Grossness

Cranky Pants said:
It's not too bad. I certainly don't enjoy it but the fun is over once the trigger is pulled!

I keep some mechanics latex gloves in my bag and I prefer a decent sized knife (Grohman russel belt knife). Gut hook on a knife is handy but not essential. Avoid a knife with serrations and bring a small sharpener with you as that damn deer hair seems to dull a knife as fast as a rock!

Roll the deer to get the blood and guts out, watch for the pee sac, it's real thin and easy to puncture.

I can't do the skull cap thing, something about cutting into brains, must have watched too many zombie movies or maybe Hannibal Lector.


Deer are a breeze compared to coyotes- they reek! I gut shot one and it was trailing behind and hooking up on roots so I had to clean it out-gag!
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What are you gutting coyotes for? I trapped for years and never gut a stinking coyote or raccoon.
 
For the OP, breathe through your mouth, you won't use your nose as much that way. Take a few quick breaks while you're doing it, you don't want to sit a brew a cup of coffee but just step back every now and then that'll help calm your nerves. Watch youtube videos and compare to what other posters here have said, one of the biggest fears is not doing it right, we all went through what you're feeling it's normal. After you've dressed the animal, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment and pride that adds to your hunting experience.
 
IMO you really aren't a hunter until you gut a deer. It gives you a feeling that you have the ability to do the whole job, from field to table, provide for yourself and others.

We had a guy in camp that just wouldn't do it, would offer up a case of beer if anyone would gut his deer. Pretty sad really.
I feel if you are willing to pull the trigger then you have to be willing to complete process. Field to table nothing less, as a hunter you owe it to the game take. jMO
 
I field dressed my first deer years ago alone. I was totally prepared and that made the difference.

I bow shot the deer and walked back to my van after about 15 minutes of waiting. I stripped off my hunting gear and packed in my field dressing gear (knives, rope, wet wipes). I took my time and carefully worked. I try and enjoy the moment and think of all the hunting work that came up to this point. You will be fine.
 
if you are saving the heart and liver, beware of the green bag, do not cut it open, best to leave a little liver around it and the green bag left intact. Cool the carcass as much as possible with snow or water. Put your rib spreader on to let out as much heat as possible.
 
hoytcanon said:
Butchering game is not gross at all... I have an OCD germ thing... I am disgusted by public washrooms, poor hygiene in restaurants, I am vigilant against servers or food preparers who contaminate their hands and then contact food, or sneeze etc.... in the bush though, I can field dress a couple deer and sit down and have a sandwich with only a cursory clean up (or no clean up)... it just isn't the same thing... people are disgusting... game is just another part of the natural environment.
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Yyyep. Right after we skinned Dogleg's grizzly I was at A&W in Kitimat for a teen burger, and onion rings. The guy on the till was rushing to the back after handling cash and assembling burgers. I said I appreciate you're busy but I'll take my money back thanks. It started a trend in the backlog line up.
 
Having had a new born, some Vic's vapour rub on your top lip will get you through almost anything that smells disgusting.
I'd still get dry heaves, but I could change a diaper with that stuff.
 
New Camper said:
What are you gutting coyotes for? I trapped for years and never gut a stinking coyote or raccoon.
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The shot blew the stomach area to bits and as i was dragging it out the intestines were trailing 10 feet back. After a bit i had enough and finished cleaning it.
I found a buck the morning after the shot a couple years ago. Bullet deflected and went out the stomach and it was at the end of the rut. I should have been able to find him by smell at 100 yards!!
 
well first, wool pants, they shed the dirt and blood after a day or two.

also I strip down to my t-shirt when doing moose, because reaching into the body cavity to cut the diaphram is a long reach and your going to get a little messy. I've done a few solo its a big job but I can get it done in less then 45min.

Deer are easy, and not nearly as messy, start at one end and work you way to the other is one way.

I will start at the neck open the hide to the rear without opening the gut sack, then move to the sternum and open the gut sack roll the guts out, split the rib cage sternum to neck, pull out heart and lungs. then cut the diaphram out, remove the guts, then split the pelvis and remove the arse.
 
The Ol'Man learned me when I was just a pup.Got me my own knife and used to let me go at it.Used to dress my two uncles deer too.Cause they was big pusses lol.I've dressed out many.
 
The problem with the gutless method is that unless yer prepared, there is a way higher chance of dirt and stuff getting in the meat. Not to mention that if it's warm enough for flies... Especially blow flies... The gutless method is a huge mistake.
I gut am and get them out with the hide on. Then I make a decision based on temperature and if there's flies about. Quick skin and into a deer sized game bag or if it's warm, I head for home and stop and stuff the cavity with a husky garbage bag filled with ice. Then skin em at home.
Last weekend I left the shop in lowermainland at 11pm. By 8 am, I had 2 bucks down and hunting solo. By 10am , 1/2 way thru getting them to the truck where I was planning to skin them, the blow flies arrived. It was 12 degrees out.
So I loaded em up and ripped to town and got cell service. Called down to the shop... 20 degrees in surrey.. Yikes. Called home up in the cariboo... 2 degrees... Packed the deer with ice in a husky bag and hauled ass north to my place and skinned em at home 3.5 hours later. Hung em over night(hit -2) and to the butcher in the mornin.
Had I used the gutless method, I'd have a pile of meat full of blow fly eggs/maggots....
Save that one for when it's cold enough that there's no flies about.
 
Gutted a cleanly shot spike buck for a hunting buddy 2yrs ago in -27 degree weather. Fastest job yet - only paused once to warm my hands up in a pool of blood before I cut out the diaphragm. In weather like that I will use surgical gloves so that the fat and blood does not freeze to my hands and I can get my gloves back on.
 
good heavy knife and a small hatchet.

you put the knife where you want to split the bones and then use the back of the hatchet to tap it through.

a Moose you want 2 hatchets :)

the advantage is no bone chips.


so you should have 2 knives, a small one for skinning and cutting and the other one for bone.
 
Years ago I found at Walmart a pair of plastic gloves that go all the way up to the shoulder. They're disposable and I can clean even a moose with them and when done peel them off and I'm blood free use a pair of latex disposable over them for better dexterity and help stop the knife from slipping from the blood. If you can find the orange ones even better tie them around the deer when dragging it out as an extra safety measure.
 
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