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.

QuoteOriginally 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.

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

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

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

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.

QuoteOriginally 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?        

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.
 

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

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

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

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