going thru the pelvic bone

samuraistuart

samuraistuart

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Dec 21, 2006
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I have no idea which forum this question belongs in. Mods feel free to move if'n needed. What do you other hunters use to go thru the pelvic bone of whitetail/mule/elk etc? I know some guys don't even bother with it, leaving the bone intact. When I was 6 I shot my first buck, and my dad and grandfather taught me how they cut thru the pelvic bone using their hunting knife. They would only use the very tip tip tippy tip of the blade edge, and just rake back, creating a very small slice in the bone. Then, just repeating the same motion using the very tip, work your way back. It does take a while. As I got older and started gutting my own, I decided, "rain on that idea", and started carrying a set of tree loppers with me in my bag. Clip, clip, clip...done. I even used a small hatchet once, but I am wary about puncturing bladders and intestines and other bad things. The small bypass loppers are great, as I can put the non-blade half of the cutting head underneath the bone and not worry about hitting anything I shouldn't. What do you fellas use?
 
When you reach the pelvic ridge, all you have to do is slightly dislocate that joint. It's only a tight cartilage joint. You don't need to separate it, just get it started.

You could do it with the small blade of a SAK. That's all it takes.

Put the point of a blade in the center of that pelvic ridge and give the butt of the knife a little smack with your off hand. (Be careful if you're using a slip joint knife) Do not use Any sideways pressure on the blade.

Do that a couple more times and the pelvis will snap right open as you spread the deer's legs.

I don't understand how or why the joint seems like a secret. You don't even have to touch bone.

Same thing with the rib cage. There is a cartilage joint between the sternum and the ribs that is very easy to cut. Just go off center an inch.

If you have someone to help spread the legs of an elk, it's not much more difficult, but elk have plenty of room through the pelvis so it's not necessary to split it.
 
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samuraistuart, I also was taught to split the pelvic bone to make gutting easier. My father-in-law taught me using his USMC Ka-bar fighting knife. He took the tip and made a groove, then used the blade and kind of muscled it through in a rocking motion. My hands were not nearly as strong has his, so on my buck I had to baton through the pelvic bone using my brkt in A2 and a nearby branch. Here's how the blade looked when I was finished:

BRKTA2_zps61d6af4c.jpg


Now I just cut around the b-hole and the GI tract comes out pretty easily through the abdomen with no need to split the pelvic bone. Just watch out for turd pellets! If there's any waiting to come out, you can tie off the end before pulling it through.
 
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A good folding saw will do the work. That chipped blade is another fine example of why knives should not be batoned !!!!
 
wife cuts the Bhole out and pulls the guts that way. last deer she got tho her arms were to short to cut the trake tube till i got there and showed her how to baton a knife alog the side of the stremum (she knew how to do it but was unsure if she could /should do it with my custom folder ) i showed her how wrong and why not to do it but i then used my folder yo do it and made a note to make her a small hunting fixed blade out of PD1
 
I simply cut around the bung hole and pull it out with the plumbing intact. Use a sharp knife and take your time. When I saw this thread posted in Around the Grinder I was afraid the subject matter may have pertained to a bad day at the buffer.
 
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