Gett'n em out

[Tines]

Like mentioned above, start by NOT gutting the animal. Honestly I can't remember the last animal I "gutted". Once you've got the method figured out, you might not ever do it again. Several sites offer instructions/videos to assist in this (including CWT). Just google "gutless method" or "poach dressed".

 

After you've got this figured out, you'll have a pile of ribcage, guts (still inside) spine and pelvis. How you take the meat out from there is your choice- quartered, deboned, whatever. Regardless, its all legwork (literally) from here.

 

Just a piece of advice. If its practical (and it usually is), NEVER push yourself too hard when a good nights rest is what might be needed to get out safely. Especially if you're alone. Several hours of rest after a long hunt can work wonders for you the next day. Trust me...

[azslim]

Another vote for the gutless method. I carry a boning knife and 4 to 6 pillow cases, 4 for deer & 6 for elk. Take them apart where they fall, pack em out then stick them in the cooler at camp. My meat cooler is full of a case of frozen 16 oz drinking water bottles, put down a layer, stack the meat in and shove the remainders where ever I can fit them. This keeps my meat from soaking in water and still cools it down.

 

To butcher just muscle out the hind qtrs, you will get a couple roasts and cut up a few steaks, cut at 90 degrees to the grain. I turn the front qtrs into grind, burger or sausage. The backstraps I cut about 8" in length, you can cut it into steaks later or cook it whole wrapped in bacon while it rolls around on the grill. I have packed a hand crank grinder long and done the whole job in the field, coues are small so it only takes a hour or so and a few cold ones in the shade.

[superdave]

Another vote for the gutless method. I carry a boning knife and 4 to 6 pillow cases, 4 for deer & 6 for elk. Take them apart where they fall, pack em out then stick them in the cooler at camp. My meat cooler is full of a case of frozen 16 oz drinking water bottles, put down a layer, stack the meat in and shove the remainders where ever I can fit them. This keeps my meat from soaking in water and still cools it down.

 

To butcher just muscle out the hind qtrs, you will get a couple roasts and cut up a few steaks, cut at 90 degrees to the grain. I turn the front qtrs into grind, burger or sausage. The backstraps I cut about 8" in length, you can cut it into steaks later or cook it whole wrapped in bacon while it rolls around on the grill. I have packed a hand crank grinder long and done the whole job in the field, coues are small so it only takes a hour or so and a few cold ones in the shade.

 

+1 for not gutting the deer. I first used this method about 25 years ago backpacking a bow hunt for desert mulies in the Davis mountains. I was young back then, and stuck a buck way back in and up a ways. After the initial jubilation was over, I realized I had a 240 pound animal on the ground. I had read something I think written by Dwight Schew or someone. I spilt his hide right down the spine and boned the meat from the top down. it still took me 2 trips to get him out, but gut and quartered it would have taken 4 trips I think. Also the neck roast in the crock pot is a delicassy. I will add that on a rutting buck, I will pour off the broth and replace w/ beef broth, it makes it not so gamey so the wife and kids will eat it too.

[couesdiehard]

+1 for gutless method and boning out the meat. I have tried this several different ways and for the life of me I can't think of any good reason to carry a deer or elk, even in quarters with the bones in and hide on. I spend extra time at the kill site (in the shade of a tree if possible) taking all the meat off the bones and then just pack out a meat sack full of pure tasty venison and a head and cape. As a bonus, there is no better way to cool that venison down than lay it as flat as possible on top of ice in your ice chest. I don't do any sawing anymore if I can help it, because I learned that bone chips and marrow spoil faster than the meat and create more potential for spoilage of the meat(gamey flavor).

The biggest challenges I have found with this method are keeping leaves, grass and dirt off the venison,(using the hide or a small tarp help but you still get some on there) but you can always wash off the venison back at camp. Secondly, getting the tenderloins out of the body cavity without gutting, but you get better at it with practice.

 

P.S. I am not a professional meat cutter either so I keep the butchering simple. I cut mostly roasts and stew/jerky meat. Roasts can be thawed and cooked whole or sliced into steaks easily just before they finish thawing. I use a lot of stew meat for green chile, and other slow-cooked dishes.

 

Lee

[Distance]

Another vote for the gutless method. I carry a boning knife and 4 to 6 pillow cases, 4 for deer & 6 for elk. Take them apart where they fall, pack em out then stick them in the cooler at camp. My meat cooler is full of a case of frozen 16 oz drinking water bottles, put down a layer, stack the meat in and shove the remainders where ever I can fit them. This keeps my meat from soaking in water and still cools it down.

 

To butcher just muscle out the hind qtrs, you will get a couple roasts and cut up a few steaks, cut at 90 degrees to the grain. I turn the front qtrs into grind, burger or sausage. The backstraps I cut about 8" in length, you can cut it into steaks later or cook it whole wrapped in bacon while it rolls around on the grill. I have packed a hand crank grinder long and done the whole job in the field, coues are small so it only takes a hour or so and a few cold ones in the shade.

 

+1 for not gutting the deer. I first used this method about 25 years ago backpacking a bow hunt for desert mulies in the Davis mountains. I was young back then, and stuck a buck way back in and up a ways. After the initial jubilation was over, I realized I had a 240 pound animal on the ground. I had read something I think written by Dwight Schew or someone. I spilt his hide right down the spine and boned the meat from the top down. it still took me 2 trips to get him out, but gut and quartered it would have taken 4 trips I think. Also the neck roast in the crock pot is a delicassy. I will add that on a rutting buck, I will pour off the broth and replace w/ beef broth, it makes it not so gamey so the wife and kids will eat it too.

Word on the gutless method. I throw up when I try to do gut right away. mostly due to the rush, but still, it's stinky. funny thing is, i work in surgery, but the gutting thing just kinds of overwhelmes me sometimes. i'll try the pillow case thing. sound like a good idea.

thanks for the great input!

[Coues&Bass]

There is alot to consider when hunting Coues. If it is hot then after the kill you need to do your best to get the meat cooled as soon as possiable. As some of the other posts mentioned. I normally do not skin them until I can get them at least back to the truck, helps to keep the dirt and other stuff off the meat. After the deer is gutted and ready for packing I will cut the legs off at the knees then tie the front legs to the back legs to create what looks like straps on a back pak. I will then put him on my back and get to walking. If you stop for a break try to set the deer down in the shade to help with the cooling. Normally it is cool enouph this time of year that you will not have issues with the deer getting over heated. If you are camped out then get the deer hung in some good shade and remove the hide, never let the deer hang in the direct sunlight.

 

just my 2 cents

[Hunterjohnny]

No one gave you a taxi. Mark Plunket is in camp verde. The best taxidermist I have ever known.

 

Now I know its been a long day! I couldnt figure out why he needed a taxi, just drive yourself!

[billrquimby]

My guide on a caribou hunt in the Northwest Territories had the slickest way to pack out a heavy animal that I've seen anywhere. I was impressed that everything he needed to do it fit in his jacket pocket.

 

He skinned the trunk part of the carcass and laid the skin flesh side up on the tundra, then used that skin to make a package of boned meat. He tied the package together with ornately decorated straps made from tanned caribou hide. Other straps went over his shoulders and connected to a tumpline on his head.

 

That meat must have weighed 130-140 pounds but he carried it at least 1,000 yards to our boat without stopping.

 

Bill Quimby

[azslim]

If it is cool enough I will let the qtrs hang at night without a bag, lets the meat rind up, much easier to cut off the rind than to pick hairs and dirt.

[Red Rabbit]

Putting the boned meat in a couple of trash compactor bags (thicker that regular trash bags) will keep any blood off your gear and pack when hiking out, as opposed to using game bags or pillow cases. Take the meat out of the trash compactor bags when at camp and get on ice. Using frozen jugs of water will keep the meat dry rather than loose ice (if you are concerned about wet meat).

[azcoueshuntr]

Check out jay scotts outdoors blog he has a gut less deboning video on there its good stuff no saw needed and those piranna knives are no joke and do the job well i did 2 cow elk and 1 coues before having to change my blades...

[Chiefs]

For those of us who have never had the wonderful experience of shooting a coues a mile or three from a road in the desert or high desert areas does anyone have some pointers...keeping them cool, packing them out...and anyone no a meat processor and taxi in Camp Verde area? THanks.

I never gut the animal anymore, unless it is required in some states to bring the deer into a check station. Turn him over on his back, cut thru both hindquarters at the hip socket, leave skin on to protect, roll back over onto stomach and cut the skin up the back, and split down each side past the back straps, cut out the straps, lop off each shoulder, after taking off the head for a shoulder mount, cut the lower legs off at the knee, debone the hindquarters from the leg bone, put into a good meat bag, and pack it out, takes all of 20 minutes, leave the carcass, guts in for the coyotes, keeps them busy not eating another deer for about a week.

[willhunt4coues]

+1 for the gutless method. Me and AZP&Y did it on his buck this year and we also did it on my wifes buck. If the buck is not easy to get to IMO this is the only way to pack a deer out and easiest. In the time it takes me to gut the deer I can have the deer capped, deboned, and headed back to the jeep. I zip from the back of the head all the way down to the tail and start to skin both the right and left side. I remove the back straps first then the back roasts. Then I move up and grab the front leg meat and the neck meat then cap him out to the bottom of his neck. I throw all my meat into cheese cloth and then into my backpack. The nice thing about doing the gutless method is face it when you get home you are beat and don't want to have to skin the deer and (for some let him hang) then process. Then there is taking the left over bones/hyde and trying to despose of it. When the gutless method is done you leave all the bones,hyde, and guts behind. Much easier imo than bringing him home. You really don't need to watch any videos it is very simple to do.

[Snapshot]

Coues deer have meat on them?

 

 

When it comes to a big ole mule deer, I bone em out and put it in a pack.

 

Coues are so small I just throw it over my shoulder and carry it out.

[Bowtechian84]

Id say Pack an extra game bag .. I prefer the gutless method, quarter them out .. tenderloins and back straps . I try not to waste any meat I like to jerky and burger anything I can't steak or roast