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

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. At the end I tried speeding up and ended up cutting my thumb. That hurt pretty bad having the deer blood in my open cut lol. Next time I’ll bring gloves since the bandaids just kept falling off. I also didn’t move it to the shade so I’ll do that next time and try to get the backstrap out ASAP.

Do not be afraid to use a butcher's glove, cut glove, filet glove, etc on your off hand.

Fairly inexpensive as well.

 

[Elkoholic87]

It takes Dwight 10 minutes.


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[Rich M]

Do not be afraid to use a butcher's glove, cut glove, filet glove, etc on your off hand.

Fairly inexpensive as well.

Started using em when filleting fish cause I was nicking myself often with the longer of the 2 knives been using. $10-$15 will buy 2 from Bass Pro. Keep one in my hunt pack, tackle box, fish bag, and a few other places... They wash up in the laundry and so far have lasted pretty well.

Some guys have stabbed themselves in the leg somehow. Not saying accidents don't happen, saying that we gotta slow down when excited, rushing, cold, etc. And if yer gonna lean on a cut - yanking thru a tendon maybe, stop for s second and know where the knife is gonna go before you do it.

 

[Newtosavage]

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.

I hunt solo too. I killed a mule deer buck last season right at sunset. Took me about 1 hour to have him quartered and bagged. I took the whole head and two quarters on the first load. Second load I took the other two quarters and backstraps/loins/neck meat. It was back at the truck 1.5 miles away at 9:00 p.m. Sunset was about 6:30.

 

[JustBen]

Gutting a deer shouldn't take more than 5 minutes - I've never understood the appeal of the gutless method as it leaves all the tasty bits inside. Heart and liver are awesome.

 

[packer58]

Gutting a deer shouldn't take more than 5 minutes - I've never understood the appeal of the gutless method as it leaves all the tasty bits inside. Heart and liver are awesome.

I would agree, however I do not usually gut an animal if it's going to be quartered and packed until after the quartering so i can get to the heart, liver and loins....... keeps the mess to a minimum until the end... works for me...

 

[Jgill19]

Some people on here are running a much sharper knife than I. I've honestly never timed it. I'm guessing getting a deer into bags, joints broke, head severed and skinned is probably an hour, it might be faster I don't know. Further I am from the rig and the darker it is the faster I am. lol

I wouldn't worry about how long it takes you, the faster I go, the less safe I am. Seems every time I'm hurrying in the dark, I stick myself, the Havalons are just so damn sharp. Do it safely, the first few are always the longest. Speed will come, you'll get faster as you do more.