I am pretty new to hunting in general, can anyone recommend a good book/s about field dressing and processing my meat? The field dressing worries me more than anything else so far, I don't have anyone to show me how to do it and I'm afraid of screwing the meat up. I will mostly be hunting hog and deer. Thanks in advance!

You can look check out You tube they have tons of to watch and learn.

You might find a local processor and ask him if you can watch how they process wild game.

I read this book several years ago. It will teach you what you want to know.

Field Dressing and Butchering Deer: Step-by-Step Instructions, from Field to Table

This. Not everything you see on you tube is correct mind you, but just about anything can be at least researched on you tube. Watch several videos and you get the main idea. Then just practice.
Welcome to hunting and be prepared for the obsession...

Take an experienced hunter with you, nothing better than hands on training.

X2 !

^^^agree^^^

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=field+dressing+a+whitetail+buck&sm=1 will give you some ideas on the process

If I knew one I certainly would! Never had anyone like that in my life as a kid but I've always wanted to hunt. This year I just decided I was going to learn even if I gotta do it on my own. I took hunter safety and have been reading a lot. For some reason I never think of YouTube when I'm looking for something, I guess I'd rather read. I just bought my first bow and have slowly been buying gear. I've been thinking about an educational guide, can anyone recommend a good guy that likes to help people learn the sport? Thanks for all the advice guys, and especially JTS, I'm going to go see if I can't find that book. Between a good book and YouTube I think I ought to have it covered!

Have you found a place to hunt? If so, where?

I would be more than happy to help teach you if you will be hunting anywhere within my range ... My dad taught me at a very young age 50 years ago, I taught my 29 y/o son & 27 y/o daughter during their childhood, 30 y/o son in law within the last 5 years, 2 nephews (31 & 28) and several others during my highschool & college days ... Field dressing, skinning and processing is 2nd nature to me. Although I have been using a processor(s) the last 10 or so years as my time has become more valuable to me and allows more time hunting instead of processing by myself (my dad and I used to do together).

I bet their are some of us in the Odessa area that will help you out
all you have to do is ask (and have the beer)

@ PMK: I haven't found a place to hunt yet. I greatly appreciate your offer and if I ever make it out that way I'll definitely give you a holler. I'm probably going to try public land this year. Leases are hard to find and so expensive when you do. I found a couple of predator day hunts within a couple hours from here. I also have some family in Taylor, been thinking about heading up that way to hunt some hogs at granger. I'm not quite to the point to go out yet. I still need some practice before I attempt to shoot anything

@shootlow: I've got an aunt and uncle that live in zephyr, they've got a ranch over there, I've been thinking about asking em if I could do some huntin over there. Anytime you odessa folks want to learn me a thing or two I'm more than willing to learn! I don't do much beer drinking but I have been known to sip some whiskey occasionally!

Consider finding an outfitter in your area for a day hunt or two. There are some, especially for hog hunts, that aren't too expensive, and you'll have much better chances of hitting something. The outfitter can also show you what you need to know about field dressing and quartering. Lastly, don't worry too much about screwing up the meat. Field dressing isn't surgery. It's basically just opening up the animal and taking out anything that isn't meat.

Here's the best Youtube video I've seen on hog cleaning. After watching this about 5 times, I was able to do one on my own.

And I really like this gutless method on deer. I actually use this on hogs now too. I just don't go after the ternders inside the ribcage.

I am not far from Taylor or Granger if/when you come to visit family in that area.

FWIW, most hunters would be glad to help you as you get started ... you only have to ask!

@PMK Well I know a guy that hunts but every time I try to talk to him about hunting he kinda brushes me off and I get the feeling that he doesn't like to share. I didn't know if most hunters were like that or not and I didn't want to step on anyone's toes. It's good to know not all hunters are like that! I'm actually planning on heading up to Taylor sometime in the next few weeks, I'll be sure and shoot you a message when I do. Thank you sir!

@ChaseNTheHunt: Thanks a lot for the video links, marked in my favorites and will watch them many times!

Skip ythe filed dressing unless you are taking the carcass to a processor. I just hang them whole and skin then quarter.

I like this guy, he's from Scotland and he does a very good job on deer. They're smaller in this species (Roe) but its relatively the same for any kind.

This.

I have never field dressed an animal that I shot. Every deer/pig I've seen field dressed come in to camp covered with hair. Just not my preference. Skin them whole, quarter, then gut, get tenderloins and trim out. Or quarter, remove backstraps, and dump carcass with guts still inside.

Way easier to work with the animal while its hanging, especially if you are by yourself.

Outdoor edge sells a dvd serious of gutting caping and processing from field to table. Stakes ground and sausage and jerky. Ide look I'm nto it. I own it and enjoyed it.

what kind of knife was he using here?

+1

Big praise to you PMK, wish we had folks like you at Fort Hood!

I hunt between Early and Zephyr by your family so if you get permission to hunt their place just let me know as I'll be right down the road and can show you how it is done. Good luck!