I don't gut them where they fall becausd I might want to hunt that stand again. We skin them first usually and cut most of the meat off before we gut them. I only gut them to get to the heart. The tenderloins can be cut out without gutting. I am in the camp that puts my meat in a cooler with salted ice and drained off daily. It does pull most of the blood out of the meat and makes it more tender. I ate deer loin for supper last night and that deer had been on ice for 5 days. It was off a buck that stunk when I walked up to him that was in rut. Full of hormones and he wasn't the least bit gamey.
