Gut it right away or back at the truck?

[50CalJim]

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.

It is? Where does it say that!

[bobcat]

It is? Where does it say that!

Well, I guess it doesn't. But I assumed he was asking about deer since he posted it in the "Deer Hunting" forum.

But I agree, I would not drag an elk anywhere. I don't even drag deer unless it's all downhill and under 100 yards to the truck.

[50CalJim]

It is? Where does it say that!

Well, I guess it doesn't. But I assumed he was asking about deer since he posted it in the "Deer Hunting" forum.

But I agree, I would not drag an elk anywhere. I don't even drag deer unless it's all downhill and under 100 yards to the truck.

Fair enough! I've had a busy day of doing funerals  & drinking so I'm talking jibberish I suppose:sry:But the bottom line is my days of dragging dead weight are over unless its real close to the road. Its just to damn  painful when ya start to get a little bit older if ya know what I mean

[Deep Forks]

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.

I'm agreeing with High Country, I like good meat.    

Its just to damn  painful when ya start to get a little bit older if ya know what I mean

50Cal Jim, I do know what you mean and the heal-up time is getting longer too.  

[DoubleJ]

Gonna try to derail the thread here     Drag vs. carry?  For me, it is easier to take 150lbs and fireman's cary it out of the woods than it is to drag it.  Thoughts?

[Miles]

Gutless method, then put it in some game bags and go.  Much faster than gutting and/or dragging.

[Navyrep1]

Gonna try to derail the thread here     Drag vs. carry?  For me, it is easier to take 150lbs and fireman's cary it out of the woods than it is to drag it.  Thoughts?

Fireman's carry...seriously?  Might be a great idea if you'd like a bunch of ticks in your hair and down your shirt.  If you're going to gut it and skin it where it fell then you might as well bone it or quarter it for packing out.  Much less weight, cools meat faster, doesn't bruise the hell out of it, and a much more manageable load.  Any more than a few hundred yards from a road, I debone and pack from where it fell.

[high country]

I just cut two slits 2" apart and 10" long on its back.....I make it a simple suitcase. Joking of course. But i have seen guys make a deer into a backpack.

[rebal69972]

if I'm close to a road or the truck i gut and go other wise debone hang and pack. its all about the meat, weather conditions distance and who's there often determen what happens

[sledjockey]

I grew up in Wyoming where you just drove up, gutted it, and tossed it on top of the other 2-4 deer and 6-8 antelope in the back of the truck. Out here: gut it, quarter it, seal the hide so I don't have bugs crawling all over and get the kid to haul it out....  Something to be said about having teenage kids: two legged mobile cranes!!!   

[Elkrunner]

Always get the guts away from the meat and start letting it cool.  I think its all about the situation.

Modern Firearm - We had 8 people in camp and it was cold, we gutted in the field then hung it and skinned at camp.

Early archery elk - only have 2-3 guys in camp.  Its quartered in the field and hauled out.

Early season deer - We have done both depending on where we ended up getting it.

[Evoac05]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I am new to hunting and wasn't sure what the best way to go about it, but I was leaning towards field dressing the deer. After reading all these posts, I think I'm now leaning towards quartering the deer. Thanks again! Also, if you have any advice for a new hunter, feel free to pm me.

[high country]

Best advice is keep your meat clean. Hair is a pain. It will take a while to learn how to cut with the hair, from the underside to keep shaving to a minimum. Once you are skinned back enough to begin quartering, look at the terrain......where is my critter going to want to roll once I start pulling bones, where will the blood go.....where am I going to work if blood and guts are too close. Go slow, do not cut yourself. Don't be afraid to use ropes to hold in position. Above all else, have fun.....we only get one first.

[ouchfoss]

It all depends on how far away it is from the road. The last few years (depending on how far away from home I am) I have started taking the deer all the way home ungutted whenever possible. You can keep the meat so much cleaner when you can hang it, skin it, and then gut it last.   

[turbo]

depends on the situation, gut it where it falls most of the time.