Cutting Edge Processing

AFTER THE KILL

Once your animal is on the ground the real work begins.  With a little forethought and planning you can enjoy a good return and a pleasurable eating experience.

The crucial first step is to field dress the animal and begin to cool the carcass.

Areas to pay close attention to are:

The rectum. To reduce spoilage do to urine and fecal contamination carefully cut around the anus to disconnect the digestive tract from the pelvic cavity. Pull out and tie off the rectum to avoid spillage.

Opening the abdominal cavity.  Start a cut from the anal opening to the rib cage. Cover the tip or your knife with your index finger or use a knife with a gut hook to avoid puncturing any internal organs.  Also when loosening the entrails from the ribs and spine be mindful not to cut into your tenderloins.  The tenderloins run along either side of the bottom of the spine from the last rib back into the pelvis.

After the entrails have been removed cut through the diaphragm (the thin muscle separating the abdominal cavity from the chest cavity) and remove the heart and lungs.  At this time pull the trachea and esophagus out as far as possible and cut them off. This will slow spoilage of the neck meat if the animal can't be skinned quickly.

SKINNING, NOW OR LATER?

The decision of when to skin your animal depends on several factors.  Remember that the hair that keeps an animal warm in the winter also keeps the carcass warm.  So in warm weather it is crucial to remove the hide as soon as possible.  However, the hide also keeps dirt and debris off of your meat.  If the weather is cool and you can hang your animal where it can get good air circulation the hide can be removed later. However, the longer you wait the more difficult it will be to remove.

Once you decide to skin the animal following a few simple steps will help keep your animal clean resulting in a good return from the processor and will save you a cleaning fee. It is easier to skin an animal that is hanging.  Use a rope or chain that is strong enough to suspend the animal.  While skinning dedicate your non-dominant hand to only touch the hide not the carcass.  This helps keep hair and dirt off the meat.  Your dominant hand holds the knife and touches the meat if necessary.  Once the hide is off remove any hair or debris and rinse with clean water if available.  Then cover with game bags or in cotton pillow cases or sheets.  These keep the carcass clean and allow air to circulate around your meat.  

Before transporting your meat to the processor in an open truck bed or a trailer wrap your meat in a plastic tarp to protect from dust.

We offer skinning services for a fee if you don't feel comfortable with the task.  We suggest having us skin your animal if you feel it won't stay clean.  We may charge a cleaning fee for dirty animals and you will receive less meat back as we will trim off any dirty or excessively hairy meat.

SHOT PLACEMENT

Your first priority should always be a quick clean kill. A quick kill is not only ethical but reduces the stress on the animal resulting in better tasting meat.  It is widely accepted that a bullet or arrow placed through both lungs produces a humane kill and minimal meat loss.  Shoulder or spine shots may kill quickly but the resulting bloodshot meat is inedible and will be discarded.

Wait for a broadside or slight quartering away presentation then aim behind the front shoulder about halfway down from the spine.

When high velocity bullets hit bone or muscle the damage robs you of steaks in the freezer.