Txnhunter

I'm kinda getting a late start in life Deer hunting. I grew up fishing and hunting Rabbit and Squirrel but never Deer. Years ago I was married, and it didn't work out, and she remarried and took my kids to another country, one being a son. That screwed me up for many years, but I've since found a terrific woman and have a great 4 y/o son now that I'm totally comitted to doing everything I missed out on with my older son. I'm 42 and with a son that young I feel like a kid again I got lucky and managed to get on a great lease with several guys that I work with, but we all work different schedules since it's shift work. I hate to have to depend on anyone else for anything, so I'm looking for some instructional videos on skinning or field dressing so that I don't have to depend on someone else being there when I am. If anyone can recommend any good ones I'd appreciate it.

jerseyhunter

Txnhunter, I was self-taught by reading a book called "After Your Deer is Down" by Josef Fischel and Leonard Lee Rue III copyright 1981 published by Wincherter Press 1421 South Sheridan Road Po box 1260 Tulsa Oklahoma 74101

A picture by picture book on everything from skining to butchering, Also contains recipies.
I still like reading it. the cost was 12.95

Tomster

Txnhunter,

I was 40 when I got my first deer. I had been hunting before, but no luck. Now I get deer all the time and I still don't like field dressing the deer. There are places on the web where I have seen step by step inx's. I can even tell you here how to do it.

This is what I do....

If deer is in a spot where you can gut, than get out knives and light, if you are doing this in the dark. If the deer is not in a good spot, than drag the deer to a place where you can gut.

What you need to do is make an incision in the belly, without cutting open the gut sack. I grab the skin and pull away, and make cut. Then turn over the knife so blade is facing you or foward and cut up to the breast bone, and down through the leggs. We sometimes will straddle the deer with the leggs open.
Once you have done that, I usually make a cut around the anus, in a circle. If it's a male, remove genetils. Now comes the fun part. You need to start cutting by the heart and detach anything that
that is attached to the inner cavity. Reach up in the chest cavity and cut the wind pipe. Pull out anything that will come out. Also pull in anus and tie a knot. Once everything is out, we usually keep the heart, if not destroyed and liver, place in a ziploc. Also, we will take the leggs and place the deer on it's open belly to assit in draining out the blood. I have an orange deer drag that I purchsed. It goes around my chest so I can drag the deer. Also, came with it were inx's to field dressing. I also attached a bigger rope, with some knots to assist in pulling.

I find that small knives work best. I have a place by me that I can purchase a small knife for $2, so I buy a few and if I loose them, so what. They are ver sharp and do a great job.

To skin, what we do is hang the deer by it's neck, we use a come a long and crank it up. Once the deer feet are off the ground, we let the deer drain. Next we use a hack saw and cut off leggs, above the joints.
We than make a cut around the whole neck. Than we start rolling down the hide off the body.

Once the hide is removed, we quarter up the deer.

If there is no snow and I got the deer in my back woods, I use my Sears tractor to drag the deer. If there is snow, I have a sled that we use to place the deer on a drag it on the sled.

I hope this helps....

Tom

mlang

http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/wildlife/g279.HTM
or
http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/hunting/.../fieldcare.asp
these might help some.

DoeCuller

I've learned from my family. But I really like RedHawk and I'm planning on ordering his new video. It's called "Field to Freezer" I think. Bob (RedHawk) Hrobak is an Indian who maintains his family tradition and shares it with the viewers. You should be able to search the web and find something.

ShadowAce

Man Txn, I can't imagine someone taking my kids to another country. Well I don't have any yet but that would have to be like getting your heart ripped out. I am glad there is a happy ending. You guys should have plenty of good hunting times ahead. Those experiences will be really special. I liked the Jack Brittingham DVD. He uses a Texas Buck Buster to dress em. It's a special shaped knife, but you could pick up some pointers from his technique to use with a regular knife. Good Luck.

[link]http://www.jackbrittingham.com/[/link]

Paul L Mohr

I can feel your pain with the kids, my wife took my kids to california, 2000 miles away, might as well be another country. I don't have any contact with them, no pictures no nothing. But of course they want 10 grand a year in child support. It does screw you up for a while, I flat out went nuts. I have been divorced for 5 years and just now started dating again, and I'm not sure I'm really ready or not now.

Well any way, I can't lead you in the direction of a book or video, but it looks like you already have some good leads as far as that goes. Instead I will encourage you to have someone actually show you how to do it. Don't feel bad about feeling dependant on someone to teach you. Most hunters would be happy to show a new hunter how rather than let them struggle or possibly do it wrong and ruin the meat. I was very fortunate to have someone actually teaching me how to hunt (This will be my fourth season deer hunting and I am 37). He showed me how on the first deer I killed, then let me help on one he killed later. Then he had me do it on another one the next season while he watched. Last year I did it by myself. It took a while because I took my time, but I did a pretty good job.

Same thing goes for tracking, it's nice to have someone there to help and show you some tips. I did my first deer by myself however because no one else was around and I wanted to find it before it got dark. Then we came back later and got it (I'm too little to drag them and load them up by myself[>:]).

I would also say the same goes for setting stands as well. Never hurts to have a partner on the gound. You should have someone with you just for safety reasons really. Of course you can do that with your son I guess.

Best of luck,
Paul

Newcastle

Dan Fitzgerald's The ABC's of Wild Game Processing is a great video, especially for a new hunter.

http://www.teamfitzgerald.com/mall/TF2K_V25.asp

Not only does it cover gutting, it also covers butchering of the carcass.

PhoenixMA

Hey txn,

I got a late start in life with hunting also and now have a small son. so I know the shoes you're standing in. I also have the Fitzgerald video and gotta say it the ticket!