Has anyone found a workaround for butchering sentient creatures? I know this version even with proper ethics creatures are unbutcherable with the 'can_learn' tag
Don't listen these fool. There is a workaround and i have even reported it on the wiki :
http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:ButcherAt the section, butchering sentient.
It exist a DFhack script which is included in dfhack version since long time, it is named fixcorpestockpile. Just select the stockpile with the sentient corpses and write this in your dfhack. It will made all dead sentient creature in this corpse stockpile as butcherable.
Note that your dwarf have to have the ethic which fit with it and that if there is dwarves corpses mixed with the corpse you want to butcher you must wait that they burrow corpse before fixing the corpse stockpile. otherwise it will lead to go and back infinitly with your dwarf that try to burrow thing that are not burrowable anymore. If this happen (because you made an error) a quick solution is to quantum smashed the part of corpses that is in fault.
Well, with little practice it works fine. I imagine that this could be better if someone has figure out how to make corpse stockpile dedicated to dwarf and corpse stockpile dedicated to other sentient, but i don't know how.
A quick thing to simplify the process is to always have a lot of burrow available, this lead to have very quickly after a battle only dead ennemy in your stockpile.
And it works : In my fortress i have a lot of that currently :
And also lot of elf bone arrow . What is a better use for elves to let them bones used to kills gobelins
Notice that despite previous digging that have found that this could be related to the bug which make tame animals dead from other thing than slaughter not butcherable, this seems to be not. At least with inteligent pet. I had managed to have inteligent pet which was killed, and this workaround doesn't seems to help. So i guess the tame animal bug :
http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=1180Is not related with the butcher/ethic/sentient bug. Or, at least, not exactly... :
http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=9171