Darryl,
I can't wait to show you a gutting trick an old friend taught me (this guy has over 50 elk under his belt). Below is a quick and graphic depiction. It literally takes me minutes with only a good knife and a small bone saw. You pull the windpipe and it all comes out in one shot, no mess, no hassle and a clean product! Also when you take the windpipe out it cools the animal 50% faster!