genec Posted November 14, 2023 Report Share Posted November 14, 2023 I have seen several photos on websites lately of deer that successful hunters have bagged, and every photo shows a gutted deer with the biggest source of bacterial contamination left in the deer after gutting…the windpipe. Many years ago at one of our annual Hunter Education Instructor conferences we had a speaker who was from northern Ontario, and an expert butcher and moose hunter. He told us that the single biggest source of bacterial contamination in a shot big game animal was the windpipe, and if you didn’t remove it when gutting the animal it continued to degrade the quality of your meat as long as it was left in the animal. He said if you left it in there until you skinned and prepared the carcass for butchering you lowered your meat quality. Ever since that conference, as soon as I get to a shot deer, the first knife cut I make is right under the chin to cut the windpipe as high as possible. Then, when I open up the rib cage, I can pull the entire windpipe down and pull it out along with all the internal organs. just curious if other hunters remove it at the kill site. mooseslayer, boogaloo and Tyler0420 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lundtastic Posted November 14, 2023 Report Share Posted November 14, 2023 I do. But I found it is easier to cut up high and below and pull it out with you thumb in it from the head side. If that makes sense. I did this for this years buck and it was so much easier. Tyler0420 and boogaloo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted November 15, 2023 Report Share Posted November 15, 2023 I pretty sure the guys I moose hunted with , many years ago started at the throat , opened up the rib cage and belly and with the moose on it's side they rolled the whole mess out , then used a chain saw to cut the backbone right up the middle . We used cooking oil for the bar lube ....miss those hunts ! Dan Andrews and boogaloo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooseslayer Posted November 15, 2023 Report Share Posted November 15, 2023 I heard the same many many years ago and my first cut is under the throat to the ribs and free the entire windpipe. Then I do around the poopchute, then carefully slit the belly and everything pulls in and comes out the middle. Also...never wash out the cavity unless there is guts. Water is your enemy. If there is excess blood then wipe it out with a cloth. I also cut a bunch of the hide in the belly area out so it is wide open. I cut the ribs open and the pelvic bone and prop a stick in the ribs to spread further. I got a little window a/c unit for free on kijiji for my garage and put it on high blowing on my deer hanging with open side towards it...about 5 feet away. Even if it is cool I do that to chill the meat quickly. If it is cool at night then I turn off the a/c unit or put it on fan to pull in the cold air from outside. I butcher my own meat...deer, bear, moose, all of it and the better care you take, the better it will be. I don't skin the animal until I am ready to butcher it. The outside meat gets a hard crust on it if you leave it too long and is a waste. If cooled properly then you don't need tp skin it right away. Dan Andrews and boogaloo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooseslayer Posted November 15, 2023 Report Share Posted November 15, 2023 Also for moose, once the windpipe is in the chest cavity, i would put a slit or 2 in it and helpers can pull by the windpipe while the gutter is cutting the diaphramn and it clears everything out of the way quicker and easier. And don't forget the heart and the tenderloins. They come out right away and go in a marinade and never see the freezer. My mouth is watering thinking about it. I like to hang a deer for 4 or 5 days but only if the temperature is right. The ideal temperature is 33 to 40F. I do everything boneless and vaccuum seal it. It can be aged a little in the fridge for a few days when you take it out of the freezer as that is the right temperature. boogaloo and Dan Andrews 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genec Posted November 15, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2023 In regards to cleaning moose, the speaker said they cut the windpipe on a moose at the throat, then grab it from the top of the body cavity, tie a rope around it, then one guy pulls downward on the rope while the people work top to butt on the internal organs, and the rope pull helps get out all the internal organs easier than doing it by hand. boogaloo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooseslayer Posted November 15, 2023 Report Share Posted November 15, 2023 Exactly right. sometimes we put a piece of rope or just a stick through a slit in the windpipe. My archery moose group has got over 50 and I've been involved in most of them. We usually get them out whole with atv's and a sled but have had to quarter a bunch and that is a job and a half. Dan Andrews and boogaloo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted November 20, 2023 Report Share Posted November 20, 2023 Leaving the windpipe isn't gutting a deer in my opinion. Get it all or it's a job not finished. I saw a picture yesterday of a deer being processed and there were nasal bots crawling out of the neck as he calved off the head. Ya no thanks not leaving those in there. I'm thinking taking the head off before hanging it might be a good idea now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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