Field Dressing with Gloves?

[cohunter]

How many of you use latex or vinyl gloves when field-dressing and elk? When boning an elk out? I've always been a bare-handed guy, but in nearly every instructional video the hunter is wearing gloves. Are there real advantages to this?

[Waygoner]

I've been using gloves for years. Easier clean up is the main reason. It also provides an extra layer if you slip and cut yourself. Which I've done.

[Mathewsz7-elkridge]

I've been using gloves for years. Easier clean up is the main reason. It also provides an extra layer if you slip and cut yourself. Which I've done.

X2 the fat that you get on yours hands is hard to get off with cold water in the field

[saddlesore]

Th primary reason I use gloves is that the blood removes oils etc., from your hands and leads to those nasty little cracks on the ends of your fingers that require super glue to close. I have started to carry those yellow kitchen gloves instead of the surgical latex gloves.They stand up a little better.

Years ago,I opened up a muley buck that was riddled with tape worms so bad they had broken thru the intestinal walls. Sure wish I had them on them.

[pointysticks]

i do 100%. i just grab a fist full of the black nitrile gloves i have in my garage for auto work.

they are ZERO protection against a knife. makes clean up easier.

AND! they are good for other things.
first aid.
improptu baggie for things like water
etc.

and if you do cut yourself like i did last year on a mulie. you can bandage yourself up, stop bleeding, put a glove on and you are back in the game.

no glove? it is a spectator sport then. no way i stuff my hands into a carcass with an open wound. you are screwed if you are solo.

bring gloves.

[BMGinthePNW]

No gloves for me, never used them. I see the benefits but have yet to run into a situation where I have said "Wish I had some thin gloves". It can be messy but all part of the process in my opinion. To each their own.

[Swede]

I should use them, but I never have. I may have them in my freighter, but they are just taking up space.

[Fridaythe13th]

I use gloves, in fact I use 2, the regular hand gloves and the ones that goes up to your shoulder. But it is hot.

[stringunner]

I've not used them either. It makes sense to wear them based on all the comments in favor of, I just don't. It's even more silly because I have them in my pack. I think I have simply never spent the time finding a specific type that fit my hand in such a way that I see them as a complete need, meaning i have never put a pair on that fit so great that gave me as much confidence as my bare hand. But if/when I open one up full of worms, I probably convert to gloves real fast!

[cohunter]

You're right stringunner! As a biologist it pains me to admit I never really even considered blood-borne pathogens in an open cut. Although the risk is still minimal for most types of cervid-human transfer, I suppose it's better safe than sorry! And the ease of clean-up issue as well! For me it always just seemed so unnatural and unmanly to wear gloves. Perhaps I should just swallow my pride!

[Charina]

I'm very careful and detail-oriented when breaking down an elk in the field. So it takes me a couple hours. I appreciate the fact that I can simply pop off a glove and grab a couple handfuls of Trail Mix and take a few minutes break to refuel. Find it much easier to see and manage loose hairs on my hands with the gloves so they don't get on the meat. And clean up at the end is a snap. I'm really not worried about zoonotic diseases. It's all about convenience for me. The protection against cuts is pretty minimal but gloves have saved me from a couple nicks when I got careless.

[stringunner]

Ok so are their any special or specific gloves that could be recommended? Precise fit vs. the genral orange ones sold in stores?

[Elkhunttoo]

I use them every day for work and started using them about 5 years ago for boning out meat. The convince of clean hands though out the process is really nice. Pulled them off last year and and grabbed a piece of jerky to chew on . I've also found it much easier to clean hair off the meat with gloves. I use the black/blue powder free examination gloves

[nvgoosehntr]

I've never used them but am thinking about trying it this year and see if I can without cutting myself - its hell getting all that blood and fat out from around your nails plus the cracking around your finger tips. Not sure if I can though...avoid cutting myself that's is.

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[Ryan Conkle]

I use latex medical gloves, not only are they good to have in your pack for other reasons' as well, although they do not provide protection against abrasions', they do make clean up easier and provide protection against possibly diseased bodily fluids'. To me, it is one of those options' that although you will probably be just fine without them, I do not see a valid reason to not wear them and would rather be safe than sorry...just my opinion.

[CurlyTail]

I use the heavy duty, cotton lined, yellow dish washing gloves.

I have the same concerns getting covered in Elk blood, as I would getting covered in human blood. Theoretically.

I am not consistent though, as I never wear gloves cleaning ducks/geese, Turkeys, or Pheasant. I probably should.

I think it just makes me feel better to wear gloves. Sort of a "universal precautions" thing. I have never heard of catching a disease from an Elk. Chronic Wasting disease is always scary to read about. Makes you wonder what else is out there that we don't know about. I am sure the risk is very, very low - but probably not zero

[Fishinsimpson]

For me I use two pairs of gloves per animal.

The first pair I use while skinning, the second I use while breaking down the critter. For me it's more about keeping the cut hair and oils off the meat then protection from blood or cuts.

I really like not having jerky under the fingernails for days afterword as well


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[jmez]

I don't wear them. Doesn't really bother me to wipe my hands on my pants and grab a handful of trail mix or jerky in the process. Have never worn them.

The only disease you would have to worry about is Brucellosis/Undulant fever. I know the WY elk carry it not sure about other states.