Field dressing - horizontal or vertical?

[bisonic]

I'm curious how others field dress and skin their hogs. So far I've done it the perhaps traditional way: gut the hog in the field, then haul it back to base, hang by rear legs and skin. Time is not an issue for me as I have easy ATV access throughout my ranch. I've seen other techniques, such as hanging the whole hog before gutting it, skinning before gutting, and hanging head up versus tail up. I'm sure each has it's plusses and minuses and would like to hear both sides.

While we're at it, might as well share thoughts on skinning. Best thing I've learned there is to get a sharp box cutter and make vertical cuts through the shield on boars. Makes it far easier to pull the hide down when you don't have to bend the shield.

 

[Shmave23]

Im with you on the gut in the field and hang them by the rear legs and then skin. I havent had to personally deal with any tough sheild but Ive only shot a sow and small boar.

But I know before my next hog and this upcoming deer season Im gonna be getting my self a HAVALON!!!!!!!

-Dave

 

[myfriendis410]

We gut in the field 'cause we're lazy; less to carry! It also allows the carcass to cool down. We are required to check our hogs in to the Conservation LE desk and they don't stay late. So, if you shoot one in the evening you HAVE to check it in the next morning.

We hang and skin from the back legs as well, and I always split the plate down the backbone with a gut hook blade to allow for peeling the plate and hide down on big boars. Something that we take the time with too is to clean out the anus area on the tailgate and "pop" the hind legs off at the lower joint and skin back around where the gambrel is going to be, prior to hanging (see attached). It's just a lot easier and cleaner. We don't bother splitting the chest cavity, and we try to avoid using a saw so that bone marrow doesn't taint the meat. Wash off if necessary (usually) and hang for five days in the reefer.

 

[JTA6498]

I have done it both ways. If i am hunting and I have close access to an ATV/Jeep, then i would haul the hog out and then gut/skin while hanging. It's much cleaner then gutting first in the field and dragging out because of all of the dirt/crap that gets in the carcass. As you can see in the pic, skin first gut second. I have personally only done that once because I normally hunt public property where we hike in and almost always gut them in the field to drop some dead weight. If I had it my way, I would always skin& gut while on the hook.

 

[HOGHUNTER714]

I'm pretty much with JTA6498. If I have a quad nearby and can get the hog back to the skinning rack "pretty quick", I'll just bring it back whole. If I can't get the pig back fast enough, I'll just gut it in the field to cool it down. Back at the rack, Hang it from the rear legs, skin it from the rear legs on down, cut through the breast plate, cut off the head and call it good. I do 90% of my hogs this way. I have used the box cutter method to cut strips and it worked pretty good.

 

[easymoney]

Doesn't matter what big game, I usually do the gutless boned out method, as I am by myself most times and backpack in to some pretty hairy spots. That being said when I go on a guided or group hunt it's throw em in the back and do them back at the ranch house...

 

[sancho]

done it both ways.

had a rancher guy help me once. he gutted in the field. it took him mere seconds. but the really cool part; he made me run my pig up higher in the rafters after i got the hog skinning done around it's buttocks. he then made me crank it up high. i sorta "hopped" up and grabbed the skin and tried to do a chin up..my body weight did about 60 percent of the skinning. it peeled off with a very satisfying sound..."RIIIPP!" it was awesome. skin came off right to it's armpits. he then showed me what to do if i couldnt get it up that high. he pulled the skin out and put his kneecap into the skin pocket and leaned into it. same rip.

next time i meet "scooter"..(i think it is his real name) i'm gonna video his son gutting it. under one minute easy..gutted with a buck knife. amazing.

 

[catchdog]

99% of the time i gut in the field. Then hang from the back legs and skin it out. If they have a thick shoulder plate I will split the skin down the back . One thing I can say is hogs will dull a knife faster than any other critter I have skinned. I like to keep two razor sharp knives handy. I have a hand made knife made by J, Sponaugle out of Goroonsville, TN that will hold an edge alot longer than any of my other knives. My brother worked with J and got it for me for Xmas a few years ago. Its was a great gift and the best knife I have ever had in my hand.

 

[studmanbri]

Gut on the ground and skin em hanging with a fillet knife.

 

[socalkid]

Gutless quartering, in the field on the ground.

 

[DFG_Bear]

I recommend any method that allows the meat to quickly cool. Lessens the chance for spoiling the meat.

 

[Hog slayer]

I gut it in the field because I shot it far far away from the nearest road. I split the pelvis and then I go get help. Most of the time we bring the hog back to camp. Raise the hog on a tree about eye level with the head facing downward and start skinning. I split sternum and cut the neck between the windpipe. After completing the skinning job I will put a sick in between the shoulders to help air circulate into the cavity. I have seen some hunters leave pieces of the windpipe in the hog not very good. This will spoil your meat. Next I put a game bag over it and find a nice shady place to hang it. The better the field care the better the eating. It is very important to cool the meat down. Not much to it, just get-her-done.

 

[LuckyGunner]

I prefer to skin and gut on the hooks. It's easier to get around and working on a carcass that is hanging makes gutting that much easier. Also helps to keep he meat clean.

When I deer hunt I'm far enough in that I gut in the field. Saves enough weight that you will notice it on the 2-4 mile hike back to the ATV trails.

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rifle ammunition

 

[k-thug]

Ditto on gutting in the field and hanging at camp