Suspended Gralloch….

I must admit, I was a bit uneasy about a knife covered in green working around the neck. Surely, the neck end will be covered in deer-lunch.

I do a similar gralloch but leave the oesophagus attached at the base of the jaw. I think I first saw it on a German video.

I simply don’t like a knife blade that is green with muck, coming in contact with tissues that you may be hanging the chiller for a few days….and then putting in sausages/the dog etc.

I tuned out then.
I must admit I bleed and tie off the oesophagus first before suspending. Otherwise leave cutting the oesophagus until the last thing when the gralloch is on the floor
 
I must admit I bleed and tie off the oesophagus first before suspending. Otherwise leave cutting the oesophagus until the last thing when the gralloch is on the floor
There is a nice German video , which demonstrates gralloching. I’m not sure how to attach a YouTube link.

My personal gralloching style depends on a number of factors, including trials of various techniques. I try to learn from each deer and each video.

I’ll copy the web address and see if it works:
 
I must admit I bleed and tie off the oesophagus first before suspending. Otherwise leave cutting the oesophagus until the last thing when the gralloch is on the floor
I tend to do that too otherwise you can get green coming out the mouth. Not an issue with roe does where the head goes with the gralloch but on roe bucks, I tend to bring most heads home to remove the antlers.
 
1. Run tripe knife from one end to the other
2. Make small opening behind chest.
3. Rip open chest through to neck with a Stretton saw.

Now you can undertake full suspended without the green bag hanging up, flopping over and possibly puncturing as you struggle to remove it.

K
 
All these posts have been great thank you all. I have plenty of options to trial when back on my feet.

I’ve also always tunnelled the arse end but read a few posts across the forum intimating that this isn’t the done thing anymore.

What’s the new technique? If there is one.

Keep it along the same lines as the thread has been going with no arguments about best practice.
 
All these posts have been great thank you all. I have plenty of options to trial when back on my feet.

I’ve also always tunnelled the arse end but read a few posts across the forum intimating that this isn’t the done thing anymore.

What’s the new technique? If there is one.

Keep it along the same lines as the thread has been going with no arguments about best practice.
That’s interesting. Why wouldn’t you tunnel the back end? I do and see no reason to change. Interested in opinions on that.
 
So I don’t do a suspended gralloch in the field. I’m mainly shooting fallow and I don’t carry a gambrel or block and tackle. I’m not lifting fallow into a tree on my own. I have done a couple of roe suspended many years ago. It’s dead easy to perform a gralloch in the ground and keep it clean. I’m not here to discuss best practice, just the practicalities!

So here comes my observation. Why do folk hang deer by the back legs for a suspended gralloch when the rib cage acts as a bucket and gravity does it’s thing with the pluck and green falling into the chest cavity, well it did in my case.

Surely hanging by the front legs like the Americans would be the sensible thing to do.
Its far easier and safer ( regards lifting ) to do the beast on the ground . Then simply hang it for cooling and collection with transport later . Put your back out and it can happen to anyone and you could be around a while waiting for assistance. I used to do Roe, smaller fallow etc suspended but a big Sika stag a good few years back nearly finished me off and havent even done the smallest species suspended since . Just say think carefully and opening a beast up more than the minimum only increases the risk of contamination
 
That’s interesting. Why wouldn’t you tunnel the back end? I do and see no reason to change. Interested in opinions on that.

I haven’t a clue why you wouldn’t. Hence asking why I have seen a few posts saying it’s not the done thing.

It works for me and my Guy Stainthorp capreolus knife is perfect for it.
 
K
Its far easier and safer ( regards lifting ) to do the beast on the ground . Then simply hang it for cooling and collection with transport later . Put your back out and it can happen to anyone and you could be around a while waiting for assistance. I used to do Roe, smaller fallow etc suspended but a big Sika stag a good few years back nearly finished me off and havent even done the smallest species suspended since . Just say think carefully and opening a beast up more than the minimum only increases the risk of contamination

That’s because you’re not using adequate equipment.
I can lift the heaviest fallow buck without dropping a sweat.
 
Suspended gralloch without splitting the breast bone.

Remove the head on the floor, open the neck to the chest, free entry point into thoracic cavity. Suspend the beast. Tunnel the back end making sure you release the bladder. Male deer cut up the puzzle and remove testicles. Female deer remove the udder. Open stomach cavity down to sternum cartilage. Reach inside and pull out the bladder, uterus and small intestine to dangle outside the carcass. Reach inside to the diaphragm and lift out the stomach over and outside the rib cage. Incise the diaphragm where it meets the spine. Cut down along the inside all the way to the bottom of the lungs.. reach in and grab the oesophagus where it joins the lungs. Pull the lungs outside and release. The whole gralloch is now attached by the diaphragm on the outside of the carcass. Grab the diaphragm and pull. This will free the gralloch for inspection.

Can be done on any species but it can be a struggle on big reds. Much better to saw the chest prior to lifting and drop the gralloch.
 
K

That’s because you’re not using adequate equipment.
I can lift the heaviest fallow buck without dropping a sweat.
I want to carry the minimum , I can lift far more than the average guy but i am now getting a tad old for this kind of thing . More kit you carry the less deer you seem to shoot in my own experience. Overall though there is hardly ever the need in reality if you have some kind of facility back at base .
 
I shoot mainly fallow and carry a stalkers mate from Keith's high seat if foot stalking. I drag to a tree, hock and fit gambrel then open up deer on its back so gravity does its thing. Tripe knife and bone saw ribs. Then hoist up and final tidy up inc coring back end. Leave hung to cool and fortunately can get my vehicle to most of what I shoot. If on the roe just carry two S hooks in pocket
 
I want to carry the minimum , I can lift far more than the average guy but i am now getting a tad old for this kind of thing . More kit you carry the less deer you seem to shoot in my own experience. Overall though there is hardly ever the need in reality if you have some kind of facility back at base .
Frankly, you are correct, about me. I’m very much a recreational stalker, happy to pootle about. I do try to reduce my kit, but dang, I do carry loads! I usually carry about 6-7 knives/saws/unzippers about…no idea why. But I do. I probably shoot 10-15 deer only in a year, but do try to learn from each. I do carry a pulley about (trying to make one that’s lighter) as I like suspended gralloch.

Fun times!
 
Its far easier and safer ( regards lifting ) to do the beast on the ground . Then simply hang it for cooling and collection with transport later . Put your back out and it can happen to anyone and you could be around a while waiting for assistance. I used to do Roe, smaller fallow etc suspended but a big Sika stag a good few years back nearly finished me off and havent even done the smallest species suspended since . Just say think carefully and opening a beast up more than the minimum only increases the risk of contamination
The camp is divided which is to be expected, however the on the ground team also the suppended group are outnumbered by the how the food industry go about their work. If the slaughter houses showed where their end product started of by being cleaned out in the yard there would be a riot...despite how much they assured the utmost care was taken.
 
On the deck for me…
Bleed, open neck and tie of
food pipe etc .. small incision for removal of organs.. tunnel back
passage.. then remove the lot.
Into roe sack your done.
I think some are afraid to do on
the deck for fear of a puncture,
green everywhere !

Suspended just ain’t for me
but either way a clean and tidy result .

Buck.
 
On the deck is quicker, suspended is cleaner.

Depends on how good your back is I suppose and whether you want to carry a hoist.

Most of mine are muntjac and CWD so no problem lifting to a climbing loop or a fence.
 
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