Field Dressing Question
 

When field dressing a deer do you always saw through the pelvis or do you pull the anus and urethra up through the pelvis? I'm just looking for opinions on the best way to tackle this. I'm always second guessing myself when I get to that part of it.

I always cut or saw the pelvis. On a younger deer you can take the tip of your knife and use your hand like a hammer and drive it into the small joint between the bone plates and split it open. But on a bigger deer I carry a small Granfors Bruks mini hatchet in my belt pack and it makes quick work of that job.

Pulling all that back through the pelvis never worked for me and
almost always resulted in contaminating the meat with feces or urine as the tissues almost always tore open.

I also think cracking the pelvis open make it easier to get into the rest of the deer and helps with cooling the thing down.

YMMV.

If you are truly field dressing it, crack the pelvis. If you can get it to a truck and take it back to camp and hang it, then cut around it and remove it while it hangs upside down.

Either way, you can take some cotton string or a small zip tie and tie them off so they don't leak.

Thanks for the suggestions on the saw and zip ties.

There is a handy little tool called the "Butt Out"...

http://www.outdoorsmanreview.com/hun...ng-tool-review

I have used one the last couple years I was able to hunt, great tool.

Don't they use those in GTMO?

Cool find, I don't see how this eliminates cutting the hide/connective tissue around the bowel, urethra of the deer though. Then pull through...but the tool does eliminate the typical scat droppings/potential excrement during "the process". When were done gutting that's when we split the pelvis (to avoid a "bladder blow") and rib cage to get them cooled down. Old habit's are hard to break, and splitting the pelvis has to make it easier to get that out of there.
Going to give that tool a shot...thanks for the link. Having been in the medical field I/we will also cath a deer for the urine, and bottle it...or get a needle/syringe and pull it from the bladder after zip tied (paracord, rubber band, tied off)...and field dressed. Can't get much fresher than that...and works for the season. Transfer it right into an old (washed out) Tinks #69 bottle...or medicine bottle with a few cotton balls...soak em up for hanging later.
Also...regarding the removal of the metatarsal glands located inside of the rear legs. These glands secrete a strong smelling musk during the rut and can contaminate the meat if you are not careful in removing them. This can be saved until after the field dressing, or if you do cut them off, be sure not to use the same knife to continue skinning the deer.

Good luck this season.