When I kill a deer I dress it and hang it. I know some hunters who still cling to the old thought that you MUST slit the throat

[Jim in Mo]

When I kill a deer I dress it and hang it. I know some hunters who still cling to the old thought that you MUST slit the throat to bleed it out? What's your thoughts?

[Golfing Sportsman]

After i dress it i will open the body cavity and place it facing down, i do this to try to let any blood or viscera drain out before i drag. After I get it out i hang it for as long as a week, or until i can get to it.

[northern sportsman]

Not necesary jim when you field dress that deer a part of field dressing is cutting that windpipe so all in all there is no entrails in the deer and about a 7-10 inch piece of windpipe left no need to cut that short piece of windpipe in half again from the outside of the cape it does nothing and makes that quality venison taste any different.

[streack]

I always figured that it will bleed out enough while you dressed it, therefore there was no need to cut its throat.

[Walt Smith]

I always hang my deer head down/ass up and I've never cut their throat. Then I take the hide off and proceed to take out the backstraps then the front quarters followed by the hind quarters. I wrap the quarters with cling wrap and put them in my garage fridge until I can get to them and cut up the backstraps that night. Simple.

[60256]

I agree with Streack.
We just hang em knowing that we got all of the blood during field dressing the deer.

Nate

[lovetohunt]

I don't do that. I just hang them, as you already know, blood will drain then too.

[benjismokin]

I think that it is rediculus that you would want to or even have to cut thier throats! Why would you have to? I mean not only is it messy but its kinda pointless. It bleeds out just fine hanging up in a tree.

[rabbitpolice88]

I have never found it necessary to slit the throat. I hang the deer up by it's hind legs and gut it. The blood drains out very quickly that way. If the deer is gut shot and there is a lot of blood in the meet I will let it sit in a pool of iced water for 24 hours.

[MLH]

The meat does hold a lot of blood but I've never bothered slitting them while hanging upside down. I will have to try that next season, and if there is significant blood, then I'll assume it is worth it.

[huskerguy]

I hang mine with the head down. Whatever blood that is left drains out.

[jay]

After field dressing I always hang mine head up. I take a garden hose and wash the inside and outside out.

You don't want to wash a deer out with the head down. The water can pool up in the head and it can swell to the size of a basketball (eye witnessed this).

[bonnier-admin_2]

Cut thier throats? Old folks tale!

[Jim in Mo]

To all: Some of you may be to young to even know about the throat slitting method. But yes it still persists, mostly with older hunters. Old folks tales? That's why I'm asking. Sometimes us young whipper snappers don't know it all.

[MLH]

Might go back to butchering the ox days. My grandfather did it by slitting their throats and hanging them by their rear legs. You don't want blood in your sauerbraten.