Heard at the skinning/gutting station...

"Well, I guess everybody does it a little differn't," uttered by some rube you just met while he's standing way inside your "personal space".

What have you heard?

Nothing like that. We have a small group of guys that don’t really care how someone else does it. Of course, we don’t have guys from neighboring leases, that we don’t know, at our gutting station. I’m thankful for that.

You back out there chasing that big mule deer?

Back early. Shot a dink. Worst case of ground shrinkage I've had in decades. Uphill, at dusk. There's a chance he's ancient, but still, a humbling experience. 'Shot a good WT cull though. But both in the same afternoon. My back is talking to me.

Randy- "may I offer a suggestion?"
Lonnie- "just go in the house, I'm not gonna do it to suite you"
Randy- "Ok"

(Randy is an artist processing deer)

I don't gut deer, our son or one of the nephews does that for me.

Ya see, THIS is what I'm comfortable around.

The one I like to hear is "Let me show you how to do that"

As a volunteer deer guide on Ft Hood one of the hardest parts for me is standing there watching someone gut their deer lol. I just want to jump in there and do it for them they take so long lol.

Teaching an adult to do something is a tightrope to walk. Not be condescending, but show them a better way, respectfully.

Ft hood doesn't want us to gut their animals or really even touch them during that process. I will give tips but some of these guys it is painful to watch. Had one guy take about 20 minutes to gut a buck. I can do it in a few minutes easy. I have always been very hands on so standing there and watching someone do it a way you consider wrong it hard lol.

I didn't say do it for them.

Explain.

Two boys, 10-12 year olds, were examining the gut bucket and showing there knowledge of internal parts;
One was pointing at the liver "this is the liver."
Then poking at a kidney "this is the other liver"

Not to brag but I've never met anyone who can skin and quarter one faster then me. Ok maybe my brother but he does it the same way. I never try to help people unless they ask. I like to watch other people any time I can. They is always something to learn.

And I said I'm very hands on and have a hard time just standing there explaining.

Later, when it was just the rancher and me, he threw a full-blown rancher cussing hissy fit about how young the bucks were that "Mr. Helpful" and crew had shot, gonna run their arse off, etc.

It's not a race for me. It's time to recount the hunt, enjoy some beer and pay homage to the animal that just gave it's life for me to eat for another year on.

And if I were in a big hurry I'd still be slower than some because I'm just slower than I used to be.

I've been told, in certain things, slow is very good.

Usually when you clean/quarter your deer in half the time they start to take notice that they may be doing something wrong.

I will get the animal hanging and start cutting. My friend, the land owner, will watch for a few minutes and say, "Give me the knife, go shoot another one." I am too slow for him to watch.

M

I’ll admit that I’m slow, and I’ve done it enough times to be quick about it. I take my time. Cutting into the guts teaches a person, the first time, it’s not worth anything to do it a second time. Maybe I’m clumsy. I can’t even gut a deer without cutting myself.

I always feel like an idiot on the first one of the season. If there is someone there I feel more pressure and get frustrated. Once I dig into the 2nd one I feel back to normal.

It's always weird to see it done with the front end of the deer facing up.

My dad's complain is that he does it meticulously so as not to puncture any guts or get any pee or anything on the rest of the meat/hide. A good portion of the guides that skin/gut our animals (when the option is on the table that is) will get a little bit of that bile or pee on some part and it annoys him. But he doesn't really get mad or tell them to change what they're doing, just vents to me when we get home and have to clean and cut it up for the freezer.

I don't really care either way, it's gonna get hosed down anyway.

Deer camp in Georgia: load deer onto the front of the ATV, take it to the cleaning station, hang it up, cut out the bakstrap (sometimes without even skinning!), cut out the quarters, the rest of it goes to the "deer graveyard." This really bothered me because there was a lot of meat being thrown away, the guys there didn't like the smell or the hassle of gutting it. But hey, your tag, your deer, your decision.

I won't jump in because someone is slow but I like helping.....I also don't mind cleaning a deer for someone. I guess it makes me feel like I was part of the hunt as well then. No different than jumping in to help a buddy clean fish, even if I didn't catch em. Part of the fun at deer camp IMO.

I stopped gutting deer years ago. Way too easy to leave them in and the only thing sacrificed is the ribs.

I take my time too. I also wear gloves. Had a fellow troop once who had a scratch on his hand that got infected. A couple of days later, I picked him up at the hospital after he had surgery to cut open his hand in an attempt to remove the infection. Doctor said he almost lost his hand. The following days of picking off dead skin with tweezers was a real thrill as well.

As for the time it takes to gut a deer, I've found each deer is different. The guts simply "fall out" of some, and others don't seem like they want to give theirs up.

I go slow so as to keep all my digits. And I think making any connection between how quickly a fella guts or skins a deer and some level of masculinity is asinine.

It’s just gutting/skinning a deer.

Method or how long it takes doesn’t matter much as long as the job gets done.

I would have handed the knife to him and said “Get after it.”

I'm slow too, some of it is because I've always tried to be careful to make sure I don't cut the gut sack and some of it is simply because...well...I'm slow...lol. I usually don't gut a deer but skin and quarter them but I'm pretty doggone slow there too because the hands don't have the grip they once did and so it simply takes longer. And because it takes me longer it also factors into my decision as to whether to pull the trigger or not. When it's hotter there are a lot more flys and I do not want them laying eggs all over my deer! Ugh!

Once hung, it takes me 3 to 5 minutes unless it is a gut shot then there is a lot of trimming. Not really trying to do it as fast as I can just normally how long it takes.

I like to take my time and do the same thing every time. hang the deer, get a fresh havalon blade put on, get another one on standby but not open with my leatherman next to it for easy on/off. Then crack 2 beers and have then on the table, glove up and get to work. I did taxidermy for years, I like to be methodical and steady. I hate it when people try to give me advise on how to do it, but its usually just my dad and he does it to be a smartas@. I love having a couple beers with the old man after a hunt while cleaning a deer. To me that is as much a part of the hunt as actually hunting.

Overheard at deer camp in 1979 in the hill country NW of Marble Falls:

"And this knife is sooo sharp it'll cut your finger off before you even feel it."
Followed closely by: "OH F*&K, TAKE ME TO THE ER!!"

Luckily there were people in camp to clean the deer while I took "The Toolman" to get his left index finger sewed up.

The ER folks were quite amused at our blue shop towel and camo duct tape bandage.
While sewing away, the doctor said it was a good thing there was a bone there to stop the blade from cutting it completely off...

I take my time too....

I understand what your saying completely. I also like how you said "a way you consider wrong" I got my way and its the right way, but I'm not alone there are as many ways to gut a deer as there are to skin a cat.

What really gets under my skin is sometimes I have gutted/skinned/quartered deer for people who will try to tell you how they want it... ill do it or they can but I'm not going to be told how.

Between all the hugs and her asking me questions it took me about 20 minutes (maybe 30) to gut my wife’s buck last week - I wouldn’t have cared if it took 2 hours.

Agree I always try to help. My dad hasn't gutted a deer or hog when my brother or I were there in 15 years. He gives compliments, thanks and will keep your coffee or beer (whichever fits the weather full ) I feel like I owe the old man that and more.

Were you a good listener

Tenderloins

I take my time except for when it is really cold

I used to hunt with a guy that was a master at cleaning deer - maybe 5 minutes, sometimes less. He was so good the rest of us just allowed him to do it for us, and he enjoyed it. Left on my own though, it is a slower process. I try not to get in a hurry so as not to cut myself, or open guts.

One thing that has really helped me is the "Butt Out". May not work for everyone, but it takes my process down from maybe 20 minutes to 10.

www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servle...ASABEgLr9_D_BwE

The tenderloins are easy to get out without gutting
right behind the ribs cut along the back bone
Throw the carcass away with the guts still inside.

Sounds like a plan

My brother and I clean a lot of deer (mostly mulies) every year, and have a pretty efficient system. On occasion I'll have a client try to tell me I'm doing it wrong. I'm pretty quick to hand them the knife and say "show me" then.

Getting the hide off of a big mulie can be a lot of work. Over the years we've tried all the tricks to try and make it go faster. Like the golf ball winch method. And the air compressor needle under the skin method (blows them up like a balloon). But bottom line just getting right after it with a sharp knife is the most expeditious way about it.

The butt out has got to be a joke right?

I get the call "I got one think I can bring it over?" I used to be fast but since I broke my shoulder i'm slowing down a little every year. I could have one in the cooler in 5 minutes now it takes about 15 minutes.

20 minutes? 10 minutes? Man, I thought I was old and slow but I did four in 28 minutes the other night, bad back and all. I did have a leg-holder but I did all the other work myself.

Just cut the guts down like you would normally gut a deer after the backstraps and shoulders are off. The guts will stay inside the ribs and you can easily get the tenderloins from inside this way. Then cut the spine, drop the rib cage/guts and you can cut your hams apart.

There's an old man on our lease that always tries to con people into doing all of his work for him, but NEVER helping anyone else out regardless of what it may be. His son (mid to late 40's) is on the lease, but he'll still try to pawn everything on others before his son. Last time I was out, he had a doe hung up in our cleaning hut and says "I saw your dad out here last weekend, and he offered you to clean all of my deer this season." HA! Good luck with that one buddy. I don't mind helping one bit, as long as I can get some help when it's needed on my end too.

I've gotten used to cleaning deer hanging by their back legs over the past 6 years. This past weekend hunting with dad, I cleaned one on the ground and it took much longer than it used to.

Lol tried all that too. Same conclusion.

That was my reaction at first as well - a friend bought them for several of us a few years ago. I threw mine in bag and forgot about it, until one of the others mentioned how well it works. Sure 'nuff - I am now a believer. No need to split pelvis or cut around anus when using it. Takes about 20 seconds to get the intestines back and out of way.

I would never volunteer your assistance other than on my own stuff

I used to be really fast cause I got a lot of practice (dad was allergic to the hair or dander), so I gutted, skinned and quartered a bunch ... I was the grunt as a kid and pretty much did everyone's deer, so easily 100+ per season ... then as my kids and nephews were growing up (and then SIL) teaching them I got a lot of practice too. As I get older with bad back & knees and much less practice, I have slowed drastically.

Exactly! I'm amazed at how many people actually gut their deer. I have not gutted an animal in years. You can get everything (including tenderloins) quickly and cleanly without gutting.

Went for a long time not gutting them. I gut mine now mostly to lessen the weight and make them easier to deal with.

LO wants us bringing them back and skinning/cleaning them at the house. He believes it causes less attraction for predators in his pastures. (But It's a field day at the dump, let me tell you!)

I'm gonna try not gutting next season, or maybe this year with a guest's deer. I'll have to watch a YouTube video for how to get the hind quarters off without causing a mess.

There's three other pastures leased, with one skinning station, with mostly worn out winches, cables, etc. Some other hunters love to roar up there on their stupid UTV,that seems to be running 24/7, when they see anyone else and see what's been killed. I understand the attraction, but don't show up and kibitz dammit.

We lay em on their back, unzip from anus to chin (no shoulder mount of course). Cut through the hams, right in the center, then put the point of the knife on the suture of cartilage connecting the pelvis, and pound on the heel of the knife the palm of the other hand, and get it cut from north to south. Open the deer's back legs, stand on em, squat down, grap the tail, and stand up. Boom, rectum has a place to come out. Go back up to the chin, grab trachea, and esophagus in one hand, cut them loose, and start pulling toward the tail. A few cuts of fascia along the way, and every organ comes out in one piece. Deer just lost several pounds, making it easier to handle.

Back at camp, we skin head up, hanging from an old swingset frame, leaving the back legs touching the ground. Once the hide is peeled back to just above the tail, hold in both hands raise a foot onto it, and step down. The legs are way stronger than the arms.

To go the gutless method, hang the deer by the hind quarters, cut the head off, skin the deer, remove the shoulders, then backstraps. Cut the guts down and let them fall into the rib cage until you can grab the tenders. After that cut the spine right below the hams with a saw or sawzaw and you are left with just the hams hanging together. Separate the pelvis and you are done. It really is that simple.

That's how we do it too, except use a saw for the pelvis and brisket. It can be done quick fast and in a hurry. Then with the guts out I can let it hang for an hour to cool while I go inside where my momma has coffee and a breakfast fit for a king ready.

Plus the gutless is a no go for me because we save the ribs flank etc. for sausage/burger grind.

Boom.

The eye bolts in the concrete are to attach a short cable to the hide so when winching up the deer it pulls the hide off. You can see the shadow of the a'frame the electric winch is tied on. Only picture I still have of the contraption.

That's how we always did it before we started hanging them to gut, but used a roofing hatchet and hammer instead of the saw. I always have a hammer and roofing hatchet in the bed of the truck during deer season, just for that. I cant ever hit the same spot twice with a hatchet, so that's what the hammer is for. haha Put the blade on the pelvis then smack with a hammer a few times and done. Smaller deer we do like Fireman said.. big knife and the heel of your hand.

That's what we use at this lease. Works. Most of the time. The hide can break when you're almost through (with the head and forelegs cut off); then, it's a PITA.

I still like to winch the skin off. At least it seems to take less time. Good idea on the I bolt.

Does no one simply cut the meat from the bone around the pelvis and then pop the ball out of the socket??? It may take a few deer to learn the curve, but you probably couldn't fill a taco with the amount of meat left once you get the hang of it! I always butcher my own deer, and taking the hindquarters all the way down to the femur when quartering saves a good bit of time later when cutting steaks or separating the muscles prior to grinding. And no need for a hatchet or pruning shears....

Get one of these makes quick cuts on legs and down the center. deer will peel like a banana.

"Well, I guess everybody does it a little differn't,"

Link?

Cheap too,
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/game-winner-skinning-tool

After skinning with the winch I do it like that. My uncle was a butcher and showed me how to pop the ball joints and cut the tendons on the ankle joints and never need an ax or saw.

Yes, after gutting and skinning.

Same as the knees, and the hocks. Cut around the joints, cut the ligaments, bend/ break sideways, legs come off. I only need a sharp knife, no saws or hatchets.

just a knife here too for legs & splitting the pelvis ... unless a pretty good buck that I can't it the cartilage to split the pelvis to pull the tail end of the guts to rectum out.

always remove the hind quarter by tracing the pelvis to back bone to hit the ball/socket with little wasted meat left on the carcass.

If you are going to be a bear be a grizzly.

Get the Raptor-razor trust me.


Becareful not for those with ADD.

That's how I do it. Father in law and brother in law use the battery powered sawzall to cut pelvis, but I hate having to trim out the damn bone chips afterwards. Wastes less meat to trim the bone to the joint.

Exactly how I remove the rear quarter.

My method is to skin, remove the quarters, trim the neck and brisket. Make a small slit along the lower spine to remove the tenderloins as the last step.

No need to gut anything. Take the remaining carcass to the field for the critters.

I have skinned and quartered a bunch, but discovered about 5 years ago the processor I take them to will do it for $20 - plus will come up and meet me up till 10 PM. Sooo....I just gut them and part with the $20 these days.

We do a similar thing to the first part, but we hang em upside down. Stepping on the hide thing is one of the best things I've learned.

Also, the reason why we gut/skin our deer in their entirety is because we eat just about all of it. Neck, ribs, brain/tongue sometimes. I understand that many people don't, but we do, hence throwing away a carcass save the quarters, loins, and backstraps does not sit well with me. But again, your tag, your deer, your choice. I'm just explaining why I hold the opinions I have.

That is how we do it, once you figure out the joints it only takes a second.
My brother would use a pair of tree loppers to cut the bones, they were sharp and would poke through a zip lock bag like a knife. He now separates them at the joint too.

Telling you guys, check out Rapor Razor. Been super happy with mine

Gutting and quartering a deer takes me precisely as long as it takes me to do it....LOL

Sometimes I am fast, sometimes I am slow. Just depends on me and the deer that day.

chital,

do not eat the brains of any animal.

There are questions about whether they may have disease risks even after thorough cooking.

You jokers are trashing a lot of good stuff! The heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and caul fat are all saved from my gut piles, basically the digestive tract is all that stays in the field for the critters, and then the hide, the hooves, the spine and the head are all that goes to the bone pile after I’m finished butchering. The lungs and kidneys go through the dehydrator for dog treats, sometimes I’ll add the liver, but I like deer liver for catfish bait. Heart gets eaten, thin sliced and pan fried in butter, caul fat gets wrapped around a roast, ribs get smoked, or individually sliced and fried, sometimes I’ll leave the backstrap on the ribs to slice out chops. Big leg bones are used to make stock, or soup bones. I hunt to eat, and I don’t like the thought of a coyote walking away from my bone yard with a full belly.

The way subcontinent spices work, I doubt it, but thank you, I appreciate the advice.

I don't like the texture of lungs so we don't keep them, but we do the other three. Also use much of the animal as well, nice to see someone else who does so too!

LOL, wasn't this toolman, the tip of my left index finger is long gone!

Same here! Quick and easy for an old man.