gutting your deer

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

I notice that not many hunters at all gut their deer first thing.I was raised around old timers that made gutting the deer first priority,so I have always done it.the threads about people that sit and try to kill more for awhile got me to wondering if it hurts the meat.I know the colder days are easier,but what's you guys thoughts

 

[Mike Belt]

No problem waiting if it's cold.

 

[TNRifleman]

Ha. I know guys that don't gut their deer at all. Carry it to the processor and pay an extra $20 to have it done for them. I try to be field dressing it within an hour of the shot.

 

[Hunter 257W]

I shot a doe on opening day of ML 2011. I ran into some neighbors after I got it out of the woods and got to talking. It was sunny and got up to mid 60's and I talked until nearly 10:00 and I shot the deer around 7:30 that morning. It was probably 10:30 by the time I got back over on my land and got the guts out. It was laying in the bed of my truck in the direct sunlight all that time. :( I took the deer to a processor back then so I took it on in. I could tell that one had a "funny" taste to the meat. Not really bad but there was something not as good as all my other deer where I gut them as soon as I can get to it. I've never sat over a killed deer waiting for another. I'd say that on average I gut them around an hour after the kill. I did take 2 hours to find one buck a few years ago and then probably another hour to walk back to the house, get my truck and hoist, and open him up. It was about 30 degrees on average during that time so that meat was perfect.

 

[Hunter 257W]

My reason for getting a deer out of the woods and back to the house before gutting is that I'm hunting on my own land. I can get to my truck and hoist pretty quick so there's no problem with it taking too long if I do my part and get on with it. Also once you open them up out in the field, you're going to get dirt, leaves, hair, etc. in the carcass. I can see if you were hunting in a remote area where getting rid of weight was a big issue that it would make sense to gut them right away. Also if it were going to take a long time to get it to refrigeration too.

 

[Boone 58]

in warmer weather I get on it.............otherwise I don't sweat it unless it got into the guts.

 

[rem270]

Warmer weather i gut within an hr. Colder weather usually the same but i don't mind waiting also if i feel like keeping on hunting.

 

[Deerbuster1996]

We have always gutted ours. Warm days we try to get them about 30 mins after the shot if is already warm or before it gets to warm. Cold days aren't to rushed when messing with them since we hunt very close to the house.

 

[AllOutdoors]

in warmer weather I get on it.............otherwise I don't sweat it unless it got into the guts.

X2

 

[Simpleman.2]

I gut them right after I shoot them.

 

[muddyboots]

I get mine out of the woods. I know it makes no difference but I don't want deer guts near my stand. Just a preference.

 

[soshock1]

Ha. I know guys that don't hit their feet at all. Carry it to the processor and pay an extra $20 to have it done for them. I try to be field dressing it within an hour of the shot.

I have seen this recently myself. I just don't get it. I believe that we kill not harvest and part of killing and to realize the full extent of what hunting is about, I think you must gut your own deer. I don't really care when or where you do it, as many have said here there are reasons to wait. I turned 50 recently, so I guess I am the old timer now. To each his own. My two cents.

 

[BSK]

Not only do we want to weigh our deer "whole" (full live body weight), but it's a heck of lot easier gutting a deer when it's hanging up. So we take our deer out of the woods and don't gut them until back at camp. It helps that we don't start hunting until MZ season, so generally it's colder when we kill a deer, but even then, as long as the guts aren't ruptured, the guts can stay in for a couple of hours without problems.

We've found that problems with meat "taste" are FAR more about how the carcass is handled AFTER gutting than before.

 

[Planking]

Ha. I know guys that don't gut their deer at all. Carry it to the processor and pay an extra $20 to have it done for them. I try to be field dressing it within an hour of the shot.

x2

 

[GreyGoose]

I get mine out of the woods. I know it makes no difference but I don't want deer guts near my stand. Just a preference.

X2^^^^^^^^^ and i also have noticed more and more at processors that haven't been gutted.to each there own..it's always been part of the.hunt hauling deer out and field dressing.

 

[Mike Belt]

I also like following the bullets path to see exactly what it's done and checking the gut to see if I can tell what they've been eating.

 

[csi-tech]

I like them still steaming. Cold guts are gross.

 

[Jon54]

I watched a you tube video recently that showed the hunter using a filet knife on the anal opening. I must admit this looks much easier than trying to use my 3.5" Buck. Anyone else do this?

 

[LanceS4803]

When I am hunting in neighborhoods, I never gut them there. It takes a little while to get them back to the farm, but never over an hour or two.

 

[benellivol]

If it's warm, I get on it quickly. If it's cold and I feel like hunting some more, I'll wait.

 

[AT Hiker]

I hardly early season hunt so I usually have plenty of time.
I have done the gutless method a few times on whitetails here. You loose eating the heart but if done correctly you have some really clean meat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Headhunter]

I can't stand to gut a deer hanging. Much rather gut them on the ground, it takes me about 3 minutes to gut a deer. Can't see any reason not to gut a deer where it dies.

 

[catman529]

It's not like they start rotting as soon as you shoot them...they'll be fresh if you hunt another hour or two. But I like to have them gutted ASAP most of the time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Roost 1]

I can't stand to gut a deer hanging. Much rather gut them on the ground, it takes me about 3 minutes to gut a deer. Can't see any reason not to gut a deer where it dies.

I can do either, but nothing hard about gutting one on the ground, unless you take the vitals out before the intestines like some on here do!!!!! :poke:

 

[AT Hiker]

It's not like they start rotting as soon as you shoot them...they'll be fresh if you hunt another hour or two. But I like to have them gutted ASAP most of the time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Technically speaking they do, but that's getting REAL technical.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BSK]

Cold guts are gross.

I gotta' admit, that is true! :)

 

[catman529]

It's not like they start rotting as soon as you shoot them...they'll be fresh if you hunt another hour or two. But I like to have them gutted ASAP most of the time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Technically speaking they do, but that's getting REAL technical.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

how long does it take all the cells to die after the heart stops beating? Im assuming it's when rigor mortis sets in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AT Hiker]

The brain and liver are the first to start decomposing (blunt description). Enzymes and bacteria start going to work almost immediately because the heart stops feeding the cells oxygen.
Now top that with a gunshot or broadhead wound. You have tons of foreign bacteria in a dream environment.
Like I said its very technical and no issue for alarm.

**edit, rigor has a lot to do with the surrounding temps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dover_Mike]

I gut them where they die.

 

[WTM]

I can't stand to gut a deer hanging. Much rather gut them on the ground, it takes me about 3 minutes to gut a deer. Can't see any reason not to gut a deer where it dies.

lol +1, i tried that gutting while hanging one time. i timed myself one time, 5 miles from the house, gutted in the field and deboned and in the cooler in 45 minutes flat.