Gutless method

[live to hunt]

So I have been interested in this and am going to be trying this in the upcoming season. I am curious to know how many people on here have used this and how often. I can see the benefits in the high country but do you use it for all your animals? Is there any meat left over and how long does it take to do up an average sized deer for example. Looking forward to hearing your experiences.

Thanks
Ty

[timsesink]

works great, youtube it, theres some great vids

[alpineguy]

The only way to go IMO. I even used it on the moose I killed 300 yds from my house. The big thing is to be very careful when making the cut to retreive the tenderloins. Also, you don't have to skin the quarters in the field if you don't want to just remove them.

[Redfrog]

I use it most of the time. Have for years. Bears, deer, moose elk, whatever.
Works fine.

[pope]

One of the better videos.

http://teamkendrickoutdoors.blogspot...d-for-elk.html

[crazyfish]

i usually only use it on the BIGGER game , deer usualy get thrown into the hauler, gutted if a long trip. The gutless method is amazing, no guts and mess to slip in. and i can do it by myself and easily, and in carryable sizes, the sooner you learn it the better !

[V_1]

Five times, last season, including first time ever. On deer (that makes three ) and mine and my buddy's antelope.
Love it.

Youtube it as it was said. No big game animal is too small for that, for sure.

[thumper]

I use it on moose, deer & antelope - because compared to the conventional method:
- it's much faster
- it's far cleaner
- it leaves almost all waste in the field, rather than having to dispose of it in garbage bags after removing the meat at home. (this is ecologically sound as well - feeds the bugs, birds & scavengers instead of adding to the landfill)
- it lessens the risk of spreading CWD by disposing of less bones in non-CWD areas
-'quarters and cuts' cool well in cheesecloth game bags, and take up far less room in your vehicle than entire carcasses
- it's far less weight for an old fart with a bad heart like me to have to take out of the bush, allowing me to hunt further away from my vehicle = more game and a better hunting experience
- far less work to deal with your meat after you get home from a long day, and have to get back to your regular life in the following days.

On the down side:
- it's difficult (but do-able with care & practice) to leave evidence of sex/species attached
- in less remote areas, the full skeleton left behind might be viewed as 'unsightly'
- I probably leave a pound or so of various meat scraps behind, that I would have otherwise picked off the carcass - had I brought the entire (gutted) animal home. Still legal though.
- you can't just drag a deer out of the woods, or an antelope from the prairie - you need to carry the bagged quarters out on your back using a pack, or use a sled or wheeled game cart (my 1st choice)

Once you get the hang of 'gutless' - you won't go back.

[ww2269]

I absolutly use it all the time unless its 30 below. When you are by yourself its the only way to go as even a deer is a tough drag if your going very far. I think of it this way, you have to cut the animal up anyway so you may as well leave the scrap in the bush and the meat cools better of the carcase. If you get handy at it you can do an elk in under hour

[JJRND]

I'm not familiar with the gutless method. How do you go about tagging your animal after using this method and also leaving evidence of sex?

[altaberg]

Originally Posted by JJRND

I'm not familiar with the gutless method. How do you go about tagging your animal after using this method and also leaving evidence of sex?

I typically leave on hind quarter with testicles or udder (proof of sex) and the unskinned tail (proof of species) in one piece with the tag through the tendon.
Evne there you can take most of the good cuts (rump, rounds, sirloin) of the femur and just leave the rest. Most of the time I tend to leave that quarter skinned and completely intact. Everything else gets deboned.

[HunterDave]

I've done it for moose, out of necessity the first time but 3 times since then. I don't do it for deer because to me the hide keeps the meat clean. Besides, I prefer dragging a deer whole rather than carrying numerous legs, etc. I'd drag the moose and load it into the truck but I don't want to show off.

[pseelk]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

I've done it for moose, out of necessity the first time but 3 times since then. I don't do it for deer because to me the hide keeps the meat clean. Besides, I prefer dragging a deer whole rather than carrying numerous legs, etc. I'd drag the moose and load it into the truck but I don't want to show off.

Go ahead show off .Love to see the pics lol.

[winged1]

all my deer for the last 5 years, works just too darn good. I carry linen game bags in my pack, and in most cases can carry out in one trip with bags slung over the shoulders. Lot's of huffin and puffin mind you.

[Walleyes]

It definetly has its place but for me there is one major down side and a "VERY" important down side and that is the aging of the meat. With the gutless method you can not hang your meat long enough to age it properly.. It really comes down to you.. What is more important the kill or the meat,, the trophy or the table.. A personel choice really that starts the moment you pull the trigger.. Or better yet better start before you pull the trigger cause you must be prepared for what ever choice you make ahead of time.. For me thats what keeps me from the gutless method.. Not to say I will never use it there will no doubt come a time I will but that will be a trophy hunt and not a meat hunt..

[Redfrog]

Walleyes, have you ever used this method?

I have no problem aging the meat. I don't think it is a matter of either a trophy or meat. I can get both with no problem.

[sheepguide]

Originally Posted by Walleyes

It definetly has its place but for me there is one major down side and a "VERY" important down side and that is the aging of the meat. With the gutless method you can not hang your meat long enough to age it properly.. It really comes down to you.. What is more important the kill or the meat,, the trophy or the table.. A personel choice really that starts the moment you pull the trigger.. Or better yet better start before you pull the trigger cause you must be prepared for what ever choice you make ahead of time.. For me thats what keeps me from the gutless method.. Not to say I will never use it there will no doubt come a time I will but that will be a trophy hunt and not a meat hunt..

You can hang it just the same as leaving the animal whole. Just in more pieces.
just like you can let meat hang when completely deboned.

Doesnt change how it ages by the size of the piece of meat.

The only difference is the more pieces the more surface area to get a dried crust as it ages which then requires more trimming and a bit more waste.

SG

[buster92]

So, with this gutless method, where do you leave the proof of sex and species. You need the head and sex organs.

[sheepguide]

Originally Posted by buster92

So, with this gutless method, where do you leave the proof of sex and species. You need the head and sex organs.

Tesicles can be left on each hind quarter as well as the tail can be left on one. If the head needs to be used for legality purposes(do not always need to pack out the head) it will need to be packed out also.
SG

[winged1]

What is more important the kill or the meat,,

cooling it quickly means way more to me than hang time, and in my books, gutless has it hands down.

[Walleyes]

No I have never used the method personely. I was going by what I was told on here a while back by one of our members that uses the method quite often. Personely I can't see you being able to hang chunks of meat up or letting them hang in a meat bag for a week and what good does it do if the meat is cut in chunks and just sits there in a bag,, how is that aging it properly.. It may be possible just sounds odd to me.. When a guy is in the bush for a week hunting moose and you take an animal the first couple days,, what would you do just hang the meat chunks all over the meat poles,, would be a bugger to keep the flies off no ???

But if you guys say it can be done then I geuss it can be done..

Originally Posted by Redfrog

Walleyes, have you ever used this method?

I have no problem aging the meat. I don't think it is a matter of either a trophy or meat. I can get both with no problem.

Me too...really don't see an issue. You can easily hang the four legs with bone in if you like and truthfully, other than the backstraps and tenderloins, all that's left over is best suited for burger or sausage anyhow. Pretty insulting for someone to imply that this method somehow compromises the meat and is only used by trophy hunters that don't care about the meat. Gutless doesn't mean totally deboned.

Originally Posted by buster92

So, with this gutless method, where do you leave the proof of sex and species. You need the head and sex organs.

I just leave the srotum or udder attached and tail where required to the hind leg with the tag. The head you pack seperately if required.

[crazyfish]

for moose or elk , gutless is great , with the whole leg still there, it's very well balanced and easy to pack over a shoulder, or off at the knee if going in/on a pack , and knee down deboned with the back straps and tenderloins ! Like it was said before, can be done in about an hour by myself !!! very easy to hang for a week in a cooler with the femur and front shoulders still in !!!
Walleyes you should really try it ! you're not slipping around in the guts and smell til the very end !!

[lostarrow]

You wrote about this method recently in AO didn't you sheephunter. I thought it was quite interesting and will have to give it a try one of these years. Sound like a good way to go.

Originally Posted by crazyfish

you're not slipping around in the guts and smell til the very end !!

Unless I want ribs on the bone, I never touch the guts. They stay inside the rib cage, with the meat removed from the ribs of course.

[Walleyes]

Sheep,, I didn't mean to imply that by using this method a person doesn't care about the meat... It just seems odd to me that the meat would age properly hanging in bags is all.. I have stated it on here many times that for myself on moose hunts the meat is with out a doubt the # 1 issue so anything that may jeprodise that I would be hesitant to use.. As well there is no shame in trophy hunting,, we all do it.. When we go for big whitetail during the end of Nov we certainly aren't going after the meat are we ??? No shame. Now I am obviously wrong on the aging thing..

I will note that you are the one that told me on here some time ago when I questioned you on the abilty to hang the meat using this method and you told me that your time is definetly shortened and the meat should be cut up within a 3 day period..


Crazyfish I definetly can see myself using this method I am very interested in it for our southern A.B. muly hunts. I am looking at getting a good pack,, seems a lot better to me than packing out the whole animal thats for sure.

Originally Posted by Walleyes

Sheep,, I didn't mean to imply that by using this method a person doesn't care about the meat... It just seems odd to me that the meat would age properly hanging in bags is all.. I have stated it on here many times that for myself on moose hunts the meat is with out a doubt the # 1 issue so anything that may jeprodise that I would be hesitant to use.. As well there is no shame in trophy hunting,, we all do it.. When we go for big whitetail during the end of Nov we certainly aren't going after the meat are we ??? No shame. Now I am obviously wrong on the aging thing..

I will note that you are the one that told me on here some time ago when I questioned you on the abilty to hang the meat using this method and you told me that your time is definetly shortened and the meat should be cut up within a 3 day period..


Crazyfish I definetly can see myself using this method I am very interested in it for our southern A.B. muly hunts. I am looking at getting a good pack,, seems a lot better to me than packing out the whole animal thats for sure.

Why would you hang the meat in bags? You can hang entire legs in one piece with the bone in, very similar to quarters. The only loose meat is the neck, brisket, ribs, flank, backstrap and tenderloins. I don't really see the point of hanging burger/sausage meat and even on a whole carcass, I like to get the tenderloins out right away so they don't dry out. If you wanted you could hang the two backstraps. I'm not sure you really grasp what's involved with the gutless method. I like meat too...not sure why you keep implying that this method jeopardizes it and that those using it somehow aren't as concerned about the meat. I'd use it on a cow elk or moose just as happily...in fact I do. I don't recall saying anything about shorter aging times with this method.

[crazyfish]

thats interesting walleye, because i usualy don't for deer, i use the game hauler, and just gut them instead, but i'm seriously thinking about it now! I alway used it on the elk or moose , just because i couldn't physically do it any other way by myself.

a guy might go gutless and deboned in the moutains or a long way from the closest road if no quad access, but i usually leave the bones in to make hanging easier !

[motox208]

i tried it out on the last muley buck i shot, worked great, but the only time i would really try it again is either hunting by myself where i cant get my truck to the animal, or if the animal dies in a spot where dragging it out is way more work.