Whoops. Read your post a little too quickly. I see. I did't split the pelvis on either of the does I got last year. My first two deer ever so I was a little aprehensive about cutting into something while ringing it. But that's basically what I did, ring it, tie it off and pull it out through the chest cavity, etc. Will probably still do it that way this year. I had a guy telling me it was a must to split the rib cage open too for air flow but I didn't do that on either one either. How can air not get in through the large hole you've just created? It was very hot the day I got my first one in October, though, so I iced it down as I couldn't get it to the processor until that night.