I didn't take the time to read all the posts, and don't want to join in the argument about wasting meat. I do want to point out the advantages of not gutting a deer.

I typically carry the game bags I need for the meat I expect to get. The first thing I do is skin the deer in the woods. The skin (with hair) has the ability to insulate the animal against heat loss. Even a gutted animal cools slowly because fur is preventing quick cooling. Nothing cools meat quicker then getting the skin off and deboning the animal as quickly as possible. Removing the guts, just delays the process and makes an unneccessary mess. It is very quick, easy and efficient to skin and debone in the field and is much easier to pack out just the meat in a backpack. It does not take long and nothing cools the meat quicker. On big animals, like elk, it enables you to get the meat off the ground, by hanging the game bags in trees to keep the meat away from predators, if you can't get it out before dark. After the animal is deboned, it's easy to get the heart, liver and tenderloins, with small cuts placed in the right spot.

To satisfy most game laws, you just have to leave the sex organ attached to a portion of meat from the hind quarters. As soon as you get it home, you can remove that. I've used many methods to get deer and elk out, and butchered quickly and cleanly. In my opinion, nothing beats deboning it in the field, without gutting, and packing out nothing but good meat, that was cooled as quickly as it can be done.