Gut it right away or back at the truck?

[buck man]

gut it were i shoot them .less weight to drag.

 

[Raul Duke]

Once it hits the dirt, it's all about meat care. Gut it where it lies.  If you have to drag it, you drag less weight.  Unless I am almost on the road, I gut, skin and quarter it right there.  Get the meat cooling ASAP.

 

[colockumelk]

We typically de-bone everything.  Elk because they are heavy and I'm usually in a wilderness area. Deer because its usually 90 degrees and its going in a cooler with ice anyways.  The only exception is my last WA deer was killed in the middle of some winter wheat.  So out of respect for the land owner I drug it about 200 yrs or so to some crp and then boned it out.  That sucked!!!!

[lokidog]

Gut it where it is unless it was shot on private land and I feel the landowner wouldn't want gut in their field.

We drag them off the lawn and into the back of the truck.  Don't want to mess up the neighbor's landscaping.....    

I've actually gutted the last six or so Weathergirl and I have gotten while hanging, plop right into a Rubbermaid tub.  Last years' doe was gutted where she dropped on public land out east.

[Tman]

If it's a reasonable downhill drag to a road I'll leave the guts in until I get down there to keep brush/dirt/hair from getting in on the meat as best I can. 

+1

same here.

[Kola16]

 I like colockumelk's anwser. Neither, bone it

[predator guy]

Gut it where it lies! 'nuff said

[PolarBear]

Getting the guts out and cooled down is the most important thing. Drag weight is waaay down the list of priorities.

[huntnnw]

guess it doesnt matter when its shot from the road....

[MtnMuley]

......not this again. I agree with Alan K.

[high country]

I don't have a rule. I take each situation for what it is. I want my meat clean, cool and not bruised to heck. I do what I can to ensure that.

[50CalJim]

If it's a reasonable downhill drag to a road I'll leave the guts in until I get down there to keep brush/dirt/hair from getting in on the meat as best I can. 

+1

Not here too argue but all I know is if you kill a Nooksack Bull you will work it over where it lays!!!You can not drag a Nook Bull guarantee!! You may be able to drag a Montana, Eastside Wa or St Helens Bull but you ain't dragging a nook Bull guarantee unless you can reach it with a winch or Quad. As far as I'm concerned the Nook Bulls are the biggest bodied Elk their is bar nun!!! I've dragged numerous Elk off the Gravelly range & the Snowcrest in Montana with ease but the Nooks are about  half again as big as a Rocky Mtn Elk.

[firefighter4607]

gut it were i shoot them .less weight to drag.

[huntnnw]

I have yet to kill a bull in NE WA that I could of drug     I didn't know there was Paul Bunyans of people that could do this I have killed elk withing hundred yards of logging roads and there is no way I am attempting to drag it

[bobcat]

Not here too argue but all I know is if you kill a Nooksack Bull you will work it over where it lays!!!You can not drag a Nook Bull guarantee!! You may be able to drag a Montana, Eastside Wa or St Helens Bull but you ain't dragging a nook Bull guarantee unless you can reach it with a winch or Quad. As far as I'm concerned the Nook Bulls are the biggest bodied Elk their is bar nun!!! I've dragged numerous Elk off the Gravelly range & the Snowcrest in Montana with ease but the Nooks are about  half again as big as a Rocky Mtn Elk.

But this topic is about deer, not elk.