After confirming an animal is dead, what is the next step before field dressing?

Once an animal is confirmed dead, tagging the animal is the crucial next step before field dressing. This process involves attaching the appropriate tag to the animal, which is a legal requirement in many regions, including Michigan. The tag serves to provide identification of the hunter and the specifics of the harvest, ensuring compliance with local hunting regulations. By tagging the animal promptly, you help preserve its integrity and demonstrate responsible hunting practices.

Helping others find the animal, taking a picture, or cleaning your equipment, while potentially relevant activities, are not the immediate priorities in this context. These actions can be done after ensuring that the legal requirements surrounding tagging have been fulfilled, thus emphasizing the importance of tagging as the next logical step in the responsible hunting process.