westtexducks

Okay so how many of you guys split the hip bone when you are gutting your deer? And how many of you guys gut the deer without splitting the hip bone? And what about the rib cage how many of you guys split or do not split the ribcage? I know that I used to split both but last year a guy showed me away to gut the deer with out splitting either the hip or ribcage. It is much easier and quicker in my opinion. But lets get yalls opinions on the issue.

Big Bullets

I guess I should say that, I hang the deer head up which is the opposite of how most people do it. I do it this way so that there is no chance for fecal matter or stomach contents (if damaged) to leak on to most of the meat. Any leakage goes downward.

After cutting the deer from top to bottom, I split the rib cage because it gives better access. I have a rib spreader which holds the sides apart. I cut the esophogas and cut right down the spine and cut the colon at the anal opening. That is when any leakage departs. If all goes well, the entire insides come out in one piece. I clean out the anal opening with a stick which, is pushed from inside out to clean any remains.

Sorry if this sounded like an anatomy lesson. With sharp knives the process takes 10-15 minutes depending on how numb my hands are.

Night Crawler

I don't gut deer period.

we hang from hind feet, strip hide to the head, remove front legs, pull backstrap, squeeze in carefully and get tenderloin, debone meat right off hind legs, bang done. never touch guts.

yes a little meat wasted but we have a deer population problem and I do my part, when I kill 2 does a day when I am in depopulation mode I don't have all that kinda time.

Rhody Hunter

I don't split the hip and most of he time I don't split the chest either.
I just reach in and cut the esophogus.

pluckit

A sharp knife will slice right through the sternum of the rib cage right up to the neck. If you have a knife with a saw blade you can use that to saw apart the hips but what I do is cut around the rectum and with string I tie off the colon. Then from inside I tie off the colon in 2 places an inch or so apart, Then separate the colon between the two tie off spots. This prevents anything from coming out during the removal of the entrails. Then cut the diaphragm from the chest wall, reach up into the neck and cut the esophagus and everything comes right out.You can work to get the colon and rectum out now, or later when you can easily split the hips apart, with no worries of contamination since you have tied them off. A hatchet is also a good tool for splitting the hips.

Flying Mullet

zip from the v in the chest down around the genitals not cutting the bag, cut around butt hole or use butt out tool, reach in (poke through tissue) up the neck up to your shoulder and cut the esophagus as far up as possible, flip it over with legs spread and everything comes out, done.

nchawkeye

Dang, must be a North Carolina thing...My buddies and I have amazed others on how we can get the tenderloin out without dropping the guts...

We debone the hams as well, unless someone wants a whole ham to smoke...Then we pop the ball and socket joint at the hip and remove the ham...The only time we use a saw is to cut off the tail and cut the front legs off...

afd33

Usually crack the ribs, use a butt out. Reach up, pull out the esophogas and 90% of the guts with it.

BarnesX.308

For the guys who don't gut - do you really want to drag that much extra weight? For a monster buck, you could be dragging 40-50lbs. unless you guys shoot your deer right where you can drive the truck to

nchawkeye

I don't drag deer, quit that years ago...

Depends upon where I'm hunting, most of the time I run a 4-wheeler up to them and throw the deer on the front rack...

On game land, I carry a rachet pulley in my backpack...I find a tree to hoist the deer and debone in the field...I put the meat in garbage bags, put in backpack and come out with them...