How to Field Dress Bison

Field dressing bison is much like field dressing any other large-game animal except that it takes a little longer. Bison are the largest living land mammals in North America. A mature bison bull can weigh up to 2000 lbs., and a mature bison cow weighs in at about 1100 lbs. Compare that to white-tailed deer that weigh between 125 and 300 lbs., and you should have a clue as to why you must have perseverance and patience to field dress a buffalo.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Sharp knives
• Dry cloth
• Axes
• Well-conditioned buddies

1. Have handy several sharp knives and axes.
2. Bleed the animal by inserting a knife into the throat cavity and cutting the major blood vessels.
3. Make a straight cut from the breastbone to the jaw. Cut the muscles around the ribcage to expose the windpipe and gullet.
4. Make another straight cut from the ribs downward to the anus.
5. Break the breastbone. Use one axe to cut and another to hammer.
6. Separate the windpipe and gullet from the head. Place them in the body cavity.
7. Cut the abdominal muscles, taking care not to rupture the intestines.
8. Cut the muscles around the pelvic bone and leave it exposed.
9. Split the pelvic bone using the same method you used to break the breastbone. Don't puncture the urinary tract.
10. Separate the diaphragm from the cavity wall. This task is easier if you have some well-conditioned buddies handy to manipulate the animal's organs while you cut.
11. Cut the large intestine and the rectum away from the pelvic area.
12. Tilt the carcass so that the intestines and stomach fall out.
13. Pull out the heart and lungs, and let any blood remaining in the cavity drain.
14. Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe the body cavity clean.

Tips & Warnings

• Hunt early in the day. After you have killed and retrieved your buffalo, you must have enough daylight left to field dress it before it spoils.
• Keep your field dressing tools clean and disinfected. Use a solution of household bleach and water.
• When field dressing your bison, remember to always wear disposable gloves, never come into contact with the animal's reproductive tract and don't touch your face until you have scrubbed and disinfected your hands. Discard all of the organ meat.
• Bison are big, strong animals. After your animal is down, approach it with caution. Many hunters have been injured because they got so excited over their kills that they forgot about safety rules and got too close to wounded animals. Always approach your downed buffalo from the rear.