Anybody use a bone saw for whitetail?

D

Danketch

Joined
Apr 27, 2007
Messages
583
This is my upcoming 2nd season ever for deer. Took me 20 years to finally get into it. Had awesome experiences, but no kills last year. Hopefully arrow at least one this year.

I am pretty sure you don't NEED a bone saw and/or to break the pelvic bone, you could just core the anus, and pull through the cavity I believe ( please feel free to correct me) but does having one make it easier?

Thanks
 
I use a sawsall with a Milwaukee wrecking blade. A hatchet works well, but you might damage some meat if your strikes are inaccurate, as it takes a few licks to bust thru.
 
Splitting the pelvis is a waste of time and energy in my opinion. Cut around and tie off the anus with a bit of string, it's much easier.
 
It's better to have one and not need it. It's frustrating not having the proper tools when processing any game. I've used one to help loosen the pelvic and keep the bone in the hind quarters.
It's not fun cleaning any game in cold weather.
 
It depends on what you are going to do with the deer, who's going to process it. At some point it needs to be quartered for easier handling at that point the pelvis needs to be split. Some folks bone out the whole deer without breaking it down, some break it then bone it out. It is not necessary to have a bone saw but it does make things a lot easier. As pointed out the sawzall is a good way to go.
Treefarmer
 
I cut threw the pelvis and took off the head with a hacksaw last year. Just makes things easier. Can use a knife but more work and might get guts or a broken bladder splashed back in the face. Saw that happen last year with somebody. Just used a knife for taking off limbs. Yes having a saw is easier to cut through bone than a knife for sure. Used a serrated edge of blade to cut through ribs though. Might actually just try doing everything with a partial serrated D2 Kabar this year just to try it out. Having a saw handy is a good thing just in case always.
 
treefarmer said:
It depends on what you are going to do with the deer, who's going to process it. At some point it needs to be quartered for easier handling at that point the pelvis needs to be split. Some folks bone out the whole deer without breaking it down, some break it then bone it out. It is not necessary to have a bone saw but it does make things a lot easier. As pointed out the sawzall is a good way to go.
Treefarmer
Click to expand...
I do not split the pelvis at all. I did it once, before I learned how to process deer. It is absolutely not necessary.
 
Thanks all. I have been watching a lot of Meat Eater (Steven Rinella) recently and am thinking of just taking it apart myself, if I get lucky. Thanks for all the suggestions.
 
This is my progression through the years for the back end of deer-

1-Cut around, tie off the anus, pull through. Dismantle the hams from the pelvis with a knife and cut the legs off.

2-Cut around, tie off anus, pull through, Saw through the pelvis, cut legs off.


Now- When I'm gutting I make sure all the feces stay in the colon and intestines. Cut the colon free of the anus, tie it in a knot and it all goes in the gut bucket.

After skinning I use a tomahawk to cut the pelvis through. Usually cuts in two hits. Haven't had any problems with bone splinters yet.
Cut off the legs, wash the hams, wrap and settle them into the freezer.

Maybe I'm just lazy. It seems a tomahawk makes processing a lot easier for me.
 
I always split the pelvis, usually with a small gerber hatchet. The carcass will lay open easier for quicker cooling and I prefer to see that I removed all the stuff that could ruin the meat. I butcher my own deer and usually hang them for up to 10 days depending on temps to age. This allows better airflow around the hindquarter meat.
 
Maverick299 said:
I always split the pelvis, usually with a small gerber hatchet. The carcass will lay open easier for quicker cooling and I prefer to see that I removed all the stuff that could ruin the meat. I butcher my own deer and usually hang them for up to 10 days depending on temps to age. This allows better airflow around the hindquarter meat.
Click to expand...
There is no reason that anything that would ruin the meat would be left using the normal tie off and pull through method. You can clean it out quite thorough this way. Also, if you are going to hang it, head down, like a butcher generally does, you might not want to destroy the pelvis. Even if it hangs up ok this way, I think that once you start skinning, the weakness would be a problem. You could hang it by the neck, but skinning that way it's much harder around the front legs,imo.
 
How far do you split it? I pull pretty hard when I skin a deer, and if it its hanging by the hind legs that are attached to a half a pelvis, that I assume is not really attached to the spine any more, I would worry about the carcass breaking apart and dropping to the ground. But I've never hung a deer with a split pelvis head down, so I don't know. Do you split it all the way, or do you just open up the channel that the urethra passes through, leaving the bone intact where the spine connects?
Hard Knocks said:
No problem hanging them head down to skin even if the pelvis is split.
Click to expand...
 
I tried to look back through some of my hunting pictures and see if I had something that showed the pelvis split. These were the closest I could find of deer hung head down for skinning, after the pelvis had been split when the guts were removed.







Even bigger bodied deer aren't coming off the gambrel during skinning with a split pelvis.





The pelvis is just split on the anterior side, no way are those deer coming apart without some steel. :) By the way, I'm not saying you need to split the pelvis for gutting deer, I generally don't unless I'm hunting with my father who always does. Then it's quicker for me to go ahead and split it than to get the lecture on how to do it right :) :D
 
Hard Knocks said:
I tried to look back through some of my hunting pictures and see if I had something that showed the pelvis split. These were the closest I could find of deer hung head down for skinning, after the pelvis had been split when the guts were removed.







Even bigger bodied deer aren't coming off the gambrel during skinning with a split pelvis.





The pelvis is just split on the anterior side, no way are those deer coming apart without some steel. :) By the way, I'm not saying you need to split the pelvis for gutting deer, I generally don't unless I'm hunting with my father who always does. Then it's quicker for me to go ahead and split it than to get the lecture on how to do it right :) :D
Click to expand...
Ok, so when you split it, you are opening up the channel that the urethra passes through, but not cutting through the top (if the deer were standing.) Is that right?
 
Danketch said:
I am pretty sure you don't NEED a bone saw and/or to break the pelvic bone, you could just core the anus, and pull through the cavity I believe ( please feel free to correct me) but does having one make it easier?

Thanks
Click to expand...

To the OP: Good for you on getting into hunting. A season with awesome experiences is still a successful season :thumbup:

My take on your original question is that the bone saw is not a necessity for the field work, but it is sure nice to have. Especially on those days where you're extra tired/exerted or taking a big animal apart to get him out, and you just can't get those joints to pop apart right. However, there are some things you can do to lessen the need for a saw on the days you find yourself without one:

-As discussed, the pelvis does not necessarily need to be split to do the gutting. However, if you prefer to split it, I have split the pelvis with a knife, hatchet, wire saw, and bone saw, and find the wire saw or bone saw easier to control so as not to bust the bladder.

-The leg joints, after you learn where to cut with the knife, can be cut into, and then busted over your knee or rock/chunk of wood etc. to remove them. The joint on the rear legs is always a little farther down the leg than it seems it should be, maybe by an inch or so. If you hit the joint it is very easy to bust loose. Front legs bust right in the knee, and the tendon on the back of the knee is the toughest thing to cut through.

-The ribs can be split with even a plain-edge knife if you hit the joints right. Instead of trying to split ribs up the center, move to one side (doesn't matter which side) and split the ribs by hitting the joints where the ribs connect to the sternum. They are not hard to split this way. The most difficult one to split, though, is the one closest to the neck. If you have trouble on the last one, try moving back toward center and you should get it. A word of caution, if I get any cuts during the process, it is usually from a dang rib!

-The head can be removed with a knife as well IF you hit the large joint that connects the skull to the neck, and IF you come at it from the throat side. If you try it from the top, then use a saw. This joint is a large 'round' joint. As you cut in, put pressure to bend the head backwards and put the tip of the knife down into the center of the joint, cutting left and then right. Keep putting pressure and as you cut the head will come away and you can finish cutting whatever flesh is needed to remove it from the neck.

I can't think of other cuts you would need a saw for during field-dressing unless it's to remove horns from the skull, but that is obviously not a necessity in the field. I hope this helps, and that I haven't covered things that are too obvious.

Oh, and good luck!! And as always, pictures please! :)
 
Hard Knocks said:
That is correct.
Click to expand...
I see. Thanks. I don't think this will do much for airflow, but then you didn't mention this as your reason.. The hip joints would not really be affected. So you only do this for removing the ends of the digestive tract, I assume? Or do you see some other benefit?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top