[Iron Duke]

I was just sitting here this morning thinking trying to remember ever walking up on a gut pile. I have walked up on dead deer both not to old and nothing but hair and scattered bones. But never a gut pile new or old unless it was me checking up on one of mine. That are mostly gone in a couple of days if that long. Everyone is quick to blame the Coyotes and they at times sounds like the yote party of all time is going on lol. But in reality there's a lot of critters that eat on it. Sharp eyed Crows and vaulters along with possums, racoons, skunks yes Hawks will stop by for there fill. And the woods are full of mice. A racoon or skunk or even a possum will many times carry what they can off to eat i peace and lessen the chance there put on the plate as well. And there's Fox don't think there going to pass up a free meal.

I can understand if its against the law silly as that law is. Or if your on the job and killing deer close to house. But out in the woods where most of us hunt. Get those guts out of that deer quick fast and in a hurry.

Yeah ... gone in a day. You'd be surprised how much meat a fox can eat too!

 

[380]

Most gut piles disappear overnight from scavengers.

While they are reduced they are not gone. I have yet to see a stomach vanish.

Point was, most times isnt every time and the reasons given were solid.

 

[archer36]

While they are reduced they are not gone. I have yet to see a stomach vanish.

Point was, most times isnt every time and the reasons given were solid.

What are the chances of a hiker walking trails on public land coming across a gut pile? If your deer runs close to a hiking trail, drag it a little ways. Just use common sense.

 

[Muley Hunter]

It's fine to drag out your whitetails a short distance. Try it with an elk when you're miles from camp/truck.

We leave gut piles at the kill site. Hikers are smart enough to not be in hunting areas during hunting seasons here. If they aren't they can enjoy the dead carcasses.

The DOW has videos showing how to gut animals at the kill.

 

[Gabowman]

I know some processors here in Minnesota will flat out tell you on ground meat you may not get your own. Probably with sausage also in many places, especially during the main deer season. It takes only a few minutes to gut a deer and start to get instant cool down of your deer, instead of having the internal organs sometimes act as a fermenting incubator.

That is the EXACT reason I bought a cuber and grinder and I process my own meat. You just never know what youre getting back from a processor. And Ive heard processors tell me when somebody brings in a deer poorly gutted or trash inside the body cavity (gut shot, leaves, sticks, etc) they wont spend the time to throughly wash it out. Processors have told me if somebody brings them in that nasty, then oh well. I wanna know I'm getting my own meat in my freezer. And Im very picky about how the meat is shot and processed. I trim EVERYTHING and my family likes our own mixture of beef and pork fat added.

 

[380]

What are the chances of a hiker walking trails on public land coming across a gut pile? If your deer runs close to a hiking trail, drag it a little ways. Just use common sense.

I hear you but their dogs finding gut pile is just asking for the area to be changed to no hunting.
Some states use public access as an excuse for having no Sunday hunting, such as my home state of Maine.

If it's the law ,that's the way it is. It's not a big deal.

 

[dale lockwood]

Most gut piles disappear overnight from scavengers.

Gut piles are used by many birds and yes other animals in that area. The deer lived in that area and if died naturally would supply food to numerous animals. Many of you must have extremely high coyote numbers to worry like you do. Only problem I see maybe a gut pile by a road or visiable in some farmers field.

 

[rt2bowhunter]

How do you get the deer out full of guts. Back 35 years ago i had a Honda 250X 2 wheel drive 4 wheeler. I killed deer no where near as big of a body as i kill today. And had to ride a wheelie to get them up some of the hills.

I could maybe understand when i had a full head of black hair. But even then pre 4 wheelers it took hours to get them out gutted.

 

[380]

Gut piles are used by many birds and yes other animals in that area. The deer lived in that area and if died naturally would supply food to numerous animals. Many of you must have extremely high coyote numbers to worry like you do. Only problem I see maybe a gut pile by a road or visiable in some farmers field.

Discussion (I believe) was public land. No?

Oh! No it wasnt.
So if it's not public and you dont have yotes...not an issue.
If you want yotes, throw that feed/scent all over the place.

 

[robertyb]

Discussion (I believe) was public land. No?

Oh! No it wasnt.
So if it's not public and you dont have yotes...not an issue.
If you want yotes, throw that feed/scent all over the place.

For most of the country it is not a matter of wanting yotes. It is a matter of way to dang many yotes already there. If you are lucky enough not to have them on your land yet they are probably on the way and a gut pile has nothing to do with it. I am well inside the city limits here and got 3 on camera last night out back. Never been a gut pile around.

 

[380]

For most of the country it is not a matter of wanting yotes. It is a matter of way to dang many yotes already there. If you are lucky enough not to have them on your land yet they are probably on the way and a gut pile has nothing to do with it. I am well inside the city limits here and got 3 on camera last night out back. Never been a gut pile around.

I totally get what you are saying and I can agree with you to a point, when density gets super high.
That said...
When it's not crazy, you are just ringing the dinner bell and dogs are not stupid. You give them a free meal and they will cruse that area for awhile, looking to see if there is more to come.

As I said (way back) I brought them to me and they stayed for months on their rounds, before getting manually eliminated.
Since then, I have not gutted and not seen what I saw back then, even though the yotes are still in the area. I just dont ring the dinner bell anymore.

Maybe it's just coincidence but I have read of others saying the same.

What do you think? Does this make sense or is it just a common theme that has no relation?

 

[Tnmtns]

That is the EXACT reason I bought a cuber and grinder and I process my own meat. You just never know what youre getting back from a processor. And Ive heard processors tell me when somebody brings in a deer poorly gutted or trash inside the body cavity (gut shot, leaves, sticks, etc) they wont spend the time to throughly wash it out. Processors have told me if somebody brings them in that nasty, then oh well. I wanna know I'm getting my own meat in my freezer. And Im very picky about how the meat is shot and processed. I trim EVERYTHING and my family likes our own mixture of beef and pork fat added.

I have done my own for years! Last time I took a deer to the butcher, I swear I only got half of my backstraps! I bet my old butcher ate backstrap all year and didn't even hunt......

 

[380]

I have done my own for years! Last time I took a deer to the butcher, I swear I only got half of my backstraps! I bet my old butcher ate backstrap all year and didn't even hunt......

FACT...More times than not in my experience.
I used a butcher for maybe 20 deer and all different guys. I found they were getting less weight with bones than I was getting without bones. It was always the same. Less meat for the same size deer.

 

[Gabowman]

How do you get the deer out full of guts. Back 35 years ago i had a Honda 250X 2 wheel drive 4 wheeler. I killed deer no where near as big of a body as i kill today. And had to ride a wheelie to get them up some of the hills.

I could maybe understand when i had a full head of black hair. But even then pre 4 wheelers it took hours to get them out gutted.

I use my Honda Foreman 500 four wheel drive.

 

[rt2bowhunter]

I use my Honda Foreman 500 four wheel drive.

Sometimes i have deer get in places 4 wheelers or SXS can't get to. Can you use it on public land?

 

[dale lockwood]

Sometimes i have deer get in places 4 wheelers or SXS can't get to. Can you use it on public land?

All public land could be designated for different motorized use or none at all. have to check where you hunt.

 

[Gabowman]

The only public around me is WMA's and around the lakes (Corp of Engineers). No access on WMA's and no way to use one around the lakes.

 

[rt2bowhunter]

Around here you can't use any motorized anything not even a ele bike on public hunting areas. If we had a rule or law that said you couldn't gut the deer where it fell within reason. Even using a cart would be borderline just aint happening.

I doubt there much of a problem with non hunters or the public stumbling on a gut pile on private land.

This deer i drug it in the water on bank enough to gut it. I couldn't budge it on dry ground. I pulled so hard i felt the vertebrae in his neck popping and he didn't budge. Me and my brother couldn't drag it. We hooked his 250 honda 4 wheeler to it and it just reared up. It took me and my much younger nephew holding his horns up while my brother drove my truck. Then the 3 of us couldn't load it in the truck without a wench.

This buck was even bigger bodied.

Here’s what I’m talking about. The buck on the right is a 2.5 year old nice 8 point. The buck on the left is the one I killed above.

It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around getting deer like these out of areas full of guts without a bunch of help and some kinda motor. Not wanting to hijack but here’s why I use the biggest cutting head I can.

 

[mizo]

Around here you can't use any motorized anything not even a ele bike on public hunting areas. If we had a rule or law that said you couldn't gut the deer where it fell within reason. Even using a cart would be borderline just aint happening.

I doubt there much of a problem with non hunters or the public stumbling on a gut pile on private land.

This deer i drug it in the water on bank enough to gut it. I couldn't budge it on dry ground. I pulled so hard i felt the vertebrae in his neck popping and he didn't budge. Me and my brother couldn't drag it. We hooked his 250 honda 4 wheeler to it and it just reared up. It took me and my much younger nephew holding his horns up while my brother drove my truck. Then the 3 of us couldn't load it in the truck without a wench.
View attachment 201392
This buck was even bigger bodied.

View attachment 201393
Here’s what I’m talking about. The buck on the right is a 2.5 year old nice 8 point. The buck on the left is the one I killed above.
View attachment 201395 It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around getting deer like these out of areas full of guts without a bunch of help and some kinda motor. Not wanting to hijack but here’s why I use the biggest cutting head I can.

NICE!

 

[Gabowman]

Yea, nice! They dont grow like that around my parts though.