First thing after taking a Deer ya got to field dress it. This involves removing the intreals and certain care and precautions should be followed. Bucks and does are mostly the same with a slight exception. On a Buck first thing I do is remove the scent gland from the lower back leg. I was always told if left on it would leach into the meat and leave an unplesant taste. I cant say that it does as I have always made sure to remove it. Tools needed is in my opinion: 2 very sharp knives...1 about a 3-4" blade, 1 with 6-8" heavier blade, preferably with a GUT HOOK. 1 Sharp sturdy pruning saw (I carry the fold up kind) 1 Butt-out tool Also I use those disposiable latex gloves, Wal-Mart sells them in a two pack. 1 regular length and 1 sholder length. All this stuff you can find in any sporting goods store/section this time of year in the hunting gear section. Also I carry a block and tackle to hang the deer, as I find it a lot easier to field dress hanging than laying on the ground. Again Wal-Mart sells a block-tacke kit with a hanger that looks like a big coat hanger....works great. I wont go into exactly how to do it as there are many videos on the next that demonstrate real well. Just Google "field dressing deer" to type here whould be about 4-5 pages worth. besides there are different approaches to it. Just have to research, try different ways and see what works best for you. Thats what I did. Depending on method might need more/less/different tools.
How to field dress a whitetail deer: http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/deer_field-dressing.pdf Print this small guide and take it afield with you...
Not bad...Some conflicting suggestions....Like I said in starting post, there are different thought and procedures. Although this will work fine.
If you like beef....same receipes work just fine for venison. Although venison is leaner than most beef. Unless like mine, its grass fed only...Im used to it. If ground always good to add a little PORK with it. Adds some fat and I think flavor also. A lot of receipes add pork to ground beef also.
"And another thing" When I first started deer hunting, I was told that, after shooting a deer, I should always cut their throat so they would bleed out. I've never done it myself but have seen it done. Seems strange that I never seen any blood gush out. Although it makes sense because the heart isn't beating any more. Stands to reason that most of the blood will be found in the area where the bullet passed through. Shot one in the boiler room and both lungs will be full of blood. A liver shot, that's a little more messy. Gut shot - let's not go there. What do ya'll think??
I agree with the bleeding grey....cutting the throat is useless. I shoot them high in the neck. Very little blood even then. Majority will come out of the body cavity when field dressing. Blood is really no problem. But like you said make a body shot....it gets ugly.
Well done boys, to all of you. Bloody good article ! I actually spin Bambi around, I needed, facing it down hill, and get as much blood out of it as quick as I can, and if that involved cutting the throat, then I do it. Gutting Bambi is done carefully, so as not to perforate any past if the intestine. I do not have a gut hook, yet, as my small pocket knife does the job fine, as long as I am carefully. Then it's into 1/4's if a big fellar, or if a Fallow, or Chital, then it's over the shoulders and head back to the. Vehicle. Don't wanna leave anything for the Dingoe's. ( basically a Cyottee spelling ? )) I too have a folding pruning saw, and it's the best thing I have discovered, in years. Once home, I cover Bambi with sheets, and leave hang for anything up to 3 weeks. Hanging for that long, can be dangerous in warmer months.. So I carefully monitor, after 10 days, and cut it up at a minutes notice. To prevent drying out, I leave the hide on the animal, choosing only to remove it just prior to butchering. This stops the outer layer if skin/flesh from drying out, causing wasteage . Cheers Bucky
Heart and liver are the premium pieces...rest of the gut pile gets left to the circle of life ! Deer Camp Recipe ~ deer liver cleaned and sliced ~ buttermilk or plain milk ~ seasoned flour ~ oil ~ large onion, sliced into rings Soak liver in milk for a couple of hours. (This helps remove the bitterness from the liver.) Season some flour to taste with sea salt and cracked pepper, seasoning salt or any favorite seasoning. Heat some oil in a large skillet. Remove the liver from the milk and coat with the flour. Fry the meat on both sides until almost done. Place on a warm plate. Caramelize the onion rings in the oil. Remove to the plate with the liver. Remove all but 2 - 3 tablespoons of oil from the skillet. Stir in 2 - 3 tablespoons of the seasoned flour. Stir in enough milk to make a gravy. Heat and stir until thick and bubbly. Add the liver and onions. Stir, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. For a different taste, add fresh horseradish in the gravy instead of the onions. Serve and Enjoy ! Note: You can also clean and slice the heart and cook it along with the liver. Just keep the liver and heart in water until ready to soak in milk.
I've had both a few times , cooked different ways and just don't care for them. If I know there is a neighbor in at camp that likes one , the other , or both , I'll fish them out. If not I just leave all the guts in the gut pile.
The heart is prime meat. In my family it is the only "cut" on the deer fought for! As for cutting the throat is it beneficial to gutting the deer. When you cut the throat you cut the windpipe with makes lung removal much easier.
I was fortunate to start my deer hunting with a surgeon partner. Had to make him slow down to get the details the first time he dressed one out for me to watch. I don't worry about bleeding it out. When the chest cavity is opened it will "bleed out"! GUSH! A couple years ago he and I tried to figure out how/why to use a butt-out. Seems pointless and more trouble but that's just our opinion. Once the entrails are out and hanging by the "exhaust pipe" I use a sharp Marbles #6 safety axe to chop out the pelvis area trapping the exhaust pipe. Then carve out the section just under the tail and let it drop. Aging the meat is important to get the taste and tenderness we like. If it isn't under 40 degrees to let hang in the hide for several days I carve up the major portions and toss in a huge cooler. Keep it covered in ice and the water drained off. We never process and freeze one with less than 5-7 days of aging.
I truly enjoy the heart (had many; Elk, Moose, Caribou, Antelope, all are tasty!!) liver not so much, but I will save it if my hunting partner wants it! rest of the the pile I leave lay. Depending on where the deer drops, may have to drag a little bit, for an area to do the work.
Antelope liver is the worst tasting liver you will ever eat. We saved one once and cooked it up the night we shot it and it was horrid. It pretty much tastes like how the antelope smell, but stronger. Just awful. Maybe it depends on where you shoot your antelope though too because we shot them in Wyoming so they mostly eat sage which probably doesn't make a good contribution to the flavor.
