The gutless method

It was midnight. I’d been up since 4 a.m. The woods were black. I was cold, wet, and exhausted, standing over a gutted moose, deep in the bowels of one of the gnarliest cutovers I’d ever set foot in. My dad had shot it in a perfect location…for a moose. Not for the hunter trying to get it out. He’d hiked to the back corner of an expansive cut block, settling in on a knoll overlooking a pocket of young poplar — tough country. It was the kind of place most hunters wouldn’t bother with — thick, dirty, and out of sight from a road. That’s probably why he was able to watch four moose for an hour. By the time darkness fell, the moose was dressed and cooling — but the ATV was a distant dream. Between overturned roots, deep skidder trenches, and hilly, rocky terrain, the path out seemed impassable at night. The temperature had dropped, so we covered the carcass with every spare piece of clothing we had to deter scavengers and returned at first light. It took us the better part of a day to get that moose out — one heavy, awkward piece at a time. Discovering the method When I told a friend about the ordeal, they said “You’ve got to try the gutless method. You can get a moose out from anywhere.” I was intrigued. I watched a few videos, and I picked up some gear. What I discovered changed field dressing and recovery for me. The gutless method is a technique designed for tough country and solo recoveries. Rather than dragging out an entire carcass, wrestling bulky, heavy, traditional quarters, you remove mainly just the meat, leaving the bulk behind. Once you’re comfortable, it’s not any slower than conventional methods — but your moose ends up clean, skinned, bagged, and ready for the butcher. No additional work is needed at camp. Hang your bags and you’re done. I have even done it in recent years on deer and bears. It just makes things simple. Tools A saw to remove lower leg from quarters A good knife: I like to use one with a gut hook, like the Camillus Cazadoro Game bags: I use Hunters Specialities Deluxe Game Bags Frame pack or other means to carry meat 1. Skin one side With the animal lying on its side, begin by cutting along the