ANyone know of a good video or DVD on this topic? Last fall I watched my outfitter break down an Elk pretty neatly using this method.

Also, can anyone recommend a goog video or DVD showing butchering deer using knoves to bone everything out. Thanks

The concept is pretty simple. Remove the quarters. Remove enough of the hide along the spine to get at the backstraps. The only question that remains is how do we get at the tenderloins?

I've seen meat cutting videos like you're describing but I don't recall the title. I recall it was playing on the VCR at Cabelas or Gander Mountain during a visit a couple years back.

Contact Ron Dube at dube@huntinfo.com

He has a good video out on this subject.

MG

In Idaho, all meat has to be removed from the field (including ribs, neck, etc.) I don't see how you could do this without "gutting" the animal.

Once the backstraps are off it is fairly simple to get to the tenderloins off. Roll the critter onto the belly.

The neck meat meat and ribs all get trimmed off from the outside.

I usually gut all my critters cause they are easier to roll around gutted but it is not absolutely necessary.

Guys, this is actually much easier than field dressing a deer or elk...

I start out by making a long cut along the spine, then peel off just enough hide on either side to expose the backstraps. To remove each backstrap, make a lengthwise incision along either side of the spine (along the spinous processes) down to the vertebrae. Next make an incision keeping the knife blade along the ribs from lateral back to the medial side completely freeing up the backstraps from the carcass except for its attachments at the neck and the hip. Finally, cut the backstrap off at the neck and the hip to remove it.

The tenderloin can be then removed retroperitoneally... Find the hollow spot between where the pelvic bone starts and the ribs start (after the backstrap has been removed, of course). Just use your hand to reach inside this and you'll feel the tenderloin laying under the backbone. Use your hand to slide and tear the tenderloin loose from the backbone. After its been loosened, just use the knife to cut its attachments just under the ribs and then at the pelvis. This is the only part you can screw up... if you're not careful, its easy to puncture into the abdominal cavity causing spillage and a stinky mess.

Finally, just skin the quarters, detach the hams at the pelvic ball socket and remove, the shoulders will just come off under the scapula.

I haven't field dressed a deer in over 20 years now, using this method exclusively. No contamination of meat, no stinky mess to deal with. The only downside is you may not get to fully evaluate bullet damage to internal organs and you can cut open the stomach to see what he's been eating. Small price to pay in my opinion.

Total time to have a deer quartered and in the cooler for me is about 15 minutes (almost the same time as someone else just field dressing the deer. 4 bags of ice and 7-9 days later, the meat's aged and ready to be deboned and frozen.

For me this all started when I took a deer to the processor years ago. They said 'just leave it in the cooler and we'll get to it when we can'. In the cooler was a pile of unskinned dead deer at least 8 feet high. I asked them what would they do about all the meat spoiling before they got to mine and they said they would simply trim off the rotten meat when they got to it. I said 'no, thanks' and I've completely processed every deer myself since then. If I need some ground venison, I just take a couple of deboned hindquarters to a processor, and they'll grind them for me for just .59c per pound. Easier, cheaper, and better venison all around.

Jon

Well sorta. You are missing the part about getting all the neck meat and rib meat. I find I still have to skin the critter to get all that.

There is much more meat than simply the four quarters ,tenderlions and backstrap.

West:

The Sept. "06 Field and Stream mag has an article on just this.

Bob

Just be sure to check the state regs before doing this. Some states (FL, TX, and SC come to mind immediately) prohibit the removal of the head/proof of sex while still in the field. Hefty fines and confiscation of deer and gear could result.

The Colorado Dept of Wildlife has a video of this type of dressing. Its very good and the visual effects clear up any questions you may have. Just look on the web for them.

quote:

retroperitoneally

Give me a minute while I look this one up

Laner, that has got to be the best tag line I've ever seen. I damn near snarfed my beer.

quote:

Originally posted by RMiller:
Well sorta. You are missing the part about getting all the neck meat and rib meat. I find I still have to skin the critter to get all that.

There is much more meat than simply the four quarters ,tenderlions and backstrap.

Sure, on a moose or elk, but a white tail? Maybe a bread bags worth of belly meat for jerky, and the ribs are too greasy and gamey for my tastes anyway. Hey, fox, buzzards and crows have to eat too.

I could see this method working ok for a deer or maybe a sheep but I think that you would waste a lot of meat on an elk or moose.

schmaus,

I use a skin/bone on the spot method for elk on a regular basis. I do not leave meat behind.

One exception, when hunting doe/fawn antelope my Wirehair frequently hunt with me. He usually ends up with the small pieces, walking out weighing a couple pounds more than he did when walking in!

Anyone have a link to that video that is mentioned above? I was looking and couldnt find it. Thanks

There's a pretty good article in this months Bugle magazine on the gutless technique. I've watched someone who is very proficient at it and to me it's the only way to go. First off, you skin the animal. The way I saw it done, he cuts the skin down the spine. I prefer to keep my hides in one piece and would skin it differently. That said, you have access to any & all meat that you want and the only reason to leave any would be purely negligence on the part of the person doing the job.

I use this method all the time for moose, elk and caribou and you do not have to waste meat at all. You can still take the ribs and the neck meat. Ribs are removed by cutting down either sideof the spine with a saw or axe after you removed the back straps, tenderloins and lifted the quarters. I then bone the neck meat off in one piece.

All that is left is the pelvis and spinal column.

You can easily meet evidence of sex requirements by cutting so as to leave a portion of the penis or testicles attached to one or both of the rear quarters (and a patch of hair if required for evidence of species) as you remove it from the pelvis.

With deer or sheep you can get the entire animal into one pack load by using this method.

I'm used to shooting moose which without a lot of help I don't know how you would skin without moving around. I have never tried the gutless technique I just think that it would be more for smaller animals that one person could easily handle. I know a lot of people that hunt and I have never heard of anyone trying this on an elk or moose. Plus whenever I shoot a moose if I were to skin it right away it would probaly get covered in dirt right off the bat. I'm not trying to knock the gutless thing I just think it is better suited to smaller animals.

I have done it this way to pack out on horses and quads for years. It really isn't that tough. I start with the moose lying on the one side, split the hide along the back and skin down towards the belly, take off a back strap, lift the hip and the one shoulder, take out the tnederloin.......tip the moose over and do the same on the other side.

As for the hide.....moose hides are split in half when you take them to the tannery to have leather made if you are taking it out, so splitting along the back is not a big deal.

As for dirt......there are ways around that. Small tarps, etc. Sometimes we lift the hip and shoulder with hair on and you can lay them hair down while you are working. Hunting by boat I lay a tarp in the boat and as I take off each piece I pack it to the boat and lay it on the tarp.

I have literally done hundreds of moose elk and caribou this way over the years. It just takes a bit of practice and gettin into a routine.

Don't get me wrong, if I get a moose near civilization and can get it whole into a truck or pick it up with the loader on my tractor, I gut it and take it home in one piece, hang and skin like a beef.

When hunting in remote areas by horse, boat or quad I do it the "gutless' method to use the term being used on this thread.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty Marlin:

quote:

Originally posted by RMiller:
Well sorta. You are missing the part about getting all the neck meat and rib meat. I find I still have to skin the critter to get all that.

There is much more meat than simply the four quarters ,tenderlions and backstrap.

Sure, on a moose or elk, but a white tail? Maybe a bread bags worth of belly meat for jerky, and the ribs are too greasy and gamey for my tastes anyway. Hey, fox, buzzards and crows have to eat too.

Our regs require us to take the rib and neck meat even on deer so it is not an issue up here. It has to come out. I make mine into burger anyway.

Here is the website address for the Colorado Dept of Wildlife site and shop.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/ShopDOW/Merchandise/

Hope this helps

quote:

Originally posted by Laner:

quote:

retroperitoneally

Give me a minute while I look this one up

Some anatomy is located 'behind' the peritoneum. Example: Kidneys.

This method works very well, especially if you are packing out the meat on your back.

A friend of mine who lived and worked in Alaska taught me how to do this over 20 years ago and his reasoning, besides being quick and easy, was less scent was let out, a plus in grizzly country. Don't know if that's true but it sounds good and I've never had any problems with bears I could associate with this method.

The variation I like is to leave the 4 quarters still attached to the hide but boned out. Spread the hide and quarters out on the ground, toss the backstraps, tenders and neck meat into the middle of the hide, bring the 4 quarters together, tie off. For small deer or antelope you can pack the whole thing out on a good pack frame.

The Dene in the Northwest Territories use a similar method on caribou, stitching the quarters, backstraps and ribs into the hide and then carry it outon their back using a tump line. You can carry a whole caribou out in one go. I tried it while I was guiding there, but I went back to using a pack frame as I found that leaning forward with the strap against my forehead agravated an old back injury. Using this method though you can easily get a whole caribou out in one load.

quote:

Originally posted by nordrseta:
The concept is pretty simple. Remove the quarters. Remove enough of the hide along the spine to get at the backstraps. The only question that remains is how do we get at the tenderloins?

I've seen meat cutting videos like you're describing but I don't recall the title. I recall it was playing on the VCR at Cabelas or Gander Mountain during a visit a couple years back.

Drag the animal around so the tail will be facing a hole or low side of the ground and the head on the high side. Skin one side: two legs (including half-way from the stomach and between the legs to the spine), and one side of the neck to the head. Remove those legs, back strap on that side, and the neck meat on that side (unless you are going to keep the whole neck).

Stretch the hide you have just skinned, and roll the animal on it so the other side is now UP. You may have to use a tarp to keep the ribs and neck clean if the hide is not enough. Now skin the two legs, including the remaining hide from the stomach to the spine, and then repeat the same steps above.

Cut the esophagus and wind pipe at the base of the head, with the knife separate them from the neck abut 8", and then tie both about 2" from the cut at the base of the head with a piece of cord. This is done to avoid getting stomach contents on the ribs and neck.

Roll the carcass so that the chest is facing UP. You may have to place a couple of heavy sticks on the sides to prevent the carcass from rolling. Now finish separating the esophagus and wind pipe from the neck, all the way to the opening at the chest. Carefully cut this opening all the way around the wind pipe and esophagus and stop there. At this point you can cut the neck and head from the animal if you like (unless you have already removed the neck meat).

Now turn around and cut the membrane the covers the guts, right at the edge of the small ribs. When you do this, the guts will rush out toward the hole on the ground or low side of the mountain (keep in mind that if the ground is flat you can always lift the front of the animal and keep the rear low).

You will have to cut the membranes that hold the stomach and lungs attached to the rib cage, and mostly through the opening between the stomach and ribs you have created. Cut as much as you can, and then have somebody pass the esophagus and wind pipe-through the opening at the neck's base or chest-to you (toward the stomach, over the hole you have created around the lungs). Grab the esophagus and wind pipe, and pull toward the animal's rear (toward the low ground or hole). While pulling on it, finish cutting the membranes that hold the stomach to the rib cage over the spine. As you pull hard, the guts should then flow out of the animal and into the hole or low ground.

At this point all you have are the rib cage, and tenderloins. Since you already have done the hard work, this part doesn't require explanation

By the way, on moose I prefer to slice the hide between the front and hind legs and over the stomach instead of slicing it along the spine. Moose have a very tough hide with lots of hair and fur by the spine, and this hair gets all over the meat.

The North American Hunting Club has/had a book on elk hunting and it detailed out just how to accomplish this. I'll see if it's at home, maybe it can be scanned.

ok even though I sort of think this way is more trouble than the conventional gutting quartering then carrying wherever. I found this site with pictures, it may not be exactly what you guys are looking for, but it will give you all the same idea to go from.

http://home.att.net/~sajackson/guttless1.html