Skinned, gutted, and butchered my first deer...

M

myshoulderissore

New member
And it was a pain. Not like the pain of dragging it out 2 miles tied to me, but still.

So, I have a question... I look around for ways to make it easier, and I see a bunch of guthook type blades, which are described as basically a "zipper" you bring with you. It makes sense in my head, probably would make a bunch of the processing easier. But before I dropped the money on one, I wanted to drop in and ask some opinions, and maybe a bit of advice or pointers.
 
If gut hooks were that great, wouldn't professional butchers be using them? If guthooks were easier to carry and use, why would so many regular hunting knives be advertised and sold?

Answer: guthooks have been around a long time, and a lot of really cool-looking knived incorporate them, but most will only get used once or twice. After that, the knife user figures out that stomach contents are not good on meat: the point of the guthook punctures guts just as easily as a knife point.
 
What I'm going to say may be to some extent the result of my being old and set in my ways but here goes........

For most deer cleaning tasks a knife, I like a drop point, with a 3-4 inch blade is plenty. One of the folding bone saws is helpful........unless you have a sawzall.

I find it to be something of a waste of money to have a special knife to do the splitting of the belly when it can be done in a minute or two with a regular knife.

Cutting the wind pipe and esophogus and peeling the guts out requires no special tools other than a knife. And takes only a minute or two also.

Not much on spending money........

Practice will speed things up much more than fancy tools.........
 
Agree with Scorch on the guthook style knife.

People prefer different knives for processing big game. One thing everyone has in common is the knives have to be sharp. Not 'store bought' sharp, but really sharp.

I like a sturdy bladed knife for gutting.

Skinning: a thin, flexible bladed knife. My fav. is an old 7 1/2" fillet knife I've had for years.

Since I bone everything out, good boning knives are in order.

Lastly, if your going to be butchering a few deer a year it may help you to learn how to use a 'steel'. Once you get a good edge on your knives, while butchering, a steel makes fast work of keeping them touched up.
 
I have a friend who seems to think that a person isnt complete without a guthook knife...but...I dont have one myself. Ive never felt the urge to have one. Have done plenty of deer in the last twenty five years without one.
 
What I am going to say may be a result of me being a young punk, in gutting years at least (came to hunting later in life than many) and gut hooks being readily available when I learned.

First - not all gut hooks are created equal. I tried a new fixed-blade knife this year that had a gut hook, but the point of the hook stuck out too far. It worked fine for doing gut-hook work ("unzipping it"), but it got caught on stuff to much while I was doing "inside" work. Look for one that naturally follows the curve of the blade, not sticking out at a weird angle.

Second - keep it sharp with a chainsaw file or similar. All that hook is doing is cutting hair and skin and the hair is what dulls it fast.

I have never had the problem pointed out by Scorch, of puncturing guts. Again, look for one that has a clearly round "point" on it.

Doesn't really save a ton of time - really comes down to practice. My buddy can have it gutted and ready to drag before I can get a knife out...
 
What shortwave said about the "fillet" knife.

I will admit that once it's skinned I do have a habit of reaching for one of the fillet knives.....but then as I run a seafood market and always have one at hand it never occured to me to think it was something other folks did on purpose.

Does have it's place......especially when it's time to strip it out for jerkey.
 
It can be useful if you are brand new, as in a first timer. But after doing it twice with a regular knife then you won't probably ever use it again.

If you want to make your life easy and think you will have a lot to skin in the future then check out the videos of skinning deer with a winch or an ATV...that saves a lot of work and time!

And Congrats on your first time!
 
If you want to make your life easy and think you will have a lot to skin in the future then check out the videos of skinning deer with a winch or an ATV...that saves a lot of work and time!
Click to expand...

I just have to say, that makes me laugh. It makes so much sense! Think I could do it by run-power and a tree? I am a big guy, 250lbs, and run the 2 mile in 14 minutes... Looking up the videos now.
 
I use a cheapo, "Winchester" branded, 4.5", fixed blade, for skinning and certain gutting chores. It does just fine.

For opening a carcass, slitting throats, and most gutting work, I use a modified cheapo brand "Wyoming Knife" handle with true Wyoming Knife brand blades (the "original", if you click the link). I've never had an issue with with puncturing entrails, or tearing open a stomach while using the "zipper" side of the blade. The exposed blade is also extremely useful inside an animal.

However, life expectancy of the blades is far from what the Wyoming Knife Corp. used to claim (I don't know if they still do). Even on something as small as an Antelope, the "zipper" blade is toast after one animal.

That doesn't stop me from carrying it, though. On most hunts, you won't see me carrying a fixed blade or folding blade knife on my belt. It's my hybrid Wyoming Knife. The blades can be resharpened, and I find it that useful.
 
I carried a Camilus Air-Crew survival knife the first twenty years, and since 98, I've carried a Buck 110. The survival knife would unzip a ribcage but it became duller as the project wore on, the Buck stays reasonably sharp until deer is in the pan!;)
 
I won't use a gut-hook. Don't need 'em, don't want 'em.

Once the abdominal cavity is slightly opened, stick the point of your blade between the index and middle finger of the other hand to keep the point from hooking the innards, and simply open the animal up.

I've cleaned and processed more critters than I care to recall, and I've never felt a need for a gut-hook. In fact, all I've ever needed was a decently made, sharp knife.

For quartering, the front shoulders skin off easily. The back quarters need to be separated from the hip at the ball joint, but it's easy and quick to do. Backstraps and tenderloins are cut from the bone, as well as the rib meat, neck, and any other scraps of meat that can be salvaged.

When I process it for the freezer, I usually bone out the meat, and turn it into boneless steaks, roasts, and stew meat. For burger, the scraps get ground up.

In the field, I carry two knives. One will be a fixed blade knife with a good skinning blade. I much prefer a good carbon steel blade, but stainless will work as long as you have a sharpener with you. One of my favorites is a Marble's "Fieldcraft" with a 3.5" blade. Another favorite is a custom knife made by Scott Knives of Falcon, Colorado

The other knife I carry will have a fairly thin blade for detailed cutting. I have a folding Buck "bird" knife that works well, and also a Knives Of Alaska "Cub Bear". These knives work great for caping, and for cleaning the "stuff" that's in the anal area without breaking the bladder or intestines.

I have some seriously handy knives for the purpose, but not one of them is equipped with a gut-hook. It's just a matter of knowing how to use them.

I'm not much for gimmicks and such; I just carry and use what works well. In the picture, the Marble's knife on the right, as well as the "bird" knife in the middle have been used on all kinds of critters. Deer, elk, bison, antelope, caribou, grizzly bear, and all sorts of stuff have been cut up with them, from Alaska to Sonora, Mexico, and they do the job mighty well.

Daryl

Huntingknives.jpg
 
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like 'em

I have a gut hook, that's all it is, and I like it a bunch, to unzip.

And I use it when the deer is hung on a gimble-stick. Unless its a gut shot, or a very rough drag, I quit gutting in the field a long time ago. A deer cart is my other best friend. That and a pal's ATV. And a teenager.
 
I have a gut hook, that's all it is, and I like it a bunch, to unzip.

And I use it when the deer is hung on a gimble-stick. Unless its a gut shot, or a very rough drag, I quit gutting in the field a long time ago. A deer cart is my other best friend. That and a pal's ATV. And a teenager.
Click to expand...

I always gut them in the field, but where I hunt pretty much dictates that. I never drag, but instead pack them.

I agree on the teen-ager though...and the ATV. I use that if I can get it to them.

Daryl
 
As said earlier, i use a gut hook to get through the hide, if you know how to use it correctly you won't get into the guts. I prefer a small guthooked knife, I have a interchangable Kershaw that while the guthooked blade lookes like a knife out of Predator, it wasnt very functionable.
 
I have never used a gut hook. However Gamesaver came out with a knife called the swingblade. It has a regular drop point skinning knife on one end and a rounded off point blade on the other end. You push a button in the handle to switch from one blade to another. It works like a dream for gutting and you never have to worry about stabbing guts by accident.

I have watched others using a gut hook and I think the swing blade knife works much better. Also the steel in this knife is fantastic.
 
Cowboy - glad to hear someone who has used the swingblade. I thought it looked like a cool concept, but have resisted buying one for fear it was just another gimmick.
 
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