Best saw to split a moose

hawk-i said:
powdergun, by using the gutless method you are wasting some of the tastiset parts of the animal....BBQ ribs, slow cooked brisket in Sauerkraut, T-bone steak....for me a bone in steak just seems to taste better.
Seems like to much of a waste on the animal...if it was gut shot it might be the way to do it though.
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Why would you lose the brisket? If I can get a truck to an animal I will take the ribs home to cut up but if not, I just peel the meat out between them and use it for sausage. As for T-bones I'm not a fan of bone in my venison cuts...regardless of method used. As you can't eat bone and I'm getting every scrap of meat with the gutless method....tell me again how I'm wasting..............People talking about a method they really have no experience with or real understanding of does get old. Lots of methods to achieve the same results but please don't accuse me of wasting. That is just in poor taste...pun intended. :rolleyes:
 
powdergun said:
If you like the bones in your cuts of meat then a good meat saw or the two axe method works well for splitting as long as you have it solidly hung. However, bone dust in meat leaves a bitter flavour and if CWD is a concern ( even though there is no case of it spreading from game to humans) then the nervous tissue in the spinal column and skull should not be expose to the meat you will be eating.

A moose or any other game animal can be broken down boneless and still have pieces that make nice roasts, steaks, and ground meat.

Do not gut
1) With the animal down remove the two hinds by cutting alone the groin to the ball joint of the hip and detach. ( leave the hide on to keep the meat clean)
2) Remove the two front shoulders
3) Roll the animal on its belly and slice the hide down the back line and skin to expose the back straps. Remove the back straps and put them in a game bag.
4) Debone the neck and back hip and toss the trimmings in a game bag.

At the end if you take your time you only lose the ribs and you leave the torso containing the guts. The pieces can be skinned out right away or hung depending on the conditions you are in. The hinds give you your roasts and the back straps will give you your steaks and the burger comes from the trimmings and the shoulders. There is no need to take a saw or and axe to the animal.

I have found cheese cloth bags for game off of ebay very cheap. They are worth their weight in gold when packing meet out of the bush.

Check you local regs with regard to what has to remain wit the kill when it is transported. The head can be easily removed even without an ax if required and the hide is on the hinds and shoulders. I've done this alone but trust me when you have a large animal two guys is always better.
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I'll remember that if I ever get into a lovely hunt in remote mountains! For those who don't know how to remove the head of any animal: Near the base of the skull is the articulating joint, poke around with a slender blade to find it and cut the flesh all around, then simply cut the tendons on the left and right sides of the neck bone. If it's difficult to get them with the joint still in place, a vigorous (and sick sounding) twist will (obviously) separate the joint.

OP - before I ever had a reciprocating saw, I cut the backbone of steers with a carpenters handsaw. I'd recommend a simple bowsaw for when the handsaw begins to wander, it's difficult to line it up again. I'm curious to see the two axe method people are suggesting - sounds easier.
 
I have seen the mess some people leave their meat in after chopping it up with whatever tools is handy. :rolleyes:

I personally carry a 30" meat saw with a beef-splitting blade and have to say it works as well on moose as it does on a steer. It only weighs a couple of pounds and breaks down to fit in a pack without being bulky.

Here is a picture of a moose front half that I split in the bush. No bone chips or crap in the meat to chew around.

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sheephunter said:
You need a lot of batteries for a cordless recip saw to get the job done. If plugging in is an option...it's a better one.
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I don't even go through one, I figured out the right tooth blade to use for quick cutting and long bat life after a couple times of killing the battery;)
 
sheephunter said:
Why would you lose the brisket? If I can get a truck to an animal I will take the ribs home to cut up but if not, I just peel the meat out between them and use it for sausage. As for T-bones I'm not a fan of bone in my venison cuts...regardless of method used. As you can't eat bone and I'm getting every scrap of meat with the gutless method....tell me again how I'm wasting..............People talking about a method they really have no experience with or real understanding of does get old. Lots of methods to achieve the same results but please don't accuse me of wasting. That is just in poor taste...pun intended. :rolleyes:
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sheephunter, I'm not accusing you or anyone of wasting an animal....sorry if that's the way it came across! The way the gutless method was written left the ribs, brisket, and such at the kill site...all items I'd sooner take home with me if possible to do so...I prefer steaks and rib meat with the bone on, be it venison, beef or pork. I can see in MY case boning out as much as possible and leaving the bones behind if I had to pack it some distance (which I have done) pretty hard to get a truck or quad up high into sheep and goat country. I've never referred to boning out an animal as the gutless method...lots of different methods and names for those methods.
If you remove the brisket, T-bone sections, and ribs, at that point doesn't sound like you used the gutless method.
Some things at times do indeed get old and fast. :)
 
I've been using a 14" electric chainsaw for years. Although it is messy, it is very efficient and I love this method. I have never had any gumming up of the vegetable oil.
 
hawk-i said:
sheephunter, I'm not accusing you or anyone of wasting an animal....sorry if that's the way it came across! The way the gutless method was written left the ribs, brisket, and such at the kill site...all items I'd sooner take home with me if possible to do so...I prefer steaks and rib meat with the bone on, be it venison, beef or pork. I can see in MY case boning out as much as possible and leaving the bones behind if I had to pack it some distance (which I have done) pretty hard to get a truck or quad up high into sheep and goat country. I've never referred to boning out an animal as the gutless method...lots of different methods and names for those methods.
If you remove the brisket, T-bone sections, and ribs, at that point doesn't sound like you used the gutless method.
Some things at times do indeed get old and fast. :)
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As I said, I've got no interest in T-bones...backstraps and tenderloin are just fine with me. Brisket has no bone so not sure why you'd leave it behind. Both are easily taken home with gutless...
 
hawk-i said:
Out in the bush a chainsaw works fine, pretty easy to use, lots of power and no batteries to worry about. Can use cooking oil in the bar but seems to be enough fat and marrow to lube it anyways. With the animal belly up and gutted just follow the spine from the inside....also makes quick work of removing the antlers.
At home I've used a reciprocating saw...I like the chainsaw better.
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i second this as the best way
 
Brian46 said:
I don't even go through one, I figured out the right tooth blade to use for quick cutting and long bat life after a couple times of killing the battery;)
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Absolutely. A good quality 12 inch saw blade will work nicely. Cheap blades not so much. I also switch to a new blade after splitting 2 animals. I have never used a cordless, but while splitting beef with a corded model a newer blade makes the job easier.
 
Republic of Alberta said:
If your using a chain saw don't bother with the cooking oil. It will gum up and your saw will be useless in a few years.
There is no need for any oil when cutting bone and meat. The fat and spine provide more than enough lube for the 5minutes it takes to cut a moose in half
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Agree with the vegetable oil gumming up especially when the temp gets colder. I have never tried a chainsaw without bar oil...actually works good?

Have used a cheap Princess Auto corded reciprocating saw for years, and have split countless amounts of moose, elk, and deer. We pack a small 1500W power plant to the gin pole when splitting animals.

Tried cordless once...and won't again. Not enough juice.

We used to use a pruning blade which cut quite well. But the problem is the blade is too thin, and same tends to go off center going down the backbone. We now use the beefier Milwaukee "demo" blades, and they are great. Trick is to keep them clean, and not to apply too much weight on the saw as you work your way down. In other words, let the saw do the work.

Good luck...
 
We use a wellsaw and a portable gas generator. A hunting buddy who went to NFLD said the guides he was with used an axe and the cut was absolutely flawless - no shards or anything. They had done it a few times though and cared for that axe like it was a piece of fine china.
 
hawk-i said:
powdergun, by using the gutless method you are wasting some of the tastiset parts of the animal....BBQ ribs, slow cooked brisket in Sauerkraut, T-bone steak....for me a bone in steak just seems to taste better.
Seems like to much of a waste on the animal...if it was gut shot it might be the way to do it though.
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You lose none of that unless you WANT to lose it
 
Gatehouse said:
You lose none of that unless you WANT to lose it
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Yes, I understand that, however my initial reply was to what powdergun discribed as the gutless method as follows
----------------------------------------------------

Do not gut
1) With the animal down remove the two hinds by cutting alone the groin to the ball joint of the hip and detach. ( leave the hide on to keep the meat clean)
2) Remove the two front shoulders
3) Roll the animal on its belly and slice the hide down the back line and skin to expose the back straps. Remove the back straps and put them in a game bag.
4) Debone the neck and back hip and toss the trimmings in a game bag.

At the end if you take your time you only lose the ribs and you leave the torso containing the guts.

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I was commenting that as written one would lose the ribs, brisket and t-bones which I enjoy....wasn't judging or argueing....just making a comment in regards to what he had written.
Its all good! :)
 
Oregon (the bar & chain people) are selling a battery powered chainsaw with a 14" bar. No gas, put veggie oil in the oil reservoir and you are good to go! Battery life, 250 cuts through 3" wood. Or, a heaping face cord on a single charge on semi hardwood.
 
Another vote for the chainsaw if one is at hand. An axe works well, depending on who is using it.! Tried a meat saw once, it eventually gets the job done with a lot of sweating. God gave man the brains to invent power tools, one might as well take advantage of it.
 
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