Charlie,

It will work for deer and certainly that could be good practice for an elk, but it is going to be more inconvenient because usually with a deer you can just gut it, grab it by the antlers and drag it out. Doing the Alaskan method on a deer is going to leave you with 4 quarters, 2 backstraps, and 2 tenderloins --- so unless you debone and pack it out anyway, then you will probably consider it to be a hassle for a deer (except for eductional value).

Liver and heart? If you want these items, then use the traditional method.

The tenderloins are under the spine in the body cavity and are located well to the rear of the critter and the ribs do not bar access to this area. These are accessible via the Alakan method and before we did it the first time it was one of my major concerns. A cross section of the spine creates a + and if the critter is standing up, then the backstraps lay in the top two "corners". The tenderloins are in the bottom two "corners." Of course when the critter is dead and laying on its side this picture is rotated by 90 degrees. Sooooo, the critter is down, and laying on its side, and you've cut the hide down the back and skinned the hide downward and have a big flap of hide laid down towards/over the belly, first, you’ll cut out the front and rear quarter on that side, and then the backstrap on that side (it was laying in the corner “trough” of the + cross section of the backbone). Regarding the tenderloin, again with the critter laying on its side, you will find the tenderloin “trapped” under the spine (in the lower corner trough of the +) and above the “gut body cavity” in fact the “gut compartment” will be laying right against the tenderloins sandwiching them against the spine. Skinning the hide off of this area is not enough. Behind the ribs and ahead of the pelvis you will need to gently slice (don’t poke) through the layer that lies under the hide but not cut/slice clear through down into the gut pile, just open it up enough to see the tenderloins.

Extraction. We use a little “baby folder knife” with about a 1.5” blade. A small and narrow bladed knife is your friend here as the space is tight, the bone features to follow are many, AND your fingers are going to be right in there. Make the first cut vertically along the vertical side of the “bone trough” created by the spine (remember the + cross section?) and the tenderloin, this one is easy and “safe” --- just meat and bone. This first cut will loosen one side of it. Now comes the tough part, the risky part for your fingers, and the good place for the little, little knife --- push the “gut bag” away from the remaining side of the tenderloin to get yourself a little bit of room and go in cut under the tenderloin and “fillet” the tenderloin (we start at the back end) off of what was once the “roof” of the body cavity (when the critter was standing up). Getting the initial cut establishing one “end” of your tenderloin piece of meat and getting enough of it filleted off to allow you a piece of the tenderloin to get ahold of so you can pull on it as you cut it is the “hard part” so don’t give up --- think “surgeon” not “butcher” at this point. The rest is just going slow and careful. Some folks at this point say the just grab them and "tear" them out. This may be possible, but it is a little like taking a cracked fingernail and just pulling on it instead of cutting it --- it don't always tear where it is supposed to --- so keep cutting, don't try to "yank" them out. Be careful of your fingers and careful of the gut bag as it is always right there and just inviting you to cut it.

I’m always amazed on these butchering deals that the tough spots (like the tenderloins) is always left out of the discussion. Another place where no one I’ve seen get real specific on the “how to do it” is how cut out over to and locate the hip socket without “butchering” the hind quarter. But that is another story… hope this stuff makes sense, I can "see" it clear as day, but there is nothing like doing it or helping do it to have it down pat.

Good Luck and Good Hunting,
EKM