for my help. I was pregnant at the time & the smell of the (swamp) deer really made me sick. I managed to get through it though & every year when it comes time to process a deer, I still get queasy. Not quite sure if I'll be able to gut any deer I may get but I'll sure be right there trying.

~Wife of NessenSwamper


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## autumnlovr

I can, but I do it slowly like a fine surgeon. Then, my hubby gets frustrated and grabs the knife from me & finishes it.....should I be broken hearted? :lol: Usually, we break down the jobs, he field-dresses, we both drag it to one of the trails, use the golf cart to drag it the rest of the way in. We both hang it, he skins & quarters it and I do the fine butchering, packaging and freezing. On turkeys, I do the whole thing. On ducks/geese... those are all his cause I don't eat those things! Duck=yuck! We both cook deer and we both devour them!


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## jess&beck

Being a hunter for 17 years I have always gutted my own deer except for my first one where my dad did help me but from then on I did them all by my self. I have amazed most of the men that hunt with us that I can do this but it is not a big deal to me it is after all just part of the hunt, My dad always use to say "If you bag them you clean them or you dont get to eat them" so I always clean my deer.



"after all attitude is everything"
jess


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## NOTHING BUT NET

I've been field dressing my own deer for years. Woman handle all kinds of meat everyday. I did find that taking A pair of surigical gloves made the job a little less messy. And any time my dad or brothers offer to do it for me I certainly take them up on it. My Question to you lady"s is how many of your husbands hunt and fish. I'm on the Michigan walleye tour with my brother-in-law as my partner and having a blast. MY HUSBAND DOESN"T FISH OR HUNT!!!!


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## Bunny

You killed it - you clean it! At least that's what my husband says... I always dress my own game. The first few times it is nice to have a helping hand.


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## timberdoodle528

Yep - If Matt's willing to help, I'm more than willing to let him help. But I've done it all by myself. 
I still think that gutting a deer is easier than cleaning a squirrel- those things are TOUGH! lol...


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## Liv4Huntin'

My folks always processed their own venison and I grew up watching then helping. After my first one was field dressed by my husband, I've almost always done my own .... everyone in our hunting party said although I took longer, my job was done cleaner and neater. Anyway, now I have help because I've got a temporary joint problem I'm dealing with that severely limits my mobility.

Two points I've found that make the job cleaner, neater, and 'healthier', are these: When cleaning the 'poot hole' always pull it out the back a short ways and tie it off with a 'butt string' to close the hole up (after getting any 'close to the opening pellets' out) then pull the whole thing in through the pelvic bone and discard when rolling the deer on its side to clear out all the guts. I loosen EVERYTHING in the body cavity before doing the 'poot hole'. Keeps all contaminates from the body cavity.

Second thing is to wear those long clear gutting gloves next to your skin (using the rubber bands around the upper arm) and put the surgical latex gloves on top. Makes for a better fit and more sensitive feel when going in to cut the windpipe.

Really glad to hear so many of us women are doing our own field dressing! And squirrels... yep they're tough. One thing that makes them easier is to skin them immediately! When they set, the skin adheres to the meat. Just cut the skin back of the head and peel both ends down. You can gut them later.

ENJOY THE WOODS!
~ mary ~


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## Delevaine_270

Cut out my own deer for the first time last fall. Still have to say it's not exactly something I way enjoy. It's the warm smell, not the sight or feel. Actually I enjoy cutting up the meat more. I used to help my grandparents when they did their deer. Have also trimmed up for my uncle a few times as well. The past few years we have been taking them out to the processor. My mom can's and that is chore and a half. Couldn't pick a better meat to can though. Canned venison with a piece of bacon. mmmm. Great in noodles. She also made brats one year. Hasn't had the time though lately. I'll do my own if I have to. 

D


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## Frantz

Not sure if only ladies are supposed to post in here or not, so sorry if I am breaking rules.

My mother used to dress all my deer, well into my adult life. It was just something she always did for me. Not sure if she enjoyed it, but since she stopped I have done a lot of deer and she is and always will be way better at it than I am. Weird thing isshe never hunted a day in her life, notwith a gun anyhow, she would jsut sit out in dads blind once in a while without a firearm.

Just thought I would share.


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## tangleknot

Frantz, this forum is open to everyone. 

That's pretty cool about your Mom. Cleaning game can take time, effort, and talent and it sounds as if your Mom did a great job!


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