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

I dont gut them but if it looks in poor condition will take a look at heart, lungs.

I dont hang, generally do one side then the other side, leaving the skin on the side as long as possible to keep in clean and protected.
- First cut is along the spine to get the first backsteak out. Dont peel the skin back on both sides, just one.
- Push the deer so the side you're doing is up (if you've peeled the skin off both side of the spine, the down side is going to get dirty)
- remove enough skin to take the backsteak out and do that.
- Next skin to go is the skin on the back leg that is facing up. cut the skin down the side of the leg that's facing up, anywhere really, just so that you can peel the skin off the leg thats facing upwards. dont take the skin off the part of the leg thats facing down yet, as its still facing down towards to dirt and if you drop the leg it'll get dirty. Go all the way down to the joint and once there, make a cut around the whole leg. you can put the skin back on the leg at this point to protect it. You might get some hair, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, havent fully figured out why that happens.
- heres a picture of the skinning cut for the leg:
- once you've done that skin cut,do the cuts around the top of the leg (down around the pelvis and through the ball joint) this is key to do now, not later.
- pick up the leg from the hoof end and hold it up off the ground and start removing the skin from the side of the leg that was facing down. You have to do this in one go as you can't put the leg down now because the skin is off the bottom side and will get dirty.
- after you've got the skin off the leg, make the cuts into ball joint from the bottom side towards the cut's you made previously on the spine side of the leg. If you havent done the cuts from the spine side of the leg, this will be miserable and your back will get sore holding the leg up out of the dirt. be careful not to nick the bladder or urine pipes.
- back leg should be off with no dirt on it. I balance it on a tussock bush, manuka, whatever else I can to get some air on it and cooling. If there's flies, chuck it in a pillow case.
- if you're taking front leg, do pretty much the same process as the back.
- once all meat is off one side, move the animal so the other side is facing up. because its still got the skin on, meat will be clean, and repeat.
- I generally have some string and will carry meat to a tree to bone out as its way easier that way. If not, I put it on a pillow case and bone it out.

as someone else mentioned, all skin cuts are from the inside out as its prevent hairs coming out of skin and your knife will get blunt pretty quick cutting hair.

interested to hear any tips or tricks