field processing, how far to go?

[granpa's_303]

I'm a boots and trail hunter still looking for my first kill. I've got a good feeling about this season, but I'm wondering... When I get a nice buck, should I quarter and de-bone on site so I have less weight to pack out of the bush. I've got a pretty good processing kit, I'm thinking four bags of meat would be a heck of a lot easier than slinging the whole carcass on my back (or building a pack frame). But I've also heard, you want to hang your kill for as long as a month, to age the meat, before you process. What's the best way?

[hunterofthedeer]

well you dont need to hang the meat for a month we hung our meat for 5-7 days in our shed last october

[BiG Boar]

I would delimb the deer using the gutless method, and then throw it in a packsack in cloth bags. Saves a lot of mess. Search for the gutless method on the net and on here. It is awsome!

[Ddog]

well that all depends on how far in you are, but first let me say that a month is way to long to hang game, a week to ten days is ample,depeniding of course on temp. i do not hang my deer for very long at all and i have never noticed a difference in taste or texture, i have cut deer up the next day many of times.
so ..that being said, getting your deer far in the bush on dry ground may well deserve being deboned or quartered and packed out, but if there is snow on the ground it may be just as easy to drag.
there is many different scenarios that may lead to different methods and would be entirely up to you as to what you want to do with your meat.
i have a friend who loves to leave the carcass in the bush and debone the meat and pack it out no matter how far away from the vehicles.
so it is entirely up to you, i have always taken my deer out whole , although in a couple of scenarios it would have been easier to quarter and pack out.
if you do not have the room to hang a whole deer then your best bet would be to pack it out, and if you have a nice game kit and are eventually going to go for larger game or pack in hunts for goat and sheep then field processing your deer is a great way to learn what to do.
again, there is no one way that is better than the others 100% of the time, its your decision. IMO
cheers....ddog

[d6dan]

Watch this video. It might give you some ideas....


http://www.realoutdoorproductions.com/2008vids/feilddressing/feilddressing.html

[Salty]

The first thing I think about after shooting a deer is how close can I get the truck to here. In other words where's the nearest road or trail. If its within say a half a km or so, I'll drag the deer whole but gutted to where I can pick it up with the truck.

The biggest thing you need to strive for is to keep the meat as clean as possible. One of the easiest ways to do that is to keep the hide on untill you can hang it somewhere then skin it.

If you find yourself a long ways from where you can get a vehicle to or otherwise with a real ugly pack show ahead of you, then consider the gutless method, or otherwise breaking it down to smaller pieces. Another option is making a "trailer" out of poles with you being the tractor. Forget the name of these, natives used them - kind of like a crude sleigh. Works on dry land and snow. ..

[TimberPig]

If you find yourself a long ways from where you can get a vehicle to or otherwise with a real ugly pack show ahead of you, then consider the gutless method, or otherwise breaking it down to smaller pieces. Another option is making a "trailer" out of poles with you being the tractor. Forget the name of these, natives used them - kind of like a crude sleigh. Works on dry land and snow. ..

I believe you are thinking of a travois.

[Brambles]

please don't hang your meat for a month

[BlacktailStalker]

At least not upwind of my camp.

[TheDuckinator]

The biggest thing you need to strive for is to keep the meat as clean as possible. One of the easiest ways to do that is to keep the hide on untill you can hang it somewhere then skin it.


I second that but only if it is possible, sometimes your a few hours hike away from the truck and you dont really have a choice but to de-bone and bag. Neither me nor my dad have ever used the gutless method but I have spoke to many a hunters who swear by it

Best of Luck on your first animal