NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1483188
54 Nebraskaland • November 2022 Some hunters travel less than an hour from their home to hunt, while others plan special hunts across the state for deer, antelope and elk each season. The first time I killed an animal over a day's drive from home, the reality of the situation set in — now what? Taking care of meat in the field and getting it home in a timely manner requires advanced preparation and logistical planning. Here are the best practices for getting meat from the field to your freezer. Field Dressing First, consider how you will handle the animal in the field. If you shoot a deer in an open area, that might simply mean field dressing the animal and loading it into a vehicle for the drive home. However, if you are miles from the truck, hunting in steep country or in a place where 4-wheeler access isn't allowed or feasible, dragging out an entire animal isn't an option. In these situations, the best solution is to quarter the animal in the field and haul it out on your back. My favorite approach to quartering an animal is called the "gutless" method. I prefer it because it cools the animal down quickly, doesn't expose the meat to innards or hair and is easier to accomplish when you are alone. All you need is a sharp knife and a few game bags. There are many videos online that do a good job of explaining how to perform the gutless method, and the overall concept is simple: Skin the animal on one side, removing the front and hind quarters, backstrap and neck meat. As you remove each quarter, place it in a game bag and hang it, preferably in a shady spot with good air circulation. Then flip the animal over, and using the skinned hide to protect the meat from dirt and debris, repeat the same process on the other side. In the end, you will have four quarters and a game bag containing the backstraps, tenderloins, neck meat and other trim meat. You can then open the carcass to remove the heart, liver, kidneys or anything else you'd like to keep. The process is the same, whether you're skinning a pronghorn, whitetail, mule deer or elk. Keep in mind that in Nebraska, it is unlawful to separate a deer or antelope carcass into smaller sections than quarters before checking the animal. Once you have the animal quartered, it's time for the pack out. With a small antelope or deer, this can usually be accomplished in a single trip depending on the size of your backpack, but larger animals will require multiple trips. Once you have the meat back to your vehicle, you need to decide how you will get it home without spoiling. This should be a consideration long before you pull the trigger or release an arrow. Long Trip Home You have three options to prevent meat from spoiling on the way home: traveling with a small chest freezer, using several coolers or dropping off the animal at a processor and having them ship the meat to you. I prefer to process an animal myself to From Field to Freezer After being quartered in the fi eld, meat is hung in game bags. RYAN SPARKS A portable processing kit is an invaluable tool, especially for those who hunt in remote areas. RYAN SPARKS By Ryan Sparks