Advanced Field to Table | Learn/hone your field dressing, skinning, packing, butchering, processing, shooting and camp cooking skills

Having the confidence to deal with an animal after the kill in the field is critical to feeling comfortable taking the shot. This course builds on the skills covered in the Awaken the Hunter course. Each participant processes their own animal from start to finish in field conditions - field dressing and skinning to meat management and butchering - ending with your own whole animal cut and wrapped for your freezer and family/friends. Learn how to transport your animal out of the field while maintaining freshness and quality. Enjoy fine-cooked meals and the art of camp cooking and meal planning as well as other topics to prepare for the hunt. Small groups limited to four participants or pairs - bring a partner to help process your animal and share in the experience and the meat.

This is a unique offering just in time for final preparations prior to fall seasons. We will be using lambs that we raised on our land this year - 100% grass fed/pasture raised with zero chemicals or medications.

Dates and Course Fee, Below


Included in Course

  • Your own 80+ pound organic grass-fed lamb/sheep, cut and wrapped for your freezer ($800+ value)

  • Personal guidance field dressing, skinning and quartering/boning your animal on the ground similar to backcountry hunting conditions

  • Practice of techniques for protecting your meat from scavengers overnight

  • Practice packing meat into game bags and loading your pack for a simulated pack out

  • Butcher your animal to your desired primal and sub-primal cuts of steaks, roasts, ground, organs, and soup bones

  • Wrapping your animal for the freezer

  • How to use organ meats from your animal

  • Backcountry camp setup and an overnight

  • Camp cooking lessons and meal planning for the backcountry

  • Rifle & archery refresher (sighting in for hunting)

  • General refresher/Q&A for final hunting prep

  • 30 hours of instruction

  • Optional salted hide and skinned skull (taxidermy considerations)

  • Option to dispatch your animal (after demonstrating shooting competence)

  • Knife sharpening

  • All meals included


Field dressing, skinning & Quartering/boning out

  • Your own animal - one animal per participant

  • Gutting and skinning in field conditions (on the ground)

  • Considerations for keeping meat clean

  • How to cool your meat and keep it cool

  • Tools needed, and not needed

  • Removing meat from the carcass for packing out

Storing meat in the field

  • Tying meat up in the tree overnight

  • Cordage and knots

  • Techniques for deterring scavengers

  • Caring for your meat/keeping it cool and clean

Packing meat out of the field

  • Pack considerations and uses

  • Game bags

  • Portioning meat

  • Sleds, carts, and other pack methods

Butchering

  • Start to finish on your own animal

  • Steaks, roasts, grind

  • Grinding meat

  • Silverskin and trimming

  • Breaking down to meal size cuts

Wrapping meat for the freezer

  • Wrapping techniques and materials to minimize freezer burn

  • Your animal wrapped for your freezer

  • Fat considerations

  • Freezer options

  • Tools for streamlining the process

Backcountry camp setup (new for 2024)

  • Site selection and considerations

  • Set up our wall tent and/or tipi tent, and your individual tents

  • Wood stove setups and cooking

  • Packing gear, food, water

  • Spend the night in the backcountry

Camp cooking | Sighting in | final prep

  • Meal planning

  • Wood/gas stove cooking

  • Cooking meat to temperature/resting

  • Keeping a clean backcountry kitchen

  • Rifle/archery practice: sighting in with your hunting ammo/arrows

  • Refresher of other Awaken the Hunter topics in preparation for the hunt


Course requirements and prerequisites

  • Awaken the Hunter prerequisite (or demonstrated proof of hunting knowledge and experience)

  • Frame pack and minimum 4 deer-sized game bags (w/your initials) (we have limited packs for use). Old pillow cases will work for game bags.

  • Cooler or other chilled transport

  • Camping gear (limited private cabins available as upgrade)

  • Sleeping bag and pad for the overnight; personal tent if desired

  • Personal mess kit for some meals, water bottle, handkerchief/bandana

  • Knives (sharpened), gut hooks, etc. (we have some knives for use and sale)

  • Cordage (100’ roll of 550 paracord or similar; can get away with ~30’ for now)

  • Headlamp

    Recommended

  • Rifle or bow and non-toxic ammo or arrows. If you have time to ship it, try Ammoseek or similar and enter your caliber. Filter for “copper” or “lead free.”

  • Maps of the areas you are planning to hunt (or downloaded on a mapping app)

  • Any existing gear about which you have questions

  • Shower towel

  • Evening drink of choice and/or musical instrument


Course Dates

  • 2024 TBD (late summer/early fall)

Arrive Wednesday by dinner; depart Sunday around noon

Group size: 6 individuals or couples

 

Course fee (all inclusive 2023)

  • $3690 (includes tuition, meals, wrapped meat ($800+ value)

  • Additional family member to help with and share your animal: $1200

  • Private cabin: $200 (linens, blankets, pillow, towel extra)


Ready to take your field skills to the next level?