HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS
Before you even walk out the door to hunt, you need to be sure that you have everything you’ll need on-hand for proper meat transport. Quality skinning knife for basic field care, a saw if you’re planning to quarter the animal, game bags and latex gloves.
KEEP THE MEAT CLEAN
Keep your meat free of debris and waste, both from the animal itself and the surrounding area. Be careful not to puncture the gastrointestinal tract. Immediately remove the guts entirely, placing them well away from the meat. Make sure that the hide contacts the ground, not the meat itself.
COOL YOUR MEAT
Cooling meat quickly helps slow bacterial growth and reduces the risk of contamination. This is why it is important to field dress the animal as quickly as possible, especially on warm days. Have a plan to get your meat cooled quickly, either by taking it to a freezer facility or immediately hanging the meat so that the temperature drops. Cooling game meat should be your first priority when you leave the field, and after butchering be sure that the meat is immediately chilled.
SKINNING
Skinning should be done as soon as possible to aid in the cooling process. Hides should be folded flesh side in to prevent drying. Proper handling of the game meat is essential to quality on the table, 38 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for storing and aging. Above 40 degrees Fahrenheit the meat will start to spoil within 24 hours. Do not let your game freeze before it is processed. Meat should not sit in water or its own blood. The only proper field care for your meat or hides is to get them out of the field and properly refrigerate until processed. Once you’ve gutted your animal carefully remove the tenderloins or fillets from inside the body cavity. There is one on each side of the spine that runs from where the rib ends, down to the pelvis. This is the best cut in the entire animal.
TANNING
If you do not intend to mount your kill but would like to tan the hide, continue your cut on the belly straight up the under side all the way to the bottom of the head. Cut the skin on the inside of the front and hind quarter and peel back the hide, exposing one side of the carcass. Remove the exposed front and hind quarters, placing them directly into a game bag. Do not roll them in the dirt first. You want to keep your meat as clean as possible. Remove the top back strap, neck meat and whatever else is clean enough to put in a game bag. Roll the carcass over back on to its own skin and repeat the process. This technique will help keep your meat clean.
HEAD MOUNT
If you do intend to mount your head, do not cut into the brisket or arm pits after gutting. Make a center cut on the top side of the hide separating the front and back half of the animal. The back half can be skinned as before. On the front half, instead of cutting up the bottom, make a cut straight down the center of the back, starting at the base of the skull down to your center cut. Then proceed as before, removing all the meat from that side of the carcass, then pull the skin back over, roll and repeat.