Gutting / Gralloching / Whatever you call it

[Emmanuel of Arms]

I took my first whitetail this year. After watching about 10 gutting vids I was still woefully unprepared, but I muddled through it slowly and intuitively without spilling any dookie on the meat. I used the “rear gateway” method, which I believe is how Rinella describes it. Worked well, breaking the pelvis took a bit of slow and steady “what the heck am I looking for” but I get it now.

Now that I have done it once, these vids make a lot more sense. I’ve watched probably 20 more videos to bone up, but the video below made me take pause. He splits the abdomen winky to nose which looks very effective, and also takes great care to seal the esophagus at the throat. However the moment that perked my ears up was when he pierced the stomach to vent gas (5:54 mark) and also pulls the anus through the abdominal cavity spilling what he describes as “poo” on his hands (7:50 mark).

As a first timer, I have a hard time making sense of this. It looks downright wrong, but I’m new. Would like to hear a seasoned hunter’s take on the matter.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I dot cut the esophagus out in the field. Less dirt getting into the neck. Or pop the belly to let the air out. I do use my fingers as a guide not to cut into the guts. I run the cut all the way to the neck. Then pull the guts out.

 

[Emmanuel of Arms]

Thoughts on pulling the bootyhole in through the abdomen and spilling stuff? Very scientific terms, I know.

 

[LoonWulf]

Dont wanna pop a gut round us, venting gas or otherwise.......wont live that one down till the next guy does it.

Ive never really worried about keeping the "poop" out of the body cavity, but generally if im gutting I split em from bottom to top, then rip everything out in reverse cutting the anus free last.... don't USUALLY get anything inside doing it that way.

 

[Alaskan Ironworker]

I sure like tying a constrictor knot around the anus from the outside whenever possible. Keeps everything clean. Never heard of intentionally puncturing the stomach. Sounds like terrible advise to me. Less care needs to be taken when be-heading. No poo or bile up there.

 

[Chuck R.]

No stomach puncturing done here..

Look into one of these:



They work pretty well and make that one aspect of gutting quick. Also you won't have to saw of crack the pelvis. Store it in a ziplock bag and return it to the bag after use.

One of these makes it easy to get the tenderloins out:

https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Edge-SteelStick-SS-10-Stainless/dp/B000NTKDFU

Some guys will use sticks etc., but sometimes sticks are in short supply.

I also use shoulder high veterinarian examination gloves and put the blue nitrile gloves over top. Keeps the blood off my hunting clothes. In my pack or vest I keep a little field dressing kit containing cloves and a couple blue shop towels. The towels come in handy for blood, bu also for wiping off my field dressing knife before returning it to it's sheath.

 

[FL-NC]

I don't gut in the field, and the entire task of gutting/skinning/quartering happens with the deer hanging upside down. I use the butt-out tool, prior to making any cuts. I use a Gerber guthook to make the incision. Guts land in a washtub, which is then transported down the road and dumped in some woods where no one hunts, then immediately rinsed out. The rest of the "trash" from the carcass (hide, legs, head if its a doe, etc.) goes into feed sacks that I save and then tossed in the garbage or taken to the landfill. As far as poo or stomach contents, if you deer hunt long enough, a bullet, broadhead, bone or jacket fragment- will eventually end up in the digestive tract and make a mess. It happens. Mrs. Fl-NC shot her first deer Sat. Shot placement on the entry side was right, but the deer wasn't totally broadside, so the liver and stomach was also hit, and the bullet exited, so the abdominal/chest cavity was messy. As a new hunter, she doesn't know how to "play angles" yet, and got 2 dimensional tunnel vision- a common occurrence. Didn't hurt any of the "good" meat (quarters/backstraps/tenderloins) but I wrote off the flanks and the ribs, which I only use for jerky or donate to the zoo for tigers anyway. Not a big deal.

 

[Kingcreek]

I carry a few zip ties in my pack. 1 for attaching the tag to antler or leg and one to tie off the anus. Don’t split the pelvis just pull it through.
My first deer almost 40 years ago I was alone. I panicked and thought I should get some help from somebody that knew what they were doing. After dragging a 4x4 ungutted deer 50 yards and up a ravine I said hell no. I’ll figure it out. Took me 1.5 hours but I was careful and made no mistakes.
After 40 seasons and maybe 80 deer I can do it blindfolded and half asleep in just a few minutes.

 

[Armored farmer]

I carry a few zip ties in my pack. 1 for attaching the tag to antler or leg and one to tie off the anus. Don’t split the pelvis just pull it through.
My first deer almost 40 years ago I was alone. I panicked and thought I should get some help from somebody that knew what they were doing. After dragging a 4x4 ungutted deer 50 yards and up a ravine I said hell no. I’ll figure it out. Took me 1.5 hours but I was careful and made no mistakes.
After 40 seasons and maybe 80 deer I can do it blindfolded and half asleep in just a few minutes.

What he said^^^^^
Zip ties are your friend here.
Hang by the neck and everything comes out clean...roll it right out.

 

[buck460XVR]

Thoughts on pulling the bootyhole in through the abdomen and spilling stuff? Very scientific terms, I know.

I prefer this method as for many years, the drag back to the truck was quite long and splitting the pelvis usually ended up with a lot of crud in areas of exposed meat. One needs the proper knife to loosen the anus/colon from the surrounding tissue, but it's not a difficult process. I used to tie the off the rectum and urethra with a piece of string before pulling it back thru, but don;t bother anymore because when done properly there is little if any leakage into the body cavity. Even if there is, the leakage is contained to areas I do not remove for meat. If the bladder is still full, one needs to make sure it is outside the cavity in case you rupture it in the process. Same goes for the chest cavity cut. I only cut up as far as the sternum. No reason to go any farther. I can reach all of the organs that need to be removed from there and I can reach up far enough to cut the windpipe and esophagus, Anything left from there up gets removed when I skin the animal a few hours later. Anytime you cut meat in the field, it is generally ruined for later processing. It dries out and/or becomes contaminated by blood, dirt, leaves and hair. The less raw meat is exposed, the less needs to be trimmed off when butchered. Gutting is a task that gets better with practice and experience. Many times, I just jump in and gut an animal when I see someone new is struggling. Like butchering, it takes a while to realize where things are in a deer. The basis idea is to get anything out that is not edible and leave it in the field before it contaminates the meat.

Hopefully your first attempt at gutting, did not involve a gut shot deer.

 

[Nature Boy]

Google “Pod Method for cleaning deer”

That’s how I do it

 

[courtgreene]

No stomach puncturing done here..

Look into one of these:



They work pretty well and make that one aspect of gutting quick. Also you won't have to saw of crack the pelvis. Store it in a ziplock bag and return it to the bag after use.

One of these makes it easy to get the tenderloins out:

https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Edge-SteelStick-SS-10-Stainless/dp/B000NTKDFU

Some guys will use sticks etc., but sometimes sticks are in short supply.

I also use shoulder high veterinarian examination gloves and put the blue nitrile gloves over top. Keeps the blood off my hunting clothes. In my pack or vest I keep a little field dressing kit containing cloves and a couple blue shop towels. The towels come in handy for blood, bu also for wiping off my field dressing knife before returning it to it's sheath.

Buttouts are WONDERFUL. I thought that before this year, but having forgot to bring mine in my hunting gear this year, I can say with renewed vigor, they are essential. Pull it, cut it loose, tie it off, and proceed with gutting.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I’m a new found fan of gutless.

 

[Seedy Character]

Son has watched me gut and helped skin and quarter several deer. He was 15, opening weekend and the whole family was at camp, along with his girl friend.

He and it, both got a deer. We have them hanging in camp. I tell him to get busy, I had my own to clean.

Told his GF to watch close, she would need to know how to do this, if she was going to hang with his family. ( she didn't notice the Wife and daughter were in the camper )

He starts to split abdomen skin, she had her nose right at his elbow. He slips and punctures stomach. It burps, right in her face, little specs cover her face. I really expected to see her boots in the projectile vomit.

Shed "couldnt" go to deer camp, thanksgiving week end.
They were not together at Christmas.
I was soooooo happy

 

[H&Hhunter]

I generally hunt where dragging a critter back to the truck is not a option. Gutless is how I do it about 90% of the time. This year alone I’ve packed out one bear and three deer on my back. Hopefully there are two elk in my future packing efforts this season as well. When the truck/ road is several miles and several canyons away it changes your dressing/ packing requirements.

The bear was the toughest pack out so far this year. He was carried about three miles and we climbed pretty close to 1,000’ vertical with him on our backs. You simply are not going to get a critter like that out in piece.

 

[Emmanuel of Arms]

Appreciate all the responses. Will have to look at a butt out and zipties are great suggestion. I agree splitting the pelvis in the field, in the dark, in the rain, covered in blood was a PITA. Was like a scene from Dexter...

Regarding the gutless method, how do you access any meat inside the abdominal cavity? Heart, inner loins, etc. Apologies if any of that was detailed in a vid. I’m out and about and can’t watch till this evening. Thanks.

 

[Robert]

You might be interested in this thread:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/gutless-method-of-field-dressing-a-critter.878338/
H&Hhunter taught me this method and it works great. I'm the model in the pics... This year I did it again on my doe and it works wonderfully well. I was able to remove the loins without gutting as well. Just reach inside and cut them out. No fuss no muss.

 

[caribou]

For us, bones are a part of the meal. "Kipchuks" are "Meat on bones" and a great way to eat with your fingers like a drumstick.

In Winter, I skin the Caribou first. Then gut, a small, sharp knife around the anus, split all the way up to the lips, take out the tongue, work the esophagus and use a knife while pulling up holding the esophagus......loosening and snipping connective tissues all the way down to the chest, then lungs and heart until I open the diaphragm, all while gripping and pulling the still connected esophagus......then loosen the stomach and pull it all out to the ground, all while being held by the esophagus. Like 2 minutes. I set that mess down on the ground and finish by pulling intestines from the pelvis.
In winter, if I dont have time to skin them, I at least peel the leg skins, as the legs freeze pretty fast.
In winter I leave the Carcass whole and the liver, heart and Kidneys in place, so I dont lose them on the trip home.

In Summer, I skin first and gut, in Fall by the waters edge, I only gut as the skin protect the meats from sand, until were home. I take the organs out at those times, in Summer because we pack out the animal, in Fall because were freezing the carcass whole.

I can skin a Caribou in about 10 minutes, gut one in 2. I know Reindeer Herders who can do both much faster, and clean.

Caribou bloat fast, but thats nothing.....I open the skin to the belly and poke my knife tip in and twist it to "vent". Maybe some chewed moss is all that comes out.

If I gut shoot an animal, be it a Caribou , Moose, bear, whatever...... I gut as normal, but I cut the liver close to the arteries, and will open and the blood contents from the heart into the empty cavity. I wash the gut shot from the ribs and all around and it settles into a pool and to the back bones (The animals on its back). I smoke one, or drink tea or gas up or what ever to kill 5-10 minutes. Then I tip the big huge blood clot of jello like congealed blood mixed with gutshot out on the ground and its very clean and quite done. Except the holes, no one would know it was gut shot.

 

[redneck]

I'm a bit slow at it and can't offer any life changing tips, but I if we are taking votes on preferred methods, I split the rib cage and break/cut the pelvis open. I am all about getting the meat cooled off as fast as possible so I like to prop the deer open as far as possible. I generally don't have to drag through much more than a bit of corn stubble though.

I use a fairly large knife and on anything but the largest bucks, I can pretty easily rip right up the sternum and separate the rib cage. I cut the esophagus at the base of the neck. The same knife can break the pelvis when required but I sometimes use the small saw on my leatherman. With both of those tasks accomplished I can pull the esophagus out and roll the whole gut pile back and out with just a bit of cutting around the diaphragm and the required cut around the rear end comes last.

I absolutely do not perforate the stomach intentionally under any circumstances. It has happened on accident and let me tell you, get one whiff of that and you will know you don't want that junk anywhere near the meat.

 

[MacAR]

fan of gutless.

Same... I've not gutted a deer in fifteen years, and don't intend to start. No sense in it, to me; not enough meat to fool with under those ribs. I hang mine by the neck, strip the hide off, and then cut the backstraps and quarters off. Nine times out of ten, one front quarter is ruined due to my tendency to shoulder-shoot them (30-06 is a wicked round). I loose a little meat, but I don't have to chase the darn thing down, either.

Mac

 

[DukeConnor]

When I got my first deer I had no idea how to gut it, i was with my buddy who had no idea how to do it. The dads were no where around to help.

I pulled out my brand new deer drag and low and behold deer gutting instructions on the back. We got it done.

 

[Patocazador]

I skin first with a tractor or truck using the golf ball/rock method. Then I cut around the butt, pull the rectum through the pelvis and strip down to the diaphragm. Cut around the diaphragm, remove the heart and liver and then split the sternum and cut the trachea and esophagus at the base of the head.

Then strip out the tenderloins after splitting the front of the pelvis, followed by stripping out the loins. The feet were removed before I started. The shoulders are removed then the spine is cut through in front of the pelvis. All this is done with a Gerber folding knife with a 3" blade. I place the connected hams on a flat surface and bust the rear of the pelvis by pushing down. Then put shoulders, hams, loins, tenderloins, heart, and liver into a cooler and fill with ice.

Everything is all in one package and ready to go home. Total time is ~ 45 minutes.

 

[Chuck R.]

So, you "gutless" guys just leave the tenderloins??

We normally take them 1st right after gutting. I carry an extra ziplock bag just for them.

 

[MacAR]

So, you "gutless" guys just leave the tenderloins??

No, unless you're talking about the inner tenderloins. The outer tenderloins come off very first thing, and often Mrs. Mac has the grease hot and waiting for them as soon as they come off. In the case of the inner tenders, yes they are left. That little bit of meat isn't worth the mess to me.

Mac

 

[Chuck R.]

No, unless you're talking about the inner tenderloins. The outer tenderloins come off very first thing, and often Mrs. Mac has the grease hot and waiting for them as soon as they come off. In the case of the inner tenders, yes they are left. That little bit of meat isn't worth the mess to me.

Mac

We call the inner: "tenderloins" and the outer "backstrap". While backstrap is good, tenderloins are fantastic...

The answer is no, backstraps and tenderloins are two different things, although the terms are often interchanged in conversations about venison.

There is a widespread misconception that tenderloins are the long cut of meat that runs alongside a deer’s spine on TOP of the animal. This is incorrect, and I’ve mistakenly called them that, myself. It’s just what I’d always heard growing up.

In reality, this arm-length cut is the backstrap, not the tenderloin.

True tenderloins are found INSIDE the deer’s abdominal cavity, and they are delicious.

https://www.buckmasters.com/Hunting...1/Venison-Confusion-Backstraps-vs-Tenderloins

We make a big deal about serving them to the hunter that tagged the deer, hopefully the same day. Tradition sort of thing and it makes the kid's feel special.