Field dressing?

[Dantethegolden]

Rookie question: Before taking deer to a processor, is it necessary to gut the deer? I've looked everywhere for the answer to this (including the GON forum) and most hunting questions revolve around "My property is like this, where should my stand go?" or "When is the rut in my county?", but I haven't found a dang thing about what to do with the deer once you've actually managed to kill it. I hunt on my property and have a cpl of processors within 20-30 mins driving range. I have been told by someone before that if you take it straight to the processor, you don't have to do anything, but I don't trust that particular someone's opinion. I don't have a problem gutting it myself, and despite never having actually done it, I'm sure there are some very thorough YouTube videos to walk me through it (I've skinned and mounted a rattlesnake before...same thing, right? haha)

Thanks in advance for your help, ODT-ers.

 

[dwilson42]

Its all about time buddy.
How long it takes u to track it drag it and get it down the road
and also if your processor does it some do some dont some charge extra some dont just easier to do it yourself
its one the easiest animals to gut out there.
takes about 5 mins and you can keep the heart and liver if you do it yourself

 

[BackWoods]

Depends on the processor...but,

1.) it makes draggin' one out of the woods easier as it's much lighter

2.). Usually will cost less at the processor.

If your aren't sure how to do it, plenty of videos out there...always carry an extra water bottle,sharp knife, and a pair of latex gloves(I do,lol!)

 

[dwilson42]

I advise investing in a good sharp gut hook tho

- - - Updated - - -

Depends on the processor...but,

1.) it makes draggin' one out of the woods easier as it's much lighter

2.). Usually will cost less at the processor.

If your aren't sure how to do it, plenty of videos out there...always carry an extra water bottle,sharp knife and a pair of latex gloves(I do,lol!)

what he said gloves and water bottle are a must as well

 

[ADAM]

You don't have to field dress it first, but if it was me I probably would.., just to make it lighter for me to drag it back to the truck..

 

[the_great_white]

i wouldnt trust that a processor would get to it immediately.....i would hate to think it laid in the cooler all day before he got around to it.

 

[batoncolle]

Depends on how long it takes to find your kill, where you shot it, and how hot it is. As a general rule, I do not like to let my deer sit for more than 2 hours without gutting, and if it is hot that time limit decreases. I am only 10 minutes from my processor, but I always gut it because one I know I am doing it right and two they charge me $20 extra to gut it.

It really is easy to gut a deer, and once you practice it should only take you about 10 - 15 minutes tops. The key is not to cut the gut sack but even that happens.

 

[GreenPanther]

Depends on the processor...but,

1.) it makes draggin' one out of the woods easier as it's much lighter

2.). Usually will cost less at the processor.

If your aren't sure how to do it, plenty of videos out there...always carry an extra water bottle,sharp knife, and a pair of latex gloves(I do,lol!)

Agreed. Not to mention with the heat, the last thing I want to do is leave the guts rotting in the deer and spoiling my meat, although some prefer to leave the deer whole until it goes to the processor.

 

[DinkyDau]

Alot has to do the with Temp..The hotter it is the quicker you need to process..We have a gambrell and a processing station..The main thing to do is field dress, skin and quarter..Ice down add salt..I cut out the back straps, take the hams,shoulders neck meat ,heart, and liver..Ice it down in the cooler add salt depending on how long I will be a camp..Heat, blow flies, and yellow jacket are you enemy..

 

[Dantethegolden]

Thanks for the quick responses, fellas. I picked up a knife set at Adventure Outdoors today (I managed to get checked out in less than 20 minutes this time!) that has a skinner and a large gut-hook knife. They could stand to be sharper, but they were a good deal. I reckon I should pick up one of those Butt-Out things to pull the intestines and I'll be set. Even if my local processor wouldn't charge extra, I feel like it's something I should know how to do as part of being a responsible hunter. This stuff sure would have been easier if I had grown up hunting! I'll have to make sure when I have kids that they don't miss out.