Field Dressing

The reason I stopped opening the ribs, pelvis and neck during field dressing is to stop the introduction of dirt to the meat areas during dragging and keep things clean. I suppose if you have an atv or the like to bring game out of the kill site it’s probably a non issue but if it has to be dragged exposing as little of the edible areas as possible is best practice imo

I severe the wind pipe with a cut up under the jaw and pull it out with the lungs. Admittedly it can be hard to grip and takes quite a pull but keeping everything clean and dirt free during handling is paramount for good table fare.

I’m a big fan of skinning any animal soon after the kill while the carcass is still warm and hanging the skinned carcass inside or out of the elements in a controlled temp of around 4c. If it’s to be hung outside in the elements and variable temp then skin stays on, again to promote cleanliness of the meat areas and protect it from exposure to rain and weather elements.

Controlling the hanging temperature and keeping it constant however possible is probably the most underrated aspect of game handling imo. No one would freeze and thaw a steak multiple times or expose it to water multiple times and expect it to be good eating afterwards.

Anyone who doesn’t have a walk in refrigerator or cold room should look into UMAi dry aging bags (available on Amazon) to age whole cuts like back straps and strip loins in the fridge before steaking it’s the way to go. I know beef farmers who’ve been swearing by bag aging for years even before these breathable bags were available. Hanging game outside in varying temperatures should be a thing of the past.


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I agree with you, outdoorlife, if I were dragging any distance I wouldn't want to open up the neck and chest until after it was hung. We typically are within 15 minutes of recovering by ATV so end up gutting in a hanging position to keep from dirt getting inside.

Also considering building a walk in cooler of some kind after 2 years in a row having to leave camp to get the deer into a processor's cooler due to the outside temps.

If the animal is in a " dirty" area or wetland with muck,what is wrong with pulling out the animal as whole-and field dress it in the camp,or if the camp is far -at the first dry and clean spot.
Unless it is an extreme case(afternoon kill ,far in the muck and warmer temp)i do not see a point of doing the gutless method.

Different for sure-but i think it is a bit of a fad thing.
To each their own.

Just my 2 cents

At age 55 and mainly a solo hunter I will no longer drag a deer back to the truck. I will now skin and quarter the deer up removing all edible meat and pack it out. Hopefully I can fill my last archery tag to actually try it out... lol

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Originally Posted by bellerivercrossbowhunter

At age 55 and mainly a solo hunter I will no longer drag a deer back to the truck. I will now skin and quarter the deer up removing all edible meat and pack it out. Hopefully I can fill my last archery tag to actually try it out... lol

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I recall dragging my first deer using the Mennonite way, wrap the front legs around the head and pull, it was a lot of work I did not wish to repeat. Since then I got a kids snow taboggan, its way easier to drag a deer, glides through a swamp, easily over marsh grass, and on snow its almost effortless.

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Originally Posted by Marker

I recall dragging my first deer using the Mennonite way, wrap the front legs around the head and pull, it was a lot of work I did not wish to repeat. Since then I got a kids snow taboggan, its way easier to drag a deer, glides through a swamp, easily over marsh grass, and on snow its almost effortless.

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That's what I used this year for my bear and deer, lot less effort and the meat keeps clean. I also used the butt out for first time, worked really good.


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Originally Posted by gbk

If the animal is in a " dirty" area or wetland with muck,what is wrong with pulling out the animal as whole-and field dress it in the camp,or if the camp is far -at the first dry and clean spot.
Unless it is an extreme case(afternoon kill ,far in the muck and warmer temp)i do not see a point of doing the gutless method.

Different for sure-but i think it is a bit of a fad thing.
To each their own.

Just my 2 cents

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I butcher my own so I do all those steps anyway. Maybe takes 30 min longer in the bush as your working on the ground but no dragging anything out of the bush probably saves me close to that and is way less effort

I don’t think it’s a fad at all. It’s been happening since deer were being hunted. Maybe a new idea to you but it’s certainly not a new idea. Perhaps just got a name put to it.

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Originally Posted by FishHog

I butcher my own so I do all those steps anyway. Maybe takes 30 min longer in the bush as your working on the ground but no dragging anything out of the bush probably saves me close to that and is way less effort

I don’t think it’s a fad at all. It’s been happening since deer were being hunted. Maybe a new idea to you but it’s certainly not a new idea. Perhaps just got a name put to it.

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I do also drag-field dress (or vice versa)and butcher all my deer.I prefer my meat to be processed in clean environment in my garage, instead of handling it in the field,where many thing can happen to the cleanliness of 6-10 chunks of meat.Plus the logistics of all the clean bags needed to carry the meat out.

I am absolutely sure this thing was around for millennia. So did quartering a deer or quartering and deboning (or other methods)
Assuming is a new idea for me ?- is not! I have seen it done more then 15 years ago,not in Ontario though.......even then, i was not impressed.

As far as the fad thing is concerned- no one can deny,the gutless method permeated the eastern Hunting Community via TV shows/You tube .
No one hunter i know(and believe me i know quiet a few- some with hunting experience of 35-50 years )was ever doing this method.

But-to each their own.
If it works for you....so much better for you.

My nephew guides for moose professionally and tells me always uses the gutless system now.

I recall first hearing about it about 40 years ago: the old name has pretty much disappeared. At the time, it was called "hot boning."

I've butchered a lot of deer and received payment for doing so for many years now.
I've done the gutless method a few times now and it works but I know for a fact it's not my best work and my yield is lower (I've always cared about my yields)