Just passed Hunter/Trapper Ed, some questions

**soup** · April 3rd, 2008, 10:35 AM

Well as the title says: I just passed my Hunter/Trapper Ed. class and I have a few questions. I'm new to hunting and really have no one in my family who does it regularly. I understand the basics and I understand the techniques. My only real concern is field dressing of deer, turkey and smaller game. I've been an avid fisherman since I was a kid, is the "theory" much different? Is it basically the same as preparing a fish just on a larger scale? This is one thing they didn't touch on in detail at the class that I was hoping they would. Also, would it be worth getting my license now or just waiting till July? Other than Spring Turkey is there anything worth while in between now and July?

Thanks

Tj

**Buckmark.35** · April 3rd, 2008, 11:29 AM

There are many use tutorials for field dressing game. If you do a google search on it, I'm sure you'll find something useful. Also, really the only thing worthwhile between now and July is spring gobbler. You can shoot crows and coyotes, and i'm not entirely sure about the trapping regulations, but Between spring gobbler and the open of small game in october.. It's fishing time for me.. lol

**God's Country** · April 3rd, 2008, 12:03 PM

It's not that difficult to field dress animals as suggested any decent DVD should suffice. The PGC sells some. Never seen them though.

http://www.theoutdoorshop.state.pa.u...A79F&catid=VID

**tiber** · April 4th, 2008, 12:34 PM

OK, it's not really worth field dressing small game. When you get your license there's usually a quick howto in the game-guide that comes with it with some illustrations. For deer, all you need to do is dump out the guts and take the rest home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4svOVi7WMs <- NOW WITH VIDEO.

Small game: Cut a small swatch in the back you can get a finger or two in to lift the skin, then follow this around the waist of the animal to make "shirt" and "pants". You will probably turn a few squirrel into meat nunchuks before you figure out the technique. Rabbits are much (tastier!) easier. The skin on a rabbit isn't fixed to the muscle so there's a lot less pulling involved. Usually if the wound isn't so big, I skin then gut. Although the last rabbit I hit with a 17HMR was more of a "hose out and skin".

Deer: You don't skin a deer, the processor does that. You do need to field dress it however. You will need a source of water to wash off. Unlike a fish, I usually leave the fins on. The basic process for this is:
1) Make sure the deer is dead. (Poke the eye with a twig). Oh dear lord, make sure the deer is dead.
2) Fill out the ear-tag. Do this now before you're covered in mess. Affix ear tag to ear by cutting a slit in the ear. I like zipties.
3) Drag deer to suitable work space. Deer like to crawl into bushes and other fun places when you hit them. Plus I really hate stepping in a pile of guts when in the thick. Do not pick up the deer and throw it over your back, always drag deer.
4) Time to make a mess. Expect to get blood and guts up to your elbows. Remember when Luke Skywalker cut open the furry dinosaur? It's like that. He wasn't a happy guy. Find the bottom of the ribcage, and only put your knifetip in. It's hard to describe in text, but put your fingers in the wound to push the guts back and run the knife down to the hip-bone. Cut around the genitals so they're free but don't cut the plumbing.
5) Try to bale out the organs intact. I usually move the intestines out without cutting them to get access to the other stuff. Don't cut the diaphragm yet. The diaphragm separates the stomach area from the lung and heart area. To finish cutting out the stomach, try to push as much food into it as possible, then cut it from the throat. You want to make an "OK" with your thumb and pointer finger and run this down the throat to the stomach, then cut the empty throat. Pull the stomach out without tearing it from the other organs.
6) The liver and spleen should follow the stomach out, cut any membrane which retains them. The liver is OK to eat (usually tastes sort of like corn... and liver), the spleen is not. The liver is the smooth purple one. The spleen is wavy and a different color. Toss the spleen.
7) Take a sharp knife or axe and split the pelvic bone (hip bone) at this time.
8) Cut around the remaining genitals, when you split the hip bone you'll figure out how to get them out and where to cut. Dumping poop into the carcass is much worse than dumping in urine. Sometimes the bladder just drops out, sometimes it sticks and it's a mess. The intestines should come out with the anus on them, but I usually cut around the anus and tie a knot in it.
9) The kidneys are the two small round things on the back of the deer. Cut these out.

ALRIGHT, THAT'S JUST THE BOTTOM. GET READY FOR THE MESS!

1) Get your water ready. Get ready to roll the deer on it's side. Where did all that blood go? With any luck you didn't shoot through the diaphragm or tear it in the process.
2) Cut the windpipe now as low as you can. (Slit the deers throat). Do not cut off the head, it stays with the carcass.
3) Cut the diaphragm. There will be an amazing amount of blood. You want to roll the deer on it's side and not into the pool of it. Try to elevate the chest to dump as much out as possible, it's less you will get on you later.
4) Cut out the rest of the diaphragm. Reach in there and try to pull out the heart. This is good to eat (if there's anything left). Don't eat the arteries or bag over the heart.
5) Reach around in there and find the windpipe. Usually the lungs are just blown into jelly if you have a 30-30, your mileage may vary. 30-06s and 308s make really clean holes. The windpipe has a certain texture to it which you will learn to recognize, but for now just reach up the chest to the neck and feel for it. It requires significant effort to liberate, so just keep yanking. It should bring out whatevers left of the lungs with it.
6) Hose out whatever is left and inspect the cavity. When you're convinced you've got the blood out and all the organs, shove a bag of ice in there and run to the butcherer's. Superfresh's meat department gets really bent out of shape when you drag a deer to the counter.

Stuff to keep:
Liver, Heart
Stuff not to keep:
Intestines, stomach, lungs, kidneys

When they call you to pick up the processed animal, you get the head back (if it's a buck). If you plan on having this taxidermied, you should talk to your taxidermist about mounts so you cut the animal up appropriately.

**wryekid** · April 5th, 2008, 12:41 AM

Originally Posted by tiber

OK, it's not really worth field dressing small game. When you get your license there's usually a quick howto in the game-guide that comes with it with some illustrations. For deer, all you need to do is dump out the guts and take the rest home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4svOVi7WMs <- NOW WITH VIDEO.

Small game: Cut a small swatch in the back you can get a finger or two in to lift the skin, then follow this around the waist of the animal to make "shirt" and "pants". You will probably turn a few squirrel into meat nunchuks before you figure out the technique. Rabbits are much (tastier!) easier. The skin on a rabbit isn't fixed to the muscle so there's a lot less pulling involved. Usually if the wound isn't so big, I skin then gut. Although the last rabbit I hit with a 17HMR was more of a "hose out and skin".

Deer: You don't skin a deer, the processor does that. You do need to field dress it however. You will need a source of water to wash off. Unlike a fish, I usually leave the fins on. The basic process for this is:
1) Make sure the deer is dead. (Poke the eye with a twig). Oh dear lord, make sure the deer is dead.
2) Fill out the ear-tag. Do this now before you're covered in mess. Affix ear tag to ear by cutting a slit in the ear. I like zipties.
3) Drag deer to suitable work space. Deer like to crawl into bushes and other fun places when you hit them. Plus I really hate stepping in a pile of guts when in the thick. Do not pick up the deer and throw it over your back, always drag deer.
4) Time to make a mess. Expect to get blood and guts up to your elbows. Remember when Luke Skywalker cut open the furry dinosaur? It's like that. He wasn't a happy guy. Find the bottom of the ribcage, and only put your knifetip in. It's hard to describe in text, but put your fingers in the wound to push the guts back and run the knife down to the hip-bone. Cut around the genitals so they're free but don't cut the plumbing.
5) Try to bale out the organs intact. I usually move the intestines out without cutting them to get access to the other stuff. Don't cut the diaphragm yet. The diaphragm separates the stomach area from the lung and heart area. To finish cutting out the stomach, try to push as much food into it as possible, then cut it from the throat. You want to make an "OK" with your thumb and pointer finger and run this down the throat to the stomach, then cut the empty throat. Pull the stomach out without tearing it from the other organs.
6) The liver and spleen should follow the stomach out, cut any membrane which retains them. The liver is OK to eat (usually tastes sort of like corn... and liver), the spleen is not. The liver is the smooth purple one. The spleen is wavy and a different color. Toss the spleen.
7) Take a sharp knife or axe and split the pelvic bone (hip bone) at this time.
8) Cut around the remaining genitals, when you split the hip bone you'll figure out how to get them out and where to cut. Dumping poop into the carcass is much worse than dumping in urine. Sometimes the bladder just drops out, sometimes it sticks and it's a mess. The intestines should come out with the anus on them, but I usually cut around the anus and tie a knot in it.
9) The kidneys are the two small round things on the back of the deer. Cut these out.

ALRIGHT, THAT'S JUST THE BOTTOM. GET READY FOR THE MESS!

1) Get your water ready. Get ready to roll the deer on it's side. Where did all that blood go? With any luck you didn't shoot through the diaphragm or tear it in the process.
2) Cut the windpipe now as low as you can. (Slit the deers throat). Do not cut off the head, it stays with the carcass.
3) Cut the diaphragm. There will be an amazing amount of blood. You want to roll the deer on it's side and not into the pool of it. Try to elevate the chest to dump as much out as possible, it's less you will get on you later.
4) Cut out the rest of the diaphragm. Reach in there and try to pull out the heart. This is good to eat (if there's anything left). Don't eat the arteries or bag over the heart.
5) Reach around in there and find the windpipe. Usually the lungs are just blown into jelly if you have a 30-30, your mileage may vary. 30-06s and 308s make really clean holes. The windpipe has a certain texture to it which you will learn to recognize, but for now just reach up the chest to the neck and feel for it. It requires significant effort to liberate, so just keep yanking. It should bring out whatevers left of the lungs with it.
6) Hose out whatever is left and inspect the cavity. When you're convinced you've got the blood out and all the organs, shove a bag of ice in there and run to the butcherer's. Superfresh's meat department gets really bent out of shape when you drag a deer to the counter.

Stuff to keep:
Liver, Heart
Stuff not to keep:
Intestines, stomach, lungs, kidneys

When they call you to pick up the processed animal, you get the head back (if it's a buck). If you plan on having this taxidermied, you should talk to your taxidermist about mounts so you cut the animal up appropriately.

If I may add. If you have something for the Taxidermist, go there first, as there are specific intructions to skin the animal. You should save as much good hide as possible and not have too many cuts for them to sew back up.