The only time I've ever taken an animal out whole is when I was guiding on a high fence operation and we had a trailer made for loading elk and bison whole. Didn't want a bunch of gut piles in the hunting pasture where animals were harvested. That was the only reason we took them out whole. Otherwise I like to pack them out in pieces when more than a hundred yard drag to the truck. I never heard of people leaving guts in a critter until this forum. Why pack it out just to dispose of later? Bones are bad enough but necessary until rigor sets in. I like to hang as long as weather permits. Tenderloins come out prior to hanging so they don't dry out. Keep the skin on too, provided you can get the critter cooled down quickly. Worked for me the last 28 years of hunting. Never lost any meat from doing it this way. I'd think you southern folks would want to gut ASAP with how warm it is down there, doesn't sound like that's the case though. Ymmv
Beware of any old man in a profession where one usually dies young.
