skinned and quartered a deer for the first time without gutting it. Nice. wrapped the quarters back in the hide and drug it out 2 miles in the snow. Very Nice. When I was done I was informed it is easier to skin on from the top (back bone) down instead of skinning it from the belly up as I've traditionally done. How do most of you do it.
thanks.
oz
I've used the gutless method on elk and it works fantastic. The only reason I don't use it on deer is because here in WI we have to bring deer out whole and register them at a check in station. I like to get the innards out as soon as possible.
A buddy of mine skins from the back bone & swears by it. He gets almost all the meat, losing only some on neck, ribs and legs. He brings along garbage bags and packs it out in a backpack or day pack.
Do you lose the tenderloins when you skin from the backbone?
QuoteOriginally posted by dirtguy:
A buddy of mine skins from the back bone & swears by it. He gets almost all the meat, losing only some on neck, ribs and legs. He brings along garbage bags and packs it out in a backpack or day pack.
This is how I do mine most of the time.Skinning down the back is alot easier for me..but I don't think I loose any on the neck or legs..I videoed the last one I done,wish I could get it loaded & on here..
QuoteOriginally posted by McDave:
Do you lose the tenderloins when you skin from the backbone?
No,I still get them..
I would love to see the video
Anytime I get into the situation that the animal is going out by the power of my legs,, I use this method.
Whip..they changed that this year. You can now cut it up into no more than 5 pieces and I believe that you have to leave the head attached to one piece.
This method works great on hogs too especially if you are by yourself! From the back down works best for me. :thumbsup:
I saved this from a previous thread,
http://elk101.com/webisodes/gutless-video/
I gut mine in the woods. Then take it home and hang and skin it. If weather and time permit, I leave it for a couple of days and then butcher it out.
I haven't watched the above video but will as soon as I return home.
I have no aversion to trying this new method as long as the tenderloins("catfish") aren't left in the carcass and they are easy to take out.
God bless,Mudd
McDave, there was a link to a video on here once where a guy field dressed- butchered a Elk like this. He just reached inside and removed the tenderloins no problem.
I'm sorry I can't remember the link right now. It was very informative. You might try a search for it.
bretto
Looks like I type to slow.
"When I was done I was informed it is easier to skin on from the top (back bone) down instead of skinning it from the belly up as I've traditionally done. How do most of you do it."
Oz, I've done it both ways a dozen times (guiding hunters as well as my own). If I'm going to save the cape, then I will go from the back down. If not, then I'll do as you described. I haven't found either way to be easier/better for me.
Drummer thanks for the video link. Does anyone eat the liver/heart on Elk? No Elk hereabouts so just wonderin'. If so, what's the best/least messy way to get at these organs if using this skinning method?
http://elk101.com/webisodes/gutless-video/
Heh Whip,
In TN all you have to do is leave proof of sex attached if you are going to field qrtr a deer.
I've never been a fan of this method becasue the pics and video I've seen people leave the neck and rib meat on the carcass. However, John showed us this on the moose this year and we took everything. The carcass looked like it would when I boned it but the guts were still inside.
Pretty cool!!
Mike
I've used this method with caribou, but never a deer. The tenderloins can be retrieved by going thru the top at the last rib. You can peel them out with our fingers. I think this would be the best way to dress out a gut shot deer. If I wanted the liver, I would go in thru the side at the last rib.
Great method we have used for years.I've done top-down and bottom-up and for me bottom-up is easier and gets less hair on the meat.Bring about 6x8 piece of painters plastic for a clean work area if no snow. It only is a few ounces. The neck and rib meat is as easy to take as the rest of it(no excuses). To get the tenderloins go behind the last rib,forward of the hip under the spine and blindly finger(no knife) them out --- it's easier than it sounds and yes you can "see" by feel.Heart and liver rescued last to stay clean as possible. The best is the mess stays in the field,drastically lightens the load, the meat cools fast, when home a little fine cutting and cleaning and you are done. I'm amazed by people who nearly kill themselves dragging game.Bring a full size pack,gamebags,painters plastic and make one trip out for deer and antelope. 2 or 3 trips for elk depending on terrain.After a couple practice runs it should take 30-45 minutes alone and less with an experienced partner.It would really SUCK for this to be illegal in my state! :saywhat:
"Gutless" is most applicable for larger animals and in remote locations. Some of us have been doing it for many years, unknowing that it wasn't just common sense I guess. You can get ANY part of the animal it just changes the order in which you arrive at certain parts.
I suspect most people don't mess with elk hearts and liver because of the generally extreme locations these critters live and fall but there is no reason not to eat them (an ungulate, is an ungulate, is an ungulate)except of course no way would I eat the liver cause that's just nasty!
Ok, Muddy, calling a fillet, a "catfish"? That is just wrong and a new all time low!
My friend started doing the gutless on elk, and then it just translated over to deer. I think with practice you shouldn't be leaving hardly any, usable meat behind(99%). He said he would teach me, but has yet to get his elk or deer.
thanks guys, I think next time I will try the back bone down method, sounds cool, and I am excited it is as easy as you say to get the tenderloins. I just left them it was well after dark by this time and I had a couple of miles to go. I had a game bag with me and put the quarters in the game bag, then wrapped them in the hide to drag lotttssss of snow so things stayed clean. Doing it alone, I will definately do this on deer again. I'm going to go watch the video now ltr.
oz
I'm just bad Ole "Jack in the Box"...lol
i'll do it to avoid dragging a deer any considerable distance.
It's the only way I do mine. Been doing it since the eighties. I shot an elk once and it died in a beaver pond. I floated it to the bank and cut it up on the bank. No trees within about 100 yards. After that I never hung another one. Gary
I did that on a moose once. Used an axe! I worked pretty good
Is there any other way to harvest the meat off of an animal? Split the belly skin, peel everything up to the backbone, and every bit of meat is right here (including tenderloins) to be taken. Especially on an animal the size of a moose why in the heck would you ever choose to crawl inside of the gut cavity when it's not necessary?
I've never used any other method on game animals ranging from Dall sheep to caribou to blacktail deer to moose. Of course, everything I've ever killed has been a backpack trip so I guess things could change if you can drive something up to the animal.
My favorite aspect of this method isn't the convenience-although it certainly is handy-but the meat quality. IMO, less hair sticks to the meat in the absence of all the blood, so it's easier to get it cleaned off. Plus, you can get it all cooled down quicker.
Stand the deer up like it is sleeping or posing for photos and split down the back one side at a time. Take off the strap, shoulder and quarter then do other side. Use the inside of the hide to keep the meat clean. I hang the pieces from tree branches to cool quickly as I work and use a backpack and trash bags to get them out. I take all the meat - not sure why you need to leave anything. I also gut in the end because I like to do a necropsy on all my deer and get out organ meat. If you do not want to get into the guts the t-loins come out easy from the top like described above. It is illegal on public land in Michigan and you need to take the head with a tag on it if you are transporting in your auto so the sex can be identified. Leave the rest for the song dogs. Beats the heck out of hauling the whole deer when you only weigh 125lbs.
Bob Urban
TSP, Yep, fresh elk liver and heart is good eating. Once frozen I don't think I like it so well. Once was in camp with a guy who didn' like liver. When one elk was down, he hid the onions and we never got them back.
I kind of agree with Wingnut, the remains of the "gutless" method dcan look pretty wasteful-even if it is not. Here in Wyoming the sometimes call it "quick quartering". As with anything some leave more than is helpful to our image.
I once shot a Buffalo-not legal to do it with archery gear in Wyoming at the time. I wish I would have used this method rather than wrestling innards around in the cavernous body cavity. Gut-pile outweighted a good buck deer.