Field Dressing

Learning To Field Dress

• The best way to learn to field dress big game is to help an experienced hunter with an animal.
• Before hunting, review the steps of field dressing.

Avoiding Bacteria Growth

The growth of bacteria is the cause of spoiled meat. Three factors contribute to bacteria growth: heat, moisture, and dirt.

• Heat is the greatest threat to game meat.
  • To cool the meat and fight spoilage:
    • Use available shade.
    • Remove the hide as quickly as possible.
    • Get the meat away from internal organs. Meat around the hip joint in the ham (rear leg) spoils the quickest.
• The warmer the weather, the more urgent this becomes. In weather warmer than 40° Fahrenheit, cool the meat as quickly as possible.
  • If possible, place squirrels, hares, doves, and grouse in a cooler after dressing.
  • If necessary, place the meat in cool water for 30-45 minutes to reduce the temperature. A nearby creek, river, or lake will do the job. Be sure to dry the meat immediately after removing it from the water.
• Moisture also encourages the growth of bacteria. Don’t use excessive amounts of water to wash the cavity. Allow it to dry.
• Dirt can introduce bacteria.
  • Place the meat in good-quality, breathable cloth game bags, which also protects from insects. You also can cover the meat with cheesecloth.
  • If you have to drag the game to camp, keep dirt out of the chest cavity

Boning, Bagging, and Hanging Meat

Know the salvage requirements for your area, since this affects bagging procedures.

• Some hunters bone the meat; that is, they remove all edible meat from the bones.
  • Boning reduces the weight to be packed.
  • Pieces of boned meat placed together in a game bag are harder to keep cool and dry. In some areas, it is illegal to bone the meat because of a history of wasted meat.
• After the meat is removed from the animal, place it in good-quality, breathable game bags.
  • Good game bags allow air to circulate to the meat but are tough enough to hold heavy loads.
  • The game bags also help keep the meat clean.
• Back at camp, hang the bagged meat off the ground to help keep the meat clean and cool.

Treating the Meat With Citric Acid

You can purchase food-grade citric acid powder at most pharmacies or feed stores. When mixed with water and applied to game, citric acid slows bacteria growth and seals the meat with a layer of acidity that deters flies from laying eggs on the meat.

• Once the meat is hung, remove the game bags.
• Mix the citric acid powder with water. Use two ounces of citric acid per quart of water.
• Spray the meat with the citric acid mixture until it covers the meat. Don’t worry about the citric acid mixture getting the meat too wet. The mixture dries quickly.

Keeping Meat Safe During the Hunt

• Place a tarp loosely over the meat pole to keep rain off the game bags.
• Check the meat daily.
• Each day, move the loose pieces of meat in the game bag around to keep the meat cool and dry.
• A river float hunt presents challenges in keeping the meat dry and cool when it is stacked inside the raft. Be sure to remove the meat from the raft every night before you camp, and hang it where it can stay cool.
• In extremely cold weather, do not let the game meat freeze. Freezing stops meat from aging, which will result in very tough meat.

Transporting Game

Keep the dressed game cool and free of insects. Be sure to keep proper “evidence of sex” if required by your game laws.

Most hunters take their game to a commercial meat cooler, where a typical white-tailed deer can be properly aged up to three or four days at 40° Fahrenheit.