cuchullainn

How long does it usually take you guys to cut out all the usable meat off a deer? Ive been thinking when I go hunting I will just cut it up and put it on bags where it fell. Instead of moving the whole deer. I wouldnt keep anything but the meat or the fur. Are the antlers or anything else worth taking to sell?

Wingbone

It takes me 4 hours to skin, cut and wrapit by myself. But I'm picky and do a lot of trimming. I'd recommend you take it somewhere more comfortable and clean to do butchering. If you find the deer in broad daylight, it might not be so bad, but in the dark, it would be a real pain. If the meat is still on the deer, and covered with hide, you can drag it out. If you cut it up, you'd better have a good backpack.

Idaho hunter 58

Definitly not... It is hard to get the meat from the bones in that amount of detail. So unless you want to kill yourself trying and ultimately botching the job then go right on ahead. But IMHO i would say that you should gut it and then drag it out and let it hang for a couple of days and then butcher it. Trust me, it will be much better, and trying to bag all the meat and take theskin and horns would be much harder then pulling the deer out.

Just curious, but what brought on this idea?

And i could be competely wrong but from my experience i can't imagine the reasoning for this...

cuchullainn

I thought it wouldnt take long. Cause I was comparing it to cleaning a whole chicken lol. Never been hunting so I wouldnt know. Planning to go this year as soon as my firearms license comes in. I've got a bow already but I'm waiting till I have a Bushmaster.

OHBowhunter

I do not think that would be legal in many states. Not in Ohio anyhow. I know they do that with larger animals out west. I'm not quite sure on how the laws say it is suposed to be done. We are not even aloud to fillet a fish at the lake, you must take it whole.
I almost forgot about the chicken part. LOL.

deerslayer223

Are the antlers or anything else worth taking to sell

ARE YOU CRAZY??? why would u sell the antlers off of your deer. The antlers are my prize possessions from the deer i kill. Selling the antlers would be wrong in my opinion. Keep the antlers, when u look at them they bring back memories. I have all my antlers on plaques in my room everytime i look at them they bring back memories from the kill.

cuchullainn

Im not into that stuff Im a city guy. I like my house to look like an IKEA display lol. Maybe use the deers feet for the bottom of a table for a cabin? lol

cardeer

Unless you live in a tent in the woods ,take it home and do it where you can do it right

Bob H in NH

Some states, usually in teh east require you to bring it out and to a check station, you can gut it, but not butcher.

Out west, its somewhat normal with bigger animals. Honestly, how long would it take me in the woods to bag the meat? Probably 45 minutes to skin and bone him out. However then you still need to cool the meat back home and butcher it. That takes more time. Its somewhat easy to remove the meat from bones or even just remove the shoulders/hips at the joints and bag em, then rib meat, back strap and tenderloins.

johnch

Why would I want to take the deer back into the woods after checking it ?
In Ohio the deer can be gutted but otherwise needs to be in 1 peice.
After skinning I then hang the deer for a few days if cool enough.

Johnch