How to Field Dress Whitetail Deer

Though very few hunters actually enjoy the field dressing stage of the hunt, the process is crucial for preparing the game for the table. Poor field dressing results in poor table fare. Also, the longer you procrastinate, the less tasty the the venison will be, and the greater the chance the meat will spoil. It is best to field dress a deer as soon as possible after the deer is killed.

Things You'll Need

• sharp knife
• disposable vinyl or latex gloves
• Ziploc bags
• short piece of string
• strong stomach

Instructions

1. Lay the deer on its back, preferably with its head uphill, so that later on as you remove the innards the deer's excess blood will begin to drain.

2. Carefully cut around the anus so that it is separated from the rest of the deer's body. Then either tie off the deer's rectum to prevent wast from within the deer's body from spilling out, or scrape out the waste from inside the deer's with your knife, being careful not to puncture the deer with the tip of your knife.

3. Grab a flap of the deer's belly skin and make a small nick in it. Use this small nick to slit the deer open from crotch to rectum. Be careful not to cut too deeply or your knife may puncture organs in the body cavity, spilling their contents and possibly tainting the meat.

4. Once you have opened up the body cavity by slitting the belly skin, remove all the organs by pulling them out, carefully cutting organs free when necessary. Reach in and sever the deer's trachea and esophagus as close to the head as possible. Cut around the anus from inside the deer's body to remove the intestines. Carefully extract the bladder, pinching it shut to keep the deer's urine from spilling.

5. Drain the blood by turning the deer over and letting it rest on its open belly, or by bear-hugging it from behind and holding it vertically for a minute or two. You can also tie a rope around its antlers or neck and hanging it vertically from a tree branch time.

Tips & Warnings

• A sharp knife is paramount. A dull knife is exasperating, making you work harder and making the process much more time-consuming. You'll want arm-length disposable vinyl or latex gloves to keep your hands and arms clean of deer blood and other bodily fluids. If snow is on the ground, you can fill the deer's body cavity with snow after removing its organs to help drain the deer's blood. The snow will soak up much of the blood.

• Avoid puncturing any bodily organs, which may release acrid bodily fluids and damage the venison.