Are there advantages to bringing a deer out of the field before processing it?

By Grant Woods,

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Question
Hello Grant, I have a two part question and I’ll do my best to be concise from here on out. What is the advantage to moving deer and field dressing them elsewhere? I’m curious cause I always just gut where they lay. I can imagine there are predator issues and you can examine slightly better at the house. Also, could you please spend some more time on a future episode about cleaning turkey? I process my own deer so I’ll catch on quick. I remember seeing my dad harvest a turkey and show me a little but that was almost 20 years ago. More than half of my life! Thank you sir.

 

Mark,

It depends on where I’m hunting as to whether I bring the deer out of the field or process it where it expired.  If it’s a relatively short drag to the vehicle and there’s a water hose, etc., at a close facility (like my house), I prefer bringing the deer out of the field before processing.  This allows me to keep the meat cleaner and I can collect the deer’s body weight, etc.

It’s also faster and and easier for me to keep the meat clean if I hang the deer before gutting and processing the meat.

Check out this link for some hints how to process a turkey:  https://www.growingdeer.tv/episode/231

Enjoy creation,

grant

January 14, 2016