FIELD DRESSING BIG GAME
Wallace G. Klussmann, Charles W. Ramsey,  Milo J. Shult and Ranzell
Nickelson II
     Many successful big game hunters have learned the hard way that
venison quality is strongly influenced by handling of the carcass
from the time of the kill until it is placed in the freezer.
     This publication explains two methods of field dressing and
skinning big game. Any method resulting in a clean, well-bled
carcass is satisfactory.  Unpleasant experiences with venison
usually result from lack of care before the meat reaches the
kitchen. See Extension publication MP-1333, Big Game Cooking Care,
for many delicious ways to prepare venison.
     Procedure  After shooting your game, approach the animal
carefully from the rear, making sure it is dead. Tag the animal
immediately to comply with game laws.
     Before making any cuts, be sure your knife is sharp. A
sharpening stone should be part of your field equipment, and your
knife should have a large, comfortable handle that can be grasped
firmly, even with wet hands.
     If you plan to have the head mounted, ask your taxidermist
which measurements will be helpful.  Prop the animal on its back,
using rocks if available, and remove the external sex organs (penis
and scrotum or mammary gland). See Figure 1. 
     Cut down to the pelvic bone. Then turn your knife blade up, use
your other hand to hold the belly away from the entrails, and cut up
to the breastbone.  If you plan to have the head mounted, do not cut
the skin any further forward than the middle of the breastbone. See
Figure 2.
     Hold the entrails to the side and cut loose the thin layer of
muscle (diaphragm) which holds the entrails to the ribs. Reach into
the rib cage and cut loose the windpipe and esophagus as far forward
as possible. Grasp the windpipe and esophagus with both hands and
pull downward. You should be able to pull the entrails free to the
pelvic region. See Figure 3. 
     Cut the skin and muscles around the anus, being careful not to
puncture the bladder, and pull the intestine forward. The animal is
now field dressed and should be hung to cool.
     Quick Method  An alternative cut may be used to speed up the
process, if you are not going to have the head mounted and if the
animal is not too big or too old. Continue the belly cut through the
breastbone and into the neck before cutting the windpipe and
esophagus. It is easier to cut through the gristle between the
breastbone and ribs if the cut is made slightly to one side of the
breastbone rather than down the middle.
     Cut the esophagus and windpipe in the neck. Grasp them with one
hand and pull the lungs and heart free to the diaphragm. See Figure
4. 
     Cut the diaphragm (see dotted lines in Figures 3 and 7) free
from the rib cage while holding the lungs and heart to one side.
Continue pulling the esophagus and windpipe, and lift out the
remainder of the viscera to the pelvic region.  Locate the thin seam
which joins the bones at the middle of the pelvis.
     Using a sheath knife, press down at the seam and cut the bones
apart. See Figure 5. 
     If you are using a thin blade pocket knife, locate the seam by
feeling for a ridge inside the body cavity in the middle of the
pelvis. If the animal is not too old, the ridge is very pronounced,
so you can cut through the pelvis by pulling your knife through the
center of the ridge. If the animal is old, the seam will have grown
together and be difficult to split.
     Place the animal in a spread-eagle position, and stand with one
foot on each of its hind legs. Pull up on its tail to break open the
pelvis. Pull the intestines and reproductive tract through this
opening and cut the viscera free around the anus. This method works
well for animals the size of deer.
     Hang the animal by its head or antlers from a nearby tree long
enough to allow the remaining blood to drain from the body cavity.
Place a stick in the rib cage to aid in cooling the carcass, as
shown in Figures 6 and 7.  If a tree is not available, lift the
front legs to allow the blood to drain between the hind legs.
     Skinning  Since the skin comes off easily while the carcass is
still warm, it is best to skin the animal soon after death.
     If you do not have a clean cloth bag or covering to wrap the
carcass after skinning, transport the carcass with the skin
attached. Solid material is preferable to cheesecloth because flies
can deposit eggs through cheesecloth.
     If you do not want to skin and process the animal yourself,
take it to a commercial processing plant after field dressing it.
     Regardless of the method you choose, always protect the meat
from dirt and flies, and allow time for the meat to cool and drain.
     If the head is to be mounted, hang the animal by its hind legs
and skin from the hind legs downward. Cut down the inside of each
leg to the opening cut, around the hind legs at the hock and around
the front legs at the knee joint. Grasp the skin and pull downward,
using your knife to work the skin off the legs and loosen the skin
from the meat. Pull the skin to the head, and cut the head from the
neck. Leave the skin free of cuts forward of the front legs so the
taxidermist will have enough hide to make a good mount. Salt or
freeze the head and skin until you deliver it to the taxidermist.
     If the head is not to be mounted, hang the carcass by the head
and skin it from the neck downward. The hide is easier to remove in
this position. Cut the skin loose from around the neck, around the
legs and down the inside of each leg. See Figure 6. 
     Be sure the rope and tree limb are strong enough to hold the
carcass. Grasp the skin back of the head and pull down hard with
both hands.
     Hang the skinned carcass by the hind legs in the shade to cool
and age. See Figure 7. 
     If the carcass is hung by the antlers or head, the blood still
in the veins will collect in the hams. Cover for protection. Then
cut the carcass as you wish, or have it commercially processed.
     Tips on Quality  Flavor, tenderness and juiciness probably are
the most important aspects of venison quality. The hunter controls
factors such as the sex of the animal, hunting practices and
handling techniques after slaughter which may enhance or reduce this
quality.  Individual preference plays the major role in deciding
which sex to hunt.
     For example, if you prefer a highly intensified (gamey) flavor,
hunt a male animal; if you prefer a less intensified flavor of
venison, a female animal probably will be your best choice. The sex
also may affect tenderness and juiciness, but not as much as the
intensity of flavor. The meat of female animals usually is juicier
and more tender than males. Age of the animal, which is a difficult
factor for the hunter to control, probably has a greater influence
on tenderness and juiciness than does the sex.
     Proper hunting practices are very important in determining the
final venison quality. First, try to select an animal which has been
resting or is quietly grazing instead of one excited by a
disturbance or stressed from heavy exercise. Second, place the shot
so that it insures a clean kill (instant death). Normally, a shot
through the neck or lungs will result in a clean kill and less
tissue damage (wastage). An animal shot in the gut or hind quarter,
for example, will die slowly, causing muscle stress and consequently
a decrease in meat tenderness. Thus, an undisturbed, unstressed
animal which suffers little in death will yield the highest quality
meat.
     Handling techniques after slaughter also will influence the
final meat quality. Field dress the animal as soon as possible after
death and hang so the carcass will be thoroughly bled. Delayed field
dressing will cause a decrease in meat quality. Hanging the carcass
also will increase tenderness by allowing some muscles to stretch.
Skinning the animal soon after field dressing seems to enhance the
quality slightly. However, if you plan to transport or age the
animal before processing, leave the skin intact to prevent drying of
the meat's outer surface.
     Age the carcass in cold storage just above freezing for about a
week to increase the tenderness and possibly the flavor of the
venison.
     To insure high meat quality, reduce bacterial spoilage by
keeping the carcass as clean as possible. Rinse the outer meat
surface and inner body cavity with clean water if any debris, hair
or intestinal material is present. Chill the carcass to 35 degrees
F. by hanging it outside (weather conditions permitting) or by
putting it in cold storage. Once the carcass is packaged, keep it
frozen in a moisture- and vapor-proof packaging material until ready
for use.
     Educational programs conducted by the Texas Agricultural
Extension Service serve people of all ages regardless of
socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, handicap or
national origin.
     Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics,
The Texas A&M University System and the United States Department of
Agriculture cooperating. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of
Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, and June 30, 1914. 10M--6-83,
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