To gut or not....

[canvsbk]

OK, so let's say you've collected this nice pronghorn buck a mile or more from the truck and there's no driving to where he lays. He's a real nice one of course...
You need to break him down to put in your pack and carry it to the truck, so do you gut him before quartering or not? I realize if you don't you'll not get the tenderloins ... But how big can they be in an antelope anyway....

 

[BiggWimm]

I would quarter it using a gutless technique and still get the tenderloins.

 

[JCS]

Antelope aren't that big. Gut him out and through him over your shoulder and hike out.

 

[sbhooper]

You can either carry him out whole, or quarter him. The quarters are light, so you do not need to bone him out. Just quarter him (leaving proof of sex attached) and put him in a frame pack. Put the cape and horns on top. No big deal and not that heavy. If you want the tenderloins, you can cut the last three ribs or so off the rib cage and pull them out. There is not much there, however, and I usually don't mess with them if I am doing an animal that way.

Get that antelope meat on ice ASAP. That is the single biggest mistake that people make with antelope and then accuse it of being "gamey". It is usually pretty warm during the first part of antelope season and it is not good on the meat.

I love antelope meat.

 

[nvhunter2]

Quarter him right there, skin one side, take off the quarters, backstraps, flip him over do it again and your on your way. Also have to agree get him on ice asap!! For sure that is the biggest mistake people make, you should strive to have him on ice in an hour or less.
I think Antelope is one of if not the best tasteing meat of all the game animals.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

If you've never worked on an antelope before, they are about the worst of any small or large animal I've ever dealt with over 60 years of hunting. It seems that their hair comes off just looking at them and I'm not kidding. If you plan on having a shoulder mount done, I would suggest opening him up just from the sternum to the pelvis to gut him out. Then if you are able to carry him out to the truck you can go that route. If he's too heavy, take the hind quarters off and carry them in separately. The only other ways to get him out whole and not mess the hide up because it's so delicate would be to have a sled that rolls up and is very light that you could unroll and drag him out on that, or if you have a buddy along you could tie the legs together and hang the goat on a pole to carry him out. Thank God the one that I had mounted in 2009 was so close to a 2 track in the BLM we were hunting that we were able to carry him a short ways to load him in the truck after I gutted him. Within two hours I had him to the taxidermist in Cody and he caped him out while I waited as part of the $600 I paid him. Then I took the carcass on back to camp to process him myself. I think the mount turned out real nice doing it that way.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

use a game cart,basic gut out,then take your time in a spot where you can properly take care of him,,,even though small,the inner tenderloins are awesome,one of the best parts.30-06 is right,the antelope hair will be a mess if you rush it.

 

[JohnCushman]

Most of my antelope hunting experience has been during archery seasons where it's not uncommon to be 100 degrees. I gut them immediately, not matter how close I am to my truck. I take whatever water I have and rinse out the cavity as good as possible. The hair makes a huge mess...lol

 

[canvsbk]

Thanks to all for your insight. I think I get the picture, either way get him cooled down as quick as possible.
Will do.

 

[WapitiBob]

I've never gutted an Antelope.
Skin half, cut off quarters, back strap and tenders, flip, then repeat. Lay the quarters out for about 15 minutes so they skin over. Pick the hair off or use a lint roller AFTER they skin over.
Toss all of it into a cpl game bags and pack the whole works back to the truck (one load) and toss it into the 120 qt cooler that's in the back. Go by the gas station and grab some bag ice and toss it in.
Drain, add ice and Antelope till your tags are filled.The cooler temp will stabilize after 1 1/2 days and the ice will stop melting. A week later, separate each muscle and slice into steaks or burger it.
Repeat the following year...

 

[Duck-Slayer]

I used too gut until I watched the elk101 gutless method, now everything gets deboned and into the cooler without dealing with the guts....
Matt

 

[huntbux]

always gut them rinse and then take them out whole. As soon as I am back to the truck or camp, quarter them out and then rinse and ice. Make sure I skin them up to the skull and usually depending on the amount of shade at camp we made sure we skinned all the way out.

 

[MattK]

I used to gut everything out until I was taught the gutless method and caping. It takes about as much time caping and quartering as it would to just gut the animal. The added benefit is you don't get dirty and all the scrap and mess is left in the hills. Use game bags for the meat to keep it clean and you can even get the tenderloins out (they are behind the last rib and up against the back bone). It also helps get the meat cooled a lot faster. Little to no meat is wasted and it makes it a lot easier to pack out in a back pack or game cart. It is now the only method I use (it doesn't matter how far away from the road it may be.

 

[canvsbk]

Top gun that's a real pretty mount there.....and WapitiBob, I like your attitude. Carry on men.

 

[sbhooper]

I have to agree with the hair issue. I killed a good buck one year on a New Mexico muzzle loader hunt. The hunt was on a military range and so the buck had to be checked in right there. I checked him in and then took him to the taxidermist that was on sight. I had intended to use her anyway. I watched her cape out the antelope and put the cape on ice. I got the buck back and it immediately started losing hair. She did nothing obvious to mishandle the cape, but it evidently had some bacteria or something. She took it and re-did it. That cape was prettier than the first one anyway!

Antelope hair is definitely in a class by itself. It has got to make taxidermists nervous to do them, just hoping they don't have issues. It is going to be tough to preserve the cape no matter how you do it. They are just, plain touchy to deal with.

I have the one mount on the wall and now all that I am doing is a European mount-cheaper and durable.

One of the best meat hunts going is the Wyoming doe antelope hunts. Four cheap permits, lots of shooting and not going to beat you up doing it.

 

[awapiti]

One more thing to add that has not been mentioned that works great for me. I have found that if you put the meat in the cooler in direct contact with the ice/water that the meat will turn brown and looks a little unappealing over time. To prevent this,put the meat in freezer bags and as stated prior, drain the cooler frequently and add ice until the temperature stabilizes..

 

[ihuntelk]

If you want antelope to taste horrible - shoot it, gut it, throw it in the back of the truck and bounce around hunting sage grouse or other antelope in 80 degree heat. Then go home and hang it to skin and 'cool it off'! That was pretty close to my first experience with pronghorn and it tasted like crap.
I believe Kobe Beef would also taste like crap if done that way!

I agree with most the posts on the gutless method and getting them on ice IMMEDIATELY.

I always cape mine and cut from the back of the skull all the way down to the tail and start skinning one side and removing quarters. Be very careful of the gland on their back -about a foot and a half up from their tail. Most people don't even know they have one there. Look on the next buck you kill. There is some oil/grease excreted by that gland that can RUIN any antelope meat if you get it on your knife. I cut around it and try not to let it get on any meat or my knife. I've seen folks skin right through that gland and then it's all over their knife as they begin breaking down quarters.
Most seasons begin in Sept/Oct when they'll be rutting and this gland will be more visible and active with it's excretions.

Just an observation that's helped me have better table fare! Hope it helps and good luck this fall.

-Cade
www.HuntForeverWest.com

 

[sbhooper]

Absolutely, 100 percent correct. If they disrespected beef the way some people do wild game, it would taste like crap-some does anyway!

 

[Jezz]

I realize if you don't you'll not get the tenderloins ... But how big can they be in an antelope anyway....

Umm, it is very easy to get the tenderloins out using the gutless method, just takes a little know how. Plus that would be considered willfil waste in most states not removing the tenderloins

**sorry if someone already mentioned as I didn't read all the responses.

 

[mjoe79]

Get that antelope meat on ice ASAP. That is the single biggest mistake that people make with antelope and then accuse it of being "gamey". It is usually pretty warm during the first part of antelope season and it is not good on the meat.

I love antelope meat.

Agreed!!!