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Field dressing (or gralloching)
is the process of removing the
Most hunters use a sharp knife for field dressing. Other tools can be used such as axes or saws. However, the fact that harvesting locations are generally in remote areas makes the transporting and use of larger tools impractical.
Using a knife specifically designed for field dressing and the use of surgical gloves can greatly aid in sanitation."Wearing protective rubber or disposable gloves as you field dress your deer will make your own clean-up quicker and easier and will reduce the possibility of exposure to disease."
from
Field Dressing Your Deer
', Division of Wildlife • Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Publication 111, September 2006.
Field Dressing GuideWhat does field dressing harvest mean?
Hunting Meat industry
internal organs
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a f ...
of hunted game, and is a necessary step in obtaining and preserving meat from wild animals such as deer. Field dressing must be done as soon possible after the animal is killed in order to ensure rapid body-heat loss and to prevent bacteria from growing on the surface of the carcass. Field dressing helps maintain the overall quality of the meat. It also makes it considerably easier for a hunter to carry larger game from the hunt area.
Tools
Most hunters use a sharp knife for field dressing. Other tools can be used such as axes or saws. However, the fact that harvesting locations are generally in remote areas makes the transporting and use of larger tools impractical.
Using a knife specifically designed for field dressing and the use of surgical gloves can greatly aid in sanitation."Wearing protective rubber or disposable gloves as you field dress your deer will make your own clean-up quicker and easier and will reduce the possibility of exposure to disease."from
Field Dressing Your Deer
', Division of Wildlife • Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Publication 111, September 2006.
Risk of disease
Chronic wasting disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), sometimes called zombie deer disease, is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) affecting deer. TSEs are a family of diseases thought to be caused by misfolded proteins called prions and include similar dis ...
(CWD) is a neurological disease and has been found in a growing percentage of deer and elk in certain geographical areas in Canada and the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
. Although there have been reports in the popular press of humans being affected by CWD, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georg ...
(CDC) suggests that " re epidemiologic and laboratory studies are needed to monitor the possibility of such transmissions."
The epidemiological study further concludes that, " a precaution, hunters should avoid eating deer and elk tissues known to harbor the CWD agent (e.g., brain, spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the spin ...
, eyes
Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conve ...
, spleen, tonsils
The tonsils are a set of lymphoid organs facing into the aerodigestive tract, which is known as Waldeyer's tonsillar ring and consists of the adenoid tonsil, two tubal tonsils, two palatine tonsils, and the lingual tonsils. These organs play an ...
, lymph nodes
A lymph node, or lymph gland, is a kidney-shaped organ of the lymphatic system and the adaptive immune system. A large number of lymph nodes are linked throughout the body by the lymphatic vessels. They are major sites of lymphocytes that includ ...
) from areas where CWD has been identified." Tests have also been developed to check for the presence of CWD.
See also
*Dressed weight
Dressed weight (also known as dead weight or carcass weight) refers to the weight of an animal after being partially butchered, removing all the internal organs and oftentimes the head as well as inedible (or less desirable) portions of the tail a ...
References
https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/hunting-trapping/field%20dressing%20deer%20pub111.pdfExternal links
{{Commons cat, Gutting, Field dressingField Dressing Guide
Hunting Meat industry