After making your kill, you first want to be certain that your prey is dead. Approach it carefully from the rear, and if you are using a tag, remember to validate and attach it immediately.

It is recommended to use a good quality, strong bladed knife. Keeping it sharpened ensures an easier time with the procedure. Cutting the deers throat is not necessary, as the blood will drain naturally during the field dressing process.

You can use rocks to prop up the deers legs. Start your cutting between the hind legs, and work down to the pelvic bone. After doing this, turn your blade around and cut up through the breastbone, and up the neck as far as you can get. Don't forget to hold the meat and skin away from the entrails while doing this. After cutting the windpipe in two, grab hold of it with both hands and pull down, hard. The insides should come out to about the animals midsection. Remove any rocks that you were using to support the deer, and roll it onto its' side.

Doing this on both sides, cut the layer of thin meat that is holding the entrails to the ribs, right down to the backbone. Get a firm grip on the entrails, and give a hard downward pull. All of the inner workings of the deer should now be removed.

Spread the back legs open by propping the animals rear end up on a rock. Use your knife to locate the seam where the bones grow together, pressing down hard to separate the bone. You may need to twist the blade from side to side to work your way through. Sometimes the use of a hatchet or saw is needed for the larger deer. If possible, hang it up on a tree by the head or antlers, and allow the blood to drain from the body cavity.

When transporting the carcass, be sure to keep it clean. Dragging the animal may get it dirty, and sometimes quartering or halving it is an excellent option to use when moving it back to camp.

Hang the animal by the head or hind legs for skinning, and try to do this within a couple of hours after the kill has been made. The deer should still be warm. Make a cut down the inside of each leg to the middle of the carcass, cutting only the skin. Cut the skin around the neck, as close to the head as you can, when hanging by the neck. Take a good hold of the skin with both hands, and pull down hard. The skin should peel off down to the front legs. If it does not want to come off smoothly, you will need to use your knife to separate the meat that sticks tightly to the meat.

Keep it in a cool, shaded area. A game bag or other form of protective covering may be needed to ward off flies. Once the dead animal has cooled throughout, usually taking about ten to twelve hours, the meat should have no problems with warm days, so long as it remains in the shade, and is not given an opportunity to heat up. You don't want your meat spoiling after all of that work. After cooling and draining, the meat can be cut, or aged in a cool or refrigerated area for a week or two. Trim any fat that you can see, as this tends to become rancid very quickly.

Make your cuts when it is cured to your liking, and enjoy.