How long does it take to field dress a mule deer?

whoami-72

Lil-Rokslider
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How long does it take you as a single hunter to field dress a mule deer and get it ready to transport? Does it change depending upon method?

Reason for asking: after shooting my first mature mule deer buck I decided to field dress it using the gutless method I saw Randy Newburg make a video on. I also caped out the entire deer and took the head. It took me somewhere between 4-5 hours. I felt like that was way to much time since it was around 60-70 degrees when I finished and I still had to pack it out. It was my first time with this method and I’m sure it will get easier later but even still it felt like a long time. I don’t hunt with other people so I don’t have the option to simply get help.
 

Wapiti1

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Bone in, about an hour, hour and a half. Bone out, two hours.

Add time to skull cap the head, and/or cape it, etc. Takes a good half hour to fully cape one.

Jeremy
 

hobbes

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When someone says "field dress", I think remove all internal organs or "gut". So field dress and gutless don't work together unless I say I chose to use the gutless method and not field dress the buck. That may just be me though and it's really not important what you call it but may be important so that you understand folks response.

I would call removing all meat from the buck in order to transport, "quartering". Quartering is still a broadly used term and probably used to reference the act of truly cutting the animal into quarter sections including splitting the spine. I often use the gutless method to quarter or remove meat from the animal. On some occasions I'll quarter then debone the meat.

I can field dress or gut a deer/antelope in less than 15 minutes and likely in the neighborhood of 5 minutes if I didn't create a headache by hitting it somewhere that requires more caution.

I can skin and quarter one, bone in, within an hour easily enough. The clean up and bagging, shuffling stuff around, etc. add some time also.
 

wytx

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That's way too long but for the first time I can understand.
With 2 of us, me just holding legs and hide back etc. we can get a bull elk gutless processed in about 35 minutes, including removing the head, no caping though.
Caping shouldn't be hurried though, don't want to mess up the eyelids.
 

mtnkid85

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Doing it by yourself makes a big difference. The location the critter dies in matters too, trying to work on something stuck upside down on a steep hillside is alot harder than a nice flat area where you can move around and obviously this being your first time is the biggest factor.
Just doing more animals will make the process go quicker for you.
I did a big bull by myself this year and I think it was probably approaching 2 hours all said and done.
 
Joined
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With my lovely wife assisting me, we can easily dismantle/de-bone, bag everything, and fully cape a deer in less than 1.5 hours. (Not counting turning the ears as I don't like to do that in the field)

We have done a lot of deer over the years. I do most of the caping and I split them up the back of the neck and do a 7 from one horn to another, around the burl and start peeling it down. Havelon knives have really improved my game....
 
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Bone in, about an hour, hour and a half. Bone out, two hours.

Add time to skull cap the head, and/or cape it, etc. Takes a good half hour to fully cape one.

Jeremy


About the same for me -- bone-in, about an hour or so, from field photos to loaded.
 

Jimmy

Lil-Rokslider
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By myself about an hour, after dragging it into the shade if it didnt die in shade. Goes faster after doing a few but still slow solo.
 
OP
W

whoami-72

Lil-Rokslider
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Thanks guys, looks like I need to speed it up. There was a lot of learning and “hmmmm that didn’t work” going on. But when your miles from the nearest cell phone service you can’t just look up what you’re doing wrong and gotta figure it out on the fly.
 
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First time for me and a buddy this year. Did gutless, bone in and didn't take the cape. Took 2 hours. He mostly just held legs, we weren't both cutting on it at the same time much. Next time, could probably better that by 25%-50% now that we have a bit of experience.
 

Jethro

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Thanks guys, looks like I need to speed it up. There was a lot of learning and “hmmmm that didn’t work” going on. But when your miles from the nearest cell phone service you can’t just look up what you’re doing wrong and gotta figure it out on the fly.
First time, not bad, little slow. But who cares. Like everything, you'll get quicker when you do it more often. I wouldn't "speed up" just cause your not as fast as other guys. That's when accidents happen.

I had the luxury of doing an elk solo for the first time. It took me a while and I've done the gutless method lots. But never alone on an elk. 1 step at a time is all you can do. When its done, its done.

60-70 degrees is nothing to fret. As the quarters come off, get them bagged in shade and your good.
 
Joined
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Take the time to do a quality job. The butcher will appreciate it.

In my experience the number one factor slowing me down is dull blades. Do the cutting that dulls the blade last, or be aggressive about changing out blades.

I can do an entire deer with one Outdoors Edge blade, but if you're after speed then 2 or 3 might be better.
 
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Aug 20, 2019
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gutless with 2 experienced guys and skinning out the skull for euro is like 20-25 minutes tops.
 

mxgsfmdpx

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If weather permits, I’ve found myself taking more time and care doing it now a days compared to what I used to. Never timed it as I’m not in a rush unless its really hot and the animal can’t be moved to shade for processing.
 
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