Suspended gralloch.

[Dunwaters]

I vary between ground and suspended gralloch, especially for muntjac (easy to hang

I did a suspended gralloch, off a tree-trunk, this morning, and I present some pictures.

Please do come forth with suggestions and constructive criticism. Being a relative novice, I live to learn.

The set-up: dog lead round tree-trunk, pulley and heave-no.

View attachment 175797

The deer in question, obligatory with rifle:

View attachment 175798


Progress:
View attachment 175799


I didn’t manage to get it higher, but it was enough, said my back:View attachment 175800View attachment 175800

In the tray:
View attachment 175801

I feel, I ought to get the deer a bit higher up. The black bag is for the gralloch (we are supposed to remove it)

Suggestions for further improvement are gratefully received.

Many thanks.

Personally I’d leave the head on and leave the chest and neck split for back in the larder, once you open the carcass like that its virtually impossible to keep dirt out of the cavity

 

[Limpet]

Yes, they are not a lot of fun and it won't improve with age but you will find you become far more selective in what you shoot and where it is dropped as the years roll by! Even to the point of taking the crosshair off that monster fallow buck and placing on a nice wee Sorel!

K

Another good reason for a nice light Munjac

 

[RM100]

Personally I’d leave the head on and leave the chest and neck split for back in the larder, once you open the carcass like that its virtually impossible to keep dirt out of the cavity

I am keeping the head on, these days. Have to open the neck all the way, to gralloch properly. The tray helps to keep things v clean. I usually hang, bleed, go off to get tray, tea, then gralloch etc.

 

[Dunwaters]

The tea is crucial, you can cut the tubes just above the cut you made to bleed it at the base of the neck and take out the rest back at the larder.
I find if you split it from ass to throat you get a lot of hair in the cavity and stuck to the edges of the cut, so I keep the meat exposed to the minimum until I get back to base.

 

[RM100]

You are correct, but practical problems intervene. I don’t have a larder. Gralloch at home is going to cause problems that are not worth contemplating, with SWMBO. The foxes win.

I think you are right about not opening the chest. Frankly, in the excitement of the moment, I keep forgetting and open the chest. Next one!


For me, this and other such threads are all about learning and fine-tuning my techniques.

Sika-Hunter’s practical tips helped me tremendously and I am grateful. I try to change and learn from each deer. The last one, a few weeks ago, I actually did on the ground, as I felt my ground gralloch was getting rusty. Interestingly, as I get slicker with gralloching, the ground gralloch is less back-breaking, simply as it is faster than it used to be. I quite liked it, whereas, previously I found it rather tedious.

Evolution, along the journey.

 

[Dunwaters]

You are correct, but practical problems intervene. I don’t have a larder. Gralloch at home is going to cause problems that are not worth contemplating, with SWMBO. The foxes win.

I think you are right about not opening the chest. Frankly, in the excitement of the moment, I keep forgetting and open the chest. Next one!


For me, this and other such threads are all about learning and fine-tuning my techniques.

Sika-Hunter’s practical tips helped me tremendously and I am grateful. I try to change and learn from each deer. The last one, a few weeks ago, I actually did on the ground, as I felt my ground gralloch was getting rusty. Interestingly, as I get slicker with gralloching, the ground gralloch is less back-breaking, simply as it is faster than it used to be. I quite liked it, whereas, previously I found it rather tedious.

Evolution, along the journey.

I go with the on the ground solution unless there’s a really good reason not to, like mud, muck or claubber.
With practice it’ll go faster and its not difficult to keep litter out of the cavity.
Have you considered butchering the carcass on the spot? Theres not much meat inside a deer or on the ribs.
Downside is you get ragged cuts due to the flesh flying back, time, it takes about 15 minutes, and you can’t sell it. Upside is there’s nothing for senior management to worry about at home. Ive done it a few times to salvage meat when the intestinal tract has been burst, if you cut along the dorsal line you don't even have to open the abdomen until you’re finished.
The foxes will be truly thankful.

 

[SussexSteve]

Nothing needed for roe or smaller

 

[Jon P]

I use these ratchet straps to suspend deer, put one on each leg, I tend to shoot in a lot of woodland so plenty of available trees to use.

 

[20-250]

I use these ratchet straps to suspend deer, put one on each leg, I tend to shoot in a lot of woodland so plenty of available trees to use.

Each to their own, but to me that's just more crap to carry.
I don't get the whole suspended gralloch thing. It's just moving something heavy before you make it lighter. On the ground, you can easily turn a beast to spill the gralloch out. When suspended, the innards are spilling at you under gravity before you finish the initial incision. It's just an unnecessary faff.

 

[Jon P]

Each to their own, but to me that's just more crap to carry.
I don't get the whole suspended gralloch thing. It's just moving something heavy before you make it lighter. On the ground, you can easily turn a beast to spill the gralloch out. When suspended, the innards are spilling at you under gravity before you finish the initial incision. It's just an unnecessary faff.

Two plastic pulleys weigh hardly anything, before you split the skin to get the green out, split the rib cage and throat first, when it comes to taking the green out, split the skin and let gravity do the work, simple, all my deer are head shot so extremely clean carcasses ready for game dealer.

 

[Freeforester]

Two plastic pulleys weigh hardly anything, before you split the skin to get the green out, split the rib cage and throat first, when it comes to taking the green out, split the skin and let gravity do the work, simple, all my deer are head shot so extremely clean carcasses ready for game dealer.

For clarification, do you free the diaphragm skirt also before “letting it all hang out”?

 

[Jon P]

For clarification, do you free the diaphragm skirt also before “letting it all hang out”?

No, I cut diaphragm from the top once the green has flopped out, i find it a clean and easy way, takes seconds doing it that way, I know lots do it differently, but it works for me.

 

[20-250]

Two plastic pulleys weigh hardly anything, before you split the skin to get the green out, split the rib cage and throat first, when it comes to taking the green out, split the skin and let gravity do the work, simple, all my deer are head shot so extremely clean carcasses ready for game dealer.

Weight of the pulleys is no doubt minimal. It's still more clutter to carry, though. These photos of folks carrying gambrels and hooks some Dungeon Master would be proud of just make me smile.
As long as it works for you, good on you.

 

[Jon P]

Weight of the pulleys is no doubt minimal. It's still more clutter to carry, though. These photos of folks carrying gambrels and hooks some Dungeon Master would be proud of just make me smile.
As long as it works for you, good on you.

Do you leave your deer on the ground when you move on to the next area looking for deer or do you suspend it from a tree so it can cool and drain out?

 

[20-250]

Do you leave your deer on the ground when you move on to the next area looking for deer or do you suspend it from a tree so it can cool and drain out?

Generally move the carcass to somewhere I can get a vehicle to straight away. Everyone's circumstances are different- depends where I am but these days when I have a carcass my priority is getting it dealt with not looking for more deer. I certainly don't see what's so desirable about hanging one in a tree for the flies to get at while you look for another shot.

 

[Jon P]

Generally move the carcass to somewhere I can get a vehicle to straight away. Everyone's circumstances are different- depends where I am but these days when I have a carcass my priority is getting it dealt with not looking for more deer. I certainly don't see what's so desirable about hanging one in a tree for the flies to get at while you look for another shot.

I am helping someone hit there cull quota, so will shoot for a few hours, then collect the deer and get back out. I have not seen that many flies this January, February TBH.

 

[pop1]

I vary between ground and suspended gralloch, especially for muntjac (easy to hang

I did a suspended gralloch, off a tree-trunk, this morning, and I present some pictures.

Please do come forth with suggestions and constructive criticism. Being a relative novice, I live to learn.

The set-up: dog lead round tree-trunk, pulley and heave-no.

View attachment 175797

The deer in question, obligatory with rifle:

View attachment 175798


Progress:
View attachment 175799


I didn’t manage to get it higher, but it was enough, said my back:View attachment 175800View attachment 175800

In the tray:
View attachment 175801

I feel, I ought to get the deer a bit higher up. The black bag is for the gralloch (we are supposed to remove it)

Suggestions for further improvement are gratefully received.

Many thanks.

I’ve never done suspended grallochs, but 1000’s on the open hill, not many trees!! I agree with freeforester, take a lot more time on your haunches and look to get the centre parting as I would call it, easier done with the skin out the way. This is something I would normally be doing in the larder, same with splitting the ribs.
One thing that struck me was the amount of blood either side of the rib cage. Try taking a chest spreader with you, it will allow you easier access into the chest cavity. I’m guessing you were fighting against the ribs trying to close.
keep practising, it’s the only way you will improve

 

[RM100]

I’ve never done suspended grallochs, but 1000’s on the open hill, not many trees!! I agree with freeforester, take a lot more time on your haunches and look to get the centre parting as I would call it, easier done with the skin out the way. This is something I would normally be doing in the larder, same with splitting the ribs.
One thing that struck me was the amount of blood either side of the rib cage. Try taking a chest spreader with you, it will allow you easier access into the chest cavity. I’m guessing you were fighting against the ribs trying to close.
keep practising, it’s the only way you will improve

Thanks. I have thought about rib spreaders before.

 

[Dunwaters]

Do you leave your deer on the ground when you move on to the next area looking for deer or do you suspend it from a tree so it can cool and drain out?

For preference I don't leave it around for any longer than it takes to get the car, the sheer volume of scavengers around here would rival the Serengeti. You can easily lose a carcass to damage in half an hour, so another reason to keep the incision small.
Flop it over chest down and cover the arse with a hat or a plastic bag, you’ll still lose the eyes to hoodies or ravens but the carcass will be ok For a short while.
True story, I shot and gutted a deer up the hill a bit, dragged it about 300yds and realised I’d left the range finder behind with the guts so stashed it and went back.
When I popped out of the trees a ball of black erupted from the heather and flew off, at least 30 birds, there was nothing left on the site except for some slight blood stains, even the gut contents were gone, all this in less than 20 minutes.
When I got back to the carcass there was already a couple of scouts sitting in the trees, hungry gits.

 

[Stalker62]

When I got back to the carcass there was already a couple of scouts sitting in the trees, hungry gits.

It never ceased to amaze me up in Sutherland; when the birds of prey would suddenly appear overhead at the sound of a shot.

You have to admire the evolution.