The Gutless Method
The "gutless method" is a technique utilized in the field that allows a hunter to quarter and butcher a large game animal without opening the body cavity. This makes the process cleaner and more manageable. This method involves skinning one side of the animal, removing the quarters, backstraps, tenderloins, neck meat and lower leg meat and then flipping the animal to repeat the process on the other side. This allows for more efficient meat cooling and can be especially helpful for packing heavy animals out of the field.
How we do it
* Lay the animal on its side: position the animal on a flat surface if possible with one side exposed.
* Skin the exposed side: Make cuts along the spine and legs to remove the hide from the backbone down to the legs.
* Remove the quarters: Separate the front and hind quarters by cutting through the muscle and hip joint.
* Remove the backstrap and tenderloin: Carefully skin the backstrap from the spine. Use your knife to slide along the spine to carefully detach the tenderloin without puncturing the body cavity.
* Remove other meat: Trim the neck meat and the lower leg meat.
* Flip and repeat: Roll the animal over and repeat the entire process on the other side.
* Where required, leave evidence of sex: Leave the testicles attached to one of the rear quarters.
* Options for dealing with the head/antlers:
1. Save the head and cape for a shoulder mount by caping the animal and skinning to the base of the neck. Remove the head at the atlas joint. Remove any large chunks of meat from the cape. Allow the cape to cool before rolling up and placing in a game bag.
2. Save the head only by dislocating the skull at the atlas joint.
3. Skull cap the antlers only.
Cooling The Meat
* Place each quarter and loose meat in quality, reusable game bags.
* Hang the game bags in a nearby tree to cool.
Prepare For Transport
* Bones are heavy so I try to make a habit of removing the lower legs at the knee joints. Do this by dislocating and breaking the joint and severing the ligaments.
* For eliminating even more weight, you can debone the quarters but deboning takes time and in all honesty, I like to pack with “bone in” because it keeps the meat together and keeps it from moving around during the pack out.
* Utilize packs that have a “meat shelf” option. There are some great pack options out there. We use the Mystery Ranch “Metcalf” pack because it has proven its effectiveness in over a dozen pack outs of both deer and elk.
Benefits of the Gutless Method
* Clean meat: The meat remains uncontaminated by internal organs.
* More manageable: By removing large, heavy portions of meat first, it makes the carcass lighter to flip and maneuver.
* Efficient cooling: It helps the meat cool down faster than traditional field dressing, which is crucial for preventing spoilage.
Drawbacks
* This method does not allow for the removal of the heart and liver, unless the process is modified to do so specifically.
Legality
* Ensure you are aware of local regulations regarding wanton waste laws, and what is legal when transporting meat.
* Know what the requirements are in the state you’re hunting for proof of or evidence of sex
