Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: the basics of carcass cutting
• Method 2 of 3: hanging the deer
• Method 3 of 3: Leave your head intact
• Tips
• What do you need

In order to butcher a deer in the forest, we strongly recommend lowering its body temperature, otherwise the meat may deteriorate.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: the basics of carcass cutting

1. 1 Make sure the deer is dead. If he's alive, shoot him again; aiming in a safe direction. DO NOT try to approach an injured deer to cut its throat. They are very strong and can behave in unpredictable ways.
2. 2 Once you are sure the deer is dead, wear gloves to avoid contact with microorganisms.
3. 3 Lay the deer on its back. Find his sternum. Cut from sternum to crotch, penetrating under the hide and below the membrane. But the intestines should not be pierced.
4. 4 Pull out the intestines, starting at the perineum, while at the same time cutting the septa that connect the internal organs to the spine. Try not to cut too close to the spine, or you may damage the fillets.
5. 5 Continuing to pull out the intestines, cut the diaphragm. Don't be alarmed when you see blood. This was to be expected.
6. 6 Find the last membranes holding the intestines inside the carcass, cut them open and remove the intestines.
7. 7 Continue cutting through the center of the pelvic bone using a medical saw or knife. Trim the skin around the anus and pull the large intestine out of the body cavity.
8. 8 The heart, lungs, liver, and anus should be removed now, but if you feel comfortable, you can wait a little longer.
9. 9 If you want to eat the liver and heart, you can save them. This will be very helpful.
10. 10 It will be more convenient to position the deer's hooves over the head when dragging.

Method 2 of 3: hanging the deer

1. 1 Be sure to wear rubber gloves.
2. 2 Keep a strong rope in your vehicle.
3. 3 Tie a rope around your neck (or around the horns if you want to stuff the deer). Place the other end over the tree branch a foot or two above your head.
4. 4 Raise the deer off the ground so that the hind hooves are barely touching the ground. This can be done manually or with a vehicle.
5. 5 If you are not going to stuff your head, slit your throat down to the trachea and detach it.
6. 6 Start cutting at the crotch until you reach the sternum if you are going to scarecrow the head. Otherwise, the incision should be made along the ribs from the sternum.
7. 7 If you decide to fill your head, you need to reach the body cavity as close as possible and cut out the trachea from the inside.
8. 8 Pull the trachea down through the body cavity and cut the first membrane. To remove the intestines, the second membrane must be cut.
9. 9 Cut the second membrane and the guts will fall to the ground.
10. 10 Do as described above: the feces should be squeezed out of the intestines by cutting and bandaging it. Also, be careful with your bladder.
11. 11 If you have a gallon of water, you can flush the accumulated blood out of the body cavity.
12. 12 Now you can lower the carcass of a deer to the ground. This method is easier and cleaner than butchering it while lying on the ground.

Method 3 of 3: Leave your head intact

If you are butchering a deer without hanging the carcass, follow these instructions:

1. 1 Make sure the deer is dead. Approach from the side of his shoulders; away from hooves and head. Touch his open eye with a long stick or blade of grass. If he reacts, shoot at the chest or neck.
2. 2 Position the deer carcass with the head on top, if possible. Then, when cutting, the liquid will drain.
3. 3 Get your tools out; a sharp knife, gloves, if necessary, a bottle of water (to wash your hands after). Roll up your sleeves and put on gloves.
4. 4 Always remember that the tarsal glands on a deer's ankles have a strong musky smell - they should not be touched. Males have a particularly strong musk and if it gets into the meat, it will be smelly. Try not to touch the tarsal glands on the hind legs of the deer (they are located on the ankles, look like a patch of fur, usually darker in color).
5. 5 Start at the anus. Take a small, sharp knife and carefully cut the ring of skin that is around the anus in order to separate the skin. This is done to separate the anus and colon from the hide to protect the meat from contamination with deer excrement. Gently pull the anus along with the colon (s) a few centimeters from the deer carcass. You can tie them into a knot if you like.
6. 6 If you have a rope and a tree nearby, you can tie the deer by the hind legs at an angle, which will give you more access to the entrails for butchering. Or, if you have a hunting partner, he will help you by holding the limbs.
7. 7 Determine where the sternum is. You can find it by feeling the ribcage where it ends, forming a V at the base of the chest above the belly.
8. 8 Using a knife, very carefully make an incision in the hide where the sternum ends. Point the end of the knife towards the back of the deer.
9. 9 Insert two gloved fingers into the space between the carcass and the hide. You must distinguish between the skin and the shell / muscles that hold the insides. Our goal is to cut through the skin and muscles without touching the organs and dissect the carcass.
10. 10 Using your fingers as a guide, SEPARE the skin / muscles from the viscera, slide the sharp knife back into the hole and use your finger to slide the knife along the length of the abdomen towards the hipbone. If you did everything correctly, there will be no caked blood left there.
11. 11 Gently pull the organs out of the body cavity, separating them from the spine. Be careful not to cut yourself or your insides, tear the fastening fabrics. These fibrous tissues attach the deer's internal organs to the body and most of them are located along the spine. If your deer does not have a through-shot wound, then there will be no caked blood. And the guts will remain in place.
12. 12 Cut the deer's diaphragm. If you shot a deer heart / lung - be prepared to see blood; if necessary, you can put the deer on its belly and wait a few minutes until it runs out.
13. 13 Separate the diaphragm by cutting along the perimeter where it meets the inner walls of the sternum.
14. 14 There are several ways to extract the heart, lungs, and trachea. Some people prefer to open the chest by cutting through the sternum. Some don't. If you don't want to cut the ribcage, just cut the trachea as high as possible and the rest will come out.
15. 15 If you do not want to cut the sternum (as I do), then you need to carefully get to the chest cavity from below. Be very careful - the deer has very sharp bones / shoulder joints / ribs! Stretch the windpipe, then use your other hand to cut it open. Now the lungs and heart can be reached easily. Always be vigilant and careful! Do this at home if you feel uncomfortable doing it in the field.
16. 16 Remove all connective tissue in order to separate the intestines from the back. Be very careful not to damage your bladder or colon / bowels! You can pull them out through the anus. In a male deer, you can now remove the internal genitals. Check with the laws of your state, as sometimes it is necessary to leave the external genitals in order to prove the sex of a slain deer.
17. 17If the hind legs of the deer are still tied, you can now untie them.
18. 18 Place the deer back on its belly with the front and hind legs apart for a few minutes to allow it to dry out. The trick is to raise your head by the horns (or ears) higher - this will allow the liquid to drain; excess blood will drain through the chest.
19. 19 Take a few minutes to clean up; select and set aside the organs you want to collect. Most often it is the heart and liver. As a precautionary measure, beware of the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils and lymph nodes when hunting in areas where "chronic wasting diseases" have been reported. You can leave the rest if the owner of the land does not mind - crows, foxes and other animals will be very grateful to you for such a treat! They won't be wasted. Take off your gloves and put them in a portable trash can (let's be careful of the environment!) And rinse off the blood with water from a bottle, a nearby source, or snow. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water when you get home!
20. 20 Take the carcass of the deer with you. Keep the carcass as cool and clean as possible. The sooner you cut it, the fresher the meat will be.
21. 21This method of butchering will also keep the deer's head / shoulders / neck intact in case you decide to make a stuffed animal.

Tips

• It will go faster if you use a sharp, hooked knife to rip open the abdominal hide.
• It is worth checking to see if any deer with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) are in the area and what to do if they are suspected.
• The chest incision greatly simplifies the process of removing the intestines and diaphragm, and also helps the body cavity to cool faster.
• Gloves will protect you from various diseases.

What do you need

Required tools:

• Sharp knife It doesn't matter what kind of knife you choose, the most important thing is that you should be comfortable with it. Whatever you see in the movies, working with a short knife is usually more convenient than working with a long one!
• Disposable gloves
• Multiple packages You will need a garbage bag, as well as another larger bag in case you decide to collect the liver / heart / kidneys.
• Strong nerves Don't kill anyone just for fun!
• At least 20-30 minutes if you've never done this before. If you are a beginner, then time it and keep your eyes open!

Optional:

• Friend or helper Having a partner can help you work faster and easier.
• Water and paper towels In case you have to wash your hands.
• Rope It will also help in butchering a deer!
• Sharp knife and / or medicine saw if you prefer to cut bones. It's all just to taste... Some of the best people I know haven't used them.
• Rope, machine and tree or platform suitable for hanging if you prefer to butcher a hanging deer.