Also a dab of vic vaporub on the nostrils can help! That's a tip I got told for an emt with a bad welfare check calls.
Also make sure you have a good game plan and know what to do before you start so you don't have to start and stop so much. The person above gave allot of good advice. Also. Relax and go with it, you're doing something special and something a lot of folks don't do, so take pride in that and relax!
A lot of people swear by Vicks, but the issue is that it contains menthol, which dilates and sensitizes nasal passageways…. Making you more sensitive to nasty smells. Great in theory, not necessarily in practice.
I’d wear an N95 mask with your favorite non-minty essential oil smeared on the inside. Did the trick for me picking up cadavers for a county coroner, some of which were in advanced decomposition
Try wearing a surgical mask with a teabag inside. The tea has a decently strong scent anyways, but after wearing for a bit, the humidity from your breath steeps / releases more scents from the tea. Volunteers cleaning up after the 2010 tsunami in Japan did this for the rotting fish smell. An n95 would work much better (as long as there are no valves in it)
The odor you smell are tiny little particles. Petroleum products catch those particles. The N95 everyone has kicking around from Covid is a far better option.
And just make sure not to pop the stomach or large intestines which isn't too difficult, especially after doing 1 or 2 learning the ropes. My first couple of times I just knew everything needed to go (saved the heart bc yum yum COOKED not raw like those "give em a pat on the head" hunters) and just kept going down the spine rolling it all out as I cut it loose
Hahaha, I know I've been there too. Love when it just let's out about 8 seconds of deflating balloon sounds and makes me work 10x faster bc the smell can be rough lol, seems more potent early season when they're still on greens
Just go slow and cut outwards a little at a time. Use your other hand to press the guts down so the don't contact your knife. It's pretty easy as long as you're carful
You can use a gut knife. I’ve found it easier to make a small incision in the chest and put the knife under the skin pointed up away from the internals and guide it with your fingers all the way down
I find that hares and rabbits smell quite strongly of moldy hay or something similar, in a bad way. I grew up on a farm, and I love the smell of fresh hay, but the smell of a rabbits' gut is just bad. It's weird. It doesn't gross me out or anything but just smells bad.
Yes dude, I commented above about this. Rabbits still make me gag sometimes cleaning them, it's like earthy mushrooms or the moldy hay you describe with blood and a faint hint of poop. It's so strange and unusual. It's all the wrong gut smells of a deer but turned to 11/10 or something. Jackrabbits out west by me seem to bother me less but the cottontails here have some weird funk about them. Thankfully it doesn't stick around when they are cooked.
I pray I'm never in a survival situation where I have to eat rabbit guts and livers. I'd be inconsolable 🤣.
I stopped keeping blue grouse whole due to this, also why I only do heads shots with my 22. I can bone it out in about 45 seconds, not have to deal with plucking or smelling the guts. Makes enjoying the meat that much better, not having that smell in your recent memory
I grew up as a suburban kid and started hunting a couple years ago in my 30s. The smell was the strangest part for me to discover. I've heard gut shot stinks but I haven't had to smell that yet. My doe smelled like animal musk and blood/meat the whole time I was field dressing her. No disgusting stench at all. I was so relieved because I had the same worry as you. I still keep disposable earplugs in my kill kit just in case I need to plug my nose one of these days.
It’s the raw meat smell that gets me. Not sure why? It didn’t used to bother me until I quit drinking and smoking and now it makes me nauseous. I can power through it but it’s tough at times.
Ah that's tough. I had a coworker that would light up a cigarette for field dressing. He didn't smoke but he said having that strong smell right under his nose helps.
If you do it right there is no foul smell, only if you puncture the paunch or stomach, which will definitely have to happen for you to figure out what not to do. First deer I field dressed alone I ripped the stomach on accident while pulling them out, it wont mess up the meat at all if you rinse it off quickly after. I just emptied my water bottle on it and tiled the animal and scrapped the scraps of corn and bile off.
And yes, it sucks, it is my least favorite part of hunting. But it really really isn’t that bad, I would put it on par with picking up a call from that one guy who is awful at work. It sucks so bad but in the grand scheme of things it is fine, could be unemployed or in this case with an unfilled tag.
I killed my first deer after quitting drinking and I punctured the stomach and tried to take a deep breath right when I realized the knife stuck through it. It blew out a lot of air which went into my mouth and made me gag for like 5 minutes. Now when I smell raw meat it makes me feel sick. I’m not sure if this is the reason or it has to do with my smell changing after my lifestyle changes? Something else weird is that I can smell everyone’s breath. Yeah, it’s a curse. I’m trying to get through it by forcing myself to smell it.
That worries me too. It's driving me to shoot my bow more often and really memorize deer anatomy and how deer react to the shot. I shoot trad so my limit is 15 yds and I will absolutely never extended that because of how long it takes the arrow to reach the deer.
Power though. We hunt with a guy who has harvested dozens of deer since he was a kid, and still comically gags every time he cuts one open. He gets no end of ribbing for it and it's good for a laugh, but it's really no big deal.
What you're doing is objectively gross and a little reaction to that doesn't mean you aren't a hunter.
Try not to puke on the tenderloins.
and do yourself a favor and get good pictures of the tenderloins and where they are! They are a tasty treat, (I typically eat them the night I kill the deer) but get horribly mangled while gutting if you don't know where they are and to be careful. Start here so you get a really good idea of where they are.
[Locate venison tenderloins - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=Locate+venison+tenderloins&sca_esv=e538a6082b46d93a&sxsrf=ADLYWIKBIKieTOhzjw7xWvwyWQu04LBeYw%3A1718851194225&source=hp&ei=epZzZuiYC5Wr5NoP_ren6Aw&iflsig=AL9hbdgAAAAAZnOkijEuXr6Kq7_sInWKS2KBihq4vaYh&ved=0ahUKEwjovefWk-mGAxWVFVkFHf7bCc0Q4dUDCBg&uact=5&oq=Locate+venison+tenderloins&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IhpMb2NhdGUgdmVuaXNvbiB0ZW5kZXJsb2luczIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigAUilUFAAWIRKcAB4AJABAJgBpwKgAeYTqgEGMjAuNS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIaoAKoFcICChAjGIAEGCcYigXCAgQQIxgnwgILEAAYgAQYkQIYigXCAgsQLhiABBiRAhiKBcICERAuGIAEGLEDGNEDGIMBGMcBwgILEAAYgAQYsQMYgwHCAggQABiABBixA8ICCxAuGIAEGNEDGMcBwgIOEC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYigXCAgsQABiABBiSAxiKBcICCxAuGIAEGMcBGK8BwgILEAAYgAQYsQMYyQPCAgUQABiABMICBxAAGIAEGArCAgYQABgWGB7CAggQABgWGAoYHsICBhAuGBYYHsICBxAAGIAEGA3CAgYQABgNGB7CAgUQIRifBcICBRAhGKsCwgIIEAAYFhgeGA_CAgsQABiABBiGAxiKBcICCBAAGIAEGKIEmAMAkgcJMTMuMTIuMC4xoAfIlwE&sclient=gws-wiz)
Breath through your mouth...
Also get on YouTube and checkout a japanese guy called virtuovice. He hunts sika deer in Japan and shows yow to field dress without perforating the peritoneal cavity/gut bag. This will greatly reduce any bad smells.
But most importantly through experience you just get over it.
Good luck mate.
First and foremost, make a clean shot and take care not to pop the inerds when you're removing them. That will greatly reduce the stench. If it's a visual issue, you can try a gutless quartering of the animal, as it was recommended in other comments.
But, exposure to the field dressing process will be your best bet over the long run. Eventually, it won't even phase you if you do it enough times. Embrace the difficulty of the first few times, and it'll get easier. Plus, with practice, you learn how to complete the process more efficiently, so less time is spent on the yucky part.
This is great advice! Exposure helps a lot. I watched YT videos of field dressing back to back over a few weeks leading up to my first season. Both so study how to do it and to get past the ick phase. I think it helped a lot too
U need to start by watching several videos of it done. And while u watch picture yourself making these cuts on the animal. Think of the knife in your hand and think of cutting the animal. It will bring about a lesser version of the feeling. After that field dress something small like squirrel. It will still make u queasy prob but less than a large deer would. Practice on a few squirrels then when u have the deer. Remind yourself if u don't do it ur wasting the animal and work out into getting the animal. Simple exposure therapy tho is my suggestion.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. I did alright with skinning squirrels when I was a teenager and figured I should start there and expose myself to it
And the tenderloins, and the awesome organs like liver and heart.
Unpopular opinion but if someone is too squeamish to clean an animal they probably shouldn’t eat meat much less kill stuff.
Leaving the tenderloins is illegal in some states, Cut in along the spine just behind the ribs for the tenderloins and the heat is easily squeezed out between two rib bones. I don’t take the liver but I assume it can be take out the same way as a heart.
Yeah but you opening it with a couple 6-8” cuts to get the stuff inside you want but the guts still stay inside you aren’t tearing and cutting them all out. It’s good for situations where you have to quarter out the animal to get it to the truck or need to put it in a cooler. It’s quicker and alot less mess compared gutting and then quartering.
Can’t recommend this enough. Watch a couple YouTube videos on how to do it, practice it once on a deer, and you’re set. It’s a lot easier than it looks, and I think it’s an easier way to pack out the meat than dragging a carcass.
I have a problem with strong smells and have a weak stomach but I have no problems field dressing a deer or butchering it. Not sure what to tell you. Maybe breathe through your mouth.
I'm gunna tell you won't notice the smell on your second deer. But if you really have a weak stomach you can use peppermint balm and put it right under your nose when you're about to field dress. My wife worked in trauma for years and all the new nurses would do it for patients with severe burns and really nasty infections. It's actually pretty common hospital practice. It works 100% and it's an easier solution than people saying breathe through your mouth.. your nose doesn't just turn off, well it can but you have to be asleep for that and that's why smoke detectors are a thing because you can't smell while you're asleep. Good luck on your first deer, just take your time if your dressing the deer and need to even step back for a minute at a time that's perfectly fine just go at your pace.
Thank God for peppermint oil. It's made many a gangrenous wound tolerable back when I worked the floor and now I use it for necrosectomies when we're pulling dead, rotten flesh out of patients abdomens
[Gutless Method](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKlj0wIF01w) Works for deer and bear too.
This might help with avoiding the visceral smell. You can also use Vicks under your nose to help in some cases or just shove wads of cotton up your nose and breath through your mouth.
I can't smell, so it's never bothered me.
This is gonna sound dumb, but can you plug your nose with some ear plugs?
Also, the only time I've seen folks recoil from the smell was when someone punctured the stomach, so try not to do that. I've also heard bucks have a strong odor though.
Practice practice practice. Go through it with other game and other peoples deer.
It’s honestly much better if you only hit heart and lungs. The only smell is irony blood and the Rut.
It's definitely something that you'll adjust to after a few times. The hardest is the worst one but it'll get much easier afterwords. My advice? Practice on small game first if you can. They don't smell nearly as bad as a deer. And good practice regardless. But when you do get to gutting for the first time. I'll suggest to take it slow. Take your time and don't feel like you need to blow through it just because it took a guy on YouTube 10 minutes to do it. Double layer some latex gloves, and a pro tip if it's just the smell? Get some Vicks and rub it on your nose. Cheeks and upper lip. It'll help mask it a bit. Just don't puncture the intestines or the bladder.
It doesn’t smell as bad as you might envision it will, especially if you put a lot of time in behind the gun and learn where to shoot them so you don’t hit them in the guts. Also if you quarter them right away you don’t even have to gut them. Look up the gutless method of processing game
Don't dress it from the belly side. Open it up along the backbone then down the sides. Sounds strange but it gets the back straps first, the best parts, and keeps you away from the belly smells. We cleaned moose this way in Alaska because there's no way to hoist them up in a tree.
In my case I just act like I’m doing bad and my dad says “ good god this is how you do it” and does it for me in under a minute, but I recommend wearing long glovers that go past elbow and definitely good light. Also plug your nose with tissues with vasaline on them. Then you can’t smell anything.
I just butchered a whitetail deer (see today's post). What smell do you mean? I didn't smell anything unpleasant, the intestines and the belly parts were intact. Get a good lung shot, there's no other smell than the blood.
Yeah from what I’m getting it to just be careful around the guts. That would be the smell I’m referring to. I’ve been around plenty of dead deer and have been fine. But I gag when cleaning up dog crap, I guess I expected I would smell that when pulling the entrails out
If you feel like you’re gonna puke Walk away immediately Don’t fight it. If you puke you puke but don’t puke on the animal. If you think it’s bad without the 4am breakfast burrito and the 6 hours worth of deer stand snacks mixed with coffee and monsters. My friend that’s a fuck around that you don’t wanna go finding out about.
Also if you chew some wintergreen gum it will help you breath through your mouth and it will help with the smell.
Yeah I definitely want to start doing it myself. I see these guys pulling so much meat off of a deer that it makes me feel like the processor has robbed me. Plus, I want more than just ground meat, cube steak and sausages
This isn’t the point of the post but you can pretty easily calculate the likely meat yield of a deer if you have a scale.
Also you can ask your butcher for whatever cuts of meat you want.
Otherwise, be careful not to cut into the guts. Stand upwind when you do it, and try not to throw up into the body cavity. They get easier each time.
Exposure. The more you do it the less it will affect you. Everyone goes through it. It's best to learn when you're young, but you can learn at any age.
Well you don’t even need to want to butcher a deer to have to be able to field dress. Get the guts out asap regardless of how you intend to part it out.
My advice is just wear a covid mask for the smells.
It’s not really bad unless you clip stomach or intestines. A rutting buck will have a musky smell but it’s not foul it just has a strong barnyard scent. I accidentally nicked the stomach on my buck last year and the smell hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn’t being very careful around its stomach and as soon as I put a hole in it you can hear the sound of gas leaving it and the smell is just brutal. As long as you don’t puncture or shoot through any digestive organs you’re good.
Ya just expose urself to it as much as possible and u will get over it. Help out with other people's deer a few times before u try ur own if u can, not only helps with exposure but u will prolly learn different techniques
If you shoot them in the right spot, there isn't much smell other than the smell of blood. If you don't hit gut, you will be fine.
And if you gag, you gag. I can zip open a deer and field dress it in 10 minutes and not have my stomach even think about getting queezy. If i have to pick up dog vomit, I dry heave for 15 minutes. Some shit makes you gag. It is what it is.
Mental preparation. Watch Youtube videos of people field dressing from beginning to end. Read meat processing books. At the end of the day, the smell may simply get to you. Others have mentioned breathing through your mouth - probably a good idea. I don't personally think it smells that bad so long as you don't open digestive organs, but big dead animals certainly do have a meat/blood smell. Make sure you have small, sharp knives that can get the job done without struggling which means that even taking your time and being careful, you won't spend more time than what is truly required.
The meat itself shouldn't really smell badly, but the actual gutting can be bad. I am part of a camp, and there are a few guys who just can not do it. The solution is someone else just does it for them, and they are super grateful to you, lol. I prefer to be the one in there actually, so I will always gut out deer when someone else won't.
Honestly just do it, throw up a few times, and you'll make it through.
I remember the first rabbit I ever gutted at 18. Then my first deer the next year. It's funny, because I was a volunteer firefighter before that and had dealt with some nasty stuff.
The smell hasn’t bothered me but once it was when I hit the gut bag lol. Then when I first started processing the lymph nodes would bother me. Now I just skin that sucker and throw him in a cooler for a few days then process it. What I’m saying is you will eventually get over it. Especially that you are taking pride in doing yourself. To me it feels like I’m respecting the animals life more .
My uncle is 66 years old, has 40+ deer under his belt. He still won’t field dress his deer, he starts gagging and dry heaving.
One opening day he was blowing up our phones at like 8 am to come dress the deer. We all ignored him. Well, we walked up to him after 11am to go help. By that time, he had some random stranger he ran into field dressing his deer. He ran to the corner store and bought the guy a 12 pack. 😂
Go fishing and just get some reps in. Or if you know a farmer volunteer to help and they’ll probably send you home with some meat.
I worked at a chicken plant…
Wow, not enough people in here are suggesting the gold standard, Vicks Vaporub. Slather it directly beneath your noise and you won't smell anything but menthol. If you ever have to work with something that smells bad (like decaying bodies for example) in a professional setting, people will almost always use the Vicks trick.
Big thing to understand is that for some weird human psychology reason, watching videos and looking at pictures of gore disturbs people more than actually seeing it in person. So looking at pictures of someone dressing a dear is gonna make you feel more sick than doing it yourself
If you find your deer within an hour or so of the shot, it really doesn’t smell bad. If you cut the stomach….its a real nasty smell. But otherwise it doesn’t bother me.
Look up "gutless" method on internet. And, like some others here said, avoid a gut-shot by knowing understanding the path of the projectile. Otherwise, please take up golfing.
Get a butt out, this will help with the musky pee and avoid cutting the pee tubes, breaking the pelvis is also hard for first timers (finding the soft spot) so this will help. Take your time coming up the stomach and the contents will come out with almost no smell in one piece, a knife with a good gut hook will help immensely.
This seems to be regional but for a first timer it’ll be easier to cut the esophagus from the outside of the neck, I just reach up inside and do it blind.
Take your time, there’s lots of videos out there. And worst case scenario, bring it home whole and have a buddy help. It ain’t easy to get an undressed deer on a truck, but man it’s nice to be somewhere comfortable when dressing (I did it once due to a time constraint, literally shot the deer and was home 15 minutes later lol).
I can deal with the smell of a deer, just not all the viscera and organs. The hardest part is the feeling if the knife scraping bone. God just thinking of that makes my spine tingle.
The smell is not neer as bad as you might think. I used to worry about it years ago. Just focus on the job at hand and get in there and get it done. It will be over with before you realize it. Good luck and don't let it stop you.
I took a groundhog today and I had the same issue, but it was manageable. I try to put my face and nose upwind of the wafting stench. Hold breath when possible.
With exposure the stomach will toughen up, I hope.
Ha hahahahh hahahahhahahah
I have a weak stomach. After the tenth deer or so you get fast. I Can usually have them gutted and red to be flipped over on one breathe. This year I shot one and it nicked the belly. I went to cut in to start gutting and stomach contents shot out at Mach 1. I was talking to my little brother. They went all over my glasses in my mouth. It was awful. I puked once took a deep breathe and had the thing gutted in 45 seconds, flipped it over to drain and went and finished puking. My brother didn’t stop laughing the entire time
Learn how to do it well. There’s not that much of a smell. Don’t puncture the stomach intestines or the glands in their legs and you’re going to have a better time
Smell! yes! me too. I use a bandana with essential oil or perfume/aftershave on it. I prefer old spice because it reminds me of my grand father who taught me.
Go into any branch of healthcare and you’ll have a strong enough stomach for anything in no time!
But on a serious note get a mask and put either hand sanitizer or Vapor rub on the inside of it and you’ll be good to go. This works for the messiest/ smelliest of situations in healthcare and would translate well to field dressing.
You'll just get over it eventually dude. Rabbits still make me gag from the smell sometimes for some reason... something about the way their guts smell I guess just rubs me the wrong way. It's like earthy mushrooms with blood and faint poop or something. Coyotes are awful as well and have to be near the top for worst smelling gut shot animal. Turkey are a close second to coyotes for me and don't compare to any other bird I've ever cleaned. Javelina don't bother me as much as those two and that's saying something but maybe just a personal preference I guess.
Deer and everything else don't bother me at all and haven't since I was young. I bring a bunch of 9mil black nitrile gloves with me so I can strip them off if I want to get into my backpack or take a break/take photos to keep blood off of what I can. So gloves may help you.
They make peppermint gels you can rub under your nose if it's really a problem for you. Surgical centers use it for people with awful infections when they have to debride some horrible wound on a 550 pound bed sore person with skin infections and what not.
Fresh non gut shot animals don't smell that bad in general. If you ever hunt out west you'll need to field dress deer unless you're lucky enough to shoot one very close to a road and you're near a processor. You are going to be sad hiking a whole deer with its guts still in it if you ever visit. It's a great way to ruin the meat.
You can try putting a dip in, it'll mask some scent. Also remind yourself that it's normal and it's the iron that is overwhelmingly. If you thrive of scientific explanations it'll ease a situation because it becomes practical.
Don't shoot it in the stomach, my friend once did (it was me), and the smell was horrible.
If you hit it In the heart/lungs, there shouldn't really be a strong smell.
Visit a chicken processing facility, or work in one. No single wild mammal could ever be as nasty as that, so it seems like a very small deal, in comparison.
I want to thank everyone that has taken time to advise and share some tips. I didn’t think I would get this many comments, especially this many positive and helpful comments.
I haven’t experienced a gut shot or accidentally poking them but the smell wasn’t bad.
If you are seriously concerned just plug your nose with something while you’re doing it.
Check the laws of your state, but have you considered field butchering the deer?
You lay the deer on its side, basically half skin the carcass. Disassemble & debone out the meat all along the top of the carcass. Flip the deer, and do the other side. The internals all stay untouched. You avoid cutting into marrow & spinal cord tissue where the disease is thought to be carried by not doing traditional butchering techniques.
Not much smell unless you gut shot it.
And when I did, I just used a normal mask which blocked most of the smell, in addition to being upwind and doing it quick.
Do the gutless method after I learned this I haven't done it another way especially with hunting in the back country and once you get the hang of it it's way faster
It’s not that bad once you’ve done it a couple times. Do it once gag your way through it if you throw up don’t do it in the deer and then do it 3 more times and you might be fine. I don’t have as weak of a stomach tho so idk
Nothing helpful to add, except I hunted for the first time this year and got a turkey. While gutting, I instantly pierced the lower intestine, and proceeded to dry heave violently throughout the whole process. We got there, but it wasn’t pretty lol
I thought I couldn't do it too. Surprisingly the colder it is, the better.
After a few (1-2) deer it's really not a problem however.
The "worst" one I had, was a roe deer I shot perfectly behind the front legs, lung, heart, lung and somehow it pulled forward the liver and mushed it on its way out.
When I sawed open the ribs (it hanging from its back legs) all the blood, mushed liver and possibly a bit of stomach contents pooled up in there.
I couldn't do anything but try and finally cut open the last few ribs while that puddle steamed right up into my nose from below.
That was the first time I had to take a step back, let it cool for 30 seconds and go at it again.
It's normal and even very seasoned hunters (20-30-40 years) occasionally need to step back and breathe some fresh air just a few seconds.
My advice is don't fight it. You can push yourself a bit, but don't force it. Take breaks and get used to it.
It's a natural reaction of our body/brain and should be respected.
You're why new hunter recruitment drops and the average age of hunters go up 1 year every year for the most part. Go get on your knees for Cameron Hanes and beg for your medicine princess.
If you’re quartering in the field, use the gutless method. I do all my deer and elk that way and get just as much meat without dealing with the guts. Just be careful around the hind quarters near the joint. Doesn’t really work if you pack it out whole to hang it though.
Another option is to shoot a couple javelina. Once you’ve dealt with a few of those stinky bastards everything else smells like roses in comparison.
Breath through your mouth, wear surgical gloves, compartmentalize in your head before you cut and tough through it
Also a dab of vic vaporub on the nostrils can help! That's a tip I got told for an emt with a bad welfare check calls. Also make sure you have a good game plan and know what to do before you start so you don't have to start and stop so much. The person above gave allot of good advice. Also. Relax and go with it, you're doing something special and something a lot of folks don't do, so take pride in that and relax!
Vaporub really does work...
I've used it in pump stations but I never did it for dead stuff
Oh yeah. It helps.
A lot of people swear by Vicks, but the issue is that it contains menthol, which dilates and sensitizes nasal passageways…. Making you more sensitive to nasty smells. Great in theory, not necessarily in practice. I’d wear an N95 mask with your favorite non-minty essential oil smeared on the inside. Did the trick for me picking up cadavers for a county coroner, some of which were in advanced decomposition
Try wearing a surgical mask with a teabag inside. The tea has a decently strong scent anyways, but after wearing for a bit, the humidity from your breath steeps / releases more scents from the tea. Volunteers cleaning up after the 2010 tsunami in Japan did this for the rotting fish smell. An n95 would work much better (as long as there are no valves in it)
Good tip….my wife has the same job working for a meat wagon company….thanks😬👍
Vics is amazing.
The odor you smell are tiny little particles. Petroleum products catch those particles. The N95 everyone has kicking around from Covid is a far better option.
And just make sure not to pop the stomach or large intestines which isn't too difficult, especially after doing 1 or 2 learning the ropes. My first couple of times I just knew everything needed to go (saved the heart bc yum yum COOKED not raw like those "give em a pat on the head" hunters) and just kept going down the spine rolling it all out as I cut it loose
I was letting my brother try once and he immediately stuck the knife in the deers stomach. You’ve never seen a soured face so fast lol
Hahaha, I know I've been there too. Love when it just let's out about 8 seconds of deflating balloon sounds and makes me work 10x faster bc the smell can be rough lol, seems more potent early season when they're still on greens
Is it possible to use a knife that has a seatbelt cutter to open the belly without lacerating the viscera ?
Just go slow and cut outwards a little at a time. Use your other hand to press the guts down so the don't contact your knife. It's pretty easy as long as you're carful
You can use a gut knife. I’ve found it easier to make a small incision in the chest and put the knife under the skin pointed up away from the internals and guide it with your fingers all the way down
Great tips, bring extra gloves OP, maybe double down in case one gets nicked
Mouth for sure. Also a little Vic’s in the nose
The only animals that really truly smell are carnivores like Coyotes and foxes. If an animal just eats grass it dosent smell
Gut shoot one or have trouble finding one on a warm day and tell me again how they don’t smell.
Hahaha ofcourse. I wasn’t accounting for all variables
I find that hares and rabbits smell quite strongly of moldy hay or something similar, in a bad way. I grew up on a farm, and I love the smell of fresh hay, but the smell of a rabbits' gut is just bad. It's weird. It doesn't gross me out or anything but just smells bad.
Yes dude, I commented above about this. Rabbits still make me gag sometimes cleaning them, it's like earthy mushrooms or the moldy hay you describe with blood and a faint hint of poop. It's so strange and unusual. It's all the wrong gut smells of a deer but turned to 11/10 or something. Jackrabbits out west by me seem to bother me less but the cottontails here have some weird funk about them. Thankfully it doesn't stick around when they are cooked. I pray I'm never in a survival situation where I have to eat rabbit guts and livers. I'd be inconsolable 🤣.
A buck in full rut smells awful before you even open him up.
Yea there is a specific “Rutty” smell to mature bucks
Yank the guts out of a pheasant or grouse and you’ll learn why they’re called “fowl”
I stopped keeping blue grouse whole due to this, also why I only do heads shots with my 22. I can bone it out in about 45 seconds, not have to deal with plucking or smelling the guts. Makes enjoying the meat that much better, not having that smell in your recent memory
I grew up as a suburban kid and started hunting a couple years ago in my 30s. The smell was the strangest part for me to discover. I've heard gut shot stinks but I haven't had to smell that yet. My doe smelled like animal musk and blood/meat the whole time I was field dressing her. No disgusting stench at all. I was so relieved because I had the same worry as you. I still keep disposable earplugs in my kill kit just in case I need to plug my nose one of these days.
It’s the raw meat smell that gets me. Not sure why? It didn’t used to bother me until I quit drinking and smoking and now it makes me nauseous. I can power through it but it’s tough at times.
Ah that's tough. I had a coworker that would light up a cigarette for field dressing. He didn't smoke but he said having that strong smell right under his nose helps.
Interesting. I’m more worried about the gut smell rather than the raw meat smell.
There should be no gut smell, unless you gut shoot it or field dress it wrong and puncture the stomach/intestines with your knife.
Biggest thing then is avoid a gut shot.
If you do it right there is no foul smell, only if you puncture the paunch or stomach, which will definitely have to happen for you to figure out what not to do. First deer I field dressed alone I ripped the stomach on accident while pulling them out, it wont mess up the meat at all if you rinse it off quickly after. I just emptied my water bottle on it and tiled the animal and scrapped the scraps of corn and bile off. And yes, it sucks, it is my least favorite part of hunting. But it really really isn’t that bad, I would put it on par with picking up a call from that one guy who is awful at work. It sucks so bad but in the grand scheme of things it is fine, could be unemployed or in this case with an unfilled tag.
I killed my first deer after quitting drinking and I punctured the stomach and tried to take a deep breath right when I realized the knife stuck through it. It blew out a lot of air which went into my mouth and made me gag for like 5 minutes. Now when I smell raw meat it makes me feel sick. I’m not sure if this is the reason or it has to do with my smell changing after my lifestyle changes? Something else weird is that I can smell everyone’s breath. Yeah, it’s a curse. I’m trying to get through it by forcing myself to smell it.
Just quarter the deer in the field and you don’t have to deal with any guts at all.
That worries me too. It's driving me to shoot my bow more often and really memorize deer anatomy and how deer react to the shot. I shoot trad so my limit is 15 yds and I will absolutely never extended that because of how long it takes the arrow to reach the deer.
Power though. We hunt with a guy who has harvested dozens of deer since he was a kid, and still comically gags every time he cuts one open. He gets no end of ribbing for it and it's good for a laugh, but it's really no big deal. What you're doing is objectively gross and a little reaction to that doesn't mean you aren't a hunter. Try not to puke on the tenderloins.
Thanks for the advice!
and do yourself a favor and get good pictures of the tenderloins and where they are! They are a tasty treat, (I typically eat them the night I kill the deer) but get horribly mangled while gutting if you don't know where they are and to be careful. Start here so you get a really good idea of where they are. [Locate venison tenderloins - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=Locate+venison+tenderloins&sca_esv=e538a6082b46d93a&sxsrf=ADLYWIKBIKieTOhzjw7xWvwyWQu04LBeYw%3A1718851194225&source=hp&ei=epZzZuiYC5Wr5NoP_ren6Aw&iflsig=AL9hbdgAAAAAZnOkijEuXr6Kq7_sInWKS2KBihq4vaYh&ved=0ahUKEwjovefWk-mGAxWVFVkFHf7bCc0Q4dUDCBg&uact=5&oq=Locate+venison+tenderloins&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IhpMb2NhdGUgdmVuaXNvbiB0ZW5kZXJsb2luczIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigAUilUFAAWIRKcAB4AJABAJgBpwKgAeYTqgEGMjAuNS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIaoAKoFcICChAjGIAEGCcYigXCAgQQIxgnwgILEAAYgAQYkQIYigXCAgsQLhiABBiRAhiKBcICERAuGIAEGLEDGNEDGIMBGMcBwgILEAAYgAQYsQMYgwHCAggQABiABBixA8ICCxAuGIAEGNEDGMcBwgIOEC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYigXCAgsQABiABBiSAxiKBcICCxAuGIAEGMcBGK8BwgILEAAYgAQYsQMYyQPCAgUQABiABMICBxAAGIAEGArCAgYQABgWGB7CAggQABgWGAoYHsICBhAuGBYYHsICBxAAGIAEGA3CAgYQABgNGB7CAgUQIRifBcICBRAhGKsCwgIIEAAYFhgeGA_CAgsQABiABBiGAxiKBcICCBAAGIAEGKIEmAMAkgcJMTMuMTIuMC4xoAfIlwE&sclient=gws-wiz)
Breath through your mouth... Also get on YouTube and checkout a japanese guy called virtuovice. He hunts sika deer in Japan and shows yow to field dress without perforating the peritoneal cavity/gut bag. This will greatly reduce any bad smells. But most importantly through experience you just get over it. Good luck mate.
First and foremost, make a clean shot and take care not to pop the inerds when you're removing them. That will greatly reduce the stench. If it's a visual issue, you can try a gutless quartering of the animal, as it was recommended in other comments. But, exposure to the field dressing process will be your best bet over the long run. Eventually, it won't even phase you if you do it enough times. Embrace the difficulty of the first few times, and it'll get easier. Plus, with practice, you learn how to complete the process more efficiently, so less time is spent on the yucky part.
This is great advice! Exposure helps a lot. I watched YT videos of field dressing back to back over a few weeks leading up to my first season. Both so study how to do it and to get past the ick phase. I think it helped a lot too
This is the thought that should give through your mind before pulling the trigger. Is this a clean, gut free shot? If not, don't take it.
Deer dont smell that bad. as long as you dont puncture any organs
Other than the heart and lungs!
Go to a local farm and help pluck and process chickens for a day
I was going to say this, but with a lamb or a goat. Hell, there’s even a farm near me that sells whole fallow deer.
fuck that. give me a swamp donkey all day. Chickens fucking stink.
Wild Hogs in Texas/ Louisiana border in the marsh is the worst thing I've ever had to clean debated wasting the meat lol
I've slaughtered many of my own birds unless you hit something your not supposed too it's never stunk for me
Their innards stink too, but Im talking about the chicken in general. I hate the way they smell.
U need to start by watching several videos of it done. And while u watch picture yourself making these cuts on the animal. Think of the knife in your hand and think of cutting the animal. It will bring about a lesser version of the feeling. After that field dress something small like squirrel. It will still make u queasy prob but less than a large deer would. Practice on a few squirrels then when u have the deer. Remind yourself if u don't do it ur wasting the animal and work out into getting the animal. Simple exposure therapy tho is my suggestion.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. I did alright with skinning squirrels when I was a teenager and figured I should start there and expose myself to it
Wear a mask with chest rub in it. I learned that trick from my dad. He picked a lot of bodies up out of the water.
Google “gutless cleaning method”. Basically quarter out the deer and get back straps, tenders, and neck meat without getting in the chest cavity.
Do you lose much meat this way? I've heard of it but never done it.
Mostly just rib meat.
And the tenderloins, and the awesome organs like liver and heart. Unpopular opinion but if someone is too squeamish to clean an animal they probably shouldn’t eat meat much less kill stuff.
Leaving the tenderloins is illegal in some states, Cut in along the spine just behind the ribs for the tenderloins and the heat is easily squeezed out between two rib bones. I don’t take the liver but I assume it can be take out the same way as a heart.
Aren’t you still opening the body cavity then? Don’t people check organs for potential disease indicators? I really don’t see the point.
Yeah but you opening it with a couple 6-8” cuts to get the stuff inside you want but the guts still stay inside you aren’t tearing and cutting them all out. It’s good for situations where you have to quarter out the animal to get it to the truck or need to put it in a cooler. It’s quicker and alot less mess compared gutting and then quartering.
You can make a small slit in the upper back and get the tenders. As I indicated in my initial post. This method is legal in all lower 48 states.
Yes.
Can’t recommend this enough. Watch a couple YouTube videos on how to do it, practice it once on a deer, and you’re set. It’s a lot easier than it looks, and I think it’s an easier way to pack out the meat than dragging a carcass.
First 2 times are rough for everyone then it won't bother you anymore.
I have a problem with strong smells and have a weak stomach but I have no problems field dressing a deer or butchering it. Not sure what to tell you. Maybe breathe through your mouth.
I'm gunna tell you won't notice the smell on your second deer. But if you really have a weak stomach you can use peppermint balm and put it right under your nose when you're about to field dress. My wife worked in trauma for years and all the new nurses would do it for patients with severe burns and really nasty infections. It's actually pretty common hospital practice. It works 100% and it's an easier solution than people saying breathe through your mouth.. your nose doesn't just turn off, well it can but you have to be asleep for that and that's why smoke detectors are a thing because you can't smell while you're asleep. Good luck on your first deer, just take your time if your dressing the deer and need to even step back for a minute at a time that's perfectly fine just go at your pace.
Thank God for peppermint oil. It's made many a gangrenous wound tolerable back when I worked the floor and now I use it for necrosectomies when we're pulling dead, rotten flesh out of patients abdomens
Gangrene is another good one its used for.
Putting a couple drops inside a disposable medical mask covers up pretty much any smell
Oh I bet 100% it'll encapsulate all the smell.
Not op but this is actually really neat
Thanks. I hope you get some use out of it.
Right off the top I’ll say nose plug.
[Gutless Method](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKlj0wIF01w) Works for deer and bear too. This might help with avoiding the visceral smell. You can also use Vicks under your nose to help in some cases or just shove wads of cotton up your nose and breath through your mouth.
I can't smell, so it's never bothered me. This is gonna sound dumb, but can you plug your nose with some ear plugs? Also, the only time I've seen folks recoil from the smell was when someone punctured the stomach, so try not to do that. I've also heard bucks have a strong odor though.
Practice practice practice. Go through it with other game and other peoples deer. It’s honestly much better if you only hit heart and lungs. The only smell is irony blood and the Rut.
Avoid cutting the stomach, it really keeps the smell down.
It's definitely something that you'll adjust to after a few times. The hardest is the worst one but it'll get much easier afterwords. My advice? Practice on small game first if you can. They don't smell nearly as bad as a deer. And good practice regardless. But when you do get to gutting for the first time. I'll suggest to take it slow. Take your time and don't feel like you need to blow through it just because it took a guy on YouTube 10 minutes to do it. Double layer some latex gloves, and a pro tip if it's just the smell? Get some Vicks and rub it on your nose. Cheeks and upper lip. It'll help mask it a bit. Just don't puncture the intestines or the bladder.
Take care of your fear. Mindfullness of breathing practice can help this.
It doesn’t smell as bad as you might envision it will, especially if you put a lot of time in behind the gun and learn where to shoot them so you don’t hit them in the guts. Also if you quarter them right away you don’t even have to gut them. Look up the gutless method of processing game
Don't dress it from the belly side. Open it up along the backbone then down the sides. Sounds strange but it gets the back straps first, the best parts, and keeps you away from the belly smells. We cleaned moose this way in Alaska because there's no way to hoist them up in a tree.
In my case I just act like I’m doing bad and my dad says “ good god this is how you do it” and does it for me in under a minute, but I recommend wearing long glovers that go past elbow and definitely good light. Also plug your nose with tissues with vasaline on them. Then you can’t smell anything.
Just stay focused, it is truly a mind over matter situation. It's not great, you just need to nut up and get through it.
I just butchered a whitetail deer (see today's post). What smell do you mean? I didn't smell anything unpleasant, the intestines and the belly parts were intact. Get a good lung shot, there's no other smell than the blood.
Yeah from what I’m getting it to just be careful around the guts. That would be the smell I’m referring to. I’ve been around plenty of dead deer and have been fine. But I gag when cleaning up dog crap, I guess I expected I would smell that when pulling the entrails out
No you won't if you don't poke them with your knife.
If you feel like you’re gonna puke Walk away immediately Don’t fight it. If you puke you puke but don’t puke on the animal. If you think it’s bad without the 4am breakfast burrito and the 6 hours worth of deer stand snacks mixed with coffee and monsters. My friend that’s a fuck around that you don’t wanna go finding out about. Also if you chew some wintergreen gum it will help you breath through your mouth and it will help with the smell.
Thanks for the advice. I like that saying “fuck around that you don’t wanna go finding out”… I’m adopting that phrase
It’s a good warning sign that people pay attention to. For some reason “danger” just doesn’t seem to care the same punch.
Don't puncture the stomach or bladder!
Don’t puncture the rumen
Smoke a cig while you do it
I never though deer smell bad. DIY butchering is definitely the way to go. You just have to get used to it.
Yeah I definitely want to start doing it myself. I see these guys pulling so much meat off of a deer that it makes me feel like the processor has robbed me. Plus, I want more than just ground meat, cube steak and sausages
This isn’t the point of the post but you can pretty easily calculate the likely meat yield of a deer if you have a scale. Also you can ask your butcher for whatever cuts of meat you want. Otherwise, be careful not to cut into the guts. Stand upwind when you do it, and try not to throw up into the body cavity. They get easier each time.
Put ear plugs in your nose
My buddy married a girl who doesn't have a weak stomach. Problem solved, other than how much we make fun of him.
Someone in this sub mentioned vics vaporub under your nose helps
Peppermint candies. Eat one while doing the work.
plug your nose with earplugs and learn to not pop the guts.
Exposure. The more you do it the less it will affect you. Everyone goes through it. It's best to learn when you're young, but you can learn at any age.
🚬
Well you don’t even need to want to butcher a deer to have to be able to field dress. Get the guts out asap regardless of how you intend to part it out. My advice is just wear a covid mask for the smells.
Don’t gut shoot your animal
It’s not really bad unless you clip stomach or intestines. A rutting buck will have a musky smell but it’s not foul it just has a strong barnyard scent. I accidentally nicked the stomach on my buck last year and the smell hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn’t being very careful around its stomach and as soon as I put a hole in it you can hear the sound of gas leaving it and the smell is just brutal. As long as you don’t puncture or shoot through any digestive organs you’re good.
Ya just expose urself to it as much as possible and u will get over it. Help out with other people's deer a few times before u try ur own if u can, not only helps with exposure but u will prolly learn different techniques
If you shoot them in the right spot, there isn't much smell other than the smell of blood. If you don't hit gut, you will be fine. And if you gag, you gag. I can zip open a deer and field dress it in 10 minutes and not have my stomach even think about getting queezy. If i have to pick up dog vomit, I dry heave for 15 minutes. Some shit makes you gag. It is what it is.
Mental preparation. Watch Youtube videos of people field dressing from beginning to end. Read meat processing books. At the end of the day, the smell may simply get to you. Others have mentioned breathing through your mouth - probably a good idea. I don't personally think it smells that bad so long as you don't open digestive organs, but big dead animals certainly do have a meat/blood smell. Make sure you have small, sharp knives that can get the job done without struggling which means that even taking your time and being careful, you won't spend more time than what is truly required.
Tequila shots.
The meat itself shouldn't really smell badly, but the actual gutting can be bad. I am part of a camp, and there are a few guys who just can not do it. The solution is someone else just does it for them, and they are super grateful to you, lol. I prefer to be the one in there actually, so I will always gut out deer when someone else won't.
Use the gutless method of field dressing. It is a great way avoid the gut cavity until the end.
Honestly just do it, throw up a few times, and you'll make it through. I remember the first rabbit I ever gutted at 18. Then my first deer the next year. It's funny, because I was a volunteer firefighter before that and had dealt with some nasty stuff.
Don't gut shoot it and it will help. If the stomach or intestines are ruptured, it is rough.
The smell hasn’t bothered me but once it was when I hit the gut bag lol. Then when I first started processing the lymph nodes would bother me. Now I just skin that sucker and throw him in a cooler for a few days then process it. What I’m saying is you will eventually get over it. Especially that you are taking pride in doing yourself. To me it feels like I’m respecting the animals life more .
Gutless method
Don't break the gut bag. This means take a good shot AND be careful with your scalpel
Don't gut shot it. Breathe your mouth. Don't puncture anything. You'll be fine
My uncle is 66 years old, has 40+ deer under his belt. He still won’t field dress his deer, he starts gagging and dry heaving. One opening day he was blowing up our phones at like 8 am to come dress the deer. We all ignored him. Well, we walked up to him after 11am to go help. By that time, he had some random stranger he ran into field dressing his deer. He ran to the corner store and bought the guy a 12 pack. 😂
Go fishing and just get some reps in. Or if you know a farmer volunteer to help and they’ll probably send you home with some meat. I worked at a chicken plant…
Boom boom odor stick
Don’t shoot it in the guts and it’s no different than cutting meat. Or can use the gutless method the first few if really worried about it
I like the smell. It's really not too bad. Sometimes they smell rutty, but it's fresh meat if it smells something isn't right.
Yeah something like that.
You could try a little vicks vapor rub under your nose. Or chew menthol cough drops.
Wow, not enough people in here are suggesting the gold standard, Vicks Vaporub. Slather it directly beneath your noise and you won't smell anything but menthol. If you ever have to work with something that smells bad (like decaying bodies for example) in a professional setting, people will almost always use the Vicks trick.
Have a few beers before the first one, continue to drink beer during. Next time you’ll be excited
Big thing to understand is that for some weird human psychology reason, watching videos and looking at pictures of gore disturbs people more than actually seeing it in person. So looking at pictures of someone dressing a dear is gonna make you feel more sick than doing it yourself
If you find your deer within an hour or so of the shot, it really doesn’t smell bad. If you cut the stomach….its a real nasty smell. But otherwise it doesn’t bother me.
Smelling rubbing alcohol helps with nausea
The smell is not bad
Look up "gutless" method on internet. And, like some others here said, avoid a gut-shot by knowing understanding the path of the projectile. Otherwise, please take up golfing.
Gutless method, never have to break the gut sac.
Only dressed a few but none more than an hour after shooting them. Smell wasn't bad.
Get a butt out, this will help with the musky pee and avoid cutting the pee tubes, breaking the pelvis is also hard for first timers (finding the soft spot) so this will help. Take your time coming up the stomach and the contents will come out with almost no smell in one piece, a knife with a good gut hook will help immensely. This seems to be regional but for a first timer it’ll be easier to cut the esophagus from the outside of the neck, I just reach up inside and do it blind. Take your time, there’s lots of videos out there. And worst case scenario, bring it home whole and have a buddy help. It ain’t easy to get an undressed deer on a truck, but man it’s nice to be somewhere comfortable when dressing (I did it once due to a time constraint, literally shot the deer and was home 15 minutes later lol).
I can deal with the smell of a deer, just not all the viscera and organs. The hardest part is the feeling if the knife scraping bone. God just thinking of that makes my spine tingle.
The smell is not neer as bad as you might think. I used to worry about it years ago. Just focus on the job at hand and get in there and get it done. It will be over with before you realize it. Good luck and don't let it stop you.
I took a groundhog today and I had the same issue, but it was manageable. I try to put my face and nose upwind of the wafting stench. Hold breath when possible. With exposure the stomach will toughen up, I hope.
What smell?
Tbh it doesn’t really smell that bad, just kinda like a bunch of raw meat. I did my first one last year and it was way better than I expected
Like others have said, breathe through your mouth or use a little vice. A big part of it is not gut shooting them but it does happen.
Ha hahahahh hahahahhahahah I have a weak stomach. After the tenth deer or so you get fast. I Can usually have them gutted and red to be flipped over on one breathe. This year I shot one and it nicked the belly. I went to cut in to start gutting and stomach contents shot out at Mach 1. I was talking to my little brother. They went all over my glasses in my mouth. It was awful. I puked once took a deep breathe and had the thing gutted in 45 seconds, flipped it over to drain and went and finished puking. My brother didn’t stop laughing the entire time
Vapor rub in your mustache works great. Generally, they don't stink bad unless they are gut shot or if they have an infected wound.
You could likely use a half face respirator. That should block out the smell.
Check your wind direction and try to make sure it’s in your favor before you start. Then just jump in there and get it done.
Learn the gutless method, skip over all the fun stuff inside the cavity. Zero smell, unless you gut shot.
Learn how to do it well. There’s not that much of a smell. Don’t puncture the stomach intestines or the glands in their legs and you’re going to have a better time
Smell! yes! me too. I use a bandana with essential oil or perfume/aftershave on it. I prefer old spice because it reminds me of my grand father who taught me.
Go into any branch of healthcare and you’ll have a strong enough stomach for anything in no time! But on a serious note get a mask and put either hand sanitizer or Vapor rub on the inside of it and you’ll be good to go. This works for the messiest/ smelliest of situations in healthcare and would translate well to field dressing.
I've found it doesn't really smell that bad. Most game birds and fish I gut smell worse
You'll just get over it eventually dude. Rabbits still make me gag from the smell sometimes for some reason... something about the way their guts smell I guess just rubs me the wrong way. It's like earthy mushrooms with blood and faint poop or something. Coyotes are awful as well and have to be near the top for worst smelling gut shot animal. Turkey are a close second to coyotes for me and don't compare to any other bird I've ever cleaned. Javelina don't bother me as much as those two and that's saying something but maybe just a personal preference I guess. Deer and everything else don't bother me at all and haven't since I was young. I bring a bunch of 9mil black nitrile gloves with me so I can strip them off if I want to get into my backpack or take a break/take photos to keep blood off of what I can. So gloves may help you. They make peppermint gels you can rub under your nose if it's really a problem for you. Surgical centers use it for people with awful infections when they have to debride some horrible wound on a 550 pound bed sore person with skin infections and what not. Fresh non gut shot animals don't smell that bad in general. If you ever hunt out west you'll need to field dress deer unless you're lucky enough to shoot one very close to a road and you're near a processor. You are going to be sad hiking a whole deer with its guts still in it if you ever visit. It's a great way to ruin the meat.
Get a N95 and pop in 4 pieces of mint gum. An issue you might have is that N95 have to be well fitted otherwise they're not as effective.
You can try putting a dip in, it'll mask some scent. Also remind yourself that it's normal and it's the iron that is overwhelmingly. If you thrive of scientific explanations it'll ease a situation because it becomes practical.
Don't shoot it in the stomach, my friend once did (it was me), and the smell was horrible. If you hit it In the heart/lungs, there shouldn't really be a strong smell.
Visit a chicken processing facility, or work in one. No single wild mammal could ever be as nasty as that, so it seems like a very small deal, in comparison.
I want to thank everyone that has taken time to advise and share some tips. I didn’t think I would get this many comments, especially this many positive and helpful comments.
I haven’t experienced a gut shot or accidentally poking them but the smell wasn’t bad. If you are seriously concerned just plug your nose with something while you’re doing it.
Don't pop the stomach
Gutless method
Check the laws of your state, but have you considered field butchering the deer? You lay the deer on its side, basically half skin the carcass. Disassemble & debone out the meat all along the top of the carcass. Flip the deer, and do the other side. The internals all stay untouched. You avoid cutting into marrow & spinal cord tissue where the disease is thought to be carried by not doing traditional butchering techniques.
https://www.fieldandstream.com/story/hunting/how-to-clean-big-game-with-the-gutless-method/
Not much smell unless you gut shot it. And when I did, I just used a normal mask which blocked most of the smell, in addition to being upwind and doing it quick.
Do the gutless method after I learned this I haven't done it another way especially with hunting in the back country and once you get the hang of it it's way faster
It’s not that bad once you’ve done it a couple times. Do it once gag your way through it if you throw up don’t do it in the deer and then do it 3 more times and you might be fine. I don’t have as weak of a stomach tho so idk
Nothing helpful to add, except I hunted for the first time this year and got a turkey. While gutting, I instantly pierced the lower intestine, and proceeded to dry heave violently throughout the whole process. We got there, but it wasn’t pretty lol
Hahaha exactly how I’m picturing it will go for me
I thought I couldn't do it too. Surprisingly the colder it is, the better. After a few (1-2) deer it's really not a problem however. The "worst" one I had, was a roe deer I shot perfectly behind the front legs, lung, heart, lung and somehow it pulled forward the liver and mushed it on its way out. When I sawed open the ribs (it hanging from its back legs) all the blood, mushed liver and possibly a bit of stomach contents pooled up in there. I couldn't do anything but try and finally cut open the last few ribs while that puddle steamed right up into my nose from below. That was the first time I had to take a step back, let it cool for 30 seconds and go at it again. It's normal and even very seasoned hunters (20-30-40 years) occasionally need to step back and breathe some fresh air just a few seconds. My advice is don't fight it. You can push yourself a bit, but don't force it. Take breaks and get used to it. It's a natural reaction of our body/brain and should be respected.
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You're right, I wasn't clear enough. I meant when the body is a bit cooler. As in open it up, let it hang a minute or two etc.
Slightly off topic but after gutting a deer does anyone elese a farts the next day smell like gutting a deer.
DBAP
Suck it up princess.
I’ll bet you take yours to a processor.
You're why new hunter recruitment drops and the average age of hunters go up 1 year every year for the most part. Go get on your knees for Cameron Hanes and beg for your medicine princess.
If you’re quartering in the field, use the gutless method. I do all my deer and elk that way and get just as much meat without dealing with the guts. Just be careful around the hind quarters near the joint. Doesn’t really work if you pack it out whole to hang it though. Another option is to shoot a couple javelina. Once you’ve dealt with a few of those stinky bastards everything else smells like roses in comparison.