How Long do you Wait to Gut

[BigBass123]

Like the title says, how long do y’all wait to gut?

Have permission to hunt a piece of property with a box blind that I’ve been told is great to bring kids, planning to bring my 4 year old daughter. I think we’ll be good to go with the shot, but she’s probably not ready for the cleaning process yet.

If possible, I plan to just wait until we get home to clean it.

 

[sowega hunter]

I never gut one unless it's hot weather. Even then if I'm going straight to clean one I still don't gut it.

 

[antharper]

I never gut one unless it's hot weather. Even then if I'm going straight to clean one I still don't gut it.

This , you can get all the meat without gutting except the ribs . Even the inner loins . The ones I do gut it happens where they fall just to lighten the load

 

[Dutch]

About as long as it takes me to drag it to the road. Go to the truck and come back with it. I have a designated spot for gutting a deer on my place.

 

[menhadenman]

Depends on the temperature. If it’s warm out or I plan on dragging it a good distance, best to gut right away.

If it’s cooler or cold I think you’re safe for a couple hours. Some guys are more particular than others.

I do the gutless method on the ground when I’m backpacking. I prefer a gambrel still.

 

[sportsman94]

I’ll echo what’s already been said. If I can clean it in a reasonable amount of time I generally don’t worry about gutting. If I’m somewhere with an hour+ drive I will often drop the guts where it lays or close by.

You know your kid, but I don’t think there is a better time to get them into the cleaning part than when they are young. I have a just turned 4 daughter and she will not let me clean an animal without her. She’ll come outside fresh out of the bath in clean Jammie’s to be apart of the processing on anything and everything.

 

[Milkman]

2-3 hours is ok. Be advised they are more difficult to gut after they get stiff.

 

[WOODIE13]

Usually within an hour of finding it.

 

[bfriendly]

I think you should let her know and see what exactly you are doing. Let her see you doing the butchering like it is just the way it’s supposed to be done. Has she seen a dead deer yet? She needs to put her hands on it and let her know one day, she’ll be big enough to take one too. Congrats and enjoy the ride! They grow up way to fast! Just my .02

Deer should be fine at the end of the day, but I ain’t gutting nothing! Gutless all the way!

 

[Dutch]

Question for those that don't gut.

What about the tenderlions and heart? Some good eating being left in the deer with the guts.

 

[RedFoxx]

Question for those that don't gut.

What about the tenderlions and heart? Some good eating being left in the deer with the guts.

you can get both without gutting.. my nephew keeps all the hearts and he cuts a hole in between ribs and pulls it out the side...i hear him counting so he knows exactly which ribs but i aint got a clue...he also get the tenderloins without gutting... I will ask my nephew and update but will be a little bit to see how he counts

 

[menhadenman]

Question for those that don't gut.

What about the tenderlions and heart? Some good eating being left in the deer with the guts.

The tenderloins are easy - get behind the last rib (after the straps and quarters are off) and work your fingers below the spine. You can mostly pull them out without a knife but sometimes I’ll push the guts down so I can make a few minor cuts to avoid losing any. I don’t mess with the hearts very often these days but like Reddfox said guys do it.

 

[RedFoxx]

you can get both without gutting.. my nephew keeps all the hearts and he cuts a hole in between ribs and pulls it out the side...i hear him counting so he knows exactly which ribs but i aint got a clue...he also get the tenderloins without gutting... I will ask my nephew and update but will be a little bit to see how he counts

nephew says...once you take the shoulder off go to the 3rd or 4th rib and cut in between it...reach in and you will feel it because its harder than anything else...gotta cut the membrane that its in and pull it thru the membrane...then pull it between the slit in the ribs...i have seen him do it a few times and it only takes a minute...

 

[basshappy]

Like the title says, how long do y’all wait to gut?

Have permission to hunt a piece of property with a box blind that I’ve been told is great to bring kids, planning to bring my 4 year old daughter. I think we’ll be good to go with the shot, but she’s probably not ready for the cleaning process yet.

If possible, I plan to just wait until we get home to clean it.

You know your girl better than any of us in the peanut gallery. Use that knowledge to guide you on whether to expose her to the processing of a harvested deer or not. Once exposed, it can not be undone. Sights, sounds, smells, etc. Age 4 is very young in the development of a child. Not just with processing, but the act of harvesting, too. For example, if your shot is off and the deer is wounded, do you think your daughter is able to process and cope with seeing a wounded deer that might have erratic body movements or audible cries? Many children are disturbed by the sights and sounds of animals in distress. You already know the right choice for your daughter, because you know her and love her.

 

[WOODIE13]

She was 6, they said she was soft hearted and would cry. Was already to do the German thing, put a leaf in its mouth and say a prayer. She hit it high and the deer dropped in its tracks. Finished it off with my knife to the back of the head/spine. She wanted to shoot another one. I asked her "I thought you were soft hearted?" . She said she was, but loved eating deer meat.

Gutted it infront of her, she drug it a little, helped dress and process it.

Each kid is a little different so your approach needs to vary as well.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

Any professional butcher or meat cutter will tell you that the sooner you cool down the meat, the better the meat will taste. Proper field dressing has a lot to do with how the finished product turns out. It takes a very few minutes (2-3) to field dress the deer, opening that chest cavity is the best way to cool it down. If way back in the mountains or miles from the truck, gutless makes sense. We are not allowed to quarter them in Sc, the head must be in tact while transporting from the kill sight. As far as the little girl watching or participating, its dads call. I would encourage her but not mandate it. She at least should know the process.

Plenty of full grown men are to squeamish to gut a deer, they just won’t admit it, that’s why there are so many excuses and the processors stay full.

 

[bradycarver]

Depends on how cold my hands are... lol

 

[transfixer]

I've never hunted with a little one, so I'm not sure how I'd handle that, but I was taught by the old timers to gut them as soon as possible, especially if the guts were damaged with the shot, but even though the majority of my kills are high shoulder with no gut damage, only hitting the top of the lungs, I still gut immediately, where they fell, always have, always will, I don't understand those that drive to the processor and have them gut the deer they killed, but that's just me

 

[35 Whelen]

Gut immediately!

 

[frankwright]

My friend's daughter killed her first deer when she was very young.
She was fascinated by the insides and wanted to know what all the organs were.
She is almost finished with medical school now!
My daughter was about 4 when I brought a field dressed deer home. I wasn't sure how she would react.
She liked it and petted it and rubbed it but she did look at me and say "You cut it's guts out?".