Field Dressing Question

[Coues106]

I was sitting awake reviewing field dressing and can’t for the life of me remember how I pull out the urinary tract on buck/doe deer. I use the butt-out tool and don’t split the pelvis, just cut from the base of the belly and up to remove all the organs. With that though, how do you all properly remove the urinary tract for each sex without splitting the pelvis in a traditional field-gutting job? I’m embarrassed that I can’t remember as I usually end up just splitting the pelvis open if I get hung up. Thanks!

 

[Altitude sickness]

On the outside make a circular ring around the anus and or genitals. This incision needs to be approximately 4” on a deer.

Then after gutting from the inside carefully cut in a circular cut around the organs where they attach inside the pelvis.

Then on the outside portion of the genitalia or anus make slit large enough you a finger to pull it out.


Or do the whole thing using the gutless method.

 

[Berettaco]

Pro tip: My brother is a hunting guide. When I go with him I just take my time until he inevitably gets frustrated and says “we don’t have all day”, then he jumps in and takes care of it really fast.

Or as @Altitude sickness outlined above. Mule deer and elk I split the pelvis. Whitetail I usually do the gutless method. Really depends on if I have to quarter the animal or drag it out

 

[BeeMaa]

I do what @Altitude sickness does. I’m also using a very thin blade with my index finger on the spine (all the way to the tip) and inserting it into the hole in the pelvis to remove the connective tissue from the bone. Then I carefully pull the anus backwards through the hole and remove the entire gut pile.

 

[fourfive8]

Yep the penis and sheath need to be skinned back to their entry point at REAR of pelvis. Both sexes handled similarly, sans the penis and sheath of the bucks. Then carefully cut around interior surface of pelvis from the rear with a fairly long bladed knife to loosen most connective tissue. During process, care must be taken to avoid cutting intestines, and rumen, and especially the bladder which sits in cavity at front of pelvis. Then pull entire bundle of sex organs, bladder and rectum FORWARD out of pelvis along with pulling/rolling rest of paunch and intestines out of body cavity. Without nicks, there will be no contamination of the meat. Remove poop pellets, by hand, that may leak out of rectum during process. They pose little contamination risk.

 

[Altitude sickness]

If you have to leave the animal over night. It needs to be gutted.

If completely processing the animal then I prefer the gut less method.

 

[MS 9x56]

I agree with 458 but After loosening the connective tissue I use a baggie tie to tie off the anus and urinary tube before pulling it thru the pelvis and out with the internal organs. This ensures no feces or urine coming in contact with your meat.

 

[KEC]

For field dressing, my procedure is to cut around the anus first then open the animal from the V in the ribcage to the lower belly area. I don't split anything and don't worry about the outside plumbing to the sex organs as I want the area of the inside hams sealed off for the trip home. If the pelvis is split or the meat is cut in that area, the inside hams get dark, dry and contaminated. Inside the body cavity I pinch off the bladder and cut the tube as far to the rear as possible to not get urine contamination.
Usually within an hour of the kill, we have the skin off and can start boning the animal out; this is when we split and remove the remaining sex organ plumbing. We have found this to be the cleanest method only surpassed by hanging, skinning then gutting.

 

[Firebird]

Split the pelvis-I use a small saw. This year I took my deer to a processor to have them cut it up. My deer was clean and in nice pieces except for about ten pound of “scrapings” I kept for jerky. There were about twenty people in a line and the drop off process was slow. The guy got to my deer and thanked me sincerely for how I handled the meat. Then he started pointing to other peoples animas, legs still on, some not skinned, most not cut into quarters. He told me every time he has to finish dressing someone else’s deer it is an extra $100! “You can’t eat the damn antlers and hooves so I don’t know why they bring em in here”

 

[fourfive8]

I tried the gutless method a couple of times but it proved problematic for me and caused more work than saved. Depending on circumstances, terrain and distance I usually just gut a deer and drag it out to access point. Large, heavy mule deer bucks can be a little too heavy to drag and any deer is almost impossible to drag uphill in steep terrain. I’ve never used off road atvs or 4x4s for retrieval. For big mule deer, elk, moose, caribou its gut, skin on the ground, disassemble, strap to pack frame and hump out to camp or pick up point. Elk are at least four-five round trips. Caribou are three round trips. Large mule deer bucks are two hard or three easier round trips. Moose are AT LEAST six-seven hard round trips depending on terrain. I carry a packable “Wyoming” saw and good fixed blade knife with sharpener when packing is anticipated. But ah-hem most of these are just good memories and experiences from the past

 

[ftrovato]

On the outside make a circular ring around the anus and or genitals. This incision needs to be approximately 4” on a deer.

Then after gutting from the inside carefully cut in a circular cut around the organs where they attach inside the pelvis.

Then on the outside portion of the genitalia or anus make slit large enough you a finger to pull it out.


Or do the whole thing using the gutless method.

Well said!

And don't do it unless you have a bucket of fresh water available so if you don't do it correctly you can wash the inside of the deer out.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Yep the penis and sheath need to be skinned back to their entry point at REAR of pelvis. Both sexes handled similarly, sans the penis and sheath of the bucks. Then carefully cut around interior surface of pelvis from the rear with a fairly long bladed knife to loosen most connective tissue. During process, care must be taken to avoid cutting intestines, and rumen, and especially the bladder which sits in cavity at front of pelvis. Then pull entire bundle of sex organs, bladder and rectum FORWARD out of pelvis along with pulling/rolling rest of paunch and intestines out of body cavity. Without nicks, there will be no contamination of the meat. Remove poop pellets, by hand, that may leak out of rectum during process. They pose little contamination risk.

Yep. I have one of the new fangled Klingon folding hunting knives with snap-in blades. The same outfit makes it in filet knife. I have a pack of those longer blades and snap one on for the anus job once I've cut it away from outer skin. Works great for cutting away connective tissue deep inside the pelvis. Then everything is pulled out frontwards when the guts are rolled out. I don't bother splitting the pelvis until the carcass is hanging. Especially if I have to drag the animal any distance, I want it closed up as much as possible to keep it as clean as possible.

When I grew up those who boned animals out in the field were considered wasteful slob hunters. This elk came out whole.

I dragged it down the mountain myself. Mind you, the original intention was to drag it to a spot my horses could get to. Where I shot it was too steep for horses to access. How steep? I had to tie up the elk to gut it. As long as I kept the carcass moving it couldn't stiffen up. Once that happens, Hulk Hogan couldn't have moved that bull down a cliff face. Got the elk to within a couple hundred yards of an old logging road on the flat. I shoved its nose into the dirt and used his antlers as lever to inch him along the last bit. A fifty point turn on that road/trail with my homemade '53 five-window Chev and I had the 1-ton flatbed positioned to slide in the bull. To Dad's dying day I don't think he believed I brought that elk out alone. My brother has been to that mountain. He believes it!

A piece of advice for anyone intending to drag out a carcass later the next day. Position it so it will come out easier. Needs to be cold enough for it to cool down (otherwise you were a fool for shooting it). Get it up off the ground as much as possible. Shove sticks/logs underneath or, if possible, pull the carcass up onto brush. Pull the front hooves up over the ears and tie them together. That leaves it to stiffen in a bullet shape. Cut the hind legs off later at knee joints. Prop the head up off the ground so it stiffens in that position. Then hang a hunter orange vest up at the carcass (I carry a couple of the cheap disposable ones in my daypack). That will keep birds and coyotes off it till you can get back. Birds are your worst enemy. They will strip out tenderloins and hind quarters surprisingly fast! In grizzly country I additionally built a small fire or a couple of them next to the carcass. Just the scent of an old fire seemed to work, for wild bears anyway. Habituated bears would walk over you to get at the meat.