How to Field Dress a Deer

I have received several emails asking about How to Field Dress a Deer.  To have great tasting venison you have to start with mastering how to field dress a deer. Remember, your deer hunting adventure is not complete until your deer is in the freezer. The following is how I field dress a deer.

Field dressing a deer starts with a good field dressing kit which should be part of your deer hunting gear. The following are some recommended items for a field dressing kit:

• Latex Gloves
• Hand Sanitizer
• Wet Wipes/Towels
• Sharp Knife w/Gut Hook
• Rope
• String or Twine
• ZipLoc Bags

12 Steps on How to Field Dress a Deer

1. Safety and sanitation are important parts of field dressing a deer. Make sure all items in your field dressing kit are clean and the knife is sharp before starting. Thoroughly wash your hands with the hand sanitizer.
2. Position your deer onto it’s back with the head pointed uphill if possible.
3. Wearing the latex gloves, start by making a cut around the anus. Pull the rectum partially out and tie it off with the string or twine to avoid spilling of urine and fecal matter.
4. Continue cutting the tissues that hold the rectum in place to the pelvic bone. Care must be taken not to puncture the rectum and contaminate the meat. Pull the rectum the rest of the way out.
5. Some prefer to remove the genitals by cutting around the genitalia being careful not to cut the urethra (small tube). Tie off the urethra with the string or twine and remove the genitals by cutting above the knot.
6. Cut from just above the genital area (not too deep) up to the rib cage (where the sternum ends). Cutting too deep will risk cutting open the intestines and having to deal with the intestinal odor.
   1. NOTE: If you plan on having the deer mounted don’t cut any further up the abdomen than the end of the sternum to save the cape.
7. Roll the deer onto its side and cut the tissues that are holding the internal organs and intestines in place. Roll the deer onto the other side and repeat. Let the internal organs and intestines fall out.
8. Cut away the diaphragm that separates the abdominal cavity from the chest cavity.
9. Find the windpipe by reaching in the chest cavity towards the neck. Once the windpipe is found cut it as close to the head as possible.
10. Grasp the severed windpipe and slowly pull it out of the chest cavity, cutting any tissues as you go freeing up the heart, lungs and remaining intestines. If you wish to save any internal organs immediately place them individually in ziploc bags.
11. Once all of the internal organs have been removed clean up any remaining blood with the towels. Remove the latex gloves and pace them in a ziploc bag. Thoroughly wash your hands with the hand sanitizer.
12. Your deer is ready to be removed from the field. Use the rope to drag it back to camp or to your ATV.

Learning how to field dress a deer properly can significantly improve the taste and quality of your venison meat. This process gets easier each time it is preformed. It’s all part of the deer hunting adventure, learn it and do it well. Check out CampingATV.com for all of your hunting accessories and gear.

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