Skinning before gutting

[greenhead_killer]

I’ve done it this way multiple times. In fact, just did it with a bear I shot on Sunday. Hauled it out whole, a pain, but was able to hang and skin first then gut.

Like said, once skinned, zip from pelvis to sternum. Take a saw and split chest cavity. Around the butt, knife all the way around to loosen tissue/muscle up. Then take one of the front hooves (works with deer/elk/etc) and jam it down the shoot to push the butt hole out etc again. Everything will shoot out In one clean swoop. Super clean.

[hard hunter]

We do this with all the deer and elk we shoot at the uncles farm in Idaho. 

[Alchase]

I prefer to gut out immediately. No matter where I kill it. If I have a long drag I will knock the knees. Less to get hung up. Then when back in camp, hang head up, and skin. I find I get a ton less hair on the meat when skinning head up. And I can slip the game bag right up to the neck without repositioning.

[Stein]

I prefer to gut out immediately. No matter where I kill it. If I have a long drag I will knock the knees. Less to get hung up. Then when back in camp, hang head up, and skin. I find I get a ton less hair on the meat when skinning head up. And I can slip the game bag right up to the neck without repositioning.

That kind of makes sense as the neck area is the hardest and I can see how having that at eye level and doing it first would help.

I have this dream of getting my deer and antelope, if I do, maybe I'll do one heads up and one heads down.  If I had a stronger hoist I would just tie the hide to a fence post and drive it off.  Now that I think about it, I could put it in the bed of the truck, tie the head to the tie down against the cab and do it that way.

[elksnout]

Who the hell gets a deer out whole?

Elksnout

[Stein]

Easy, you just have to hunt the right areas.

I got two out at the same time last year, I was too lazy to make two trips and wanted to see if the cart could handle it.  I have to use a game cart, if you can drive out it's even easier.

Field dressing at the truck with a hoist gives me so much better of an end product.  I consider myself pretty good in the field with a knife, but if you get them out whole there is zero chance for dirt on them and you just have to worry about hair, thus this discussion.

[kball4]

I've tried gutless method, head up, head down.  I prefer gutting immediately, I always split the pelvic bone to make sliding the entrails easier, then head down skinning.

[Alchase]

Another thing to think about is to use the teraign to your advantage. I will lay a buck down stomach facing uphill while I make my cuts from the rear up to the throat. This helps keep guts down towards the backbone. Then I flip it over stomach facing down hill. Most imes the guts will roll right out.

[Okanagan]

Have done the last ten or 12 family deer that way, skinning first, plus one moose.  Before my geriatricity, I backpacked many more boned out ones... 

I start as Stein described, skin down past the hocks before hanging and cut around the anus on the ground or with rump barely lifted.  If I need to keep the tail attached as evidence of species, I pull a clear plastic bag over the tail.  Cut the hide through around the tail bone and cinch a cord around the base of the tail and bag, with all hair inside the bag, tail bone still attached. That keeps tail hair from  getting on the meat.

 I've done this skin first approach right where some animals fell, hanging them on a tree limb or tripod of poles. 

I cut the pelvis after it is hung, not getting the saw teeth into the pelvic channel much, to avoid the bladder.  I use a pull saw for all of this.  The bladder hangs down away from the blade when it is hung up.

Then I saw open the sternum before starting gutting.  Saw from the brisket up to the diaphragm.  A cut into the lungs or heart does not matter, but I keep the angle close to the sternum, not letting much of the saw inside the body cavity, and stop before entering the gut cavity.  It opens access more if you cut the flank flap loose from the ham. When cut loose from pelvis the guts then roll right out.  The diaphragm is right there with easy access to cut around the edge along the ribs.  One light push down and the ribs spread as it all drops out.  A tub is a good idea or a snowy hill slope to roll the guts/lungs assembly out of the way. 

It leaves an amazingly clean carcase.  We did my grandson's opening day archery buck that way a couple of weeks ago.  It was so clean it looked like a training video.

Re skinning from the head down:  have done many that way, and it has advantages and dis.  An older Native lady told me that if I skinned head up the thin red meat on the back and sides would stay on the carcase rather than stay with the hide. She is right. If you save the hide to tan, skinning head up may be better.  I get more hair on the meat when skinning head up but I could improve that with better starting technique at the top of the neck.

[jeffro]

I’ve been going the gutless method for the last few years.
Skin out some, remove, bag meat, repeat...
The only hard part is the tenderloins
And if you want the heart/ liver
Save that for the end

[Okanagan]

Would add  re skinning before gutting a hanging deer:  If you cut off the head when the skin is down to the back of the skull, then you can take out the entire anus to Adam's apple internals in one unit.  A slit down the neck after entrails and lungs roll out will free the esophagus and wind pipe to go out with the rest.  No cutting either esophagus nor windpipe inside the chest cavity.

 We only do this method when we can get the gutting done soon after the animal goes down. If the critter has to be left for awhile or overnight, gut it even if you plan to bone it out later.

There is no best way to gut and skin, because terrain, nature of wound, temperature, time of day, distance to pack, etc. are all factors that decide the best method for that deer in that situation.  I started to gut a blacktail one time and quickly discovered the worst gut shot I've encountered due to a bullet that changed direction and penetrated where I didn't expect.  Instantly I reverted to gutless and boned out the critter without opening the gut cavity till the last reach-in for tenderloins.  I've boned them out beside a vehicle and hung them way out in the bush.  Different strokes for different deer.

[kball4]

I don't saw through the pelvic bone, I use a rock and thick blade knife and it splits right through it. As long as the game is still warm the bones are soft.

[dvolmer]

I don't ever see a reason for me to ever gut a deer again.  Gutless method is by the far the way to go.  All you come home with is a few bags of meat with no hide or carcass to deal with.  Leave it all in the field for birds and coyotes.  Plus you don't have to haul all that stuff out of the backcountry that takes a lot of physical effort.  When you get home its just a quick job of spraying off and cleaning the meat and then doing whatever you have planned with it.

[Stein]

The reason I haven't gone gutless is that I save the heart, liver and ribs (when allowed per CWD regulations).  I could do that gutless but it seems like more work than just gutting it.

Additionally, I like to keep the animal as whole as possible up to the cutting table as it gives me more freedom for different cuts as well as minimal loss due to dirt and dry meat where previous cuts were made.

It's a personal preference for sure and doesn't apply to an animal shot 5 miles from the road for sure.

In a few years, I may be back to quartering, but I like to try new things and see what works best.

[dvolmer]

The reason I haven't gone gutless is that I save the heart, liver and ribs (when allowed per CWD regulations).  I could do that gutless but it seems like more work than just gutting it.

Additionally, I like to keep the animal as whole as possible up to the cutting table as it gives me more freedom for different cuts as well as minimal loss due to dirt and dry meat where previous cuts were made.

It's a personal preference for sure and doesn't apply to an animal shot 5 miles from the road for sure.

In a few years, I may be back to quartering, but I like to try new things and see what works best.

I agree totally that it is up to the hunters preference.  I don't care for the Liver and heart on a deer but I will keep an elk heart when I can.  What I really like is that I don't have to deal with the hide and carcass after I get home.  I used to sneak down and dump them in dumpsters and or have to take them for a long drive into the country.  I really like not having to do that.  Every guy has different likes and situations.  So whatever works for you is what is best for you.