2 Mistakes To Avoid When Dressing A Deer While Hunting
If you managed to kill a deer during hunting season, you already know that you need to dress the carcass so that the meat does not spoil before you can process it. However, make sure you avoid the following mistakes while dressing the deer to ensure the meat does not spoil or have a foul flavor.
Delaying the Task
Especially if this is your first deer or the largest you have ever killed while hunting, you may be tempted to drive it around for a few hours in the back of your truck so you can show it off to your fellow hunting buddies. However, delaying the dressing of the carcass could spoil the meat and make it unhealthy to eat.
Once the deer dies, the body starts decomposing, with bacteria growing to aid in this process. If you wait for more than a few hours to dress the carcass and store it for processing, these bacteria will multiply rapidly and could make you sick even after cooking the meat.
If you want to show off your big kill to your friends, take a few pictures. Then, take the carcass to your home and start cutting it up as soon as possible to keep the meat from spoiling.
Neglecting to Drain the Blood Properly
Before you start cutting into the deer carcass, you should drain the blood. Not only does this help minimize the mess when you go to butcher the deer, but it can also help with the end flavor of the meat.
If you start cutting the carcass before the blood is drained, the blood will absorb back into the meat. While not dangerous, this high content of blood can give the meat a metallic flavor that you may not find palatable.
To drain the carcass properly, tie the back legs together with a rope, and pull the carcass up until the head is a few feet above the ground. Then, place a five-gallon bucket underneath the head.
Slice the neck with a sharp knife so that the arteries are cut. With the help of gravity, the blood will drain out of the carcass and into the bucket. After about an hour, you should see only a few drops of blood coming out. Once this is done, you can then proceed with cutting up the carcass.
Avoiding the above mistakes while field dressing your deer can help keep the meat fresh and palatable for processing. However, if you are unsure of how to properly dress the deer, contact a mobile slaughter service to have someone come to your home to cut up the carcass so you can then have it processed into the cuts of meat you desire.
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