I'd sure like to see that. The only large animal I've butchered is domestic hog, and I was taught to split the pelvis, although I'm not fond of doing it. I think it would be preferable to use your technique, if it works on hogs also.By the way, I never found a good reason to split a pelvis. In the above picture you can see the pelvic hip socket ... they come apart at the joints. All that is left is a pelvis attached to a spine topped by a head.
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Skinning, Field Dressing Knife
- Thread starter Vigilan
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Codger_64
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Hogs are a bit different to butcher. Mostly because of the different shape, thicker hide and fat layers. I'd suggest finding a hog farmer who raises his own hogs for home butcher or an accomplished hog hunter and help them with a butchering.
After you split that pelvis, did you not then have to cut it free of the ham? Bone it out? The only real reason I can see to split a pelvis is in the case where two hunters decide to share a deer and don't want to take the time to do the full butchering job beforehand. I've seen hunters split them from a-hole to appetite with a sharp hatchet and even a small chainsaw. But I would not want to deal with the bone dust and chips nohow, noway.
As to the guthook, I've tried them before and they work ok. But then so does my technique of useing two fingers of the non-knife hand to lift the skin and guide the blade tip. Moved in tandem, there is little chance of cutting the guiding fingers. And the splitting of the hide down the center from crotch to throat is really a very minor part of skinning a deer.
When hunters arrange beforehand to bring me a deer, I prefer them to bring it to me whole, not even gutted. Then I don't have to deal with twigs, dirt and leaves stuck to a bloody mess and hair from the cut everywhere (cutting the hide from the inside out does not loosen much hair at all). I'd rather park a wheelbarrow under the gambrel and catch all of the offal and blood there for disposal. Of course sometimes they are remote when they score, and the weather is warm, so field dressing is not a bad idea. As long as they take the time to tie the cavity shut before dragging it crosscountry.
After you split that pelvis, did you not then have to cut it free of the ham? Bone it out? The only real reason I can see to split a pelvis is in the case where two hunters decide to share a deer and don't want to take the time to do the full butchering job beforehand. I've seen hunters split them from a-hole to appetite with a sharp hatchet and even a small chainsaw. But I would not want to deal with the bone dust and chips nohow, noway.
As to the guthook, I've tried them before and they work ok. But then so does my technique of useing two fingers of the non-knife hand to lift the skin and guide the blade tip. Moved in tandem, there is little chance of cutting the guiding fingers. And the splitting of the hide down the center from crotch to throat is really a very minor part of skinning a deer.
When hunters arrange beforehand to bring me a deer, I prefer them to bring it to me whole, not even gutted. Then I don't have to deal with twigs, dirt and leaves stuck to a bloody mess and hair from the cut everywhere (cutting the hide from the inside out does not loosen much hair at all). I'd rather park a wheelbarrow under the gambrel and catch all of the offal and blood there for disposal. Of course sometimes they are remote when they score, and the weather is warm, so field dressing is not a bad idea. As long as they take the time to tie the cavity shut before dragging it crosscountry.
We always cook the entire hog on a spit/rotisserie after preparing it, so no, it's not actually cut in to until it's supper time... So we kill it, scrub it, gut it, cut off the head and feet, and cool it overnight then roast it for about 8 hours the next day.
We roast hogs for our family reunion every year, and with 200 or more people, the whole thing is consumed in one sitting.
We roast hogs for our family reunion every year, and with 200 or more people, the whole thing is consumed in one sitting.
Only if he likes pork!Anyone in your family want to adopt an old man?
