| After making your kill, you first want to be | | | | possible, hang it up on a tree by the head or |
| certain that your prey is dead. Approach it | | | | antlers, and allow the blood to drain from the |
| carefully from the rear, and if you are using a | | | | body cavity. |
| tag, remember to validate and attach it | | | | When transporting the carcass, be sure to keep it |
| immediately. | | | | clean. Dragging the animal may get it dirty, and |
| It is recommended to use a good quality, strong | | | | sometimes quartering or halving it is an excellent |
| bladed knife. Keeping it sharpened ensures an | | | | option to use when moving it back to camp. |
| easier time with the procedure. Cutting the deers | | | | Hang the animal by the head or hind legs for |
| throat is not necessary, as the blood will drain | | | | skinning, and try to do this within a couple of |
| naturally during the field dressing process. | | | | hours after the kill has been made. The deer |
| You can use rocks to prop up the deers legs. | | | | should still be warm. Make a cut down the inside |
| Start your cutting between the hind legs, and | | | | of each leg to the middle of the carcass, cutting |
| work down to the pelvic bone. After doing this, | | | | only the skin. Cut the skin around the neck, as |
| turn your blade around and cut up through the | | | | close to the head as you can, when hanging by |
| breastbone, and up the neck as far as you can | | | | the neck. Take a good hold of the skin with both |
| get. Don't forget to hold the meat and skin away | | | | hands, and pull down hard. The skin should peel |
| from the entrails while doing this. After cutting the | | | | off down to the front legs. If it does not want to |
| windpipe in two, grab hold of it with both hands | | | | come off smoothly, you will need to use your |
| and pull down, hard. The insides should come out | | | | knife to separate the meat that sticks tightly to |
| to about the animals midsection. Remove any | | | | the meat. |
| rocks that you were using to support the deer, | | | | Keep it in a cool, shaded area. A game bag or |
| and roll it onto its' side. | | | | other form of protective covering may be |
| Doing this on both sides, cut the layer of thin | | | | needed to ward off flies. Once the dead animal |
| meat that is holding the entrails to the ribs, right | | | | has cooled throughout, usually taking about ten to |
| down to the backbone. Get a firm grip on the | | | | twelve hours, the meat should have no problems |
| entrails, and give a hard downward pull. All of the | | | | with warm days, so long as it remains in the |
| inner workings of the deer should now be | | | | shade, and is not given an opportunity to heat up. |
| removed. | | | | You don't want your meat spoiling after all of that |
| Spread the back legs open by propping the | | | | work. |
| animals rear end up on a rock. Use your knife to | | | | After cooling and draining, the meat can be cut, |
| locate the seam where the bones grow together, | | | | or aged in a cool or refrigerated area for a week |
| pressing down hard to separate the bone. You | | | | or two. Trim any fat that you can see, as this |
| may need to twist the blade from side to side to | | | | tends to become rancid very quickly. |
| work your way through. Sometimes the use of a | | | | Make your cuts when it is cured to your liking, |
| hatchet or saw is needed for the larger deer. If | | | | and enjoy. |