I always gut my deer right when I kill them except if it is early morning or close to dark. I don't want to get out of stand when it's primetime. I kind of want to attract the fox and coyote to my gut piles, because they are killing the deer that I want to shoot, so why not. I do agree with the fellas that hand em in a tree before guttin. We have been doing this for years and it makes it sooo much easier. Just cut out around the arse and etc..., hang em up and start cuttin. Makes it real easy.