De-Meating Big Game in the Field

Field Dressing Without Gutting

The following method of handling big game has evolved over several years. It was originally motivated by the necessity to extract animals from rugged terrain, sometimes miles from the nearest road. It has since become 'standard operating procedure', whether distant from our vehicles, or right next to. The method has also evolved as such to produce premium-tasting table fare. Basically we 'de-meat' our animals in the field. We do it to produce a minimum of weight carried out, and we do it in a way that best 'cares' for the meat itself.

Have you ever returned from the game processor with your bag of venison thinking, "Hmmm, the deer sure seemed bigger than that?" Have you ever carried the hide from your animal to the garbage can, thinking, "Whoa, that's heavy - I carried that on my back, and for what?" Have you ever struggled trying to drag a dead deer across a hillside, knowing that if you let go, and it slides and rolls down into the ravine, you will really have your work cut out for you?

I have answered an anguished 'yes' to all of the above. But the anguish has motivated an effective alternative. Now we de-meat our game in the field. The results: we carry essentially only the meat out of the field - little more than what will go directly into the freezer. We can get our game out (relatively easily) on our backs, without the dragging, and struggle. We end up with great tasting meat that isn't contaminated during the more traditional ways of field care of big game.

Below is an outline of how we do it. The pictures are of deer, but the approach is the same for any big game animal. The basic premises behind what we do are: 1) we are only going to carry out what we will eat, or mount, and what we must take out to fulfill the game regulations; and 2) we will not contaminate our meat. Also, this method allows the meat (being removed, and temporarily remaining on the frame) to cool rapidly.

Here's how: