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Field Butchering Tips and Tactics Blog by Marcus Weiner Photos by Brian Woobank Butchering big game is a skill earned from experience and can be daunting to the new hunter. But it doesn’t need to be. Ungulates are constructed the same way, so learning how to break down a deer will give you the introductory skills needed to tackle larger animals like caribou, elk and moose. Here are some field butchering tips and tactics. There are two school of thought on butchering big game in the field – the gutless method or the gutting method. I prefer the gutless method of field butchering big game. Since most of the animals I take in Alaska require them to be packed out, then breaking them down into four quarters; two backstraps; two tenderloins; two sets of ribs, briskets, flank and skirt steaks; and neck meat are the usually butchering method. With that fact in mind, the only reason to gut the animal is if you don’t have the ability to break it down immediately. My goal with every animal is to remove every last scrap of edible meat. Assuming you can begin butchering immediately after taking an animal, then let’s use a moose as an example. Lay the moose on its side, and make a long incision (careful to slide your knife under the hide but not puncture the muscle) from the base of the head to the tail. Other hunters prefer to lay the animal on its back, make an initial cut from the genitals to the base of the neck (assuming you aren’t keeping the cape for mounting), and then peel the hide back on both sides. I prefer to start with the animal laying on one side when butchering big game. Next step is to remove the backstrap. This long chunk of meat sits adjacent to the spine and the top of the ribs. Trace your knife along both those surfaces to remove the backstrap. Note that it runs from the neck to the pelvis. Essentially you make a long, L-shaped cut to remove the backstrap. The next step is to remove the flank and skirt steaks, which are thin cuts of tough meat that cover the gut cavity and ribs. Systematically remove fat, silver skin and connective tissue from around the rib cage and you will expose these cuts. Next step in the butchering big game process is to remove the ribs. Saw the connection between the spine and top of the ribs, or use the tip of your knife to separate each rib from the spine. The bottom connection of the ribs to the sternum can be separated with a knife. Some hunters prefer to leave the ribs in and remove the rib meat, but I find it easier to do when I remove the rib cage. Next is to move on to the tenderloin, which is located under the spine, from the last rib projecting towards the hips. It can be separated from the spine mostly by hand and will require just a little bit of cutting to extricate. After removing the tenderloin, proceed to removing the brisket, which is located on the chest towards the front of the ribcage. The final section to remove on the first side of the moose is the neck meat. Fillet this meat off the bone like you were filleting a salmon. Flip the moose over and do the same to the other side. If you intend to do a shoulder mount or a European mount, then it makes sense to remove the head and cape before flipping the moose and it will make the process of flipping the animal easier.

Post: 14 June 2022

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Field Tested: Browning Trail Cameras Trail cameras serve two purposes: tracking and security. Slimline options do their best at remaining undetected to human beings who might be trespassing on your property, while larger, higher-definition models will draw the most detail out of whatever sets it off. Earlier this year, my wife and I obtained an eight-acre piece of property that has remained untouched for nearly a decade. As such, it has become a bit of a sanctuary for animals that run off from the adjacent state game lands abutting its corner. Property of this nature is often desirable, as it typically makes for an easy hunt due to its long vacancy. However, for the same reason, it becomes attractive to those that want to have a private hunting experience without paying for land of their own. With that in mind, I scoured Browning’s website to find affordable cameras to serve my purposes, and came up with the Strike Force Gen 5 and the Dark Ops HD Max.Features The features on both cameras were enough to garner my interest, particularly the diminutive Dark Ops model. Although small, it boasts an 18 MP camera and an infrared flash that can reach 80 feet in pitch-black conditions. It also offers an array of features, such as trigger-time adjustability, flash intensity, and the ability to capture either still or video images. The Strike Force Gen 5 is full of the same features, except its larger housing allows for a 22 MP camera that can also record in full 1080p HD, with a wider range of triggering times. Together, they make a potent pair for monitoring key points of the property, and I couldn’t wait to get them set up.Setup Before I go any further, it pays to mention that the property is more than five hours away from our home. Therefore, I only have the opportunity to visit about once a month. Timing product evaluations with our land is always challenging, as they need to show up with enough time to check them out in between trips. Well, I didn’t get that for this one. No, they showed up as we were packing the car to get on the road, which left me with just a car ride to figure out how they worked. Electronics are always funny, so I’ll admit, I was a little nervous, but to my surprise, both cameras were straightforward to set up. In addition, nothing too hard-to-find was required to run them. On the way up, we stopped in a Wal-Mart, picked up two inexpensive SD cards and 12 AA batteries (each camera takes six), and continued with the setup as we made our way out to the property. As I scrolled through the options, I set everything to the lowest quality, a move that would allow for more images to be stored. I also figured it wouldn’t be wrong to get some “worse case scenario” footage to see exactly how far I could stretch things. After all, if a camera is sensitive enough, it could fill a card in a matter of days, leaving me high and dry in-between visits.

Post: 23 September 2022

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The Field Magazine British monthly magazine about country matters and field sports. The Field Magazine was started as a weekly magazine in 1853, and has remained in print since then; Robert Smith Surtees was among the founders. In the nineteenth century, it was known as Field: The Country Gentleman's Newspaper. The magazine is one of the earliest hobby magazines. It is published by Future plc. Founded in 1853, the editors The Field cover the best of hunting, fly fishing, hunting, sporting dogs and everything else that makes life in the British countryside exceptionally enjoyable. Editor: Alexandra Henton Frequency: Monthly Circulation: 28,294 Print and digital editions. First issue: 1853; 172 years ago Company: Future plc Country: United Kingdom Language: English Website: https://thefield.co.uk Alexandra Henton,THE FIELD Editor: “Dickens was one of the first Field readers. Well, he might have been – he was certainly drinking pals with The Field’s first editor. Back in 1853, the magazine was founded for those who loved shooting, fishing, hunting and could sniff out a decent claret at 1,000 paces. It’s still like that today. The Field gives its readers the best, whether it’s guns, rods, writing or photography. We like to think it’s like a great party – entertaining, informative and provocative.” The Field Magazine is a monthly glossy dedicated to those brave souls who shoot, fish and hunt way beyond the call of duty. Since 1853, its staff has selflessly brought its readers the cream of rural life, be it pheasant shooting, dry-fly fishing or the distinct merits of Cheval Blanc. If you love fieldsports, errant terriers and very foxy friends at hunt balls, The Field is for you. Field #Magazine #Hunting #Future_plc #United_Kingdom

Post: 14 January 11:50

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