Gutless field dressing

[woodview]

Gutless field dressing

Wondering if anyone has tried this? I'd think that just dragging a deer out would probably be easier than dragging out chunks, but a couple guys with backpacks might be much more convenient in situations.

In wyoming this year my brother in law and I really want to head deeper into a couple areas that we know get almost no pressure. Without horses that might be a drag that one of us doesn't survive (me, he runs triathalons) .

Lot different draggin through mountains and sage than around here and it can be bad enough here.

I'd think getting the backstraps out would be nearly impossible without going through the cavity. Possible?

[Gissert]

I've seen it done. I plan on doing it to my next elk. Pretty slick, especially on elk and moose size critters. One thing is to make sure all the boned out meat has a chance to cool down some before it is packed into meat sacks, a packframe, or a cooler. When you get it back to camp, spearate it all and let it chill down fully before packing it away.

To get out the tenderloins, make an incision behind the last rib, and you can reach up and get them out without too much trouble at all. The backstraps lie on the outside, along the spine, and are easily removed with a knife. If you want the liver, you can reach it from here also, just might have to make a bigger cut. You have to do a bit more digging if you want the heart.

On deer size game, I would field dress the conventional way. If it is too far to drag, I would try and hang and skin, then bone it out as it hangs.

[BLACKJACK]

Goto the bowsite HSOforum, theres a link to a gutless method for elk. I think you idea is good, packing out boneless meat, but for deer, they're small enough, you can still gut them conventionally and then debone them.

[xedge2002]

Also the last issue of field and stream has pics & descriptions of how to field dress a deer without gutting it.

[icefritz]

This is how I do all my deer. I learned it so I did not have to hang the deer by myself and not have to worry about throwing away the guts. The only thing to keep in mind is the MN deer tagging rules...

[woodview]

got loins and backstraps labeled backwards.

I was actually thinking afterwards that it should be fairly easy to get them. I'm pretty sure I could get them out by "feel" easily enough.

You may be right on deer being easier doing the traditional way then deboning.

Mn tag regs won't apply the same since I'll be out west and it's legal. Though now that I think about it that's based on heresay so I'd better check into it personally.

Will check out bowsite and now I'm wondering where last months issue is. Thanks for the advice all.

[SpecialK]

No clue about Wyoming but in CO it's legal to do it. You need to leave the sac on one quarter if it's a buck or the female equivalent if it's a doe.

[Big Dave2]

Quote:

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This is how I do all my deer. I learned it so I did not have to hang the deer by myself and not have to worry about throwing away the guts. The only thing to keep in mind is the MN deer tagging rules...

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Actually, I thought that the law changed this year so you only have to have a filled out tag "in your possesion" or something like that but not actually on the deer itself.

Or are you referring to a different rule that I don't know about?

[gundoglily]

The Mn tagging for deer has changed for this year. After talking to the local CO, he said that now you mark on your license the date, time of kill and that you do not have to physically tag the deer until you move it by ATV or something mechanical. If you drag it all the way from the field to your home or camp site, hunting shack, you do not have to tag it until you get to the site. There will also be electronical registration this year, so no need to load the deer and take to the registration site.