How do you guys handle dead deer? If there are other answers I didn't think of, please post a comment in the thread. I learned going full skinned and gutted, taking it to a processor, but have since revised my ways. I do donate some meat every year so those are different from the ones I am going to keep too.

Dead deer, after shot care multiple choice
	Skin head to feet
	Skin only in areas I am going to take meat from
	Complete gut job
	I prefer to take meat in the gutless manner
	I take the gutted animal to a processor
	I process my own meat at the house
Votes accepted starting: 11/10/21 06:36 PM
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I gut it on the ground and take it to the processor whole with skin.

I do two of the six. Take meat in the gutless manner and then process the meat at the house.

I rarely gut anymore.
Hang by back legs, skin down to base of head, cut slit in between back legs to get tenders out, cut out back straps, front quarters, and then the two hind quarters. Trim off all good meat for ground meat or sausage and take entire body with the guts in it to the dump.

I need to try the gutless method, may keep me little cleaner.

Depends on where I'm at. Most deer I hang(ungutted), then skin, qtr. This year so far it gutless and only skin where I needed too

Most go to the processor. If I do it myself, it's typically the gutless method/skin from the knees up.

Usually gut on ground hang by hind legs skin then cut off front legs, debone the rib cage hanging and then cut out the pelvis and knock the hind legs off at the hock and onto ice/in fridge.

The doe I shot last weekend I broker the premier rule of knife safety and cut the hell out of my hand. I bandaged it up gave the knife to my brother who so kindly finished the gut and skin job for me and I helped cook dinner.

Remove the meat I want, take that to the processor.

I just watched a video on the gutless method. I think I’ll try it out this weekend. I hate to change what works but it looks simple and better than the way I’ve always done it. Maybe change is a good thing. I’ll report back.

Learned my processor will take them without even being field dressed if it’s a fresh kill. They’re 25-30 minutes away and I’m lazy, so…..

If your camp has someplace to hang them, it is very easy to hang them and skin without gutting. Once skinned, you remove quarters and backstraps. You enter the guts just enough to get to the tenderloins, and then let the carcass with guts fall into a big bucket. That is by far the quickest and cleanest method I have found, but you have to have a hanging rack, and preferably a winch or pulley.

I’ve used gutless on hogs. They smell bad enough without opening them up.

The only time I use the gutless method is if somebody gut shoots one and especially if not recovered for a while. Crazy how so many folks here don't want to gut them lol. There's nothing like the feel of warm guts on your hands on a cold day. Anyway, to each their own.

Sometimes I gut on the ground, sometimes I hang & then gut keeping any desired organ meat...and always hang by the back legs. Then skin, quarter, & pack on ice to take home for processing. The ribs are either de-boned for sausage meat, or I'll saw them off the carcass/saw in half/season them up good and throw them on the pit for a little snack.

They smell a lot better on the inside than the outside lol. Plus, I love pork ribs & fajitas.

It is interesting to see what everyone does.

I hang by a hitch based winch, skin down the legs through the hind quarters and take those muscle groups, then cut down the back and take the back straps, and finally enter the abdomen enough to get the tenders. The rest goes for the buzzards and coyotes. That is for one I take home.

For donating meat deer, I will hang, gut, and then take with hide on to a local processor who donates the meat to folks who need it. He does that for free.

Of course I get a live weight before and then take appropriate parts for the wall as needed....

If I'm not lazy, I'll skin and quarter the gutless method before taking to the processor. If its late or really cold and/or I'm lazy, I just gut and take to the processor.

Done it every which-a-way, but I decided not long ago to keep everything I can, so now I hang, gut, quarter, keep the ribs, cut out the heart, and cook the heart and tenderloins together for the next meal. They never get frozen. No processor.... I have trust issues!

Hang by hind legs. Gut, cut tenderloins out, cut backstraps out, trim neck meat & ribs for grinding, cut off shoulders, split hind quarters, and all goes on ice in cooler immediately. Then take it all but backstraps & tenderloins to Kuby's in Dallas to get made into great sausages.

It all depends on who is with me. All I do is shoot them, usually our son or one of our nephews are with me, and one of them does all of the gutting etc.

I’m only a year away from this. My 13YO is almost 6’ and strong as a man. He just needs a little more coaching to be able to do it all himself. That’s the way things should be done!

Hang deer head down, skin, drop guts in a bucket, and quarter. I bag the quarters in trash sacks. Backstrap and loins go into a zip lock and every goes on ice. If warm I open drain on ice chest. I do not like water touching meat. I process myself. When I get home I cut hams into roasts and debone shoulders. Roasts, backstraps, and loins get vacuum packed. The rest is for sausage or grinder.

Way it aught to be. My old many only has to mess with dead deer for pictures or if he slips up and shoots one when we arent there. I dont think he has loaded, gutted, skinned or deboned a deer since he taught my brother and I the trade. He finally had to re teach himself to clean fish now that him and mom go all the time without us lol.

My hang up with the gutless method is you cant do it and take the flank/rib meat. It makes grind and sausage just like everything else. Also I like to be able to get them back to camp pull the guts out and let them hang to chill or till after the evening hunt etc. and take care of it then.