start at the bottom of the sternum using a knife I slice the sternum open up to the windpipe. Sever the windpipe then slice down to the rectum (around the male bits). separate the rectum then start at the neck and yank everything out. then retrieve the heart and liver if needed and cut out the tenderloin.

I use a drop point hunting knife for all of it ... nothing special

I start at the south pole and work up. Few years ago purchased a nifty tool called "b_utt out" Does exactly what it says. After using this tool, I then trim the parts in the southern region and pull back through the pelvis (Old days would use a hatchet and split pelvis and then pull out southern parts).

Next I split the hide up to the rib cage. Next slit high on the throat cutting the esophagus. Then reach up and pull out lungs, heart, etc. Trimming connective tissue as needed. Turn it on its side and dump. About 15 minutes.

I have always started from the bottom, opening the abdominal cavity from bottom to the bottom of the sternum. The key for me is finding a hill and making sure that the head of the deer is higher than it's but. The steeper the angle, the better because gravity is working for you. It's not that difficult here to find a hill and in my experience my deer always end up at the bottom of a big hill that I need to drag them up. I usually split the pelvis, but with my son's deer last year the darned thing would not split for anything so I had to do some fancy knife work. May pack a small hatchet this year for that chore. Once the abdominal cavity is cleaned out, I open the deer's diaphragm, reach up and cut the wind pipe, and pull heart and lungs down and out. I haven't skinned one in a long time as it is so much easier to take to the processor and allow them to do it and I don't have gambrel hooks. I can remember processing some with my older brother when I was a kid with knives and a hack saw - not fun.