Do you Split the Pelvis?

[Hawthorne]

Nope ream it good before I start gutting

[woodswalker]

I do, I like to do a clean job removing the anus, it is harder with an older buck but I carry a small hand ax, if the pelvis is too tough for me to split with my knife I just put the hand ax blade in the center and whack it with a piece of wood. I tried a but out tool, while it works it is a mess and requires tying the gut in two different places. By the time I do that I can have the pelvis split and the anus cut cleanly out without tearing up the ham meat.

[Singing Bridge]

Yes and no...

If I'm close to the road, yes.

If I'm miles from the road, no. I will split it and clean it out better once the buck is out or at camp.

[Uncle Lou]

For the hunters that don't split it, do you butcher the animal, or send it to the butcher.

I butcher all mine, and it definitely helps get it clean especially for extended hanging. Again, I don't split them all.

[Dewey]

I do. Only takes a minute with a pelvic saw. Every time I watch someone try and get all the innards out without splitting it, it seems like a pain in the but.

Seems like everyone guts a deer a bit different. Watched a guy slit a doe's throat and pull the esophogus out once.

Most guys use too big of a knife for this. It's much easier with a narrow bladed knife.

Yup

[john1984]

The people who showed me how to field dress always split the pelvis. Then one day I watched a video of a guy cutting around the colon and pulling it out like the but out tool.

[fireforeffect]

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

[Noreast10pt]

I do, it makes it easier to clean everything out.
Usually I use my limb saw but once I didn't have that with and ended up chopping through with my bigger knife.

[Mike32]

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. Just depends where I'm at.

[WV Bowhunter]

I do on smaller deer, a big buck is a pain to try to split with my knife and I don't want to carry anything extra for the job. I'll just do a bigger buck when I get him back to my house before I hang him up.

[Net Guy]

No

[pilgrimhunter]

Nope

[flinginairos]

For the hunters that don't split it, do you butcher the animal, or send it to the butcher.

I butcher all mine, and it definitely helps get it clean especially for extended hanging. Again, I don't split them all.

I butcher all mine and they always get quartered right away and into the fridge to cool. It's hardly ever cold enough to leave one hang. I just dont see a need to split it or take the but out if the quarters are coming off right away.

[Outdoor814]

I use to but do not now. I don't use a cart or sled YET, but I don't like that I'm dragging my food threw nasty stuff. I mean would you drag your steak threw a swamp before you throw it on the grill?

[Horizontal Hunter]

It's always interesting to see what and why other hunters do.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Bob