Gutless field dressing

[McClain]

I'm old school for sure, but prefer to hang the deer overnight if possible. This requires gutting (which is no big deal). I like to leave the meat attached to skeleton thru rigor mortis at least -- to prevent muscle fibers from contracting as much. This = more tender meat. That is why they do it in slaughter houses. When hanging is not possible, such as elk in remote locations, then gutless method is preferred.

[JW]

I dont see what is so dang hard about gutting a deer. It takes 5 minutes. I do cuz if it cool i like to let em hang awhile. If its cold ill let em hang a couple days.

[JW]

I have never gutted a deer and if you handed me a knife and told me to do it I would probably look at you like you were crazy. Gutting deer is yucky i always pull the hide off and quarter it and take the tenderloins. Its less messy and a lot easier for me to do it that way on my own.

Weenie!!!!!

I guess i know who is doin the gutting from now on.

[Dirtymike]

Its a waste of a lot of useful meat to do this.

I disagree. If it is a small deer like where I hunt. You could spend all the extra time and get a half lb more meat. Maybe....

IYO what is wasted?

[Captrix]

Weenie!!!!!

I guess i know who is doin the gutting from now on.

I cook dinner and bake cookies for you. I think you can gut my deer, unless you want to cook dinner and bake cookies

[JW]

I cook dinner and bake cookies for you. I think you can gut my deer, unless you want to cook dinner and bake cookies

I'll gut!!!!

[Dirtymike]

Remember - if stopped by GW on way home and asked "where are the ribs" tell him you ate um

Are you sure. I believe it says two front quarters, two hind quarters and two back straps in the Hunters ED class.

[Guardian Reaper]

Never have to waste anything doing gutless. The idea is to keep from having to hang the animal and mess with the process to simply remove the guts and the skin and then start processing. You can move the animal whole to another location or do it on the hoof where he lies if you want. I start by laying the animal on its stomach with feet underneath and you are standing over it. Cut straight down the back to the tail, then at the neck cut down towards the front shoulders, as well as at the tail. A couple of inches will do. As you are looking down, you have cut the letter "I" into the top of the back. You're allowing room for the skin to pull away from the backstraps. Peel back hide and take backstraps off.

Flip the animal over on one side and on the front and rear quarters, where you made the little downward cuts, continue those down as far as you want. You can go to a joint or hoof. Skin and then cut quarter off. Front leg and back leg. I usually scrape rib meat off and neck meat on this side if I want it.

If you want the ribs, remove them on each side you have showing. Once you finish on one side, flip the animal over.

Repeat process like you did on the first side, skin, remove quarters, and neck and rib meat optional again.

If you want the tender loins, no problem. You have removed all quarters and backstraps and your meat should be clean as you have used the animals hide to protect it from dirt and the ground. Upright the animal again, this time it's easy because all four quarters are gone and it's only the carcass. I take a small axe and severe the backbone just above (or in front of) where the tenderloins are, as you can hold the animal up slightly, because the backstraps are gone. Once the cut is made the spine and back will slightly seperate and I then cut a small section of the back bone out and you reach inside with a knife and the tenderloins are accessable. You have removed a few sections of vertabrae and it is an opening to the tenderloins.

You are done. You will be surprised how fast that you can get using this process. It works great in the summer heat on hogs where you don't have a lot of time. You can do an animal in about fifteen to twenty minutes, after you get used to it...

You can get as much meat as you want off an animal.
The neck meat I do last as I just pull back the hide and scrape it off.

Forgot one more thing... On a gut shot animal (heaven forbid) it is a miracle.

[Mertzon Man]

You can still reach in and take the loins without removing the guts.

Yes you can, done it on several deer!

[Trophytagw3]

Great insights...thanks. I am going to give it a try.

[bowmanranch]

17 minutes for straps,TL's,shoulders, and hams! Guts stay in rib cage! Come on city boys ? waste not want not!

[sodapop15]

you just cut the muscle over the intestines, careful not to poke them. let them hang down just low enought to grab the tenderloins. thats how i learned 20 years ago and have never found a better way. no guts, all the meat.

This is how I do it.

[czechgrubworm]

Then there is me... I love to gut deer.... it's part of my therapy..

[Texastaxi]

Remember - if stopped by GW on way home and asked "where are the ribs" tell him you ate um

According to the TPWD regulations, you are not required to keep the ribs.

•After a deer is killed and before the deer is field dressed or moved, the appropriate hunting license tag or permit (MLDP, LAMPS, etc.) must be immediately filled out and dates cut out (See Tagging Deer or Turkey).
•Additionally, if a hunting license tag is used, then the Hunting License Harvest Log must be legibly completed (see Hunting License Harvest Log for White-tailed Deer).
•A hunter may transport a deer to a final destination (see Definitions), provided the deer is tagged and proof of sex accompanies the deer (see Proof of Sex).
•A hunter may skin and quarter a deer (two forequarters, two hindquarters, and two backstraps) and possess for transport, provided the quartered deer is tagged and proof of sex accompanies the deer. (See Cold Storage or Processing Facility for exceptions).
•A deer may not be processed any further than four quarters and two backstraps (example, steaks, hamburger, chili meat, etc.) until the deer reaches a final destination, except for immediate consumption in camp.
•The four quarters and two backstraps are the only parts of a deer required by law to be kept in edible condition. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department encourages all hunters to continue to keep other portions of the deer (trimmings from the neck and rib cage) in edible condition. Edible condition does not include any portion of a game animal, game bird, or fish that is: bruised by bullet, shot, or arrow, or otherwise destroyed as a result of harvest; decayed or rotting at the time of harvest; or obviously infected or diseased at the time of harvest.
•The tag must remain with the portion of a deer the hunter possesses. If any portion is transferred to another person before it reaches a final destination, then the transferred portion must be accompanied by a Wildlife Resource Document. See also Transfer of Wildlife Resources.

[jesterdoc]

Start at 7:10 for the loin demonstration:

Fred EIchler Field Dressing an Elk - YouTube

Thanks, I was on my phone and couldn't figure out how to link a vid from Tapatalk.

I guess it took a skosh longer than 7 minutes, I just remembered it was quick and probably would have been quicker if he wasn't talking.