Thread: field butchering

Hi, a mates son has asked me for gidance on what to do with critters after he has shot them.He shot his first deer last week and then realized he had no idea what to do next. It seems I know how to do it well enough for my own needs(probably very poorly by somes standards!) but I have no abillity to explain it in a way he understand via email. So does anyone have any vids they can recomend for deer/goats/pigs/rabbits? maybe even thar if he gets slimmer.

get him Alex n Tim gales book or the Graff bros videos...from memory Steve does a whole deer bone out using just a mercator pocket knife in no time at all.

I think just learning how to treat an animal once it is shot and getting it home in the best possible condition is most important for a start. It seriously makes all the difference from excellent to shit eating.

Butchering is then not so important as far as accuracy goes.

Then get some advice on butchering once it is chilling.

Like you say everyone is different and over time he can learn what suits best.




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Bleed it even if dead already, get the insides on the outside as quickly as possible if recovering the animal whole,if shot threw engine room leaving the arsehole in saves a hole lot of blood in the undies.

If breaking it down don't store your meat in plastic bags pinch some of the better half's pillow cases out of the linen cupboard, it will give her an excuse to spend $$$ . I use a Huntech meat bag and pillow cases

Originally Posted by Bonecrusher

If breaking it down don't store your meat in plastic bags pinch some of the better half's pillow cases out of the linen cupboard, it will give her an excuse to spend $$$ . I use a Huntech meat bag and pillow cases

I take a visit to the sally's shop or St Vincent de paul and buy a few pillow cases and duvet covers. Inexpensive, wife doesn't care if I get blood on them (as long as she doesn't have to clean it!) and I put a few $$ to charity at the same time. Works a treat.

Ask better half for any old pillowcases to use. I would be furious if they were just taken. Mr H. asks for all sorts of things and I never sayn he cant have them. I find the ones that are dispensable and hand them over; sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, tablecloths. Us old people have way more shit than we need. now we can add meat to the list. I feel like i live in a butchers shop!

Originally Posted by Herindoors

Ask better half for any old pillowcases to use. I would be furious if they were just taken. Mr H. asks for all sorts of things and I never sayn he cant have them. I find the ones that are dispensable and hand them over; sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, tablecloths. Us old people have way more shit than we need. now we can add meat to the list. I feel like i live in a butchers shop!

Pillows cases are great. Absorb moisture, breathable and something of a barrier. Cheap and easily washed.

I'm a newby, amateur, greenhorn... but there's so many videos out there i found. Also nothing beats hands on experience and knowledge from someone in the field showing you.

To give myself a bit of confidence when i went out on a solo hunt and if i was ever in the situation alone this is what i had in my mind.

Step one gutting the animal.


Step 2 packing the animal out.

I don't gut most of the deer I shoot. I take back legs, backsteaks and front legs if they haven't been shot. Let them cool as much as possible. Into plastic bag in the pack back to camp. Then hang to really cool (not in plastic bag). Then bone out, into plastic bag, into pack, walk out.

Originally Posted by stug

I don't gut most of the deer I shoot. I take back legs, backsteaks and front legs if they haven't been shot. Let them cool as much as possible. Into plastic bag in the pack back to camp. Then hang to really cool (not in plastic bag). Then bone out, into plastic bag, into pack, walk out.

Yep, me too.

Stug and Boar freak...you two are Philistines....you leave in the two very best bits..the eye fillets are absolutely the most devine cuts on the whole beast. the heart is a treat that is not to be scoffed at.... I can understand some leave the heart behind but as for the eye steaks...man that is sacriledge........

My mate gets the eye fillets out without gutting. I think he thinks he is a surgeon. I find eye fillet a bit bland to be fare. My favourite cut of beef is rib eye. I definitely prefer back steak to eye fillet.

Originally Posted by stug

My mate gets the eye fillets out without gutting. I think he thinks he is a surgeon. I find eye fillet a bit bland to be fare. My favourite cut of beef is rib eye. I definitely prefer back steak to eye fillet.

Yes my chiller is at dads, his perk for power is fillets (he gets plenty)
My take is yes the inside fillets are very good but overated, personally I would rather backsteak from a good animal.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Yes my chiller is at dads, his perk for power is fillets (he gets plenty)
My take is yes the inside fillets are very good but overated, personally I would rather backsteak from a good animal.

Same, just had a fillet of that fat stag i shot. Thought it was pretty average considering hung for a week and the rest is great.
Im crap in the field when it comes to butchering but normally im too far back to carry animals out so i bone them out. Heres a couple of things
1 Pillowcases or the like is the go to store meat in pack rather than plastic.
2 Take the legs of then hang in the nearest tree, easy to skin and bone out with no chance of getting hair etc.
Always leave in fridge for a few days before freeze it .