November 15th is a revered day for Michigan deer hunters, and it is when the majority of deer are harvested statewide each year. It also represents a very busy timeframe for meat processors and good venison has a very succulent nature which is a primary meat source for my family that we all enjoy.
I was a state meat inspector for almost 12 years, working on various “kill-floors” in slaughterhouses, where I did ante-mortem (making sure animals to be slaughtered were in a healthy state) and post-mortem (performing an autopsy of sorts) inspections to assure healthy animals during the butchering process. A major part of my duties was also assuring everything was done in a sanitary and proper manner, and when a finished carcass went into the cooler, it didn’t get the stamp of approval unless it was something I would eat myself, a personal code I always stuck to.
Many of the slaughterhouses I dealt with also processed deer during the hunting seasons, and this gave me a firsthand view of the quality of field care deer carcasses had received, especially regarding field-dressing and cleanliness, and bringing matters in a timely manner before spoilage. Many of the deer carcasses arrived in proper form but there were enough other examples which were in such a deplorable condition, to say the least, that the successful hunter obviously had no clue of how to properly handle matters. The end result is often a “gamey” flavor, and in my opinion there is no such thing with properly handled procedures, from the field, to processing the meat, and on to the table.
Well. Folks, I will attempt to sanitize matters as much as I can, but it is reality, and I will cover how I do matters, from start to finish. Such is always a main component to successful hunting.
Once the downed deer has been located, do not automatically assume it is dead and always approach in a cautious manner, from the rear of the deer, whenever possible, with it facing away and keeping a focus on its eyes which should be fixed wide open, but on a rare occasion, not always. I give the downed deer a “boot” to double-check matters, eyes open or closed, which might become a literal kick-start for a supposedly dead deer suddenly lunging up like a jack in the box. Never take matters for granted and remain ready for a follow-up shot to settle matters.
The first thing in order before all else, is to properly tag the deer. I use plastic zip-ties because they are quick to use and stay secure. I then roll the deer on its back, and whenever possible, with the front positioned uphill to allow any blood drainage to go downhill, away from the project. I also believe shoulder-length plastic gloves are a true blessing in keeping hands/arms and clothing clean.
Always start with a sharp knife blade, as a dull blade can hurt you because it requires extra effort, and it doesn’t have to be a big blade, because I’ve dressed out plenty of deer with a simple pocketknife. If a male deer, I start by cutting back the male organ and testicles and keep all connected and leave them attached while I core out the anus. If a female deer, I first remove the udder in the event it contains milk, and I don’t want milk leaking all over. I then core out the female organ with the anus. All remains connected to eventually pull forward through the pelvic area with care being taken not to break the bladder, which appears as a small balloon near the pelvis, and I never cut the bladder off as doing so will always leak urine – so everything stays connected as a single unit.
Once the anus and other organs are cored out, I open the body cavity up from the pelvis forward to the ribcage, and care must be taken not to nick intestines or the paunch (a sharp gut-hooks work great). If it is a trophy which I wish to cape out, I stop there and reach in to cut the esophagus as far up into the neck as possible. If not a trophy, I slice through the hide to the brisket bone and then employ a small saw (I have a Swiss Army knife which offers all I need) to saw the brisket bone, all the way from back to front. This will allow easier access in removing the heart and lungs, and I use the severed esophagus as a good handle for a firm grip while I work the knife blade between lungs and spine and allow the heart and lungs, still connected, to hang outside the body cavity.
I then go to the back and saw the pelvic bone apart, which allows easier removal of anus and sex organs, and with bladder still attached, and I set them outside of the body cavity, followed by pulling the intestines and paunch out. Everything should then be lying outside as a fully connected unit and thus without contaminating the inner carcass. I then roll the deer over to drain any blood.
Typically, if one is available, I prefer to use a plastic toboggan to drag my deer out as it slides easier and keeps matters clean. Otherwise I make sure the deer is on its side while dragging to avoid getting dirt and debris into the body cavity. Once I get to a source, I prefer to lightly rinse out the body cavity with clean, cold water which removes any blood and aids the cooling process. Anything I don’t like; I trim away instead of washing it off. The last thing you want to do is force contamination into the flesh, and what looks clean by washing probably might not be. If the temperature is cool enough, I often hang the deer and allow it to dry and thoroughly chill. If it’s not cool enough and flies might be out and about, I take the deer immediately to a meat processor with a cooler or process it myself (there is a lot of how-to information out there).
Well, folks, that is how I do matters in a nutshell which isn’t all that difficult. Nothing beats fine venison which can be cooked with a multitude of tasty recipes.
Happy and safe deer hunting!
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