The gutless method. Why aren't you doing it if you have to pack out?

[Marshfly]

A couple of comments in another thread had me curious. When I moved to Montana a few years ago I learned about the gutless method and have done it ever since. It's clean, fast, and easy. I only cut what I am taking out of the woods.

But it seems some guys call it a fad and have moved away from it. I'd like to know why and why they are doing instead.

Why get into the guts when you don't have to?

 

[IdahoBeav]

There isn't a clear definition of what the gutless method is, but one reason to get into the guts is to get the heart and liver.

I personally prefer to dismantle the animal bone-in and leave the guts inside the ribcage/stomach.

 

[SaltySailor]

Two reasons for me. 1: The unit I hunt requires meat to come out on the bone, even the ribs. 2: I process all my own meat and I like it to hang for at least 5 days before I start to cut it up. A jelly bag full of meat is not nearly as clean a process to complete that task as if it were on the bone. The longest pack for moose was just under two miles, pretty brutal. Goats we did the gutless method, carrying it out was nice, but again, when I went to process it myself it was a big mess with more surface area exposed to dirt/moisture/hair/etc.

Smaller goat sized and down animals I can get the guts out in 15 minutes, not a big deal.

 

[Marshfly]

There isn't a clear definition of what the gutless method is, but one reason to get into the guts is to get the heart and lungs.

I personally prefer to dismantle the animal bone-in and leave the guts inside the ribcage/stomach.

Gutless as I do it is to split the hide along the spine. Then peel down the legs to the bottom of the shanks. Cut that joint and pull the quarters. Remove the backstraps. Small cut behind the last rib to reach in and pull the T-loin. At some point before you flip remove the neck roast and flank/brisket. Essentially never go inside.

I don't do heart and liver but that's valid reason for sure.

 

[Marshfly]

Two reasons for me. 1: The unit I hunt requires meat to come out on the bone, even the ribs. 2: I process all my own meat and I like it to hang for at least 5 days before I start to cut it up. A jelly bag full of meat is not nearly as clean a process to complete that task as if it were on the bone. The longest pack for moose was just under two miles, pretty brutal. Goats we did the gutless method, carrying it out was nice, but again, when I went to process it myself it was a big mess with more surface area exposed to dirt/moisture/hair/etc.

Smaller goat sized and down animals I can get the guts out in 15 minutes, not a big deal.

You can gutless leaving the skin on the quarters. I've seen that done when it's crazy dry and dusty to keep the dirt off the meat.

 

[svivian]

You can get the heart very easy with the gutless method, ive been doing it for years. You just have to break one rib.

 

[IdahoBeav]

Gutless as I do it is to split the hide along the spine. Then peel down the legs to the bottom of the shanks. Cut that joint and pull the quarters. Remove the backstraps. Small cut behind the last rib to reach in and pull the T-loin. At some point before you flip remove the neck roast and flank/brisket. Essentially never go inside.

I don't do heart and liver but that's valid reason for sure.

What you explained is what I usually do, but I have heard the gutless method be described as not only leaving the guts in the torso but also deboning all meat in the field.

With deer and short packs on elk, I have cut the ribs and taken a portion of the spine out with backstraps attached. This is better for aging and butchering.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Speed: I’ve yet to hunt and kill with someone who was faster with gutless than I am with gutting, myself included. From knife on to deboned and ready to pack out I am always waiting on the gutless guys.

Prime Meats: When we don’t do this to the heart it gets eaten…



Liver and Onions is one of mine and my Dads favorites.

Everyone who says look how easy it is to get the tenderloins out ends up waisting a huge portion of them without realizing it.

Learning Experience: In the last 5 years I went back to gutting animals pretty much exclusively to assess total damage. From heart shots, “shoulder” shots, lungs, high hits, gut shots, etc. I want to learn what different bullets and different chamberings do to animals insides. Especially now that I am taking younger hunters out and my oldest boy will hunt in just 3 short years, I want them to learn and form their own opinions on how animals die and what equipment to use.

Messy: If you learn how to properly and quickly gut and process an animal in the field it will absolutely not get you any “messier” than the gutless method.

 

[SaltySailor]

I'm speaking mostly to getting meat off the ribs, its tough to clean them up and remove fat/gristle when they are a bag of soggy bacon strips piled together in a bag. Not much usable meat off smaller animals, but on a moose or caribou there is some good meat on them that's easier to get at and process if on the bone.

 

[Laelkhunter]

The outfitter I hunt with now uses the gutless method on elk. The only downside I see is the difficulty getting all of the tenderloins out. I used to hunt with a different outfitter that gutted the elk at the kill site, then hauled it to "the shop" where an engine hoist was used to lift it. Then they skinned it and split it with an electric saw. The tenderloins were very easy to remove then since they were fully exposed.

 

[Marshfly]

Speed: I’ve yet to hunt and kill with someone who was faster with gutless than I am with gutting, myself included. From knife on to deboned and ready to pack out I am always waiting on the gutless guys.

Prime Meats: When we don’t do this to the heart it gets eaten…

View attachment 738069View attachment 738070

Liver and Onions is one of mine and my Dads favorites.

Everyone who says look how easy it is to get the tenderloins out ends up waisting a huge portion of them without realizing it.

Learning Experience: In the last 5 years I went back to gutting animals pretty much exclusively to assess total damage. From heart shots, “shoulder” shots, lungs, high hits, gut shots, etc. I want to learn what different bullets and different chamberings do to animals insides. Especially now that I am taking younger hunters out and my oldest boy will hunt in just 3 short years, I want them to learn and form their own opinions on how animals die and what equipment to use.

Messy: If you learn how to properly and quickly gut and process an animal in the field it will absolutely not get you any “messier” than the gutless method.

If people are sticking knives in to remove tenderloins without massaging them away first with their hands I can absolutely see that.

I use my hands for the most part so unless the T-loin tears somehow, I'm getting the entire thing.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

for the tendies during the gutless method, cut or break the last three ribs away from the spine. This gives you full access to the tenderloins with plenty of hand room for pushing the gut sack out of the way while you work.

 

[Netherman]

I do gutless then flop the guts out to get the tendies. Like Svivian mentioned breaking a rib get you a heart hole.

I’m not a liver guy but would probably just cut into the diaphragm after the gut flop if I was.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Gutless as I do it is to split the hide along the spine. Then peel down the legs to the bottom of the shanks. Cut that joint and pull the quarters. Remove the backstraps. Small cut behind the last rib to reach in and pull the T-loin. At some point before you flip remove the neck roast and flank/brisket. Essentially never go inside.

I don't do heart and liver but that's valid reason for sure.

This is how I do it as well. I haven’t gutted an animal in years.

 

[Poser]

The situation can vary. If an elk piles up on its back, wedged against a tree on a 35 degree slope, you're gutting it. No way around it.

The gutless method works fine and sometimes, often times even, it just makes sense. That being said, the gutless method fan boys often pretend like its the greatest thing ever and that it makes breaking an animals down remarkably easier. All the gutless method achieves is you not having to mess with the guts. That's it. Nothing more. And, often times, a gutted animal will be easier to turn over, move around and manipulate.

 

[Jason Snyder]

From knife on to deboned and ready to pack out I am always waiting on the gutless guys

Interesting. I can have a deer worked up and ready to pack out, with first load on the MR in an hour. An elk is going to be 1-2 hours depending on size of the animal the slope I’m working on.

 

[Marshfly]

Interesting. I can have a deer worked up and ready to pack out, with first load on the MR in an hour. An elk is going to be 1-2 hours depending on size of the animal the slope I’m working on.

Yeah. For two people not getting organs of similar skill in joint separation there is zero chance gutting is faster.

From what I see, the differentiator is virtually ALWAYS how fast people can separate the joints. That's where people get slowed down if they have less experience. That and how sharp your knife is and how well it holds an edge.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

The situation can vary. If an elk piles up on its back, wedged against a tree on a 35 degree slope, you're gutting it. No way around it.

The gutless method works fine and sometimes, often times even, it just makes sense. That being said, the gutless method fan boys often pretend like its the greatest thing ever and that it makes breaking an animals down remarkably easier. All the gutless method achieves is you not having to mess with the guts. That's it. Nothing more. And, often times, a gutted animal will be easier to turn over, move around and manipulate.

Or the gate keepers who will say you “don’t backpack hunt” unless you use the gutless method. Those are folks who have zero clue and likely rarely kill more than one animal a year.

 

[Jason Snyder]

The situation can vary. If an elk piles up on its back, wedged against a tree on a 35 degree slope, you're gutting it. No way around it

And if they die like this, there is no way one guy alone is gutting. I’ve had more than one bull die like this and the only way they were coming apart was one quarter at a time until I could finally get it rolled over. I consider myself fairly strong and fit, but rolling an elk around by myself is not on my to do list unless it’s absolutely necessary.

For reference, this bull took me over 2.5 hours to work up. It’s about a 40 degree slope of decomposed granite. Nothing to tie anything off to. It was a nightmare.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Or the gate keepers who will say you “don’t backpack hunt” unless you use the gutless method. Those are folks who have zero clue and likely rarely kill more than one animal a year.

So out of curiosity, you gut them out and then skin/quarter?