Anyone shocked when someone can't gut a deer?

[txjustin]

I spend about $3,000 a year deer hunting. I know others that spend way more than that. If I am not blessed enough to eat that I have to scrape meat off of deer ribs or other small pieces that are basically scraps, I will quit deer hunting.

For what I spend deer hunting I could buy several hundred pounds of chicken, pork and beef.

I am not more blessed than most. I just don't see where spending a few thousand dollars a year for a sport and scraping another 20 pounds of meat a year has anything to do with being blessed other than maybe being blessed enough to have a job allowing me to participate in a sport.

You can't show me enough meat a deer that I throw away that can somehow justify the money I spend for the fun of hunting if I am in need of food. It is like spending $50,000 for a bay fishing boat and an additional $50 a day to fish and then complain that I am wasting meat because I fillet the fish and throw away the ribs, backbone and throat meat.

I'm glad you have that much to blow on hunting . I spend a few hundred a year and enjoy being out there if I dont get or even see anything. Now that extra money go towards more needful basics through out the the year. If I had to spend 3k a year for hunting I'd just sell my stuff off and buy store bought meat.

Hunting isn't a sport, it's a means of putting as much food as i can in the freezer.

I probably spend about $3k a year on hunting. That's just lease cost, corn, plots. I also bought (paid for) a new ranger last year that was over $10k.

If I was hunting just for meat I'd have bought some cows and had them butchered for $13k.

Hunting is 100% sport for me. To each their own.

[Michael]

No need to be combative on a thread about cleaning/gutting a deer. Let's keep it on track.

If I have somebody to help me load, I typically take my deer to camp, hang and keep guts with cavity. I ALWAYS take the tenders, but not always the ribs. That often depends on cooler/freezer space.

If I kill a deer while hunting by myself, I will often need to field dress it in order to load it. It's easy enough.

HI can remove the legs with a knife, but if loppers are handy, I'll gladly use it. Honestly, I've gotten better at cleaning since my girls started killing deer, but I wouldn't consider myself "quick" by any means.

[HeathJohnson]

This is my second season hunting. If I get to harvest an animal, my first time gutting a deer or axis will be with one of my clients on his ranch outside of Junction. Not only will I be nervous to gut the animal but I will have to quarter it and bring it back up to Dallas to be processed. I am wearing youtube out right now trying to learn how to gut, quarter and haul back to ensure best quality. Dont even get me started on how to bring it back if I want to get it mounted. Playing minor league baseball was easier than this! LOL

[CaptainDave]

Rarely if ever gut here. Just string up by hind legs, take the quarters, back straps and tenderloins. Get meat into cooler and start bleeding out.

Don't eat organs and gutting just to get a little rib meat is not worth it to me.

Hunting is a hobby and means of entertainment for me. Not much different than fishing. Although fresh meat in the freezer is a side benefit; it's a secondary reason for me to participate in such activities.

[Big Brass]

I know a few guys who have shot loads of deer but still have trouble gutting and quartering them.

I got a late start on big game hunting - grew up bird/ small game hunting - and have only killed a handful of deer. The first couple I learned on my own and took forever. Then I watched how a friend, who has killed a ton of critters, does it and now it is a snap. He talked me through the next one I killed and, while I still haven't done many, it takes less than a half hour to go from a whole animal to quarters, straps, tenders, and trim meat on ice. I will save heart, liver, and kidneys if they are in good shape. I actually somewhat enjoy gutting them. I learn a lot about their anatomy and health while doing it.

[Ender]

Also some people like to get the bladder to save the pee, especially during the rut if you are lucky enough to get a hot doe with nothing but younger bucks trailing her. Can't get to the bladder without getting everything else out of the way. Then it's still a pain in the arse

[Landrover]

OMG..........folks are debating this also.

[Iehooligan11b]

lol not all of us have $1500-$2000 a gun leases. Public land is cheap, corn is semi cheap, that just leaves your gear which you can get a little at a time. I don't have a problem with people who can afford those nice leases with the managed deer and food plots, if I had plenty of money is be on one. But don't talk trash about people who hunt for cheap because that just makes you look like an a**. I gut my deer but I don't take the ribs or backbone, I do keep the skin, sinew, and leg bones but that's just me, each to their own

lol not what I meant at all. Trust me, I am not on some huge expensive lease. I don't even have a lease. I am on military pay, I can barely afford a bow haha. I take 4 quarters, backstraps and tenderloins, leave the rest. Wasn't talking trash on people who hunt for cheap, I do my darnest to try to as well. Just countering a pretty judgmental post. Playing devils advocate. My sarcasm apparently was misunderstood.

[Flint knapper]

I still have a friend that owns several ranches with some really big deer! I don't think he has ever gutted a deer.
I don't mind gutting it for him as long as I get most of the meat!!!

[d_e_smith]

I subscribe to the gutless method. Can go around everything if it's hanging and still get the heart out. Not real big on removing ribs and will trim them on a muley.

[Ender]

lol not what I meant at all. Trust me, I am not on some huge expensive lease. I don't even have a lease. I am on military pay, I can barely afford a bow haha. I take 4 quarters, backstraps and tenderloins, leave the rest. Wasn't talking trash on people who hunt for cheap, I do my darnest to try to as well. Just countering a pretty judgmental post. Playing devils advocate. My sarcasm apparently was misunderstood.

I understand and agree it was a pretty condescending post and I planned on saying something about his too I just got distracted

[Geezy Rider]

OMG..........folks are debating this also.

Yes sir, this is what we have become.

If anyone in my area needs help dressing any animal I would be glad to help a fellow hunter out.

[Shane]

I don't spend more than $117.58/year on hunting, and that's counting the gas to get there. Wow, it must be nice for all of y'all to spend more than $200 a year on hunting. I didn't realize I was surrounded by so many evil rich people here on TBH. Bummer.

I keep EVERYTHING from every deer. I make stew out of the stomach contents. The wife and kids are learning to like it finally. I'll admit it is a bit of an aquired taste. But I ain't wasting ANYTHING. I boil the hooves for a week to soften them up enough to chew as well. Generally, we'll grind the bones into a powder and make a tea out of that. It goes well with the baked intestines and urine gravy.

I fashion dental floss out of the hair. It takes a while to weave it all together in long strings, but it's worth the effort. Those little pieces of sauteed eyeball really get stuck between your teeth. Nothing cleans that out of your teeth better than hair floss.

I just still can't believe how pitifully wasteful most of you so-called "hunters" are. Sheesh.

[coldgas]

I don't spend more than $117.58/year on hunting, and that's counting the gas to get there. Wow, it must be nice for all of y'all to spend more than $200 a year on hunting. I didn't realize I was surrounded by so many evil rich people here on TBH. Bummer.

I keep EVERYTHING from every deer. I make stew out of the stomach contents. The wife and kids are learning to like it finally. I'll admit it is a bit of an aquired taste. But I ain't wasting ANYTHING. I boil the hooves for a week to soften them up enough to chew as well. Generally, we'll grind the bones into a powder and make a tea out of that. It goes well with the baked intestines and urine gravy.

I fashion dental floss out of the hair. It takes a while to weave it all together in long strings, but it's worth the effort. Those little pieces of sauteed eyeball really get stuck between your teeth. Nothing cleans that out of your teeth better than hair floss.

I just still can't believe how pitifully wasteful most of you so-called "hunters" are. Sheesh.

Oh my! Lmao![emoji23]

[sethcros]

Yes sir, this is what we have become.

If anyone in my area needs help dressing any animal I would be glad to help a fellow hunter out.

And it's gone 20 pages