Wow. So you put down your first white tail, but the question is, is it all the way down? To make sure, keeping the gun or bow ready for a shot, approach the downed animal from the rear and make sure its really gone before you come in too close, unless you enjoy a flailing hoof to the head.
TAGGING:
Nearly every state in the United States and most of Canada says you have to tag your kill on the spot and can’t move it until you do. Check the local regs and laws to make sure that you’re tagging it properly, since the laws are going to vary from place to place. If in doubt, don’t move it til you tag it filling in all of the information on the tag.
Now its time to do some cleanup.(although the steps are pictured here, there is a super video of the process that you can view here:
FIELD DRESSING:
While you’re still out here is the prime time to start cleaning the animal. Some of you aren’t far from home. I lived in the middle of a national forest, so home wasn’t all that far away, but many people live an hours drive from home, so field dressing is going to be your best bet.
- Roll the animal onto its back and if you can, get its head pointed uphill.
- If your animal is a male, make the first cuts to remove the genitals.
- Then make a cut around the rectum. Some people pull the rectum out part ways with a string. While this isn’t really necessary if you’re careful, if you’re new to the process it will cut down on feces that could contaminate your meat.
- Work from the anal area toward the front of the deer, and lifting the skin with your forefingers, cut through the skin and hide, making sure that you don’t cut too deeply so as to puncture the animals paunch, and heres a little caution for you too. The animal is going to be warm, and your fingers will likely be cold. Take it easy and watch where the knife is going to avoid cutting you as well as your deer.
- ROll your deer onto its side, reach under the paunch and cut the tissue that holds the organs and gut in place. Make sure that you sever the tissue on both sides of the paunch, and then that the organs are free by reaching into the body cavity and checking that all of the tissue is cut away.
- Put your hands into the body and remove the digestive tract and the intestines, and run your hand as far up as you can reach and cut the windpipe, then take out the remainder of your inner organs, such as the heart, liver and lungs. A good rule of thumb is to stop at the end of the ribcage.
Scrape the tissue out and make sure its as clean as possible, and completely empty or organs.
When you get the deer home, hang it, let the blood drain and the remainder of the body heat dissipate.
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