BOZEMAN - - You have your deer or elk down. Your hunting skill and persistence have paid off, and you are ready to reap the rewards. But what do you do now?
The proper procedures are described in a new MontGuide fact sheet from the Montana State Extension Service, "Field Care of Harvested Big Game."
"Proper care of harvested big game is the most important criteria to ensure its value as table fare," says Jim Knight, MSU Extension wildlife specialist and author of the publication. Knight's MontGuide includes detailed instructions and drawings for bleeding, field dressing and skinning big game animals. The publication also includes information on how to proceed should you choose to preserve the head as a trophy mount or sell the scalp to a taxidermist.
"Field Care of Harvested Big Game" (MT9616AG) is available free from your county MSU Extension office, or for a handling fee from MSU Extension Publications, 115 Culbertson Hall, Bozeman, MT 59717. To order and pay for shipping by credit card, go to How to Order Montana State University Extension and Experiment Station Publications.