Like a lot of ya'll, I've cleaned a pile of deer, but the hardest part about it to me has been opening up the breast bone to get the innards out. I've used saws, hatchets, knives and about anything else I could think of. Now at 65 I have learned if you take a plain old lopping snip, push the hook side in at the diaphram and open him up like a pair of scissors cutting paper. Before hanging and lying on the deer's back cut the hide down to the throat from the diaphram or just skin the deer first..

Sharp knife will split them open a lot quicker. Just don't let it slip and cut you.

I don't gut a deer unless I absolutely have to. Bone it all out while it's whole except the front shoulders which I cut off the deer then bone out.

My brother powers through em with a knife. He's a sight to behold. He hangs his in the shed and guts them.

I don't split the breast bone, I cut to it then just reach down in there and cut the windpipe/esophagus. Or don't gut and bone out as stated above.

Never split the breast bone to get it all out. Reach on up in there and cut the windpipe and such and pull.

My cordless ryobi sawzall makes it very fast.

Yep, lots of ways to skin a cat. The last few I did, I cut around the diaphragm and pulled as much of the front guts as I could and cut them loose and let them fall in the gut bucket with the stomach and the rest of the rear guts. This pretty much just leaves the heart and lungs left below where the diaphragm used to be. With all that other stuff out of the way, it's a whole lot easier to get the saw in there and go down one side of the breastbone all the way to the base of the neck. I try to drain as much blood as possible before reaching my hand in to cut the esophagus flush with the neck. When I rinse it out for the final time, I get everything out of the windpipe, mouth, and nose as long as I did a good job cutting the esophagus.

The deer blood used to not bother me but reading an article about some guys that got a blood borne pathogen from a deer a few years ago and lost an arm, I'm much more careful these days. I try to get as little blood on me as possible.

I keep surgical rubber gloves in my toolbox in truck and on my ranger. Just makes cleanup faster after I'm done

I don't have a reason to gut deer.

A skull works knife,surgical gloves, and 10 minutes is about all I need. I've seen deee field dressed several different ways over the years.

A buddy of mine taught me that trick several years ago. You can also use the same nippers to cut out the pelvic bone for easy removal of the bladder and butthole. It'll save your knive's edge by not having to break the breastbone cartridge.

I never gut them just quarter them. Is this something your processor wants you to do?

I never gut them either. The only thing you lose is the rib meat which is very little.

This is how I do it also.

My processor makes quick work of it. I don't even watch. Thats too tiring after a hard day up a tree!

The only reason I ever gut a deer is if I'm hanging it in walk in cooler. The only other reason I can think of would be for the rib meat.

If youll go just a little to the side of center on the breast bone its kinda like soft catalidge, u doit enoughan ur blade will just find the right spot ever time. U can do a bunch of other stuf if you want but none are as quick as this bustin pelvis with loppin shears with the rounded side down against the bladder and cut the 2 upper pieces of pubic bone then spread the legs and stand on both of them grab it by the tail and pull up hard an fast and it will snap the entire pelvis then you can clean out the body cavity as u see fit. Fyi it is infinitely easier to gut deer on the ground and then hangem up to quarter, back leg tips should be at least waist high off the ground if its hangin in a tree an not somewhere u can close it up. Guttin them hangen up is just aggravatin to me now.

I don't normally gut my deer but when I do I've never cut the breastbone to do it just reach and pull.

Ain't gutted one in years. I know some of you think we are a bunch of sissies for using gloves but soon as I'm done I can mix a drink and get a bite to eat. Without worrying about washing my hands and digging shucks from under finger nails. I didn't start using gloves till I got pigs on the property. These gloves we use are better than the mechanic gloves.

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