Field dressing, transporting and preparing wild game

If you are not lucky enough to have an experienced hunter to show you the tricks (and there are many). If you are new to this here are the basics for Hunters to ensure proper handling of their harvested game and to ensure a quality food product for the table.

BIG GAME

Field Dressing

Field dressing, or gutting, is the process of removing the entrails (internal organs) from the animal to promote cooling of the carcass and prevent the meat from spoiling.

Big game like white-tailed deer, moose and bear should be field dressed immediately after the kill to protect the quality of the meat.

If the animal is lying in water, mud or other debris, move it to a better location where you can keep it as clean as possible while field dressing. Roll the animal on its back or side. If possible, position it with the head higher than the rump.

Cut a line up from the crotch to the tip of the sternum (where the rib cage ends and the belly starts). The weight of the stomach, or rumen, and intestines will pull down away from the incision, lessening the chance of puncturing these organs. It is best to cut with the blade up and out of the cavity, which helps to prevent cutting into the rumen or intestines and also prevents dragging hair into the stomach cavity. After freeing the colon from the body by cutting around the anus, tie a string around the colon just in front of the anus, to prevent feces from falling out into the body cavity.

Cut around the diaphragm, carefully cut the windpipe free at the throat and free any internal organs by cutting through the tissue attaching them to the backbone area of the animal. Pull the windpipe and entrails out onto the ground. Care must be taken not to tear or puncture intestines, stomach or bladder. However, if rumen, intestinal or bladder contents have spilled onto the carcass, wipe it with clean paper towels. Once all the entrails are removed, turn the carcass on its side or belly and allow all the blood to drain out.

Do not wash out the body cavity with natural water sources in the bush. These are prime sources of contamination. Instead, use paper towels to wipe out the carcass. Keep the exposed surfaces of the meat as dry as possible.

The body cavity should be propped open to allow air to circulate freely.

In warmer weather, it is best to get the skin off the animal as soon as possible. Lightweight cheesecloth bags or specially designed meat bags will help keep debris and litter from getting on the meat and will not interfere with cooling. In cold weather, the skin can be left on the carcass until you get to camp or home. If you are leaving the carcass or quarters in the bush for transport at a later time, use your rope and a handy tree branch to pull it/them up off the ground. This allows air to circulate and cool the meat.

GAME BIRDS

Game birds should have the entrails removed as soon as possible, using a clean knife and latex gloves.

Game birds can be plucked or skinned.

Birds must be cooled or the meat will spoil. They should be cooled and maintained at a temperature not exceeding 4o Celsius (39o F). Do not pile birds together in a bag or box. Do not leave waterfowl in the bottom of boats where water, mud and spilled gasoline may contaminate the meat.

Quick cleaning and freezing reduces bacteria and preserves the quality of the meat. If birds have heavy tissue damage from shot, they can be soaked in a solution of cool salt water to remove clotted blood before freezing them.

RABBITS, HARES AND SQUIRRELS

For cleaning small game, always use disposable gloves and a clean knife.

Peel the hide completely off and remove the tail before cutting the abdomen open and removing the entrails. Trim away any shot-damaged meat. The carcass should be cooled and maintained at a temperature not exceeding 4o Celsius (39o F), as soon as possible.

PREPARING AND COOKING WILD MEAT FOR CONSUMPTION

Always wash your hands in warm, soapy water before preparing food and keep raw meat away from other food.

Thaw your meat in the refrigerator, microwave or oven, not on the kitchen counter. At room temperature, bacteria can grow in the outer layers of food before the inside thaws.

Utensils, equipment and food contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized after each use. Disinfecting is especially important where wild game or fish is being prepared in the same kitchen as regular “store-bought” meat, poultry or fish. Disinfection must occur between the two types of preparations.

You risk your health and the health of others when you do not thoroughly cook meat. Health officials indicate that meat must be cooked to a temperature of 82° Celsius (180° F) or higher. Use a meat thermometer to check that meat is cooked all the way through. Clean the thermometer after each use. Red meat is cooked when it is brown or grey inside and birds are cooked when the juices run clear.

You should ensure that bear meat, whether frozen or fresh, is always cooked to this temperature (and always to a grey colour, not red or pink) to prevent any possibility of Trichinosis, a parasitic disease found in bears in North America. Public health officials advise that smoking, drying, or microwaving may not cook bear meat to a high enough temperature.

For additional information on safe food handling and meat preparation, consult your local public health unit.

we encourage experienced Hunters to help our community and comment with there ticks of the trade!

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