Decapitation

The next major step is complete evisceration of the carcass.

To begin, make a cut from the solar plexus, the point between the breastbone and stomach, almost to the anus.

Be very careful not to cut into the intestines, as this will contaminate the surrounding area with bacteria and possibly feces (if this does happen, cleanse thoroughly)

A good way to avoid this is to use the knife inside the abdominal wall, blade facing toward you, and making cautious progress.

Make a cut around the anus, or "bung", and tie it off with twine.

This also prevents contamination, keeping the body from voiding any material left in the bowel.

With a saw, cut through the pubic bone, or "aitch".

The lower body is now completely open, and you can begin to pull the organ masses (large and small intestines, kidneys, liver, stomach) out and cut them away from the back wall of the body.

When the bleeding slows, preparation for decapitation can be started.

Continue the cut to the throat around the entire neck, from the jawline to the back of the skull.

Once muscle and ligament have been sliced away, the head can be cleanly removed by gripping it on either side and twisting it off, separation occurring where the spinal cord meets the skull.

This is indicative of the method to be used for dividing other bones or joints, in that the meat should generally be cut through first with a knife, and the exposed bone then separated with a saw or cleaver.

The merits of keeping the skull as a trophy are debatable for two principal reasons.

First, a human skull may call suspicious attention to the new owner.

Secondly, thorough cleaning is difficult due to the large brain mass, which is hard to remove without opening the skull.

The brain is not good to eat.

Removing the tongue and eyes, skinning the head, and placing it outside in a wire cage may be effective.

The cage allows small scavengers such as ants and maggots to cleanse the flesh from the bones, while preventing it being carried off by larger scavengers, such as dogs and children.

After a sufficient period of time, you may retrieve the skull and boil it in a dilute bleach solution to sterilize it and wash away any remaining tissue.