dressing a deer, who cuts through the hams/pelvis bone?

I can't understand how meat is wasted by cutting through the pelvic bone. No meat is cut, just the bone between the hams.
I didn't know there was a controversy about whether the animal was hung with skin on or off. I always considered the ideal way was to skin the animal as soon as possible, then hang it. After all, that's the way it's been done in slaughter houses for a couple hundred years, at least.
Some have spoken of meat being wated by hanging it with skin off. I just can't see that. We have hung deer in the shade in the fall before freeze up, where there has been a long period of weather just above the freezing mark in the day, with maybe a bit of frost overnight. We have cut off pieces to eat and left the rest. We have done this for a three week period and ate some of the best deer meat one can ever have.
 
We cut the pelvic bone on both sides and remove it altogether.
Split the brisket and cut the wind pipe as high on the neck as we can .Then use the wind pipe as a pull tab and take everything out to the rear.
 
"Then use the wind pipe as a pull tab and take everything out to the rear."


Yes, our way, also.
 
2fat2fly said:
My cousin was charged with leaving game to spoil for doing that. He would take the neck as far back as he could. Then the backstraps and drumsticks. The CO was of the opinion that there is sufficient meat in the ribcage of a mulie to justify harvesting it. Maybe he left too much meat on the outside of the ribcage or didn't take the tenderloins.
Can you get the tenderloins with your method?
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I guess it depends on how your province defines what meat is the "edible portions"

Yes, the tenderloins are easy to remove. Once you've got the hams and backstraps off, you jut cut into the abdomen and stick your hands in and pull them out. SOmetimes it takes a few slices with your knife, but its still cleaner than working with guts on the ground.
 
I generaly core out the butt, and leave the sternum uncut when I field dress the animal, so that it's easier to keep clean during the trip out of the bush, but once I get it to wherever its going to hang, both the sternum and pelvic bone get split, and the insides get a real good cleaning. depending on the weather, I may or may not skin it while it hangs to age.
 
Tried one of them butt outs and it didn't work too well on a muley spike. Pushed it in and did all the turns recomended and the butt out just slid out. May try it again with a white tail but it didn't work too well for me. I Splt the pelvis with a small hatchet, one swipe usually takes care of it. Different strokes for different folks. I also hang mine head down.
 
I split the bone, just how I was shown to gut and it has become habit, no other reason really. My uncle and his friend do not split it. Either way works fine.
 
I tried the pelvic splitting this year on one deer, bought a small pack saw just to try it. I found no appreciable difference doing it this way. I think I will try it on one more deer, but I see no real added benefit to doing it this way.......whatever slams your doors!
 
I've done both. I prefer splitting to coring as I find the meat cools faster and the gutting job much cleaner. I never needed a saw to split a deer though, just my trusty buck knife. Perhaps it's because I'm bigger then the average bear that I never found it hard. As for the loss of meat.....the ammount that dries up during the curing process is minimal IMHO. Folks shooting deer with a 300 RUM damage much more meat then those that split them.
 
I split the pelvic bone with a handy little pocket saw, split the brisket with a good knife right up to the neck & split the neck enough to easily pull out the wind pipe. Our deer are always transported on an ATV so no dragging is involved or if needed to be drug to a trail we leave the gutting job till it's ready to load. The deer is immediately hung head UP to skin while warm, because skinning a cold deer SUCKS, as does skinning a deer from the rear IMHO! The deer is then immediately moved into a protected meat storage room & hung by the gams. We've never had an meat loss because of any of above methods, but we do watch, an occasional year we have to transport deer to the butch to hang if the weather turns overly warm. The idea that because you split the pelvis you loose meat is absurd, at least IMHO.
Different hunt methods may dictate the method you do above, for instance those that drag deer distances would obviously want the smallest openings possible, but for one poster above to proclaim his is right & proper & everyone else's is wrong of course shows an amount of ignorance not needed in these forums.

I must add, I have not tried a "Butt Out" nor have I seen one in operation, I am looking forward to that, if it is as slick as most proclaim I'll be quick to adopt.
 
liberty said:
Done it both ways...of course you need a saw to do it.... so got to have one with you to do it.
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My father (who is 67 years and 147 lbs) can due it with hand pressure and a sharp knife. You don't need a saw. Just kneel between the hind legs with a knee applying pressure outward on each leg; cut through the muscle til the smooth part of the pelvis is exposed. Firmly press down with a sharp knife and it'll split not unlike an apple. Its actually pretty neat. The outward pressure with the knees is 50 % of the trick.
He'll go right through the breastbone with a sharp knife too; down ward pressure not upward!
On the ground he'll open the hide from neck to butt 1st with a knife, go back cut through the rib cage and pelvis ( knife too); then open them from windpipe to butt (cored). Grab the windpipe and drag the whole works out ( stroke here 'n there with a knife) as one.
I'll like to be as good as him someday
Good luck and be careful
 
I've seen a big tough Newfie open up the briskets on a bull and a cow moose with just a hunting knife. He didn't finesse around with the cartiladge just powered on through with his knife ....but then he's one of those guys that are scary strong..
I can't do a deer brisket the same way ....I hafta use a saw .
 
Apple core method works great.... I've gutted 4 deer this year alone and never once made any mess at all. I've heard some terrible stories about guys using butt-outs and similar tools though....
 
the keepa said:
I've seen a big tough Newfie open up the briskets on a bull and a cow moose with just a hunting knife. He didn't finesse around with the cartiladge just powered on through with his knife ....but then he's one of those guys that are scary strong..
I can't do a deer brisket the same way ....I hafta use a saw .
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Being able to split a deers brisket with a knife has more to do with the knife & it's shape than strength. I use a Russel which is not a very big knife & I'm surely not that strong. I have a Lakota Hawk which is a beautiful knife but I could not split a brisket with it due to it's configuration.
 
Used the butt out this year on our last deer. Worked a trick. Tried a scalpel on the rear end and the blade is just not long enough. Worked great for everything else though.
 
I usually have some rope with me i split the pelvis and the sternum up to the jawline then hang the deer by the head, cut the windpipe give a slight tug and everything pretty much falls out on the ground.
 
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