It's a smart idea to use a seperate knife to removel the glands from the hind legs of your deer. To keep from contaminating any meat.

-Gooch-

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You guys make it sound hard. I use a chain saw to cut open the gut and then suck everything out with a shop vac.

Guns cause crime, like flies cause garbage.

3030, great idea, I might give that a try next time. Or maybe I'll just try one of those super-power Oreck sweepers and just vaccuum everything out throught the rear end.
joehunter-the pelvic area has a lot of potential for spoiling quickly, not only the poop-shoot, but the fatty tissue around it. Not as big a deal if it is chilled and cut up quickly.

Bob S, he was saying to cut the throat (actually meant the windpipe) to remove it with the guts. You don't have to cut the through the throat if you reach up and cut the windpipe out. It is just best to get the windpipe out with everything else. If there are bugs around (especially flies) it won't takes 24 hours and the windpipe area will be crawling with them.

As long as you get the meat cooled quickly, there really is no wrong way to do it (as long as you don't go cutting open every organ while trying to get them out).

--I live in my own little world. But it's OK . . . they know me
here.--

I think the only reason for cutting the pelvic bone is for cooling purposes. It helps open up the body cavity so the inside can cool better. Other than that there is no real reason for breaking the pelvis.

First, get a wyoming knife. Make the slit just below the sternum and put that knife in and zip it right down to the pelvis. It opens them just like a zipper. When cutting around the anus, go as deep as you can. Cut the diaphragm between the lungs and stomach, reach up and cut the windpipe as high as you can, and yank the whole mess right out.

The wyoming knife is the best purchase I've made in a long time. It also cuts skinning time way down and I even use it to separate the cuts of meat on the hind quarters. Check it out.

Bill

USAFBOUND, sorry I didn't see this thread sooner. The following information link, complete with photos, is my own method. Hopefully this info will still be timely.

http://www.angelfire.com/bc/canuck2/gutting.html

Why, I cut the pelvic bone is: a) cooling, b) I can pull rearward from vitals to pooper and less chance of tainting, c) it is easier and quicker (for me) & d) the way I was taughtwhen i was 11. I have done them both ways, equally easy imo, but also imo for a first timer the pelvic bone cut or split makes it way easier and less chance of a mistake cut. Again just an idea, but definately no rule!