Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Few hunting experiences match the thrill of a successful deer hunt. Any deer is a true
Kansas trophy, and it can stock your freezer with especially healthy and delicious meat
. But handling a large animal can be intimidating, especially for hunters shooting their first
deer. Kansas Wildlife and Parks Magazine outdoors food columnist Dustin Teasley walks you through
the field tagging and handling instructions you need to know after your deer is down.
“The first thing I need to do before I move the animal is to fill out my tag and tag the
animal properly. You’ve got to do that before you move the animal from site. And I always
keep zip-ties handy to affix it to the leg. I’ll make an incision that allows me to
affix the tag. The tag has two holes in that can open up that allows you to tie a twist
tie or zip tie like this one, or a piece of string, to help in affixing it to the animal’s
leg. “We just tagged our deer, and we’re going
to take it over to the edge of the field to field dress it, where it’s more appropriate.
“We’ve got all of the stuff we need, we’ve got our water, and in my backpack I’ve got
some baggies here for the tenderloins, which we’ll talk about later, gloves, and a good
sharp knife. Those are basically all the tools that you need to get the job of field dressing
done. It’s a pretty easy task if you’ve got the right tools.”
Field dressing a deer involves opening the cavity at several places in order to remove
what’s inside that won’t be eaten. It’s an important part of deer hunting, and prompt
field dressing lets the meat cool quickly and is the first step to ensure quality table
meat from your animal. You can learn this process in detail in a KDWP video at the this
URL. Teasley will also write about proper field handling of deer in the November-December
issue of Kansas Wildlife and Parks magazine. Downing a deer is just the first step of a
successful deer hunt. Handle the carcass properly, and your rewards will continue for months
to come. I’m Mike Blair for Kansas Wildlife and Parks.