I do a suspended gralloch if at all possible - I usually open the neck and tie off oesophagus while it's still on the ground, and also tie off the back end, then lift it up and unzip. But I always have trouble once I've got down to the top of the rib cage, where the windpipe goes through - I'm usually holding back the guts with my left hand and pushing as hard as i can with my knife, but the bl**dy last bit always gives me gip, esp as I'm trying not to puncture the oesophagus. Would welcome any advice/ tips from SD members, thanks in advance.
Top of rib cage - how to cut through it?
- Thread starter pazmino
- Start date
split sternum with a saw while its still on the ground
If you’re suspending there is no need to tie anything off.
Open the deer from jaw to groin & cut sternum while still on floor. Cut around the poop chute. Then suspend the deer and everything will fall out nicely with a few minor cuts here and there ( Diaphragm mainly ) You won’t have broken the digestive tract at all. Head off at the end still attached to oesophagus and trachea.
Open the deer from jaw to groin & cut sternum while still on floor. Cut around the poop chute. Then suspend the deer and everything will fall out nicely with a few minor cuts here and there ( Diaphragm mainly ) You won’t have broken the digestive tract at all. Head off at the end still attached to oesophagus and trachea.
nun_hunter
Well-Known Member
I do this and use one of the small chest saws as they pack away nice and small.
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
If using the carcase yourself it’s useful to leave the head attached if practicable, it helps to stretch the neck as rigor mortis sets in, and makes cutting it into oxtail-like sections thereafter much easier. Leaving the head on until you skin it also prevents dirt, blood or hair getting onto the cut, but to be fair most will cut off the first inch or so of the atlas joint to neck vertebra off for the dog, or possibly the stock pot.
Before (note stretched neck, animal hung head down prior to skinning),
And after. Skinning top down lets all hair, wet, dirt, blood etc to fall downward and away from the carcase. Start as you’d like to go on!
Btw we never hang them up here whilst gralloching, but we have hills and tussocks etc to enable gravity to achieve the same result - haunches highest, head lowest, gravity will do the rest. Nor am I always stalking among trees!
Before (note stretched neck, animal hung head down prior to skinning),
And after. Skinning top down lets all hair, wet, dirt, blood etc to fall downward and away from the carcase. Start as you’d like to go on!
Btw we never hang them up here whilst gralloching, but we have hills and tussocks etc to enable gravity to achieve the same result - haunches highest, head lowest, gravity will do the rest. Nor am I always stalking among trees!
Deermanagement
Well-Known Member
None of that "opening up" will do for my game dealer who wants micro surgery to leave as little exposed as possible, especially between the haunches. Not one for suspending a deer, you have to carry rig for the bigger deer and I think most people carry too much as it is. Exposing the windpipe from sternum to under it's chin, strip the oesophagus of meat at the base, roll the remainder forward to as far as you can, cut off and tie. The meat that "balls up" at the end acts as a stop for the knot you've just tied. Cut the windpipe off near the sternum and move onto the gralloch.
Once opened up which only needs to be micro surgery style, with the animal on its left side, holding the ribcage, cut around this side of the diaphragm, roll the animal onto it's right side, holding the ribcage again, cut around this side of the diaphragm. Once done, put your knife down, and with both hand, reach in and grab the heart/lungs (it helps with long sleeved vet style gloves with a latex glove over the top to avoid getting blood and ticks on you). Even on the bigger fallow and sika stags (don't know about red), by using the ribcage as a leverage point for your forearms, everything including the remains of the windpipe and oesophagus can be pulled out relatively easily. The liver remains towards the top of the gralloch which can be taken along with any other offal without it touching the floor and placed on a small sheet of plastic. The rear pipe can be stripped, cut and tied off for removal at the larder for ease. The gralloch can be put aside or disposed of as usual.
None of the edible parts of the carcass has touched the ground as yet, but if you want to drain the open cavity by turning the animal, rear legs spread, you can. This can however, allow the exposed neck and the edge of the opened cavity to come into contact with the ground. If you do not want anything coming into contact with the ground, you can clean out the majority with one hand after removing a latex glove. Remove the latex glove from the other hand, pick up the liver with it and fold the long sleeved glove over it for a ready made and clean offal bag. Place any other offal into the same bag and jobs a good un.
Doesn't take long, no chance of any contamination, either offal or carcass. A did see a tip offered on a video some time ago, where the front legs are placed over the top of the animals neck which aids the carcass shape once rigor mortis sets in, so I usually do so. It sets the shoulders in an upwards position whilst hanging and seems to work.
I guess the only disadvantage of my method is the bending over which shouldn't be for too long, and the use of the plastic gloves which are classed as single use, by I use them to both keep myself clean and for use as an offal bag. The extra expense of these gloves are more than offset by a payment the dealer makes for it. The advantage is nothing extra to carry albeit a few pairs of plastic gloves, limited chance of contamination from an overly exposed carcass and speed of processing as apposed to finding a suitable location and getting out the kit for suspending larger animals.
I'm lucky in so much as 95% of the time, I can get directly to where the animal has fallen with an ATV, but if it needs to be dragged at all, a sled can be used.
Once opened up which only needs to be micro surgery style, with the animal on its left side, holding the ribcage, cut around this side of the diaphragm, roll the animal onto it's right side, holding the ribcage again, cut around this side of the diaphragm. Once done, put your knife down, and with both hand, reach in and grab the heart/lungs (it helps with long sleeved vet style gloves with a latex glove over the top to avoid getting blood and ticks on you). Even on the bigger fallow and sika stags (don't know about red), by using the ribcage as a leverage point for your forearms, everything including the remains of the windpipe and oesophagus can be pulled out relatively easily. The liver remains towards the top of the gralloch which can be taken along with any other offal without it touching the floor and placed on a small sheet of plastic. The rear pipe can be stripped, cut and tied off for removal at the larder for ease. The gralloch can be put aside or disposed of as usual.
None of the edible parts of the carcass has touched the ground as yet, but if you want to drain the open cavity by turning the animal, rear legs spread, you can. This can however, allow the exposed neck and the edge of the opened cavity to come into contact with the ground. If you do not want anything coming into contact with the ground, you can clean out the majority with one hand after removing a latex glove. Remove the latex glove from the other hand, pick up the liver with it and fold the long sleeved glove over it for a ready made and clean offal bag. Place any other offal into the same bag and jobs a good un.
Doesn't take long, no chance of any contamination, either offal or carcass. A did see a tip offered on a video some time ago, where the front legs are placed over the top of the animals neck which aids the carcass shape once rigor mortis sets in, so I usually do so. It sets the shoulders in an upwards position whilst hanging and seems to work.
I guess the only disadvantage of my method is the bending over which shouldn't be for too long, and the use of the plastic gloves which are classed as single use, by I use them to both keep myself clean and for use as an offal bag. The extra expense of these gloves are more than offset by a payment the dealer makes for it. The advantage is nothing extra to carry albeit a few pairs of plastic gloves, limited chance of contamination from an overly exposed carcass and speed of processing as apposed to finding a suitable location and getting out the kit for suspending larger animals.
I'm lucky in so much as 95% of the time, I can get directly to where the animal has fallen with an ATV, but if it needs to be dragged at all, a sled can be used.
Viking Deer Splitter - Stainless Steel Bone Splitter
The Deer Splitter Game Splitter Assistant from Viking Solutions is a new tool that makes splitting the chest cavity and pelvic bone a breeze! This stainless steel device delivers a 19X force that will split these two areas and keep your hands and knives outside the animal. The Deer Splitter...
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We use one of these, suspend grallochs and done properly and clean in no time.
deerstalker.308
Well-Known Member
Another totally unnecessary bit of kit to carry in the field, yey!Viking Deer Splitter - Stainless Steel Bone Splitter
The Deer Splitter Game Splitter Assistant from Viking Solutions is a new tool that makes splitting the chest cavity and pelvic bone a breeze! This stainless steel device delivers a 19X force that will split these two areas and keep your hands and knives outside the animal. The Deer Splitter...
We use one of these, suspend grallochs and done properly and clean in no time.
Free range rob
Well-Known Member
Pretty much how I do
Mine
I carry a small folding bone saw, but depending on animal and age often split them with my knife
Jimbob39
Well-Known Member
I watched a YouTube video of an Irish stalker doing it this way. I’m going to try it on the next fallow.
Tripe knife down the side of the sternum (breast bone) not the small un-zippers but a £20.00 F.Dick tripe knife, the handle is big enough for both hands the blade is thin also v sharp and the tip is large.
They are con-cave shape and with a bit of practice very effective.
Way faster than a bone saw, 90% of my stalking is within 1 mile of the house, animals are back at the larder for suspended gralloch in a matter on minutes
Deermanagement
Well-Known Member
I'm sure there are better ways and those better than me at doing it this way but I've a keen game dealer who'll let you know if not satisfactory. Maybe if each and every animals transfer to the larder was documented with a couple of photos, those that are obviously better looked after would bring a better price. Unfortunately, there are plenty of videos out there showing animals dragged through all sorts before they get anywhere near a chiller.
Wishful thinking I know but there should be a differential. I am thinking about processing my own animals and maybe taking in a few, but I don't think I would take any in without some sort of evidence they've been looked after and not just shot by someone with a "certificate"
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
Exactly what I do with Reds as the volume and weight is a lot, bit tricky but far better than wrestling with a bin liner full of green soup..
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
95% of roe sternums encountered succumb in the field to the Puma, the other 5% get sawn in the field with the Stretton bone saw. All the reds come home to the larder minus the pluck and lights, but with sternum and aitch bone intact (alimentary canal etc removed) to minimise potential for dirt to get in. All roe carried out in roe sack with washable liner.
when butchering, I peel off the very fine parchment that lines the gullet, taking any surface contamination along with it. Easy to find, easy to remove.
Take off legs and free rear end whilst still on truck. Pulley up in our gralloch tree stick to release any blood in chest cavity and open neck up freeing wind and feed pipe down to head. Saw through sternum, let gravity take its course cutting round diaphragm, voilà all falls out, head off and away to larder. Simples.
I’m struggling to see how the legs are attached to the gambrel?
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