FL/GA Hunter

1) Stomach, bladder, and bowel contents all have the potential to ruin the meat, but if you do a quick, good job of cleaning the meat, you shouldn't worry about it. However, you should definitely try your darnedest to keep from puncturing ANYTHING while you're gutting. The best single piece of advice I have is to get yourself a really good gut hook - the ones on the backs of knives are good, but I've got a separate one (a razor blade hook with a plastic guard), and it works even better. That will help you NOT puncture the stomach, which is the easiest way to screw up.

2) Bertos - the gland he's talking about is the tarsal gland. It's a really dark, smelly patch of hair on the insides of the rear legs. It gets that way by the buck peeing directly onto it, and it holds his 'musk' for quite a while. A lot of people like to get them 'fresh' rather than buy the tarsal scent or glands from the store. Look just to one side of the 'knee' joint on both rear legs for a patch of hair that's far darker than the surrounding hair.

Phade

Dont worry about not knowing how to gut a deer. You most likely do not have others around you to show you how, which I feel some of the replies are taking for granted. Having someone there to guide you is a big difference maker than simply an article.

You should be commended for your eagerness to hunt despite not having others around you who do. I know how you feel, I grew up this way and at times it can be trying.

I had to go next door and ask a neighbor who happened to be a hunter as well. I did not know him well at all, but asked for his assistance. He was more than eager to help out, and it worked out well for me in the long run. I bought him a pizza for the family since he already had meat.
Try to find someone to guide you through it, nothing can help like someone there to explain the procedure and offer a helping hand.

You do not see medical students diving into cadivers for the first time with just an article or video....they have doctors there guiding them. Just keep at it, and one day you will look back on it and smile.

Roost em 1st

Hopefully you've already succeeded with your quest. If not here is my 2 cents. I prefer doing this at the edge of a river or creek. Position the head, hopefully with antlers, facing uphill with the rear legs facing downhill. With the animal on his back I start at the bottom, Have your cousin hold one rear leg to spread the animal. From here use whatever info you have on the gutting. Gravity will help remove the guts. Catfish will eat them.I usually strip down from the waste up before I start and wash my hands and arms upstream before putting my shirt and coat back on. Most people can't even tell I've cleaned a deer. Send me a PM if you have any other questions.
BTW no one showed me the first time either. I was covered from head to toe in Blood but I've slowly figured out how to do it.
Gut him as quickly as you can and I think your supposed to have a taste of that blood on your first one...kinda salty if I remember.

RomanWild

Man I forgot about that!

I just automatically drink it now. I have one of those collapsable cups just for that reason!
[:'(][:'(][:'(]

Yagermeister is a good substitute though!

Good luck!

WantBuck

LOL! Taste for the blood.....is that kinda of like kissing a fish so you'll catch another?Hopefully i'll be able to enjoy the taste for myself soon enough.I appreciate your support fellas.I think you guys have built my confidence enough to where i'm definatly going to try it myself.
Yesterday while hunting it just kept running through my head on the pics and text articles i've read thinking any minute now a deer will walk through and I will finally get to try for my first time.I'll defiantly update whenever I get too.
Thanks again,
JE