Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game No gut field dressing

I read several posts recently wherein hunters who downed game did not gut the animals when they dressed them. I have never encountered that before and and curious as to how it is done. How many of you guys do that?

That's the way we do all the hogs we shoot. I've also done it on moose and elk worked great. Just skin off the quarters remove them, we have cotton meat sacks to put them in, bone out the backstraps, and by the time you get all the quarter off and the backstraps off you can get to the tenderloins pretty easily.

I did it on my last large hog, split the skin down the back and take it off enough to get the back straps, quarters, and neck meat. It was quicker and much cleaner than gutting, then quartering. Now that I've learned to make bacon it will be trickier on the next one, trying to get the belly without losing the guts.

When dealing with moose the idea of hauling guts out makes no sense at all... First cut is right up the back and the top side legs are removed very cleanly. Then the backstrap, neck and t-loin come off that side. Ribs can be cut off also, or left to the end.

Then flop the hide back up onto the body and roll onto the other side. Repeat the meat removal and grab whatever guts you are keeping and cut off the rib cage(s). Quick, easy and very clean...

Done it quite a few times with elk. It would be the only way to do a moose IMO.

RH

we do it with deer that have been hit by vehichles.Normaly only one side is any good any way

Started doing it a number of years ago. Now, due largely I think to CWD in the deer and elk, the Colorado DOW recommends it as it minimizes contact with blood and bone marrow.

I like to open them about 6" to a foot when I take off the first Hind Quarter. Gives me a little more room when I remove the first HQ. But no moose this year so no problem!

If it's a big animal like elk or bear and there is any packing to do I'll always go gutless. Remember if you're saving the hide to remove the hide from the belly without cutting into the gut cavity. I pack the alaskan quarter bags with me there lite and compact. It's not a bad idea to have five or six quarter bags to include the backstraps, tenderlions and all the hamburger grid.

I have been doing it for about 8 yrs. Sure a lot easier and no stepping around in all the blood and guts.

I dressed three deer like this last year, quartered on the ground without gutting. It was a first for me and it worked great.

Deer on side-cut skin along spine from neck to tail
Skin top side down to knees and as close to the ground as you can
Cut quarters off and bag them
Cut out backstrap and any neck and grinder meat you want
Flip deer over and repeat

Alaska's moose and goose folks demand that non resident hunters watch a video on that method. I use it if one is heading right out with his goods. If I still have an extended stay ahead, I will leave bone in to minimize surface exposure. In that instance a moose is broken into 5 or 6 pieces.

Sitka: I believe one must burrow inside to harvest the tenderloins. I save that task for last.

I take them ASAP because of the possibility of getting gut juices on them. I have done dozens of moose, caribou, deer, bison and such and it is the only way to go...

It's like heading and gutting a salmon before filleting.

Filleting the salmon with the guts in is so much easier.

Yup. That was my point!

We've done it on moose. We also use a chainsaw to cut down the backbone & the sternum.
Bear in Fairbanks

I did that to a bear hanging in the shop once. Put a sheet of plywood behind to catch the bonedust. The shop stunk for way to long could get the smell out for ever. If I every try the chainsaw again it'll be outsided for sure.

We field dress everything we shoot. We take deer out whole, so I see no point in dragging the extra weight. I also want the carcass to cool as quickly as possible.

Chris

Though it interests me, I have never done it. The retroparietal cavity separates the viscera from the kidneis and tenderloin, so judicious use of knife should separate the tenderloins without contamination. This of course hinges on shot placement not causing compartment failure.
Randy