Gutless Method video

[Redman]

I have been using the gutless method for years. Here in the Midwest I still gut mine, because I like to age my corn fed venison. Out in the real backcountry why would you need to gut any animal? Also I don't understand not boneing out elk or moose. There is a lot of weight in just bone on those critters. Am I missing something?

 

[nuevo_eph]

The issue with boning out is that your meat will supposedly be tougher if you do that. By leaving it on the bone, you allow the meat to stay attached to a structure (The bone) during rigor mortis and then you can butcher the next day when it has relaxed again once out of rigor. By going immediately off the bone it will contract during rigor mortis and never be able to relax back to its normal state.

This is according to Hank Shaw and a few others I've heard discuss the issue.

 

[Redman]

The issue with boning out is that your meat will supposedly be tougher if you do that. By leaving it on the bone, you allow the meat to stay attached to a structure (The bone) during rigor mortis and then you can butcher the next day when it has relaxed again once out of rigor. By going immediately off the bone it will contract during rigor mortis and never be able to relax back to its normal state.

This is according to Hank Shaw and a few others I've heard discuss the issue.

Oh I agree with leaving on the bone overnight if not longer as long as it is cool enough, but when I am packing it out why mess with the added weight?

 

[nuevo_eph]

Totally understand. It's a tradeoff between distance/weight/toughness, perhaps (emphasis on perhaps). I am 100% worried about the meat when I hunt, but by that I mean I focus on getting it cool and eventually into my house. I'd rather have XX pounds of slightly tougher meat than losing some because I left it on the bone but could not pack it all out as quickly.

 

[WyoDoug]

The gutless method is great for those who don't eat the organs. I personally pull the liver, heart, and oysters so personally, I go with the old fashioned gutting method. I also prefer splitting the pelvis and rib cage so the entire abdominal sack falls out whole if possible. I do like the theory behind the gutless method. I sometimes debone in the field to avoid carrying the weight especially if I pull a stunt and kill something in a deep ravine that I no longer have the endurance to get up the side of the steep ravine and no good way out otherwise. I don't debone if I have a way to carry an animal out whole or in quarters.

 

[kit_man_du]

Thanks a lot Randy. This saved me a lot of time and effort.

 

[calebuga27]

Great video. This technique helped me quarter out my first solo muley and black bear this fall!

 

[matechakeric]

Would like to try it but Pennsylvania says "NO". You have to remove the entire animal, less the entrails, then if you process at home you dispose of the "left overs" at the curb with your trash.

interesting. I want to do "dry runs" on deer I hopefully kill next fall before trying it on an elk.

 

[Bob-WY]

I've done gutless starting at the legs, slice the hide up and across the belly line down the other leg, then skin up towards the back.

This video, and others I've seen do the reverse, start at the spine and skin down towards the legs.

Aside from mounting, is there advantages to one over the other? I can see neck meat being easier starting at the spine.

 

[jlcc381]

I love the gutless method. It works so well on Texas deer on the ground or hanging up.

 

[Oak]

Glad to see the video revived with this handsome hunter.

 

[wgiles]

Would like to try it but Pennsylvania says "NO". You have to remove the entire animal, less the entrails, then if you process at home you dispose of the "left overs" at the curb with your trash.

Illinois law requires that deer remain whole, minus the entrails, until checked in. The deer may be quartered, but all of the parts must be brought out, minus the entrails. There appears to be no opportunity to use the gutless method. On the other hand, good cell phone coverage means that my deer will be tagged and checked in before I start to field dress it. That being the case, I should be able to use the gutless method after checking it in and getting my confirmation number. This doesn't address dealing with CWD areas.

 

[chuckh]

Good video. Time and distance will determine gutless vs bone in for me too. I like the structure of having the bone in for packing but for longer distances I don't need that extra weight.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Good video. Time and distance will determine gutless vs bone in for me too. I like the structure of having the bone in for packing but for longer distances I don't need that extra weight.

Bet you $1 I can bone out an elk and have it to the truck faster than you can bone in.

Bone in only makes sense if you can drive to the animal, or is a legal requirement in that unit.

 

[matechakeric]

Bet you $1 I can bone out an elk and have it to the truck faster than you can bone in.

Bone in only makes sense if you can drive to the animal, or is a legal requirement in that unit.

Then it makes butchering the meat harder at home (if doing it yourself) when you just have piles of muscle mush in a game bag. I prefer cutting it off the bone at home given a choice

I also like the structure bones provide both for hanging the meat for cooling and for packing out. Mushy boneless meat is more awkward to carry IMO. It kind of gets that "dead weight" feel to it in your pack we all mastered as a kid when an older cousin or brother tries to pick you up

 

[matechakeric]

Good video. Time and distance will determine gutless vs bone in for me too. I like the structure of having the bone in for packing but for longer distances I don't need that extra weight.

Do you mean bone in vs bone out? Gutless works for either of the aforementioned methods

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Then it makes butchering the meat harder at home (if doing it yourself) when you just have piles of muscle mush in a game bag. I prefer cutting it off the bone at home given a choice

I also like the structure bones provide both for hanging the meat for cooling and for packing out. Mushy boneless meat is more awkward to carry IMO. It kind of gets that "dead weight" feel to it in your pack we all mastered as a kid when an older cousin or brother tries to pick you up

Yeah you’re doing it wrong.

I keep the hind quarters in one piece, front shoulders in one piece. Part it out in my kitchen.

Mushy, a bit, but this is mitigated by structured reusable game bags. I like Stone glacier load cells for my meat shelf and then caribou/argali/Kuiu/bomb game bags for the meat. If you load your pack correctly you shouldn’t get that

On the last elk I packed out the 4 legs, knee to ball joint, so not including hoof ankle, weighed 43.5lbs.

That’s basically an extra trip. So add that time to your pack out. I can bone out a hindquarter in 2-3 min. Its super easy after you’ve done it a couple of times. I’ve showed a couple of people and everytime, there reaction is… “wait, that’s it?”

Remi Warren does the same thing and has a great tutorial. Here he is with a boned out hindquarter.

I don’t have a good pic of a fully boned out front but here is a pic from a YouTube tutorial. He has the scapula removed with the shoulder still in one piece.

 

[matechakeric]

Yeah you’re doing it wrong.

I keep the hind quarters in one piece, front shoulders in one piece. Part it out in my kitchen.

Mushy, a bit, but this is mitigated by structured reusable game bags. I like Stone glacier load cells for my meat shelf and then caribou/argali/Kuiu/bomb game bags for the meat. If you load your pack correctly you shouldn’t get that

On the last elk I packed out the 4 legs, knee to ball joint, so not including hoof ankle, weighed 43.5lbs.

That’s basically an extra trip. So add that time to your pack out. I can bone out a hindquarter in 2-3 min. Its super easy after you’ve done it a couple of times. I’ve showed a couple of people and everytime, there reaction is… “wait, that’s it?”

Remi Warren does the same thing and has a great tutorial. Here he is with a boned out hindquarter.
View attachment 187781
I don’t have a good pic of a fully boned out front but here is a pic from a YouTube tutorial. He has the scapula removed with the shoulder still in one piece.
View attachment 187782

Interesting. I will def need to re-try this and watch that video

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Interesting. I will def need to re-try this and watch that video

Of course I should have googled first. @bigfin did an awesome video about it. As he demonstrates you can do it pretty quickly, and keep the big groups attached.

Moving at a safe speed, my buddy and took pictures/gutless method/boned out meat/ skinned out skull for a euro/packed up bags in 3hrs 45 min last year on a bull.

In 2018, I killed a bull solo and the entire process from walking up on the bull, snapping photos --> hanging meat bags in the shade, and walking down the trail took me 4 hours.

I'm not sure how much time keeping bone in/ not skinning out the head/gutting the elk would have saved me, but I can't imagine it was more than 1 trip hiking out the extra weight.

 

[WyoDoug]

Then it makes butchering the meat harder at home (if doing it yourself) when you just have piles of muscle mush in a game bag. I prefer cutting it off the bone at home given a choice

I also like the structure bones provide both for hanging the meat for cooling and for packing out. Mushy boneless meat is more awkward to carry IMO. It kind of gets that "dead weight" feel to it in your pack we all mastered as a kid when an older cousin or brother tries to pick you up

+10 on this one.

I have never done gutless, one because I like heart and liver too much. I always quarter and take even the ribs. Meat that is boned too soon gets tougher from contracting muscles during the rigor process. I like to leave it on the bone for a few days until that process is completed.