We always do the gutless deal but never bone. Boning will make meat tougher and if it's warm out it doesn't cool as well as if it's left on the bone. I also feel that it's easier to pack when it's left on the bone. A pile of boned out meat just kinda settles into the bottom of a pack and tends to ride too low. With a quarter it has some rigidity that helps keep the load distributed more evenly. Whole quarters are better at forming a protective crust when they're hung and have less places for flies to blow eggs.
Debone or not, one thing I know for sure is that I don't plan on ever wallowing in another gigantic gutpile from an elk or moose again. I also like to split the hide from the root of the tail up to the back of the neck and skin it down in halves as opposed to starting at the bottom. That way I don't have to cut the tougher lower leg skin and I feel like it helps me keep the hair off thw meat better.
