“Field dressing’s bloody, messy business…”

Or, at least, that’s what Dad always used to say. He always said, “Filleting fish, cleaning game, butchering, carving a roast or turkey… you keep your knife hand clean and dry. Your left hand will get messy, your knife hand STAYS CLEAN.”

“…unless you’re field dressing, then you get in there and get it done. Wash your hands in the snow afterwards, but get it done, Open up the carcass and get the meat cooling. Field dressing’s different.”

My Grandpa always said, "If you get blood on more than your fingers when field dressing a deer, you are doing it wrong".  He showed me how it was done and it has served me well ever since. Back in the day I was driving to work and another worker hit a deer on the roads out between the runways. The only knife I had on me was a Buck 305, little folder with a 1-3/4" blade. The guys said I couldn't dress that deer with that knife and I told them not only would I do it, I wouldn't get a drop of blood above my wrist. 5 minutes later there was a gutted buck, not a drop of blood on my work clothes and a bunch of guys scratching their heads wondering how I did it without a knife with a 5 inch blade.

I was bow hunting once in Montana and forgot my knife in the truck and shot a mule deer. I field dressed it with a partly assembled broadhead though I must admit I splattered some blood on me doing it.