Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Best way to quarter an elk for backpack carry?

My buddy and I are not going to take the ATV's out this year for elk; so, what's the best way to quarter up an Elk for pack carry?

The best way we have found, it to gut, then skin the animal, then take out the backstraps. Then take the hindquarters off and use a wyoming saw to saw the pelvis in half. Then take the shoulders off the ribcage, then bone out the neck, and the rest of the ribcage. One person can carry a quarter, per trip.

You can also completely bone out the animal and pack it out that way, just leave all the bones.

First gut it out. Then skin out the top hindquarter. Starting at the pelvis, slide your knife down till you hit the ball joint. It will pop right out when you hit it. Then remove hindquarter. I use the knife on the knee joint as well and with a little practice, you can pop of the lower leg with no saw. Then skin out the front shoulder, cut around the elbow and remove. Then remove front shoulder by cutting any connective tissue under shoulder blades and remove. Then I do the backstrap, filleting off the spine like a fish. Lastly you can remove the neck meat from the side of the neck you are working on. Repeat process and then reach into gut cavity to remove tenderloins. Then start packing out. No saw required.

I have skinned, quartered and even gotten the tenderloins without gutting the animal. When finished a coyote couldn't make a decent meal of the leftovers. My point is why go to the trouble of gutting?

The best way is to fake a bad knee and get your buddy to pack it out!
Otherwise I bone them out and put the into 4 game bags, tie them too pack frames and start hiking.
I have a real problem with packing out a bunch of bone that I will not eat anyhow.
I have taken an elk out on just 2 packs but you better start with the pain pills before you start hiking

Not sure if mine is the best way but I have had to do it a bunch.

Pretty much what the others said about separating it. Time, temperature, distance, size of elk, type of pack, all are considerations. Cold temps are your best friend when you have to carry.

Take the best and the most meat first. Usually that means a hindquarter, loins too if possible. Don't forget evidence of sex (don't ask me how I know). Once it is skinned, removing the front legs will become pretty self-explanatory by beginning the cut in the armpit. Both front legs will more-or-less equal 1 hindquarter carry. Brisket and ribs will strip off pretty quickly and easily provided your blade is still sharp. Leave the neck for last. It will yield a lot of good grind.

Having cold storage at your trailhead with capacity enough for at least a full quarter will go a long way toward making the whole operation successful.

I'm with you no gutting for me.
HD

How do you get the tenderloins out without gutting? I use to clean elk without gutting but I like the tenderloins and heart too much.

I see most of you are not really quartering, but instead seprarating the leg, and loin. That's fine, but it is not quartering.

If you want to truly quarter an animal, the Hindquarter and loin are joined. They contain, the Shank Meat, Top Round, Bottom Round, Knuckle, Top Sirloin, Tri Tip, Flat Ball, New York, & Filet.

The Forequarter in comprised of the Prime Rib, Flank Sk., Chuck, Shoulder Clod, Skirt Steak, Foreshank, Plate, Short Rib, Brisket, & Neck.

Of course both the Fore & Hind quarters can be broken down further into more select cuts.

For me (retired after owning a Meat Packing Co 45 + years), I find it much easier to bone out the animal completely, separate & pack each fully boned quarter into quarter bags, and pack out on horses. Notice I said Horses (plural).

Where I hunt, it's steep, and after rolling a horse once, I now use two Horses.

Richard

Thanks for all the info guys; temps look to be in the high 60s or 70s this weekend for opening day. I'll have to get some coolers and ice together to leave in the truck. We don't expect to be more than five or six miles from the truck, as the crow flies, but as the worm crawls we might be a heck of a long ways out.

Any tips on keeping the meat cool while packing? Other than walking faster?

Hire a couple Egyptian girls to fan them with palm fronds.....

When you take a rest stop, they come in handy for feeding you grapes as you lounge around, too.

They also entertain around the fire at night with belly-dancing......

Yeah, I have done the bone out deal. It all depends on what I'm up against.
I just wonder, what it is like to put one in the truck hole.
Na-ugh I'm usually in the woods hunting Elk not on a roadway.
Take Care
HD

Whats the temp. at night. I like to stay the night when possible let meat cool then get it out next morning early. Before it gets
warm.

So if I explain to my wife that the Egyptian girls are tagging along to help take care of the meat, I should be good?

LMAO I like that one


+++++++ I aint carrying no stinkin bones - they weigh to darn much

I used to see guys all the time with whole elk in their trucks,and was how in the he## did they get that lucky.A few years ago I was up in some canyon when I jumped about 20 head,it was aeither sex area so I shot the first cow I saw.Well the elk went over the ridge and a bunch of shots went off.Well I 1/4 my cow by skinning,splitting it in half and cutting between the 6&7 rib,cuting the back bone(I have done 10 this way and 4 the other way).Well on my last trip out I'm coming down the ridge and I see these 4 orange vest pulling something 20 ft and then walk back 40 ft and pull something else.Well I got my binos up and these 4 guys were dragging 3 whole elk out,no snow,no sled,no horse,I thought to myself if that is what it takes to get one whole,well I will keep my 1/4's.I don't know how long it took them but I do know it was mre than 2 days.

By the way I've been lucky and have shot 2 on the side of the road and one a short drag about 60 yds.So much nicer to do it that way.

BBJ

I've done both, both ways. That is, gutted the elk and gone with the gutless method; and packed bone on my back/not packed bone.

Go gutless, it's faster and easier. The only place you have to be careful is where the hind quarter meets the abdomen, if your knife slips you'll get guts spilling out. To me the biggest advantage is that you can do away with reaming/splitting/worrying about the bladder and getting urine or feces on the meat. And it is faster.

If you want the loins, when you're all done just slit open the belly and let some of the guts spill out to give you room to reach in and grab 'em, you don't have to do it that way but it makes it a little easier IMO.

And the other guys are right, why carry bones? Next time you get a chance, feel how heavy the hip and femur on an elk are.

If you bone the meat in the field, take along a large plastic garbage bag or better yet two to put the meat on and keep it clean. Also a headlamp for working after dark in case you get one in the evening--you can't stop until the work is done.

As far as keeping the meat cool while packing, the only thing that helps is cooling it thoroughly before you start packing. If you kill one in the afternoon or evening and can get it at least quartered and skinned and hung up to cool you'll be fine throughout at least the next day or two provided you keep the meat hung in a cool shady spot during the day. If you get one in the morning and it's hot out, personally I'd dunk the meat in a spring or stream to cool it down quick and then hang it, unless I could get it all out that day.

Another No Gutting Elk guy here. Nothing in there I want to eat so why make a mess and waste time in the guts. I prefer the 'Poachers Pack'. First I remove the hind quarters - just cut around the smallest part, push and cut, find the hip ball, pop it out and cut until the quarter comes off. If you do it right there will be exposed meat about the size of a sheet of paper. Next move to the front and do the same thing. The front quarters come off so easily you'll wonder what holds them on when the critter is alive. Next roll him over (much easier now with legs gone) and repeat. Once the legs are off hang them in a tree or just get them off the ground to cool. Now skin up the back and get the straps, skin the ribs and get those and slip inside behind the last rib and get the t-loins (you could also get the liver and heart here if wanted). Put all that in a garbage bag to keep it clean, then move to the neck and take what you can there - that's it, should take about an hour and if you wear rubber gloves you won't have a drop of blood on you. Depending on the pack ahead I usually leave the bones in and finish skinning and boning at camp leaving clean meat in the cooler. Good Luck.