Grit – September 01, 2019

glands are scent glands located on the

insides of the back legs, at the hocks.

The glands generate an oily, musky-

smelling liquid that harbors bacteria

and creates an odor unique to each

deer. Take extra care to prevent the

tarsal glands from touching the meat

while processing; the smelly, bacteria-

laden liquid will ruin whatever it comes

in contact with. To avoid contamina-

tion, use one knife for cutting organs

and any parts you aren’t going to eat,

and a separate knife for cutting meat.

Wear food-processing gloves, and

change them after handling the organs.

Field-Dressing

1. Find a gently sloped piece of
   ground and position the deer on its
   back with the head on the uphill side
   of the slope. If you have a buck or
   male, cut the skin that holds the sex
   organs to the body. Locate the urethra
   (the tube that carries urine), and tie
   it off with cotton string to prevent
   urine from leaking out of the bladder.
   Remove the sex organs, if it’s legal to
   do so in your area.


2. No matter the sex of the deer,
   make a small cut through the hide and
   abdominal muscle where the pelvis
   meets the body cavity. Using a gut
   hook, extend this cut up the middle of
   the belly to the sternum. The intestines
   will protrude; push them back into

the body cavity to avoid accidentally

cutting them.

3. With a bone saw, open the chest
   cavity by cutting up the middle of the
   sternum, but be careful not to saw too
   deep or you’ll puncture the stomach
   or liver. When finished, prop the chest
   cavity open with a stick.


4. Next, locate the diaphragm; it’s the
   thin muscle that separates the chest
   and abdominal cavity at the base of
   the rib cage. Cut the diaphragm close
   to the wall of the body cavity so it’s
   completely detached.


5. In the chest cavity, locate the
   esophagus, which is the soft, smooth
   tube that connects the mouth to the
   stomach. Tie it off near the stomach,
   and cut it above the tie on the head
   side. Locate the trachea (the rigid,
   ribbed tube that connects the throat to
   the lungs), and cut it above the lungs.


6. Locate where the large intestine
   enters the pelvis. Gently pinch the
   large intestine and move any feces
   aside a couple of inches. Tie the large
   intestine on both the left and right side
   of this feces-free zone, and then cut
   the large intestine between the ties.


7. Next, you’ll want to locate the

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I was

raised in a family that

processed most of the

meat we ate, so when I began hunt-

ing deer, it was second nature to

process them myself. It’s satisfying

to sit down to a meal of venison that

I’ve harvested, processed, aged, and

packaged, and often roasted, smoked,

or grilled myself.

Many hunters share the same sen-

timent, and choose to field-dress and/

or field-process their own animals as

well. Field-dressing involves a hunter

removing only the internal organs in

the field and then bringing the carcass

home to process, or taking it to a

butcher. However, when you process

the entire deer in the field, it gives

you the option to bring home only

the parts your family will use while

the remaining parts are left to feed

scavengers and nourish the soil where

the deer lived and died. Plus, disease-

carrying parasites, such as ticks,

remain in the field, or are bagged and

frozen with the hide prior to tanning.

And it’s often easier to pack out a

deer in two or three loads rather than

to haul the entire carcass home.

Initial Considerations

Before field-processing a deer,

read up on your local wildlife laws,

and take care to obey them. If you

plan to mount the head and antlers,

get skinning instructions from a

taxidermist. If you’re interested in

tanning the hide yourself, see “How

to Tan A Deer Hide” in our Novem-

ber/December 2017 issue.

While in the field, remember

that it’s essential to cool the carcass

quickly to reduce bacterial spoilage.

This helps ensure that you get the

best quality meat. Removing the or-

gans allows body heat to escape, and

skinning lets body heat dissipate even

faster, so don’t put off processing any

longer than absolutely necessary.

While processing, it’s important

to avoid contaminating the meat with

the tarsal glands and the contents of

the digestive or waste organs. Tarsal

Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious neurological disease that affects deer, elk, and

moose. It’s believed to be caused by abnormal proteins called “prions” that infect the brain, causing

symptoms that include drastic weight loss, stumbling, and listlessness. It’s always fatal.

There’s currently no evidence that CWD can infect humans, but it’s still important to take precau-

tions before consuming your freshly harvested deer meat. Follow the guidelines established by the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and have deer meat tested before eating it. Contact your

state’s department of natural resources for CWD testing locations.

To slow the spread of CWD, some states restrict transporting deer from known CWD areas.

Follow your local regulations.

Visit http://www.CDC.gov for more information on chronic wasting disease.