That is the question.

 

Do you split the pelvic bone when field dressing?

If yes, then what do you use to do the job? Your hunting knife? Hatchet?

 

 

I do not, haven't in years.

I normally do not as long as I can get the everything out. I guess I was rusty this year because I had to on my buck. If I do it I either use a hatchet (which I don't like) or a tool one of my buddies has that is made to do it.

I always have split the pelvic bone. Honestly, I'm thinking about it, and I can't think of a time that I've ever actually watched a person field dress a deer when they haven't done it. Obviously, I know there are plenty of hunters who don't split the pelvis, but I've just never particularly seen a reason not to do it.

 

These days I use my Nessmuk knife (the one I posted about in the other thread) to split it. When I first went hunting, I just carried a cheapie hardware store hatchet to use. It got the job done perfectly well, as far as I was concerned. Then in my early twenties, I went hunting with the dad of my girlfriend at the time. He was getting a fair deal older, so when he got a deer, I went ahead and dressed it for him and dragged it up out of the woods. He bought me a Gransfors Bruks mini belt hatchet a for Christmas as a thank you. It's a little tiny hatchet, hand forged in Sweden and made for exactly something like dressing a deer. I just looked up some specs on it: 10" handle, 5-1/2" long blade with a 2-1/2" cutting edge, and the total weight is 12 ounces. It's an awesome little thing to have, and razor sharp, but the price tag is frankly ridiculous if you ask me. I think they go for like $160. I'd never own one if it hadn't been given to me.

I always have split the pelvic bone. Honestly, I'm thinking about it, and I can't think of a time that I've ever actually watched a person field dress a deer when they haven't done it. Obviously, I know there are plenty of hunters who don't split the pelvis, but I've just never particularly seen a reason not to do it.

 

These days I use my Nessmuk knife (the one I posted about in the other thread) to split it. When I first went hunting, I just carried a cheapie hardware store hatchet to use. It got the job done perfectly well, as far as I was concerned. Then in my early twenties, I went hunting with the dad of my girlfriend at the time. He was getting a fair deal older, so when he got a deer, I went ahead and dressed it for him and dragged it up out of the woods. He bought me a Gransfors Bruks mini belt hatchet a for Christmas as a thank you. It's a little tiny hatchet, hand forged in Sweden and made for exactly something like dressing a deer. I just looked up some specs on it: 10" handle, 5-1/2" long blade with a 2-1/2" cutting edge, and the total weight is 12 ounces. It's an awesome little thing to have, and razor sharp, but the price tag is frankly ridiculous if you ask me. I think they go for like $160. I'd never own one if it hadn't been given to me.

 

Said the guy with the $300 knife.:lol:

 

I never split it anymore. When I used to I did it with a hatchet. Very sharp made by fiskars.

BTW CWB, I wonder what ever happened to that girlfriend, you had a sweet set up my man from what you've posted in here before, if you catch my drift.

Said the guy with the $300 knife.:lol:

 

:lol: :lol: Yeah yeah yeah... Well at least I can wear the knife around day to day on my belt (sometimes) without feeling like an idiot.

 

As for the old girlfriend, she went cuckoo. She was an only child, and her dad was an old North Carolina country-boy who'd done good after engineering school, and he'd sometimes dote on my like the son he never had - which was nice, but in the end, not worth putting up with his crazy daughter (and wife) haha.

 

Side note, I've gotta watch what I say...my future father-in-law is a reader on here

:lol: :lol: Yeah yeah yeah... Well at least I can wear the knife around day to day on my belt (sometimes) without feeling like an idiot.

 

As for the old girlfriend, she went cuckoo. She was an only child, and her dad was an old North Carolina country-boy who'd done good after engineering school, and he'd sometimes dote on my like the son he never had - which was nice, but in the end, not worth putting up with his crazy daughter (and wife) haha.

 

Side note, I've gotta watch what I say...my future father-in-law is a reader on here

That's classic.:thumb:

I always split it. Depending on the knife I have in the field I usually wait till I get the deer up to the truck and then use the ax.

For those of you who do not split the pelvic bone, what method do you use to clear out the rectum and anus from that area?

 

The first couple of deer I killed I split the pelvic bone because I was taught to and I didn't know you were allowed not to. Then thankfully somebody taught me a better way.

 

I always cut a ring around the anus to free it up and then I zip tie it off so that anything inside there will remain in there. Then I use a thin long blade (and I use that blade only for this task then put it away) to continue to free up the rectum from the anal cavity and pelvic bone. I go as far up in there as possible. You just have to be careful not to nick the rectum when you do that but otherwise it is pretty easy to do. After that is complete when you field dress the deer you pull the rectum and anus backwards into the body of the deer and them out with the entrails.

 

I like this method very much as it is less work and it leaves everything very clean. Anyone else do it this way?

I normally cut around the anus to free it, then when I pull the guts out it will pull out the anus/rectum through the body cavity. What I don't like about this and have struggled with is the knife being too big to cleanly cut around the anus. I like your idea of using a specialized knife for this. I may have to try that.

I normally cut around the anus to free it, then when I pull the guts out it will pull out the anus/rectum through the body cavity. What I don't like about this and have struggled with is the knife being too big to cleanly cut around the anus. I like your idea of using a specialized knife for this. I may have to try that.

Something thin like a small fillet knife works well. I have a 4" blade on a folding knife that is thin enough for the job but I wish it were just a little longer. I am not a fan of carrying a fixed blade knife, though, so I use this one and have never really had a problem. Another reason I only use this blade for this job is I don't want to take a chance on contaminating anything with fecal matter in case of a slip up with the knife. The thin long blade really isn't suitable for the rest of the field dressing process anyway as far as I am concerned because I much prefer a shorter, fatter blade for those duties.

Split the bones? Come on, just get the very informative video from the KDFWR on processing. It's only $20 bucks but it is priceless. Only bone you need to cut is the neck.

Split the bones? Come on' date=' just get the very informative video from the KDFWR on processing. It's only $20 bucks but it is priceless. Only bone you need to cut is the neck.[/quote']

I'd hate to meet the dude on the video with his knife in a dark alley. He's slick.

Split the bones? Come on' date=' just get the very informative video from the KDFWR on processing. It's only $20 bucks but it is priceless. Only bone you need to cut is the neck.[/quote']

Great video on processing, but this thread is about field dressing. That video starts with a deer that is already field dressed, right?

I'd hate to meet the dude on the video with his knife in a dark alley. He's slick.

Very slick, and a great video.