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Enjoy Your Meat
FIELD DRESSING DO'S AND DON'TS
Carry with you into the field:
Everything that is done or not done from this
point on will affect the
quality
of your
meat. The secret to
having tasty, good quality meat is to get it cleaned and cooled down as fast as possible.
Bleed
it
A well placed shot to the heart or lungs will
usually drain the blood into the
body cavity and you can dump this out on the
ground. If not, it may be
necessary to cut the throat to drain the blood. If you
plan to have a shoulder mount done, cut the skin in a downward
direction, (cut
the same direction the hair is growing) then
stretch the hide back so you can cut the throat without cutting across the
hair. Your taxidermist will appreciate it and you'll get a nicer
mount.
Gut it
Cut from the neck to the pelvis. Two places you will need to use
your saw or hatchet are the brisket at the bottom of the chest and the
pelvic bone. Separate the front shoulder from the rib cage enough
to let the heat out.
Remove the internal organs and the windpipe. Now carefully remove
the tenderloin on the inside of the backbone.
Cool
it
Prop
the body cavity open so air can circulate. Skin the carcass as
completely as possible.
or
Quarter the carcass and hang the quarters in meatsacks. or
Bone out the carcass and hang the meat in meatsacks.
Skin it
Use your second knife to start skinning and
cleaning up your meat. Cover the
meat loosely
in clean white cotton meat bags.
DO NOT use plastic!
In warm weather you may need to rub coarse
pepper on the meat to deter flies.
DO NOT freeze the meat until it has cooled down. Keep it clean. Wipe off the dirt
and hair and any other crud
. If you have a hard pack,
ahead of you, it pays to
bone out the meat. If you are packing elk quarters, be sure
you have our Quarter Bags.
Pack it
Cover the quarters with a good sack (our quarter bags
are heavy duty and plenty big enough). Lash quarters or boned meat
in meatsacks onto your BULL-PAC using
nylon rope or parachute cord with the lashing hooks.
First trip out with your rifle, just slip the sling over one of the
extensions and hold the stock forward in your hand. Pace
yourself and take plenty of rests. The next day REWARD YOURSELF!!
Cut up the tenderloin or the backstrap (the long muscle that runs down the
spine) and fry it up with some sheepherder spuds.
It will all be worth it!
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