When to field dress?

[Jeff Strubberg]

Since Missouri deer no longer have to go to a check station, I can't think of a reason to ever field dress one again.  

Womack 'em.  Take the meat off and leave the carcass whole.

[Plug]

Originally posted by Minuteman:
Deer spooking at the field dressing site are probably smelling the hunter not the blood.

Ditto.  Unless it's a big deer and I have a long drag I remove the deer from the area.  Not because of the guts but because I of my smell.

I think scent elimination is a load of hooey.  But I am anal about scent contamination.  Not much you can do about them smelling you when you're there.  But a whole lot you can do about them smelling you when your gone.  Not field dressing the deer in the hunting area is one of them.

[saltwatertom]

Do it where they fall and maybe the gut pile will bring in a bear or coyote of something else to shoot!  

[Big Dave]

I always move them away from the blind even though I probably don't need to.

[Tim Fishell]

I do it where they fall!!  Less weight to drag that way!!

[Brute killer]

I've done it both ways. On the spot or move the deer. I don't hunt often, so by the time I get back to hunt the place where the guts were they are long forgotten.

[MI_Bowhunter]

Originally posted by Ray Hammond:
I like to drag them TO my stand, and do it right under my tree.

Even if they fall closer to the car?        

[Brian Krebs]

Can I assume we are not talking about elk and moose?  

My uncle - long ago: when Michigan had 'doe tag burning parties'.. my uncle shot a doe on private land. He was pulling it out to a place the land owner would not be angry; about a gut pile.
 I was at a distance; and at first; other hunters cussed him for shooting a doe; then a nice buck trailed the dead deer and ...mounted it while my uncle was pulling it back to the truck !    
  That brought a whoop of laughter from everyone!
I don't believe the buck was at all bothered by the presence of my uncle; or the bloody deer.
   

[ChuckC]

I have no problem dressing them where they fall, but I hunt a marsh and find it easier to keep the carcass clean by dragging them out whole, till I cross the ditch into the higher ground.  Then I field dress them at that time.  Besides, a whole deer will float in the water as I cross the ditch.
ChuckC

[John3]

I always dress where they fall as well. Almost always there is no sign that an animal was ever gutted, blood ect. after a day or two. Just too many things will eat whatever is left at the gut pile.

John III

[Shawn Leonard]

Gut them where they lay. It does not spook other deer. I like david have shot them over a gut pile, I even saw a small doe eating the stomach contents as the yotes and other scavengers leave that lay.I also agree with Tom, if I can do it on a down hill slo[pe, all the better! Shawn

[BUCK-EYE]

Well first time out yesterday morning I shot a 6 pt in Mich. I still dragged him a little ways from where I shot him. My Dad is still hunting in the same woods. Old habits are hard to break. I did learn one thing about waiting after you shoot a deer that I always did but never got to see. After I shot the deer he ran about 35yrds and stood there.I was waiting for him to go down, but he stood there. Then he took a couple of steps and bedded down. I could see him good with my compact bic.`s. From the time I shot him  at 9:00am he didnt expire till 9:25.(I got one lung ) If the leaves were on the trees and I got down to look for him before waiting the 30mins. I would have jump him up. A good rule is to wait the 30 mins. Don