If you’re going straight to a processing plant in less than an hour or two, is it really necessary to field dress a deer ?
It's not necessary, but just about every processor will charge an extra fee for it if that matters. Biggest concern is how long it has been dead and/or temps. 2 hours from shot is a lot different than 2 hours from recovery. Most processors will not accept bloated deer.
when I was much younger and inexperienced, I killed a doe and she piled up about 10' from the road. Uncle brought his truck down to help me get her, and I say "awesome, we can just flip her into the back of the truck and take her straight to the processor." Uncle looks at me like I got three heads and says "you killed it, you gut it." So yeah, 20 some years later- you kill it, you gut it.
GUT IT !! ..... when I had private, I had a spot I would try to get the deer to and gut there, I'd get it to the truck, go across the road to a rise/hill on the place and field dress there, I could alway angle the hindquarters down the hill, and any blood, etc would run out, and it made the FDing so much easier (Ive used logs the same way ) ..... the processors around here will not take a deer that is NOT field dressed, they dont want the innards around, plus it is more work for them .... the place I go to will turn them away and tell them to field dress it themselves ....
Field dressing takes what 20 minutes if you suck at it. Definitely field dress. You appreciate what you have done and earn it. You also learn about how your arrow works and if you need to change your set up by getting in there. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Gut or use boneless method... Depends on size of deer, type of deer, temp and distance I need to move it. Gut to cool the meat, already mentioned, but less weight facilitates a carry or drag. Most NC whitetails are gonna be less than 150#, but the last one I shot was a 2 mile hike and it was ~65 degrees. He was gutted and a the drag really sucked. A muley (or bigger like elk, moose), is most likely getting broken down via boneless method (unless not permitted in that area).
That's not necessary. Lots of deer go a heck of a lot longer before they are even found. I only voted yes because our processing plants around here will charge you extra if you don't. We use gutless method quite a bit. I am almost just as fast cutting it into meat groups and throw it in a cooler right away.
I like the gutless method too depending on where the deer lies. If you have a cooler nearby it doesn't take long to get the meat off. We process our own deer so it depends on where I'm at. At our farm we usually hang them. Skin them and gut them. I would still gut it before locker even if they didn't require it. I like to know that the meat has been taken care of the correct way.
Do the butcher a favor....gut it and skin it. It's not hard and if you drop the animal further from the road you will love not dragging that extra weight not to mention it cools them down faster and prevents guts if you getting to the meat if you hit any of that stuff.
Yeah, it's weird. They also won't skull cap it, take the whole head before you leave or you don't get the antlers back. They'll cape it for $50 though.
IMO, if you want decent tasting venison, gut it and get it cooled as soon as possible, regardless of how much time has elapsed since the shot.
Gut it and skin it asap. My processor would kick my a** if I didn't. .............But I am the processor
Field dressing a deer is the process of removing the internal organs and other non-edible parts from the animal's body cavity after it has been killed. The purpose of field dressing is to cool down the meat and reduce the growth of bacteria that can cause spoilage. If you are going straight to a processing plant in less than an hour or two, field dressing may not be necessary, as the processing plant will likely have facilities for dressing and cooling the meat. However, field dressing is still a good practice to follow as it can help to preserve the quality of the meat. Field dressing can also make the transportation of the animal easier, as it reduces the weight of the animal and makes it more compact. Additionally, field dressing allows for a more thorough examination of the animal to ensure that it is healthy and fit for consumption. In summary, while field dressing may not be necessary if you are going straight to a processing plant in less than an hour or two, it is still a good practice to follow to help preserve the quality of the meat and ensure that the animal is healthy and fit for consumption.
