A hunting knife question

[JPH]

My dad, who grew up hunting the Adarondacks, always said there was a direct correlation between the size of a hunter's knife and how badly lost he is.   

[EatDeer]

When I split the pelvis, I use a saw with a bone saw on one side,and a tree trimming saw on the other. The saw is about a foot long,and has a sheath that fits beside my knife on my belt.

[fasteddie]

I don't split the pelvis as it just allows the possibility of letting dirt/debreis in there . Never saw a need to do it in the field .

[adirondackhunter]

I use buck lite folding knife and i don't split the pelvis

[EatDeer]

If your split the pelvis bone,when you pull the innards out you don't have to cut off the rectum in half,which helps prevent manure,and urine from contaminating your meat. I suppose everyone has thier own way. Sometimes I also haul my deer out of the woods before gutting, I feel as though this helps to keep my hunting area fresh. Unless the deer is too heavy,then I have to gut it.

[allthingshunting]

There is virtually never a need to split the pelvis bone when field dressing a deer in the field.  By splitting the pelvis, the meat becomes very exposed to dirt, sticks and other substances during the drag.
In response to the need for cutting the rectum in half, this too is unnecessary.  The way i was taught to gut deer is accomplished by removing the innards in one piece.  The rectum is never cut, the bladder remains in tact, and the pelvis remains unsplit. 

[EatDeer]

Then where do you cut the guts to free them from the pelvis when you pull them down and out? Whenever I tried it that way I ended up with urine everywhere. If I get leaves in the rectum cavity I just wash them out when my deer is hanging. Just seems to me that spliting the pelvis makes the gutting process go alot smoother when you pull the guts out, every thing pulls out to the anus nice and neat.

[vambo991]

I'm with Eatdeer on this one... If you take a battery powered sawzall, it takes about two seconds and you're through the bone and there's no mess at all. Leaves and dirt aren't an issue...there gonna get washed away.
 
Also, the first few deer that I ever killed (does) were dragged down to the ditch and gutted right there, and I can honestly remember not seeing anything but coyotes around for the next few days. I always take the deer out of the area now before gutting.

[vambo991]

Naw, never used a Ka-Bar for guttin'... I guess it would work though. I'd rather use something smaller, a little more slender.