ORIGINAL: Paul L Mohr
All depends on how you field dress the deer. I just cut a slit big enough to get into. First I cut the throat and sever the esophagus, then I trim around the anus with my knife, then cut the slit near the rib cage. Then I reach in and pull in the guts out along with the colon and anus. After that I cut the diaphragm and take the lungs, heart and esophagus out.
This leaves me with a small slit in the belly, a slit in the neck and a hole in the hind end. I prefer this over splitting the whole deer in half. I get kind of messy but the deer remains nice and clean while I drag it and take it to the processor.
While I could see the purpose of this tool, I just don't see the need for it. I can do the whole thing with one sharp thin bladed knife. I really don't like carrying more crap than I need to.
Paul
haha thats wat this tool is designed for
seriously though, i think it is useful for you if you clean your deer that way. as paul stated, other ways of cleaning exist and would not require this tool. i too cut the throat to sever the esophagus, but isn't an option for a good buck, because that would make for a very ugly mount.[:'(]