Thread: Field dressing - best methods/process (not including hanging)

just watch plastic bags short periods of time only and only after you have cooled meat down really well - they can send meat of real quick - no water near meat that's a definite - dont be tempted to wash it - that's what a sharp knife is for trim any dirt etc - pillow cases are great - or see if your local farmlands has mutton clothe - those liteweight portable meat safes are really good if over night -good gutting technique comes with some experience - I leave hair on hindquarters until I get home and hang up - with experience one can hindquarter and back steak an animal without having to gut it - its what I usually do as quite often have several sets of hindquarters to bring out as one load and normally shoulder shoot and dont bother with the damaged shoulders - unless animal is very skinny I dont check offal - the animals condition is all I am interested in - with some 50 yrs of hunting I have not seen any lungs or liver I would be concerned about - we did shoot a hind one day in the Waiau about 1978 that would have only weighed about 40 lb -just skin and bone - lungs off coloured and stuck to ribcage - did not even take any for dog tucker - but was that TB dont know could have been a lung disease - the golden rule for meat is cool and dry and allow wind thru carcass when possible