How to Field Dress a Deer (Step by Step)

Your deer is down. Your heart is still pounding. And now you’re standing over it, knife in hand, trying to remember what comes next.

That’s normal. Almost every hunter feels a little lost the first time. Field dressing just means taking out the insides so the meat cools fast and stays clean. Do it soon after the deer is down and you’ll have better meat to eat.

If you can, go out with someone who has done it before. Watching once is worth a lot. Until then, here’s the order to follow.

Before you touch the deer

Make sure it’s dead. Walk up from behind, away from the legs. Watch for breathing. Touch the open eye with a long stick. If it blinks, it isn’t done. Stay back and be ready for a second, careful shot.

Tag it first. Many states want your tag filled out and attached before you move the animal. Follow the rules on your tag and in your state’s regulations.

Check what you need to keep. Some states require you to leave proof of sex on the animal, or have rules about moving the carcass. Read your state’s rules before the hunt, not after.

What to bring

You don’t need much. Keep this in your pack:

• A sharp knife (a 3 to 4 inch blade is easy to control)
• A small sharpener
• Rubber or nitrile gloves, the long kind if you can find them
• Rope or paracord to tie back a leg
• Game bags to keep meat clean
• Paper towels or rags
• Water for washing your hands
• Zip-top bags for the heart and liver, if you want to keep them
• A headlamp, because it’s often getting dark by now

Step by step

Take your time. Slow and careful beats fast and sloppy, and it keeps you from cutting yourself.

1. Roll the deer on its back. Point the head slightly uphill if you can, so things slide toward the back end. Tie one back leg off to a tree or bush, or have a friend hold it open.

1. Make the first cut. Pinch up the skin just in front of the back legs. Make a small cut through the skin and thin belly muscle. Go shallow. You don’t want to poke into the stomach or guts.

1. Open the belly. Slide two fingers into the cut, with your palm up, and push the guts down and away. Put the knife blade up, between your fingers, and cut toward the chest. Your fingers keep the blade off the guts. Stop at the bottom of the rib cage.

1. Cut around the back end. Carefully cut around the rear opening so it comes free from the pelvis. Some hunters tie it off with string so nothing leaks. Take your time here, because this is where meat gets dirty.

1. Open the chest. Cut through the thin wall of muscle (the diaphragm) that separates the belly from the chest. Cut it all the way around, close to the ribs.

1. Free the windpipe. Reach up into the chest as far as you can. Find the windpipe and cut it. Be careful, since you’re cutting where you can’t see. Keep your other hand clear of the blade.

1. Pull it all out. Grab the windpipe and pull down and back. The heart, lungs, and guts should come out in one big pile. Use your knife to free anything still holding on.

1. Save the heart and liver if you want them. Put them in a clean bag and keep them cool.

1. Drain and clean. Roll the deer over so the blood drains out. Wipe out the inside with paper towels or rags. Keep dirt, hair, and leaves out as best you can.

Cool the meat fast

Heat is the enemy of good meat. In Arizona, it can still be warm in the afternoon during deer season. That makes this part a big deal.

• Prop the chest open with a stick so air can move through
• Keep the deer in the shade
• Get it back to the truck and on ice as soon as you can
• If you’re quartering in the field, put the meat in game bags right away

Don’t leave a deer lying in the sun while you take a long lunch. The longer it sits warm, the worse it tastes.

Common first-time mistakes

• Cutting too deep on the first cut. A punctured stomach makes a mess and can taint the meat. Go shallow.
• A dull knife. It slips and makes you push harder. That’s how hunters get cut. Sharpen before the hunt.
• Waiting too long. Field dress soon after the deer is down.
• Forgetting gloves. They keep your hands clean and are worth packing every time.

Getting it home

Many states have laws against wasting game meat, so plan how you’ll get it out before you take the shot. Bring a friend, a pack frame, or a game cart. If you’re new, a lot of meat processors will cut and wrap your deer for you. Call ahead and ask what they need.

Next step: Still putting your kit together? Use our first deer hunt gear checklist.