Best way to gut em.

Always gutted them on the ground or back of the mule. I could see where hanging head first for gutting would be a good way to do it. Cut the belly and most of it it falls out.

If you follow Goatkiller's and 2Dogs' advice, PM me for a deal on 4x4 tube.

I lay them on their back first , split the belly from sternum to butt hole. Take a hatchet and split the pelvis. Then winch them up and slide a tub under them . Pull the innerds down and out, move the tub and hose them out. If I have to gut one in the woods , I'll still split the pelvis and hang them head up and hose them out.

And ya know every processor I've been to hangs them by the back legs. I think head up is the best way to do it. Next one I clean will be done in that manner.

Have always hung mine by the back legs. Unless your getting the ribs or want some organ meat, no need to gut them. Just slice it down far enough to get the tenderloins out. I debone the hindquarters while its hanging.

[quote=Skullworks]Only Yankees hang a deer head first. [/quote
I do head up to gut. I can have one done in 5 minutes

Processors are gonna skin too , head down works best for skinning.

Head up is definately easier to gut, but don’t let them hang that way as the blood pools in the hind quarters and isn’t as good for the meat. I done one that way and will never let one hang overnight like that again.

When I build a new one I will have 4 winches two for the legs to hold each independent so they deer doesn’t spin, and two through shackles to winch the hide off. I have had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands and hate pulling on hide it kills my hands. Hang them he’s first hit and pull the hide off then flip them to debone.

12x16 slab with slope to wash out, freestanding sink, gas water heater or camp shower as the hot water is nice, 4x 4ft led lights can never have to much light when processing, magnetic knife holders on the wall are handy as well for different knives, saws, etc.

The list goes on and on but this would be a good start.

Several good ideas here. I built one several years ago 10'X12', with a slightly tapered concrete floor, seven 4x4 posts and a doubled 2x10 header to hold the roof (and meat pole), a 3" schedule 40 pipe for a meat pole and a cable/winch set-up much like 2dogs, but one on each end. There was space enough in the middle for a third deer if needed but it was a little tight for working and you had to muscle it up, no winch. I put in a frost free spigot and a sink. I put tin on the North and west side down to about knee high and it sure was nice on those January evenings with the wind blowing. I also wired up 4 lights, one on each corner so no matter which side you were facing, you had light for working. A couple years later one of the guys came up with some insulated panels from a few roll up cooler doors. Me and a buddy built a meat cooler out of them and another guy came up with an industrial refrigerator unit. That was nice for extended stays at camp.

Maybe there's an idea or two in the above that someone can use. I wish I had that set-up where I hunt now. Oh, and we almost always hung them by the hind legs, no gutting them unless we were going to hang them in the cooler. Otherwise we went ahead and quartered them and into an ice chest.

Pretty much like Shotts said. Two winches with the pulleys around two feet apart with an eye hook attached to the cable. Insert hooks in back legs and deer will not spin.

Saw a very cool setup over the weekend. Two deer station with electric winches with tethered remote controls. Just back the truck up, connect the gambrel, use one hand to push the button and the other to guide the antlers off the truck. While you are skinning/etc, just push the button to raise or lower while staying where you are. When done, drive the gut bucket vehicle under the carcass while using the remote to lower it into the bucket. Really nice.

We built ours out of old oil well stem pipe.

I have a hand winch mounted to a post under my pole barn, pulley straight above attached to the metal truss, another pulley 90 degrees a few feet. Winch off of truck and go to work.

I hang em by the legs and never gut them. No need to, what are you getting by gutting them? You can access just enough to get the two little pieces of sweet meat (tender loins).

Gut for two reasons , if it's in the woods to lighten the load in hill country and I don't cut my own deer up , I usually give the old tough ones away. Good way to get them cooled down also.

Yeah I reckon that's pretty good reasons. not many hills down here in Baldwin and I guess I always take for granted that I do all my own processing.

Thanks

The last one I built was out of 6”x6” posts with a metal roof on top. Two winches so two deer could be cleaned at the same time. Concrete pad, running water with a countertop, and electric lights. As much as we put into it, I wish I had enclosed it with screened walls to keep flies and yellow jackets out.

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Ours is an electric winch in a covered breezeway between two barns. It has a few spot lights a stainless steel table, hose and water and is on a hill so everything runs off. Scales, saws, and loppers for deer cleaning. We use 1/2 a plastic 55gallon drum for guts. We also have a hand washing tub, for washing hands and knifes and whatnot while cleaning the deer. It is a mighty fine setup.