# Field dressing elk



## Top Pin Hunting (Aug 25, 2014)

Has anybody here tried the gutless method? And if so doing it the first time is it harder then the traditional way?


----------



## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Plenty of tutorials out there on gutless. Once you do it you will wonder why you ever did it the tradional way. With elk it is the only way unless you can drive to it.

Boneing out the quarters can be a little tricky but it is still not that hard. If you are very far in it is a good skill to know. And if you get it to that point no sense taking it to a processor just finish wraping it yourself.


----------



## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

We need a dead horse smilie.


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Depends if you are bring out the rib meat or not. If you are, you might as well gut it... otherwise gutless is fast and easy.


-DallanC


----------



## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

I actually learned to do the gutless method on strung up deer, and I must say while it has its function, there is something a lot more enjoyable about gutting an animal. But I'm a little twisted like that, I just like trying to find the bullet, assuming it didn't go straight through. I'm thinking my e-tips might have that problem


----------



## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

Gutless = gutless. It's too heavy... I can't lift it... It's too far...

In theory, gutless makes a lot of sense. If done right. But from what I'm finding on the mountain, gutless is just a rationalization to waste meat for the sake of saving effort. "Work" is a 4 letter word with some.

By all means, save the antlers and cape. Meat? Ah, what the hell, you can buy meat in the grocery store. What's the neck, ribs, front quarters? Hamburger? Who wants to bust their butt for hamburger? Take the backstrap and hind quarters and call it "gutless" so you feel all hardcore as you walk away.


----------



## Top Pin Hunting (Aug 25, 2014)

See and I've never been a head Hunter I'm in it for the meat.and don't like taking my game to the lockers. So I will try the gutless if given the chance this year and if I'm having a hard time with it I will go back to what I know. Thanks everybody.


----------



## Mr.CheddarNut (Jan 16, 2013)

Gutless is a great option! I did it last year for the first time and it is easy and awesome, and I doubt I will ever do it any other way again in the same circumstance. Yes I left rib meat on the mountain but that was it. 

Cheddar


----------



## Elkaholic2 (Feb 24, 2013)

De-boning is great. Losing up to almost 40-60% of the weight! And from what I've seen, unless you cut your own animals. The meat processor wastes a lot more than you would at home. So with that said. If you de-bone, you might as well take it to the next level and learn how to cut steak, grind burger and sausage or what have you. I like the fact that the meat as a chance to cool quickly! Which is key to keep bacteria at a minimal. 

What Finn is describing is illegal! And if you find a carcass like that I would advise to save the coordinates and contact the C.O. 

Colorado game and fish makes a great video that will show you everything you need to know. I'll try to find a link for you. I know eastmans magazine had an article on it as well that I liked. ( not to advertise any certain product). 

Unless you can get it out quick, and cooled down, I'll even de-bone on the tailgate on warmer hunts just to get the meat on ice! Especially pronghorn! 

I used to do the traditional way. And since I've started de-boning, I have noticed that my wild game either elk, pronghorn, deer, grouse, fish! Has tasted better. Getting them cooled as fast as I can as gone along way in the quality at my table!

That's my 2centz!


----------



## Kevinitis (Jul 18, 2013)

I have done both ways. Boning is nice because you don't pack out as much. Plus like said above, the meat tastes better if it is cold fast. It is the only way I will do antelope. But there are some draw backs. I find it harder to keep the meat clean. I solved this by hanging the various pieces from a cord (once detached from the body) and dropping meat into bags. The other draw back is that many butchers I contacted would not take and butcher meat that was boned. 

The gutting method I use for elk now, that is if I am not going to bone, is to slit up the paunch, use a little saw to cut through the sternum, slit the hide up the neck to where I cut the esophagus and presto, gutted with blood only on my fingers up to my knuckles.


----------



## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

Love the boneless method, and I try to take as much meat as I can from the "less desirable" cuts. Problem is, when I process it at home, a lot of that "less desirable" stuff gets pitched anyway. Wild game isn't much good if you don't clean it up good, and I find that there are ALOT of trimmings that get pitched that probably could have been left on the mountain for the coyotes to clean up. I still pack it all out, but when processing, wonder why I do it.


----------



## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Finnegan said:


> Gutless = gutless. It's too heavy... I can't lift it... It's too far...
> 
> In theory, gutless makes a lot of sense. If done right. But from what I'm finding on the mountain, gutless is just a rationalization to waste meat for the sake of saving effort. "Work" is a 4 letter word with some.
> 
> By all means, save the antlers and cape. Meat? Ah, what the hell, you can buy meat in the grocery store. What's the neck, ribs, front quarters? Hamburger? Who wants to bust their butt for hamburger? Take the backstrap and hind quarters and call it "gutless" so you feel all hardcore as you walk away.


Neck meat is no problem with the gutless method. I have never left front quarters behind going gutless either. Ribs are tougher but personally I have not retrieved enough meat on ribs to pack them out. Those are best just thrown on the fire and eating caveman style. Never felt lazy about it either.


----------



## EricH (May 3, 2014)

Finnegan said:


> Gutless = gutless. It's too heavy... I can't lift it... It's too far...
> 
> In theory, gutless makes a lot of sense. If done right. But from what I'm finding on the mountain, gutless is just a rationalization to waste meat for the sake of saving effort. "Work" is a 4 letter word with some.
> 
> By all means, save the antlers and cape. Meat? Ah, what the hell, you can buy meat in the grocery store. What's the neck, ribs, front quarters? Hamburger? Who wants to bust their butt for hamburger? Take the backstrap and hind quarters and call it "gutless" so you feel all hardcore as you walk away.


Why shovel my driveway when I can use a snowblower? I prefer to work smarter and not harder. All the power to you if you prefer to pull out the guts but I very easily and efficiently retrieve all rib, neck, and all four quarters using the gutless method. On an animal like a caribou that instantly bloats when it dies (they must just walk and fart non-stop all day) it is virtually impossible to avoid rupturing the insides. Even pulling on the organs with your hands will rip them. Going gutless keeps the meat much cleaner in case of an accident.

I hunt in an area that requires (4 quarters and ribs) to be packed out on the bone for animals harvested prior to October first. I still go gutless and use a saw to remove the ribs.


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Top Pin Hunting said:


> Has anybody here tried the gutless method? And if so doing it the first time is it harder then the traditional way?


I recommend you try the UWN search engine. Just type in "gutless" and you will find dozens, perhaps thousands, of informative, intelligent, and just plain delightful threads on the gutless subject.

8)


----------



## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Heres a post I put up on here in 2008:

I have personaly used this method on over 25 animal's, Here are some trick's I've learn along the way.

1)
Lay the animal flat, remove the up side leg's, Then draw your caping line's and peel the cape off the front shoulder,leg and neck. After removing the front quarter, the neck meat is commonly missed, it can be removed at this time.

2)
Now, after removing the rear quarter and back strap you can now get the inside tender loin by taking off the two shortest rib's , I carry a set of rose clipper's to do this. Also at that time, on the rib cage facing up you can carve the meat from between the rib bone's, Anther area commonly missed.

3)
now roll over the animal and repeat the process, When this is complete, I will remove the head and finish caping off the skull. I also like to remove the Ivory's and teeth required for the DWR before sawing off the antler's. This make's much easyer packing even when using horses.

Remember to alway's follow bone lines as close as posible. When done correctly, you will retrieve 95% of the meat minus the heart and liver. Hope this help's and good luck.

__________________

Entire thread on technique gutless: http://utahwildlife.net/forum/12-big-game/5270-pro-gutless-butcher-technique.html


----------



## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

Personally I've never tried it but I'm hoping to this year. *()*

We've always put in the effort to drag the animal out whole which is a TON of work and takes most of the day.


----------



## SLCHunter (Dec 19, 2013)

goofy elk said:


> Heres a post I put up on here in 2008:
> 
> I have personaly used this method on over 25 animal's, Here are some trick's I've learn along the way.
> 
> ...


So how do you carve the rib meat? From the inside out?


----------



## Dahlmer (Sep 12, 2007)

Finnegan said:


> Gutless = gutless. It's too heavy... I can't lift it... It's too far...
> 
> In theory, gutless makes a lot of sense. If done right. But from what I'm finding on the mountain, gutless is just a rationalization to waste meat for the sake of saving effort. "Work" is a 4 letter word with some.
> 
> By all means, save the antlers and cape. Meat? Ah, what the hell, you can buy meat in the grocery store. What's the neck, ribs, front quarters? Hamburger? Who wants to bust their butt for hamburger? Take the backstrap and hind quarters and call it "gutless" so you feel all hardcore as you walk away.


Fin it sounds like you've had a bad experience with guys who use the gutless method. Sorry to hear that.

I haven't gutted a deer for close to a decade now. I am also not aware of any meat that you can't get using the gutless method. Some cuts are a little trickier than others, but the reality is, if guys are leaving meat on the mountiain, it is by choice or by ignorance.

The reason I prefer the gutless method is that the meat cools much faster and less likely to spoil. We also use horses, so I have never boned the meat on the hill. Unless we are caping the animal we leave the hide on the front and rear quarters, we lose far less meat this way. We end up with some hair on the inside, but that is dried out and gets chucked anyway. Throw the meat in bags and hang it in the pines and you are good to go.


----------



## RoosterKiller (May 27, 2011)

I use the gutless method. I also like the ribs. SO I take the meat to get it cut and wrapped. The first year that I hualed out the ribs the cutter threw them away. I was pissed becuase I carried them out for a reason. So now I just give them the meat and cut the ribs myself. A question for the hard core I must carry out the quarter.
Do you save the heart and liver? Thought not. I do becuase I enjoy them. Waste not want not.


----------



## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

If your gonna gutless style it at least open it up and get that heart and cook it up so you can have a tasty meal while your preparing to carry that meat out. :-o

-phorisc


----------



## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

Here's a good 2-part video--rib meat is on part two I think.


----------



## Elkaholic2 (Feb 24, 2013)

cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/EHU-CH1-L15.aspx


----------



## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Taking the heart and liver are no problem using the gutless method. The best reason to use the gutless method is actually that it is the fastest way to get the meat cool. The heart and liver are typically the last things that I go after. Just a couple of quick cuts and not near the mess that is made up front if field dressing conventionally.


----------



## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Mr Muleskinner said:


> Taking the heart and liver are no problem using the gutless method. The best reason to use the gutless method is actually that it is the fastest way to get the meat cool. The heart and liver are typically the last things that I go after. Just a couple of quick cuts and not near the mess that is made up front if field dressing conventionally.


I agree Mr. Skinner. And guys, don't forget about the tenderloins inside! It's actually easier to get to them from the outside. Just find the last rib, from there cut a slit towards the back end under the backbone. There it is! Peel it away with your fingers, cut both ends away and there you have it. EasyPeasy.

Except for saving the rib meat, the gutless method is the way to go.


----------



## riptheirlips (Jun 30, 2008)

I have sure ran into a lot of gutless elk with the tenderloins still in them, all the neck meat still attached, rib cage not touched, front shoulders still intact. Seems all they do is cut the head off, pull the loin straps and take the hind qtrs. Always seemed like alot of wasted good meat to me. But to each his own.


----------



## wapati (Nov 29, 2007)

riptheirlips said:


> I have sure ran into a lot of gutless elk with the tenderloins still in them, all the neck meat still attached, rib cage not touched, front shoulders still intact. Seems all they do is cut the head off, pull the loin straps and take the hind qtrs. Always seemed like alot of wasted good meat to me. But to each his own.


The benefit of gutless I find, is it is usually easier to keep the meat clean (easier to manage solo) as well as get the meat cooled down, and hung much quicker. Gutting and leaving the carcass fully intact does not dissipate heat as well as skinned, hanging parts in meat bags. If someone has the mentality (or is too lazy) and leaves good meat in the field, the method they use is irrelevant.


----------



## Elkaholic2 (Feb 24, 2013)

riptheirlips said:


> I have sure ran into a lot of gutless elk with the tenderloins still in them, all the neck meat still attached, rib cage not touched, front shoulders still intact. Seems all they do is cut the head off, pull the loin straps and take the hind qtrs. Always seemed like alot of wasted good meat to me. But to each his own.


I'd gather as much info as possible.

Location
Pictures
Notes of what's left behind
Possible location of where the shooter was when the animal was shot

Then turn that over to the C.O. And let them do their job! That is called wanton waste of wildlife and last time I checked that is a felony in utah.

But, for the guys that do it right! It's the only way to go IMO. Unless you hunt a farm with a tracker!


----------



## HunterDavid (Sep 10, 2007)

longbow said:


> Except for saving the rib meat, the gutless method is the way to go.


Take the ribs with you. Here is an example of how.... Skip to minute 12 if you don't want to watch the gutless method up to the rib taking.





.

HunterDavid


----------



## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

How can you take the heart? I've only seen the heart in a liquid state or split in three.


----------

