Grit – September 01, 2019

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(^62) September/October 2019
tennis ball, is located near the pelvis.
If it contains urine, tie off the two
small tubes that lead to the kidneys
and the urethra on the downstream
side of the bladder.

8. Cut any connective tissue holding
   the organs to the inside of the body.
   9. If you plan to eat or use any of
   the organs, bag and label them as
   you remove them from the body. To
   remove the heart, cut the pericardium
   (the sack that holds the heart) and
   then cut any blood vessels holding
   the heart in place. If you want
   the liver, first locate and remove

the gallbladder, taking care not

to puncture it in the process. The

gallbladder is the yellow-green sack

located in one of the liver lobes. The

intestines can be used for sausage

casings; tie them off before removing

them from the body cavity. To remove

the kidneys, cut the tubes on the

upstream (kidney) side of the tie to

avoid urine leaking from the bladder.

10. Once you’ve removed and
    bagged the organs you want, remove
    the remaining organs and leave them
    for scavengers. Start in the chest
    cavity and, with one long pull, slide
    the organs out and onto the ground.
    Drain any pooled blood by lifting the
    front legs.

Processing

While processing is possible on the

ground, it’s easier to skin and debone

a hanging carcass. Hanging the carcass

will also keep the meat cleaner.

1 2

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Head

Grit

ty’s^ T

ips

When processing

a deer in the field,

the proper tools

help to make things

quick, smooth, and

sanitary. Here’s what you’ll need to

construct a basic field kit:

■ Backpack

■ Drop-point skinning knife

■ Fillet knife

■ Gut hook knife

■ Small bone saw

■ Block and tackle with cord

■ Portable gambrel

■ Food-processing gloves

■ 1- and 2-gallon zip-close bags

■ Large garbage bags

■ Tarp or dropcloth

■ Biodegradable cotton string

■ Permanent marker

■ Cheesecloth or carcass bags

Chest Cavity

Lung (collapsed)

Sternum (^1 ⁄ 2 )

Heart (inside

the pericardium)

Diaphragm

Liver

Stomach

Tail

Small Intestine

Abdominal

Cavity

Sternum

(^1 ⁄ 2 )