How do I get used to the smell of a gutted deer?

[Ridge Runner]

After two years of looking, I finally got into a hunting party.

I took up hunting two years ago at 35 years old and had been searching for a group of guys to get into.

Yesterday I went out for the first time for deer with a great group of guys who know what they are doing.

A member of our party got a nice 8 point buck yesterday and I got to watch it gutted for the first time. I have read all about it but this was the first time I have really seen a large animal gutted.

The sight of it did not bother me...........but the smell almost made me puke. Fortunately I did not and kept watching, but I know that if I had been bent over the deer gutting it I would have puked.

Is it something you just get used to the more times you experience it? Do some of you experienced hunters never get used to it?

How can I prepare myself for it so I do not look like a fool when I have to gut my own.

Any help would be apprciated. I am going back out on Monday. Can not wait to get my first deer.

[jpsmith1]

Was the deer gut shot?  If so, then you will probably never get used to that smell.  The first gut shot deer I was around was one my dad shot and I think I did puke, I was about 10.  I

On the other hand, if it was a good chest/heart shot that did not penetrate the paunch or intestines, then the smell has never really bothered me.  Be cautious with your knife not to cut the guts open and create a 'gut shot' deer by accident.

Something that MAY work for you is Vicks Vapor-rub.  Put a dab under each nostril and the menthol smell should overpower any smell.

[Ranger J]

 I always considered it the sweet smell of success!
RJ

[Cheesehead]

Just do not breath through your nose at all and have at it.

Cheese

[willysjeep134]

Do like the coriners did in "Silence of the Lambs", put some Vicks under your nose before you gut the deer. Of course, too much vicks and your upper lip will be numb and tingling.

Also, don't let anyone talk you into gutting their gut-shot deer for them. I figure if they gut shoot one part of their penance is gutting it. A well shot deer shouldn't stink too bad under normal circumstances.

[rockbilly]

A friend had this problem several years ago.  He was in his late twenties when he started hunting, but would not shoot a deer until he was in his mid-forties.  I helped (supervised) the field dresssing of his first and only.  My friend was so sick he wanted to just walk away and leave the deer, but I continued pushing until he got it done.  Afterwards he would not eat the meat.  He does not hunt at all today.  With this in mind, when my son started hunting I put a package of strong methol cough drops in the hunting gear.  Before walking up to his first deer I told him to put one in his mouth, he continues to do it today, and has never had a problem gutting a game animal.

[hardertr]

I gutted my first deer (with grandpa directing from the sidline) when I was 12.  It was COLD outside, and my adrenaline was pumping.  I don't kno WHY, but the part that bothered me most was that gush of steam that rushed up to my face when I slit her open.  Once that passed, the smell wasn't bad at all.  That adrenaline of gutting your own deer will help you tolerate the smell.

A lot of times, I found that the older bucks smell a little more "ripe" than younger ones, or doe.  Besides the Vicks (never used it for gutting deer, but it works GREAT for hiding the smell of a skunk our dog decided to kill under the porch), it would help if you hung the deer up to gut it.  This way the guts fall away on their own.

[Ridge Runner]

Was the deer gut shot?  If so, then you will probably never get used to that smell.  The first gut shot deer I was around was one my dad shot and I think I did puke, I was about 10.  I

On the other hand, if it was a good chest/heart shot that did not penetrate the paunch or intestines, then the smell has never really bothered me.  Be cautious with your knife not to cut the guts open and create a 'gut shot' deer by accident.

Something that MAY work for you is Vicks Vapor-rub.  Put a dab under each nostril and the menthol smell should overpower any smell.

The deer was not gut shot. He was shot in the eye and it exited his ear. When we grabbed his rack to drag him out, we could tell his skull was shattered and it "moved around" a bit.

After he was cut open, he was turned onto his side and his guts spilled out. His stomach then burst and all the green, semi-digested food gushed out. THAT is what got me.

Thanks for the ideas about the VICs vapor rub. I will bring that along. I will also try the cough drops and breathing through my mount.

Thank you.

[jpsmith1]

Gut smell is the WORST.  Be careful with the gutting and you should be alright.  There is NO getting used to that stench.  Even a little rabbit can almost make you puke when it's torn up.

[Don Fischer]

Well, sounds like someone cut open the stomach while opening the gut cavity, not good! When I start to open it up, I make a small cut just under the chest, big enough to get two fingers into. DON'T CUT TO DEEP! Just thru the skin and barely into the cavity. Next I put the two fingers in the small opening and put the knife blade between the two fingers upside down with the tip of the knife held between the fingers and the back of the knife in the palm of my hand and just run my fingers to the pelvis. Slick as can be and never cut into the smelly guts!

The only other thing I might suggest is to open the stomach and clean it out. Make a good long slice. Turn the stomach over and wear it on your head until the smell seems normal!

[a45gunslinger]

I can , gut, skin,butcher any animal....what I can't stand is the sight of human blood or those shows where they show operations..yuch!! so maybe it's all psychological - Kevin

[Swampman]

I've never smelled anything inside a deer that smelled bad, even a gut shot one.

[LeadPoison]

I have never had a problem with it nor anyone I know.

[joshco84]

never had a problem with it except when the stomach is broke open, which is just a god awful stench.  the best way to avoid that is hang the deer on a gambrel by the rear legs, and get a knife with a gut hook to zip em open.  if no gut hook is available do as was mentioned before and make a slit about an inch long and hold the knife between your middle and pointer finger with the blade edge pointed towards the palm side of your hand.  then use your finger tips to hold the skin out away from the guts and feel your way up with the blade.  also get used to the smell of the busted stomach, because we kill about twelve deer altogether every year and usually one will get broken into even with experience people doing it, it just happens.  the best advice i can give is just use a sharp knife, and if possible or doing more than one deer sharpen it in between (or have multiple knives on hand and sharpened and ready) nothing makes for a longer colder evening than a dull knife.  also for a skinning and gutting knife get one with a round ended blade. this makes it easier to split the cavity with the knife between your fingers since the long point isnt dragging in there hanging up on everything it touches, the more blunt nose will kind of "glance" off the internals better.

[The Sodbuster]

I used to be involved in a culling operation and have literally gutted hundreds of deer.  As other have stated, be careful not to puncture the rumen when cleaning 'em.  I've also noticed that older bucks smell worse than young deer and does.  Sometimes, when I'd cut the trachea, the deer would "exhale" and I'd catch a wiff of its breath.  That was never pleasant.

Some argue that there's no need for a knife blade over 3-4 inches.  I disagree.  With a 6-7" blade I can reach to the back to cut the diaphragm, etc. without having to stick my hands as far in.  You can call me a pansy if you like, but I always have a couple latex gloves in my fanny pack.  Don't like gutting things with my bare hands.  I've done it a couple times, but I don't like it.

[a45gunslinger]

Sodbuster, I wear them also....I break out in a rash wherever the deer blood touches..without fail.. - Kevin

[Savage .250]

  It doesn`t "smell" it just has it`s own fragrance. Get used to it cause it won`t
   change.

[nyhunter863]

I have never been bothered by any odor, even on a gut shot deer.  Actually I don't really think there is much of an odor at all, especially on a colder day and if the deer is being field dressed promptly.  If you think a deer is bad, then definitely don't try cleaning a turkey.  You might pass out when getting a whif of turkey gizzards if the smell of deer bothers you!!

[.54]

When you get that first deer you'll be so pumped up and proud you probably won't mind the smell.
I've sat in some outhouses that smelled worse than a deers innards. Just breath in shallow breaths while you're doing it and you'll be ok. Make sure you have a good sharp knife and it won't take near as long. Good luck, you'll probably come to welcome that smell as it's the sweet smell of success.

[dakotashooter2]

I think it is something you either love or learn to tollerate.

[nabob]

I have a VERY sensitive nose. I can always sniff out where in the house any member of my family has gone. I haven't found anything that really works well for my nose except breathing through my mouth. But gutting a deer only takes about 10 minutes so it isn't a big deal and the coyotes always clean up the pile within a day so there isn't even a trace that a deer was field-dressed within 24 hours.

[CallaoJoe]

I always considered it the sweet smell of success!
RJ

I'm with ya there....  Nuthin like the rutty smell of an ole' buck....

Ya gotta open em up, and inspect the inards to see what damage yer broadhead, or bullet done.  That way you know you're shootin the right projectiles....

[rickyp]

I can not stand the smell, it always makes me gag and dry heave. What i do is get some of the paper dust mask  and a bottle of Vick's. I then coat the inside of the mask with the Vick's and put it on. It helps me breath good for hours after as well. The only time it did not work was on a deer I shot trough the chest and went trough the deer and destroyed the stomach ( I guess you can call it a gut shot deer) and went out just behind the ribs and went trough the far rear leg.

As for gloves I made me a field dressing kit (several in fact) that contains a pair of rubber gloves, a pair of shoulder length gloves the kind vets use a few moist towelettes a trash bag, field tags wire tie and dust mask. I also ahve a small travel pack of baby whipes

[Masterblaster1]

I have been told that cops at murder scenes use vicks on a cotton ball in their nose and it works well, i assume it would work for a dead deer also.

[navyredneck]

I have 4 children.  The last two were twins.  I've changed so many dirty diapers that smelling gutted deer no longer bothers me.

It did take a while to get used to changing diapers.  I used to wrap something around my nose and then, like anything else, I just got used to it.

[kyote]

he he he.Its just a new smell to you I would guess,and one that you need to tell your self to get used to if you want to hunt and harvest animals.and I would not dwell on the thought of what you are smelling just try and do what must be done.
your 1st time was easy.mine was a lot harder.carring strong smelling things with you while hunting,IE:vicks rub ect.might make it so the only thing you do is watch other folks clean their deer.in the jungles stuff like that would bring the skeeters to you in force and a hoard other other flyin teeth and noseeums,which were'nt to bad as the ones ya saw scared the B jeezus outa ya...shoot a couple cotten tails and clean them like you saw the deer cleaned.just use smaller tools,and you will learn how to do it faster and correctly.and get used to the smell (hopefully) at the same time.

[Flyrod444]

Go out and gut and clean about a dozen rabbits. If you can make it through them the smell of deer guts will seem mild and never bother you again. You learn to breath through your mouth as others have said and it is not that bad. You also take time and shoot  where the bullet will not hit the guts if possible.
Good luck,
Jack

[yellowtail3]

The deer was not gut shot. He was shot in the eye and it exited his ear. When we grabbed his rack to drag him out, we could tell his skull was shattered and it "moved around" a bit.

After he was cut open, he was turned onto his side and his guts spilled out. His stomach then burst and all the green, semi-digested food gushed out. THAT is what got me.

Well, opened stomach=gut-shot smell. My experience - and I started hunting in my thirties, ten years later I'm obsessed - my experience is that deer don't stink when you open them, UNLESS they've been gut shot, or you open the stomach. The stomach is what really, really stinks. There may be a little smell from the rest... but for one shot cleanly through heart/lungs area, they're not bad at all. A gut shot deer is the nastiest thing... when I've made a bad shot like that, esp. on a little one, I'm tempted to just leave it in the woods. I haven't, but that is a measure of how nasty trying to clean up a gut-shot is.

I've left gutpiles in the woods, to come back a day or two later and find critters have eaten all the flesh and left the stomach contents, which STILL stink... you can smell that a good ways off if you approach it with wind in face.

Solution: place your shots in the front half of the ribcage, and... be careful of that knife while opening the deer - you don't want to open stomach!

30-30 though the lungs is best.

[slave]

Aint it great

[OLDHandgunner]

Don't feel bad, it's something you really don't get use too. It bothers some people more than others. I had an Uncle that had shot more deer than most people could only dream about. As soon as his knife broke into the body cavity, he would heave his guts out, everytime. Then he would be ok. He said it happened all the time. So the next time your gutting out your deer, just think about all the good venison meals you'll be enjoying.