Safe game meat handling
Skinning and gutting a hunted game animal (field dressing) is a necessary step in preserving meat from animals harvested in the wild.
Field dressing is the process of bleeding and gutting a hunted game animal. It is a necessary step in preserving meat from animals harvested in the wild. You must field dress the animal as soon as possible after your successful shot to ensure rapid cooling of the carcass and to prevent bacteria from spoiling the meat.
There are many methods to field dress game animals. This topic discusses the most user-friendly and widely accepted method in Australia.
Ideally, the carcass and deep muscle tissue must be cooled to a temperature of 7 degrees Celsius or less within 24 hours of harvest in order to minimise bacterial growth.
If the animal was killed with a humane ethical shot to the heart/lung region, there will be no need to bleed the animal. The massive damage caused to the heart, veins and surrounding arteries will have resulted in adequate bleeding.
Animals that have a damaged paunch must be dressed immediately. Any parts of the carcass that comes into contact with digesta or gut contents should not be taken for human consumption.
Skinning
Skin the carcass as soon as the animal is killed. This is easily done by suspending the animal off the ground using a hunter’s gambrel and hoist. If the animal is too heavy to lift, or the location doesn’t allow for it, begin skinning the carcass on the ground.
The skin is a natural insulator against sudden temperature change and slows down the cooling process. Removing the skin while the carcass is still warm improves cooling of the carcass.
Field dressing
Once the carcass has been skinned, you will need to remove the internal organs. Look for a clean grassy area to work so vegetation does not stick to the carcass. Make sure the animal is lying on its back or suspended off the ground.
After the internal organs have been removed, the cavity may have filled up with blood and other fluids.
If the animal is on the ground, roll the animal onto its stomach and spread all four legs apart to allow fluids to drain out.
Trimming
Any meat that has been in contact with faeces, stomach contents or other questionable matter should be trimmed and discarded.
It is also important to cut away any areas affected by shot trauma. The bullet wound may also have fragments of lead or copper. Areas showing obvious bruising and contamination should also be trimmed and discarded.
Once you have field dressed the animal, you will need to remove it from the forest and prepare it for butchering.
Taking meat out of the bush
Small animals can be easily carried out of the bush, even if you’re hunting alone.
If you have a large, heavy animal such as a sambar deer or red deer, you may need to quarter the animal to remove it from the field.
Quarters refer to the large initial cuts of meat. These are:
- Backstraps.
- Tenderloins.
- Shoulders.
- Hind legs.
When quartering an animal, the remains of the carcass should be disposed of thoughtfully and out of view of other field users.
To keep the meat clean and dry, you should always cover the meat with a clean linen cloth or place it in a game bag.