I gut them on the spot. As others have said, it doesn't seem to spook the other deer. With the scavengers we have here in East Tex, there is usually nothing left within one night!
Some places that I have hunted, don't want you to gut 'em in the field, so you would have to bring them back to camp to dress them out.
This is OK too, just that the hotter the weather, the sooner you need to get it to camp and dressed out.

dpv, the deer i took yesterday was gutted on the spot. Then this morning there were fresh tracks right past the pile. There was even a freshened rubbing just 15 yards from my stand. So, the deer here in KY don't seem to mind where it is. Chris

Where it lies? I don't want to have to drag the extra weight. As far as the deer avoid it myth, well it is just that a myth. Deer & other animals die due to natural causes in the wild, so what's a gut pile. The only think that may spook the deer is the scavangers on the pile, but it don't take long to lick that clean.

I "unzip-em" on the spot- it doesn't bother anybody.
Here in Texas- the coyotes and the feral hogs will have everything cleaned up by the next day. If they miss anything- the fire ants will get the rest.
The deer are never spooked by yotes & hogs in the area- they're always in the area!
The only thing in Texas that will spook a deer is a cougar- or stupid hunters.
The sooner the animal is cooled, skinned & butchered- the better for the quality of the meat.
Grind everything except the backstrap. Freeze the ground in two pound bags- butterfly the backstrap into steaks and freeze.
For burgers- cut the ground 50/50 with a good pork sausage and make into patties- cook on the grill.
I don't make venison sausage anymore. Sausage made with pork
eventually goes rancid- even in the freezer- pure venison doesn't.

CaptJack
Be a better Hunter - Get a better Shot

Empty them where they fall.

Here in Mississippi, most people, including me, drag the animals out and gut them at home while hanging from a tree. It makes things easier for us. We typically don't have long distances to drag deer.

Hunt the thickets

I gut them where they fall. I have never seen a gut pile in the woods to be a problem.

--------------------
Be a steward of the resouce, not just a deer killer.

I'm with Belle on this one. I rarely have to drag one more than 30 to 40 yards. Most of the time I pull the 4 wheeler right up beside them and load them up. From there it's a long, hard drive to the truck where I load the atv on the trailer and head home. It takes me up to 3 hours from time of kill to gutting and skinning.

The way I see it the guts are totally seperate from the meat so unless it's going to be a really long time there is no need to field dress. This is only my opinion. I've hunted for 10 years and never field dressed a deer and don't plan on starting now.

For me it's alot easier to take it home where I have a heated building (really nice when it's cold) and running water to clean up with. Most of my buddies bring theirs by when it's cold. Maybe I need to start charging $10 a deer? Anyway, this is my opinion. If you choose to field dress I can't see anything wrong with it.

Shane

I usually drag out and then gut. I try to keep the area im hunting free of un natural odors. usually the next day the pile is gone. either the buzzards or a fox will get em. try to save the heart if ya can, good eating. and as far as butchering deer i have access to a walkin cooler so its warm we take there and hang for a couple days. If its cold we hang at camp. Good luck to ya this year.

I gut them where it falls. By the next day, the foxes have eaten it.