I guess I've never worried too much about elk being tough, but I worry about getting it cooled out quickly. In past years we've done several retrievals of whole elk (gutted) with hide on when we could get it hung to skin in a couple hours. Leave that hide on much longer than that and the neck meat really gets warm. There's a lot to be said for being young and strong.
I'm a little older now, and old guys try to figure ways to do things easier. I've done it every way imaginable and won't get into the gut or no gut arguement. But the elk will have to be really close to a vehicle for me to move the bones from where it fell. If I can't eat it, I ain't gonna carry it...
