So,..still trying to get ready for an elk hunt next month.
I've read the "Furthermost Elk" thread and saw a few pics of elk in various stages of dismemberment.
My question is,..what does an elk quarter weigh? Do you guys cut the bones out and haul meat only..?
It looks like most elk are broken down into 5 or 6 good sized game bags. Is one of these bags a full load? What can a normal person schlep out per trip on a decent pack frame.?
So far, we've packed four New Mexico bulls out in the last 6 years. Last years was the biggest, body-wise. As I was lugging the hindquarters to the pack horses, I'd have bet my last dime they weighed 100 lbs. each. When we droppd the meat off at my neighbors house for processing (he's a butcher), he had a big set of scales sitting in the door of his shop, so I asked him to weigh one of the hindquarters. Imagine my surprise when he said "50 lbs. even"...!
The forequarters are a little lighter, I'd say about 40 lbs. We put a quarter in each bag and add the backstrap and tenderloins to the forequarters.
35WN
