Get the meat cooled down as quickly as possible.
If in mild to warm weather, get the meat off the bone as quickly as possible. Deep neck meat and hind quarter meat can still be warm after spending all night intact on the bone in near freezing temps.

Gutting is a complete waste of time unless you might want the liver and heart. Its a mess and you take the chance of puncturing stuff you shouldn't. I've used the gutless "poacher roll" technique (search "gutless field dressing" on youtube) on my last 10 elk and 5 deer. I don't even see the guts...... and yes, I get the tenderloins. (from the outside under the short ribs) I'll never gut a big game animal again. You can get away with a small deer or antelope whole if in really freezing temps but I'd want to get the quarters off.

For best possible meat. Kill it quickly, Cool it quickly, handle it quickly. In mild to warm temps, "hoping for the best" doesn't cut it. Get it cooled by getting it off the bone.

I like to "roast" up a lot of my moose meat, and my favorite way to cook it is to do it in a sauerbraten style. Brown up the outside in a frying pan, and then drop it in a slow cooker with potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions, a cup of Italian salad dressing, and water as needed. The vinegar, oil and seasoning do great things to the meat for flavor and tenderizing. Let 'er cook all day and tear into it for dinner.

It's really good.

This is an older thread, but still somewhat active.

Avoiding an intestinal and stomach shot (gut shot) is a good first step.

Knowing the seasons and best time to harvest is another, particularly for species that can be hunted in split seasons or year around. Bear and wild hogs are two that fit that description, wild hogs can be hunted year around and some places like Canada have a spring bear season. The fat in wild hogs I've shot in the spring and summer months has sometimes been nasty but I've never found that taste in winter kills, and I infer it is due to a different diet. I could eat most of them by trimming the fat, but they would not have been good to grind for sausage or making bacon, fat back, cracklins, jowl, etc.

I've read and heard opinions on adrenaline and other body chemicals being released by distressed animals and how it affects taste, but would leave it to the scientists for the last word.

Field dress the critter quickly after the kill and get the remaining carcass cooled down quickly, and keep it cool.

Once cut into quarters or other portions, one can place them unwrapped in coolers placed on a slope with the drain valves left open. Allow the meat to sit under ice for 5 days and allow the water and myoglobin to drain out, and replace the ice each day.

After the 5 day drain, process or cook. If one desires, he can place his meat portion in slightly salted water over night to pull more myoglobin. The salted water can also be used for meat to be cooked without the 5 day drain. We usually do not allow tenderloins off a deer, elk, hog, etc. to sit that long before cooking.

Brian M wrote: Actually, if the animal is skinned first and then quartered, gutting it isn't even necessary. Once all the quarters are removed along with the backstraps, you can then make a small slice in the abdominal wall right near the spine in order to access the tenderloins. It's a way less messy method if you're quartering the animal on the spot, and it's also more effective at cooling the meat than just removing the guts.

Be careful there--with some species, some states consider the rib meat to be part of the definition of "Edible meat". Be sure to carefully read the definition of Edible meat for your state. For example here's the definition for Alaska: AS 16.30.030. Definitions.

In this chapter,

(1) "big game animal" means moose, caribou, mountain sheep, mountain goat, feral reindeer, deer, elk, bison, walrus, or musk ox;

(2) "criminal negligence" means criminal negligence as defined in AS 11.81.900(a)(4);

(3) "edible meat" means, in the case of big game animals, the meat of the ribs, neck, brisket, front quarters as far as the distal joint of the radius-ulna (knee), hindquarters as far as the distal joint of the tibia-fibula (hock), and that portion of the animal between the front and hindquarters; in the case of wild fowl, the meat of the breast;

In other words, rib meat is considered edible meat for any big game animal in AK.

MTV

mtv wrote:

Brian M wrote: Actually, if the animal is skinned first and then quartered, gutting it isn't even necessary. Once all the quarters are removed along with the backstraps, you can then make a small slice in the abdominal wall right near the spine in order to access the tenderloins. It's a way less messy method if you're quartering the animal on the spot, and it's also more effective at cooling the meat than just removing the guts.

Be careful there--with some species, some states consider the rib meat to be part of the definition of "Edible meat". Be sure to carefully read the definition of Edible meat for your state. For example here's the definition for Alaska: AS 16.30.030. Definitions.

In this chapter,

(1) "big game animal" means moose, caribou, mountain sheep, mountain goat, feral reindeer, deer, elk, bison, walrus, or musk ox;

(2) "criminal negligence" means criminal negligence as defined in AS 11.81.900(a)(4);

(3) "edible meat" means, in the case of big game animals, the meat of the ribs, neck, brisket, front quarters as far as the distal joint of the radius-ulna (knee), hindquarters as far as the distal joint of the tibia-fibula (hock), and that portion of the animal between the front and hindquarters; in the case of wild fowl, the meat of the breast;

In other words, rib meat is considered edible meat for any big game animal in AK.

MTV

True, however ADF&G even promoted the gutless method in the pamphlet, especially in bear country. Just because you don't open up the paunch doesn't mean you can't salvage rib meat.

mtv wrote:

Brian M wrote: Actually, if the animal is skinned first and then quartered, gutting it isn't even necessary. Once all the quarters are removed along with the backstraps, you can then make a small slice in the abdominal wall right near the spine in order to access the tenderloins. It's a way less messy method if you're quartering the animal on the spot, and it's also more effective at cooling the meat than just removing the guts.

Be careful there--with some species, some states consider the rib meat to be part of the definition of "Edible meat". Be sure to carefully read the definition of Edible meat for your state. For example here's the definition for Alaska: AS 16.30.030. Definitions.

In this chapter,

(1) "big game animal" means moose, caribou, mountain sheep, mountain goat, feral reindeer, deer, elk, bison, walrus, or musk ox;

(2) "criminal negligence" means criminal negligence as defined in AS 11.81.900(a)(4);

(3) "edible meat" means, in the case of big game animals, the meat of the ribs, neck, brisket, front quarters as far as the distal joint of the radius-ulna (knee), hindquarters as far as the distal joint of the tibia-fibula (hock), and that portion of the animal between the front and hindquarters; in the case of wild fowl, the meat of the breast;

In other words, rib meat is considered edible meat for any big game animal in AK.

MTV

Good clarification for those reading this thread. We always take the rib meat - it's a legal requirement, of course, but we'd take it anyways. We treat our game meat like gold and do everything to ensure that waste is minimized. Ribs can be taken without gutting the animal as well, or can be taken right after rolling the guts out as a last step. If we're hunting by ATV we'll take the ribs out on the bone after cutting with a saw, otherwise we cut them out as strips with a knife - again, both can be done without gutting.

gbflyer wrote:

mtv wrote:

Brian M wrote: Actually, if the animal is skinned first and then quartered, gutting it isn't even necessary. Once all the quarters are removed along with the backstraps, you can then make a small slice in the abdominal wall right near the spine in order to access the tenderloins. It's a way less messy method if you're quartering the animal on the spot, and it's also more effective at cooling the meat than just removing the guts.

Be careful there--with some species, some states consider the rib meat to be part of the definition of "Edible meat". Be sure to carefully read the definition of Edible meat for your state. For example here's the definition for Alaska: AS 16.30.030. Definitions.

In this chapter,

(1) "big game animal" means moose, caribou, mountain sheep, mountain goat, feral reindeer, deer, elk, bison, walrus, or musk ox;

(2) "criminal negligence" means criminal negligence as defined in AS 11.81.900(a)(4);

(3) "edible meat" means, in the case of big game animals, the meat of the ribs, neck, brisket, front quarters as far as the distal joint of the radius-ulna (knee), hindquarters as far as the distal joint of the tibia-fibula (hock), and that portion of the animal between the front and hindquarters; in the case of wild fowl, the meat of the breast;

In other words, rib meat is considered edible meat for any big game animal in AK.

MTV

True, however ADF&G even promoted the gutless method in the pamphlet, especially in bear country. Just because you don't open up the paunch doesn't mean you can't salvage rib meat.

Which is why I began this by saying "Be careful", not "don't do this". I've written citations to more than one caribou hunter for leaving the ribs.....and the tenderloins.....and the neck, duh. Just cut the quarters off and leave everything else.

MTV

mtv wrote:Which is why I began this by saying "Be careful", not "don't do this". I've written citations to more than one caribou hunter for leaving the ribs.....and the tenderloins.....and the neck, duh. Just cut the quarters off and leave everything else.

MTV

Man, regardless of the legal requirements, it would be a shame to not keep that meat. Even on a small animal, the rib meat certainly adds to the burger and sausage pile. We eat wild game exclusively at home, so every ounce matters.

Whether I go gutless or gut the animal first depends in part on where the animal falls and the size of the critter. This moose fell in a perfect spot - dry ground, one of the only brush-free spots around, and right in between two spruce trees that we could use to help lift the legs while quartering it. That said, it was a small little clearing, and I really didn't want to make it messy by rolling the guts out. Instead, we kept the guts in and ended up with really clean meat and an easy butcher job.
















This young bull caribou fell on a nice slope on the upper part of a mountain, so we rolled the guts out right away and simply drug the animal 10' away to butcher it. We partially decided to gut it first to cool it because I had to hike back about 45 minutes to get some gear before finishing the butcher job, but it also made things a bit easier.



This one, however, was taken on a walk-in hunt about five miles off the road in an area where the meat is not required to be left on the bone. We stripped the ribs off the bone and later de-boned the quarters as well. No gutting necessary (and yes, we did take the tenderloins, etc.) Different approaches for different circumstances.

Brian
Great post!! Doing the little things like having a tarp to lay the bags has a huge effect on how the meat comes out. I also try to do the no gutting butcher. I keep all meat and bags on tarp. I spray down all the meat with citric acid before I put it in the bags it cuts down on bacteria and the flys don't like it. I have had meat hanging next to mine not sprayed with eggs on them and none on mine. I am a meat nazi when it comes to keeping the meat clean and cool. Ribs, brisket, neck meat, heart, and tongue should all be taken. If it is warm and I have a moose to do I usually start a small smudge fire to keep the bugs at bay. It usually takes 3 hours or more to do a moose with 2 guys. Bou take about 45 min -1hr once you get a team working. That 10 min job looks fast but waist of meat is great!!! Also now you are going to have a major hair mess and it will take longer trying to get the rest of the meat out!! Just do it right to start with and get the hide off, spray and bag. I carry everything I need in my pack so when I shoot something I don't have to go back to camp, just start cutting.

Most all the Moose, Caribou, and deer we have had over the years have a very mild flavor to them. I think if you avoid the males at peak of the rut you will solve most of the issue.
DENNY

I like that citrus spray idea. I’ll try that on my next hunt.

DENNY wrote:Great post!! Doing the little things like having a tarp to lay the bags has a huge effect on how the meat comes out.

One of those ready to use small plastic drop sheets for painting might be useful and save some space and weight over a tarp.

I used one to paint a window that I repaired and thought how useful those little dudes would be for a lot of things, and now keep them on hand. I even keep one or two in the truck in case I have to change a tire somewhere dirty or wet.


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Trimaco-9-f ... gIFFPD_BwE

I sometime soak ducks in milk and salt water in a bowl in the fridge before cooking. Seems to help pull some of the blood out.

As opposed to Cattle, wild game is a lean meat, take off all fatty tissue, silver skin, sinew and tendons. This takes most if not all of the gamey flavor out.