Thread: Hindquarter carry

Just a wee thing I took for granted,untill the other evening when I whipped out knife and had deer into 3 managable lumps to carry..and the two chaps I was with,both older than me and both experienced hunters said they had NEVER seen hindquarters carried like I do...
I was shocked as have done it for 40 years... guess it comes back to the meat hunting era.... what I do is gut animal then poke knife OUT through skin at first rib and slice out to gut cut starting at spine,then do the other side the same and carefully cut around back,again CUTTING OUTWARDS so knife cuts up through hair instead of cutting hair... then twist rear end and separate from rest of carcass ...I then started at breastbone/sternum/brisket and sliced in close to ribs right down to backsteaks seperating front legs and leaving all flap and rib meat in one lump with skin still on outside,did both sides the same..in retrospect should have taken backsteaks out seperately and put in my daybag as they both dropped down like a big tail from the forequarters while being carried.
the hind quarters are easy to carry like this..just give them a shoulder ride like you do for the kids....no bones to dig in to you...hot meaty bit around your ears is aquired taste LOL...the legs poke out front and its easy to carry rifle across front too. either on strap or keep in hands. sit down and drop it off backwards on a wee bit of a bank...catch breath,lift hand quarters back up bank..sit down,pull legs over shoulders,and sort of roll your self back up,dragging HQs up with you,wee bit of a jiggle and they back up on shoulders.
I often bone out front quarters into day bag and bring out back wheels like this...dogs like the leg bones and pelvis...
Im told if you come forward to the 3rd rib you have something like 80% of the better meat and all the steak.