Cleaning deer in the field

[jackary]

For years and years I gutted them where they fell, then hung the carcass at home for skinning and processing. For my last few deer, I've gone "gutless."

I plop a cooler down beside the carcass and go to work. Skin one side, pull off quarters, backstrap, and tenderloin. Throw all those pieces in the cooler, then roll the carcass over and repeat.

It takes me a little bit longer in the field than my old method (maybe won't after I get better at it), but it saves time and mess at the house. My wife doesn't like a carcass hanging around, but she doesn't care about a cooler full of meat on ice sitting on the back porch. Gives me more flexibility in the final processing schedule.

My supervisor at work does the same thing, I have never tried it. I would probably want someone good at it to supervise me the first time.

 

[retrieverman]

I forgot to mention in my previous post that the only time I‘ve gutted a deer in the last 20+ years is if I have to drag it a ways and/or load it by myself. I recently bought a ratchet winch at Harbor Freight that I can hook on the roll cage of my Ranger, and I used it for the first time this year to a 260 lb buck without gutting. The winch is geared low and is slow, but it dang sure beats straining my back.
My situation is different than some in that I’m not hunting far from my house, so most deer are checked in, skinned, and cut up in a cooler within an hour after the shot. If I had to haul one a ways to get home, I’d more than likely gut them.

 

[diggler1833]

I gut mine at a lasered distance from my back porch. It used to take me a long time, but I've found that cutting the large intestine and tying it in a knot keeps the turds from falling into the chest cavity. Also, unless I'm trying to save the heart and lungs to show off what a broadhead or bullet did...a few quick rakes with a good knife removes them 5x faster than trying to feel my way around.

I do the skinning and rough cuts at the house, and put the meat in a cooler with ice water to soak. Since I don't kill much worth having mounted, the head comes off right at the beginning, which makes the skinning around the front shoulders and down much, much faster.

The remainder of the carcass is dropped off next to the gut pile.

I use that as bait for shooting coyotes, but frequently now have bald eagles scavenging off of them...which is really fun to watch.

 

[magna19]

When possible field dressing within minutes of harvest is best. Cool immediately if possible. Goes for turkey, quail, pheasants, etc. Not always possible but is best.

 

[Bocephus123]

When possible field dressing within minutes of harvest is best. Cool immediately if possible. Goes for turkey, quail, pheasants, etc. Not always possible but is best.

Amen