Learning (or remembering) how to field dress a deer can feel overwhelming, but if you have a sharp knife and a reasonably strong stomach, you’ll be able to figure it out. If you manage to do so without nicking the guts or yourself, that’s ideal.
Removing the guts is the bare minimum required for dropping a deer at a processor, and an essential skill every deer hunter should learn. A field-dressed deer is also a lighter deer, which makes dragging and loading it less cumbersome. And the sooner you gut a deer after shooting it, the better the venison will be. So, here’s a guide on how to field dress a deer in a few easy steps.
Gear You’ll Need
All you really need to gut a deer is a sharp knife and, if it’s getting dark, a good headlamp. Other deer hunters carry the kitchen sink with them and won’t field dress a deer without some or all of the following items:
How to Field Dress a Deer
Many experienced deer hunters can field dress a deer in minutes, while it can take new or casual deer hunters a half hour or more. The best way to gut a deer is to work slowly, use a sharp knife, and have adequate lighting.
Other Field Dressing Tips
Keep these gutting rules in mind before you get started:
- Your knife isn’t the only sharp object you’re likely to encounter inside a deer’s rib cage. Bullets can smash and break bone that becomes razor sharp. Broken arrow shafts or broadheads (yours or another hunter’s) may be lodged inside the deer. Always proceed cautiously.
- Everyone dresses a deer slightly differently, so there’s not one right way to do it. For instance: I prefer to free the rectum last so I don’t risk getting urine or feces on my blade and then get that mess on the tenderloins. Other deer hunters I know do this step first or not at all.
- If you’re able, recruit a friend to hold a leg or grab a rib while you work. It’s absolutely possible to field dress a deer solo, but it’s easier with help.
- Once you’ve made initial cuts, make your cuts on a deer from the inside out — not the outside in. If you cut from the outside, you’re more likely to puncture guts or dull your knife on deer hair and get it everywhere.
Position the Deer on Its Back
Start by rolling the deer onto its back. It should be belly-up and evenly balanced on both shoulder blades. Adjust the rump and hips to ensure they’re as even as possible. If you’re working on a slope, rotate the deer so its rump points downhill and its head is uphill.
Ask a buddy to hold a leg. If you’re solo and the deer keeps slipping sideways or downhill, try wedging a log or stick under its rump or using paracord to tie a hind leg to a branch. Personally, I find paracord to be overkill, but will sometimes use my knee, shoulder, or armpit to anchor a hind leg or keep it out of the way as I work.
Cut Away the Reproductive Organs
This step and the next can be done now or after opening the abdominal cavity. Grab a handful of the mammary gland, or testicles with your non-dominant hand and lift away from the deer’s body. Keeping your blade mostly parallel to the deer’s body, slice away at the base of the stretched hide until you’ve freed the reproductive organs, and toss aside. The goal is to avoid cutting into the organs and instead cutting under them.
Cut Between the Two Hindquarters to the Pelvic Bone
Next, cut the muscle between the two back legs to expose the center of the pelvic bone. Find what looks like dead center on the meat between the two back legs and cut down (usually a few inches) from the top of the pelvis to the anus. Stay as close to the center as possible to avoid gouging the roasts on either leg. Don’t saw the muscle. Slice it instead, letting the downward pressure of your blade do the cutting.
Again, this step can be done later or not at all, but I prefer to do this now (particularly when working alone) since it relaxes the tension between the hind legs and prevents your deer from rolling on you. It also creates more space to work while removing internal organs.
Cut the Rectum
Insert your knife tip into the side (not the center) of the anus. Keeping your blade pressed against the bone that encircles the rectum, cut around the rectum rather than through it. The goal is to cut the connective tissue so you can pull the tube of intestines out rather than dice it up.
- A long, thin blade is handy for this part (like a smaller fillet knife).
- You can also use a shorter blade and insert it from both ends of the pelvic channel. I prefer the latter since it reduces the risk of puncturing the bladder, which sits at the top of the pelvis.
Make the First Cut to the Abdominal Cavity
This abdominal cut is often the most difficult for hunters, and the key here is not to puncture the deer’s stomach or bladder because you don’t want to get any bile or urine on the meat.
Prevent stabbing the guts by turning your knife blade up (toward the sky) and tilting it so the blade is more parallel to the deer’s belly rather than perpendicular. Working close to the base of the belly, grab a handful of hide and pull it up to create some space between the layer of hide and the organs beneath. Insert the tip of your knife and make an incision until you see (or more likely, feel with the knife tip) empty space below it. Keep the incision shallow and make the slit long enough to work a finger or two of your off-hand in the space. Take care to not insert the blade too far into the abdominal cavity.
- Shine your light inside the hole to see the gray balloon of the stomach or intestines just below it.
- You can move up to the base of the rib cage and turn to face the rump. There’s more natural space between the hide and guts higher up, so your risk of sticking the stomach is lower.
- Some hunters advise one long, lengthwise cut to the hide before ever cutting into the abdominal wall below it. You can do this if you like, or not. I prefer to cut through both layers at once since it’s more efficient and less likely to get hair everywhere.
- If you accidentally puncture the guts and green bile spills everywhere, don’t panic. It’s going to smell gross but it’s not the end of the world. Most of the meat won’t be affected, though the guts will probably get on the tenderloins (these two delicious cuts become visible once you remove the guts; they run along the spine). Just be sure to wash them off as soon as possible.
Unzip the Abdomen
Now that you’ve made an opening incision, apply even upward pressure with your knife blade to “unzip” the abdomen, or make a lengthwise cut along the deer from pelvis to breastbone. This is similar to using a pair of scissors to slice a piece of wrapping paper in a single, fluid motion. Don’t saw with your knife.
- Many hunters prefer to use a gut hook for this part. After making the initial incision (above), insert the tip of a gut hook (which is usually a curved plastic gadget with a small section of fixed blade) which cannot cut the guts.
- Try using your non-dominant hand (usually just a finger or two until you widen the opening) to hold the opening up and away from guts as you cut.
- Some hunters like to use the peace-sign technique: flip your off hand upside down, place the index and middle fingers inside the abdominal cavity on either side of the cut, place the knife blade between them, and move both hands together toward the sternum, or breastplate. (This is slightly more advanced; I find newbies are uncomfortable with this technique, since it’s possible to cut yourself if not done correctly.)
The organs you’re ultimately trying to remove lie in two groups: the guts (liver, stomach, intestines, bladder, kidneys, fat if present, etc.) and the vitals (heart and lungs). These two groups are separated by the diaphragm: a thin wall of purple muscle between the abdominal cavity and the rib cage.
Split the Ribs Along the Sternum (Optional)
Your blade will encounter some resistance once you hit the rib cage. If you center your knife, you can slice through cartilage in the breastplate before hitting bone. Some hunters use a hatchet or saw to split the rib cage open, but a stout fixed-blade knife will also work. Splitting the rib cage makes it easier to see (and therefore remove) the heart and lungs, but isn’t necessary if you are having trouble cutting through it. This step is especially useful if you suspect a broadhead is lodged in the rib cage.
Personally, I just carry a slim field-dressing knife when I hunt and skip this step altogether during rifle season. I don’t mind reaching into the rib cage to remove the lungs, heart, and windpipe by feel.
Cut the Diaphragm
To access the heart and lungs in the rib cage (and ultimately free everything) you need to cut the diaphragm. Use the tip of your knife to puncture this thin layer of muscle, then circle the entire rib cage, keeping your knife close to the ribs. Once the diaphragm has been cut away, blood and jellied bits of lung usually slosh into the abdominal cavity. This is perfectly normal (and a sign of a good shot).
Remove the Internal Organs
Work from the top of deer down toward the pelvis. If you split open the rib cage this part will be easier; if not, you’ll have to do it more by feel.
At the top of the chest cavity, you’ll see or feel a large ribbed tube. That’s the windpipe. Cut it crossways (perpendicular to the spine), then use a finger or two to grab ahold of it from the inside and begin pulling it up and away. This will begin to loosen the heart and lungs.
Grab hold of the heart and/or lungs with your off-hand and pull while continuing to cut connective tissue along the spine. Keep going all the way down to the pelvis and keep working until the stomach and guts come loose, too. Because all the organs are attached to the deer along the spine, it can be helpful to tilt the deer on its side for this part so the organs roll out of your way and reveal their connection point.
As everything loosens, just roll the guts and intestines out of the deer and onto the ground. Note: If you haven’t yet separated the rectum from the anus, the guts will still connect to the carcass by a single tube — that’s the lower large intestines, or colon. To free the guts and toss aside, slice the colon crossways just above the pelvis and tie it off (if it’s full) so pellets don’t spill inside your deer.
- Unlike the guts, there’s no risk of nicking anything inside the rib cage (except your own hands). If you intend to keep and cook the heart (an excellent idea), avoid stabbing or slicing it.
- If something you want to remove is still attached to the deer, just pull and cut connective tissue until it’s free.
- Depending on the age of your deer (older deer tend to have more connective tissue and are harder to work on) you can usually pull much of this connective tissue away rather than cutting it.
- The tenderloins will become exposed here, so take care not to stab or slash them as you cut the connective tissue.
- Once the last of the guts and vitals are removed, you can tilt the carcass so the blood drains onto the ground.
Read Next: How to Skin a Deer, Step by Step
How to Field Dress a Deer with a Hatchet
To field dress big game with a hatchet, use it as you would a big belt knife, opening the paunch with a small incision at the base of the sternum. Then, tip the blade at right angles to the animal, with the handle up and your fingers spreading the skin close to the blade as you run it to the rectum. Do not try to cut the skin down into the animal; hair will collect on and dull the blade. Dump the entrails.
To quarter the carcass, hang it or set it belly-up on the ground. Loosen hams with careful strokes tight against the pelvis and through the ball joints. Don’t chop; use the blade like a knife, your fist around the hatchet head (inset). Remove the shoulders the same way, leaving the skin on unless you must remove it to let a big animal, like an elk or moose, cool in warm weather. The hatchet (or, better yet, a slim double-bit ax) excels at splitting the backbone. Hang the animal head down, rear legs spread, to facilitate this task. —Wayne Van Zwoll
Additional Tips for Gutting a Deer
- Keep a knife sharpener, a rag and a bottle of water, or wipes handy in your vehicle. If you get blood on your camo, don’t worry — it will lift right out with some hydrogen peroxide before you throw it in the wash.
- Gloves can keep your hands clean and protect you from disease (although rare). The downside to gloves are that it can be harder to feel what you’re doing.
- You don’t have to gut a deer on the ground. You can do it in the back of a truck or once it’s hanging. Some hunters prefer to gut a hanging deer (one that’s hanging head-up) since gravity helps pull the heavy internal organs away from the deer.
It’s always best to gut your deer as soon as possible, but the window you have depends on the weather and the shot you made. If the weather is hot or even mild, the sooner you field dress your deer, the better. Within an hour of the shot is ideal in these conditions. If it’s cold, a deer can last longer before it needs to be gutted — hours or even overnight if you have to back out while blood trailing. It’s always easier to dress a deer when its warm and pliable.
The best knives for field dressing are usually a fixed-blade knife with a sharp blade. A smaller, handier blade makes certain tasks easier, like removing the colon and avoiding puncturing the guts. A larger, stouter blade is easier for heavy-duty tasks like splitting the ribs.
Final Thoughts About How to Field Dress a Deer
Field-dressing a deer isn’t difficult once you get the hang of it, and it’s usually easier with a buddy to help hold a leg or a light. Use a sharp knife, make slow, deliberate cuts at connective tissue. Do your best to avoid puncturing the stomach or bladder, but don’t panic if you do. More important is to avoid cutting yourself. The process may be messy or unpleasant, but ultimately you’ll end up with a cooling carcass ready for the skinning shed or processor.
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