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.

Quartering means 4 pieces correct. Dicing it up is not quartering.

Another gutless proponent here.

You can get to the loins easily with a little slit up near the spine towards the rear quarters. make slit big enough to get your hand in. A little pulling and they detach from the spine easily without a knife.

I prefer to bone out as well. If you pay a little attention you can see the individual muscle in a rear quarter. I prefer to gently cut the conective tissue between these. when I bone a rear quarter I end up with about 4-5 individuall muscles. These make excellent steaks later. No stringy connective tissue in my steaks.

You can still do boneless quarters,

After you pull the quarter off you find the seem between muscle groups on the closest point to the bone, slide a small knife down and run it along the bones and at the joint just stay as close as possible then down the shins the same way and you still end up with 4 quarters in one boneless piece

Here's the way I do mine... takes about 35 minutes from dead animal to meat off the carcass and ready to pack out all by myself with no help...and I don't have the luxury of horses or killing one right next to a road.

Whereever the animal lays- make the first incision along the backbone from neck to tail. Pull the skin back to expose the higher of the two backstraps. Remove the backstrap and place on a log to cool. Reach in just below the shortribs and the iliac crest of the pelvis along the spine and feel the tenderloin. Separate it bluntly from the vertebra and cut it's origin and insertion removing it whole (if done correctly, you never enter the abdominal cavity, no muss, no fuss.

Next, make an incision in the hide along the inner thigh and peel back the hide off the hindquarter. Detach the ball socket and remove the entire hindquarter (leave evidence of sex attached to one hindquarter). Debone the leg and place it in a packframe.

Next, another incision in the hide on the inside of the front leg. Peel the hide back and then detach the front shoulder. Debone and place in packframe.

Take the neck meat if so desired as well.

Next, roll the animal 180 degrees to the other side and repeat the process. Presto, deboned ready to pack elk with no mess.

I've perfected the process on whitetails. In fact, I can process a whitetail in around 10 minutes from whole animal to deboned and into the cooler.

On elk, we can usually carry it out in three packs... one for each hindquarter and a little shoulder meat and the third for both backstraps, both tenderloins, and the rest of the shoulder meat. No extra weight of bones to carry out.

All this talk about quartering, gutting ect. just reminds me of the importance of keeping your bullets forward of the diaphragm. I've help out on one gut shot elk(not mine) Boy, what a mess.

If you can completely debone an elk on the ground, by yourself, in 35 minutes, you are a far far better man than I. Hell, I can take 10 minutes just to roll one over by myself.

Utah708:

I'm with you, and I owned a Meat Packing Plant for close to 50 years!!

I've boned out just about everything in the plant, including Lamb, Pork, Veal, Chicken, Beef, & fish. I have had professional butchers working for me the entire time, and I can tell you even using Butcher Boy band saws, large boning tables, steels, and several knives it would take a boner just about an hour to do one complete Steer, and do it right.

That is not including the slaughtering, skinning, cleaning the cavity, or head removal.

Also, as far as boning without cleaning the cavity, don�t think so. Not only will you loose the liver & heart, sweetbreads, & marrow guts, it is no faster.

You can figure it will take a bit longer in the field (expecially if you want to keep the animal clean!)

Richard

Took two of us working with knives (both experienced), with two others holding lanterns, game bags, etc. a flat two hours to do a 56" AK-Y moose a few weeks ago, as described - although he had slit the belly first thing, several hours before.

I'd like to see that 35 minutes on an elk, tho I wouldn't put it past one of my Inupiat friends... They can do a caribou in about 20 minutes. I've seen it done. But that's on a nice clean field of snow...

Gutting is a waste of time and leaves you with a big mess to work in. Skinning will get it cool FAR faster than gutting because it exposes 5x more meat to the air much faster.

Take the legs off, remove the backstraps, rib meat, and neck. To get the heart and liver only takes a few cuts with a saw to remove several ribs. Get the tendloins last. Roll the deceased on his belly and CAREFULLY make a cut along the spine from the back of the ribcage to the pelvis. I recommend you don't cut the gut. Slide your hand under the backbone and you can easily work the tenderloins out with out cutting. They're very soft and you can just pull them loose. If you want to, you can make it a little easier to get them by opening the gut at this point to let the stomach roll out a little to relieve the pressure. You don't need to pull the stomach out. Just cutting the gut open will allow it to move enough for the purpose.

Note:
In the worst case scenario, a gutshot, gutless dressing can save your meat. It keeps the stomach juices contained in the abdomen where they can't contaminate the meat before you have it removed. It also prevents the possibility of accidentally cutting the stomach while gutting and contaminating the meat.

First time I got an elk we gutted it, hung it from a tree and skinned it, then took a saw and literally cut it into quarters, goiing right down the middle of the spine. We packed out the quarters, bone in. That was also the last time I was so foolish.

Since then the gutless method has worked well for my buddy and myself and I plan to keep using it.

Basically it works like this:

1. Take the legs off one side, then remove the backstrap, flank and neck meat from that side.
2. Roll the animal over and repeat for other side.
3. Make a belly cut from the pelvis up far enough to let the guts roll out. They don't have to come out all the way, just far enough you can get to the tenderloins.
4. Remove the loins and you're done.

Hang the quarters from a tree if available and skin them down. The faster you get the hide off the faster the meat will cool and the better it will be.

As "superT" says, there isn't enough left to make a decent meal for the coyotes.

Well, each to his own.

You boys who prefer "Gutless" just keep doing it that way.

Those of us who have been in the Meat business for most of their lives will be keep doing it the traditional way, and the way it has been done in packing houses forever.

By the way try this �food for thought�, if boning "gutless" was faster, don't you think those of us who pay our butchers by the hour would be using this method? Or again, if �gutless� was faster, wouldn�t you think hunters who work in the meat packing business would be doing it this way? Don't forget, we work with knives on a daily basis, and again, time is money!!!

Personally, I don't care what way you choose to bone your kill, but when a new hunter reads some of these posts, I can sure see how he could become confused.


Richard

Why would an hourly-paid butcher want to do the job faster???

That is a very easy queston to answer.

When I see a boner who can't keep pace, I'll have a word with him first, let him know he needs to keep up the pace so as to not slow down the line. If I see the same guy dogging it again, I will speak to him a second time. The third time he will be looking for a new job.

Unfortunately we don't pay for piece work in the meat industry, we pay by the hour. The more we produce, cry-o-vac, and sell, the more money the plant makes. The more money the plant makes, the more benifits the employees receive.


Richard

When the elk is down a 1/4 mile from the nearest tree (very common in southern Idaho) and there are no chain hoists to move heavy quarters, it take some different handling. Gutless allows the meat to be removed in manageable pieces in the field.

If my job title was "boner" I would go look for a job on my own!

LOL!!
Now that is some funny stuff, right there.


All economics aside, there are reasons for doing the "gutless" method other than speed. Like RC said, if you had to process your cattle 1 mile back in the bush and then haul it to the road to sell it, you might think differently.

Rock Chuck:

What possible difference would there be weather an animal was gutted or not when it comes to a tree? I've never attempted to string an Elk up when gutting, simply roll the animal so the belly is pointing down hill, open the cavity, ream the anus, and the cavity begins to fall out by itself (be sure to catch the liver, & heart before they hit the dirt). Reach up, and cut the esophagus, split the pelvis, and pull the rest out. Time to clean the cavity, not more than 5 minutes if your slow.

P2:

We have butchers (who slaughter), boners (separate the meat from the carcass), packers (who cryovac & pack the cuts), and scalers (who weigh each of the boxes).

There you go, now you know what a real boner is!!!

Richard

I've gutted my share in the field. I won't do another one. It's ok if you have horses or can get an atv or truck to the corpse, but that's a rare event here. It usually has to be moved on your own back. The corpse has to be reduced to reasonable sized chunks and that means the meat has to come off the carcass. 95% of it can be removed from the outside, leaving the bones on the ground for the coyotes. If you want to pack a full quarter, bone in, that's your business, but I'm not moving a single bone if I can help it.

Rock Chuck:

What part of this earlier post of mine are you having a hard time comprehending?

"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 "

Probably be a fun job, too.

All joking aside, on the gutless method vs. gutting, I don't believe that what one man does on a mountainside 3 miles from the truck is remotely comparable to what a crew does on an automated line with hoists and all the other equipment in a meat packing operation.

Just my $.02.

Correct. But: quartering is what you do when you have horses, or maybe the first time you haul one out on your back. "Dicing it up" is what you do after you've hauled quarters on your back once and learn from your mistake or when you ask for and get good advice on the best way to do it under your own power (see thread title). Which is what the original poster was asking about, i.e., what is the best way to do that.

The Colorado DOW recommends the gutless method. At one time they had an area on their web page that was devoted to providing instructions, along with photos. Might still have, I don�t know.

Country like below you�d have a long walk to a tree, but we�ve taken a number of elk out of there.


Maybe you can do it faster some other way, I cannot. And since I don�t care to pack out the ribs and spine and other inedible parts, gutless works just fine.

Smokepole:

Good logic! "I don't believe that what one man does on a mountainside 3 miles from the truck is remotely comparable to what a crew does on an automated line with hoists and all the other equipment in a meat packing operation."

However, men who use knives for a living will strip a carcass the fastest way possible, at the same time, saving as much meat as is practical.


Coyoty Hunter:

I've killed a lot of Elk in land just like that, both in WY, and CO. And, As I've said previously, I've never used a tree to "string up" an animal before cleaning, and NEVER bother packing any bones out either (as said many times before in this thread).

Richard

PS: Terrain & conditions like the above photo, are absolutely terrific for cleaning an animal. Not only does the snow on the ground keep your cleaning area clean, dirt from above doesn�t fall on the meat, and the flying critters are "few & far" for the most part.




Just my $.02.

I didn't say it's quartering. I'm talking about reducing the carcass to a size that can be packed out in something other than a motorized vehicle. Most guys don't have access to horses and in most of Idaho's elk country, ATV's are either illegal, unusable, or both. That mean's backpacking. A commercial dressing job doesn't cut it for putting the meat on your back. It has to be reduced much further and gutting just takes more needless time.

Rock Chuck:

Read this quote of mine carefully now

"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"

Got it now?

Meatco, good point but what works fastest for men who use knives for a living might not be fastest for men who take apart an elk once a year.

Nice photo by the way, do you make and paint your own arrows?

I can keep much cleaner, less blood on me without gutting. Very important when I am out on a 10 day Moose hunt in Grizzly country. Plus its easier IMHO.

Smokepole:

Yes, I do make my own arrows, but my avatar arrows are wrapped, not painted.

You boys who prefer the "Gutless" method, that's fine by me. That old saying "Each to his own" seems fitting here.

By now, I"m sure everyone here knows how I prefer to clean an animal.

Richard

No, I missed that, can you describe it?

Just kidding Meatco, and thanks for the info., it's always good to see how the pros do it.

I've never said a word about leaving the bone in. You're talking horses. The rest of us are talking backpacks. Huge difference. You did it professionally. Not many of us here are likely to take extended courses in meat cutting just to learn how to handle 1 elk a year. We do what's expedient and gutting isn't expedient. There's a trick to doing it quickly and avoiding a bloody mess and few of us know the trick. That makes it far easier to just not do it at all. You still haven't said what useful purpose it serves for our purpose.

Rock Chuck:

Well, one primary reason, for cleaning the cavity prior to cutting, you speed up the cooling process, & slow down the Bacterial breakdown, thus enhancing the flavor. There is an enormous amount of body heat trapped in the body cavity, more than enough to taint some of the cuts if you�re not quick.. This goes double if the animal is not found PDQ.

And, as I�ve already stated, getting to the inner cuts are far faster & easier with gutting. For one thing the Tender (Fillet Mignon) is attached to the New York, and rides inside the cavity. The Tender is FAR easier to detach whole, when the cavity is cleaned. Of course if you prefer Porter House & T-bone you can leave the fillet attached. Personally, I prefer the taste of Elk New York�s & Fillets (notice, no bones). Obviously, taking the liver is just a slice away with a cleaned cavity, same goes for the heart.

Of course there are other cuts easier to reach once the cavity has been cleaned, but then again, I�ve already mentioned some of them in earlier posts.

�We do what's expedient and gutting isn't expedient� This quote of yours implies a majority of hunters do what you do. That is simply untrue. The majority of hunters will first clean the cavity, then skin, then cut, then bone, in that order.

�You still haven't said what useful purpose it serves for our purpose.� Again, look to cooling as a primary reason.

For you education:
In the Meat industry once the animal has been hung & killed, it is gutted, skinned, & the head and hoofs are removed. Then the carcass is immediately hosed down with cold water to clean, & get the body temp down. It is then halved & bagged (much like a quarter bag, but big enough to fit over the entire half), finally, it is rolled into a quick cooler for cool down. Every carcass will stay in the cooler until the body temp lowers to a max of 41 degree�s. At that point it is rolled out for final processing.) The faster an animal can lose body temp, the better the flavor.

Ok, I�m done. I�ve shared that cleaning the cavity makes for MUCH faster cool down, easier identification of inside cuts, faster removal of Liver & Heart, & makes the animal easier to roll into different positions for boning.


Smoke Pole: What am I gonna do with you? You're killing me!!!

Respects to all of you,

Richard

Forget the packing plant and horses. We're talking field and backpacking. In the plant, it's necessary to immediately cool the carcass because the meat will stay on the bone. But step back and take a look at a skinned carcass. The hind quarters have very little contact with the abdomen. The heat from the gut will have little effect on them. Ditto for the neck. The backstraps are largely insulated from the gut by the spine and ribs. The rib meat is very thin and will allow heat from the gut to escape fairly fast. The shoulders are the major factor on the outside. They're very easily removed by simply lifting and cutting under them. Remove them 1st before the heat can damage them.
The tenderloins can be taken out last. All it takes is a slit up the belly after all else is done to relieve the pressure on the spine. A single cut on each side of the spine behind the ribs allows you to easily get at the meat. The heart is quickly removed by 2 or 3 saw cuts to take out 1 or 2 ribs. A few more ribs lets you get to the liver.
in order: front legs, rib meat & loins, hind legs, tenderloins & organs, neck.
So, you've got all the meat off without heat damage, no time wasted gutting, and no mess to work in. So why bother?

Ok, Rock Chuck you win.

You obviously know more about meat processing than I do.

How about this, you do it your way, and I'll stick mine. Perhaps one of these days we'll meet & see who is really faster at processing an Elk (or Deer, Pig, Sheep, Goat, ect.,ect.).

Richard

Cool! Can we all play? I'm in...

(sharpened the chain on my 046XP this past weekend)

Oh come on. Give me a break. You'd be a damn poor meat cutter if you aren't faster than me. However, the original post was a guy looking for an easy way for a NON-PROFESSIONAL to handle an elk in the field. If he was a pro, he wouldn't be asking the question. Your techniques simply don't apply to non-pros. You said you can gut one in 5 min. I would hope so. However, 99% of us can't. 30 to 45 min is more like it. And while they're mucking around in there figuring out to unhook the plumbing, they could instead be doing something productive - like removing those front shoulders.

I've been dismantling elk & deer for 40 years and I've learned a few things along the way. I normally don't do more than 1 or maybe 2 a year, but I always try to learn something as I go. No-gut is the biggest and best technique I've learned in many years. I 1st tried it on an elk tied to a sagebrush to keep him from falling off the side of a vertical mountain about 10 years ago. It was vastly easier than gutting, believe me.

The guys now using no-gut are definitely a minority, but darn few who try it go back to gutting. The number is growing very fast because it greatly speeds up the job for the average hunter.

I can tell you that if it's one guy and an elk on the steep ground we often kill them on the gutless method is a PIA. I was forced to use it one time because the place my bull died kept me from being able to move him to get the guts out cleanly.

I wrestled and cussed and sweated and cussed some more but I finally got it done. What I like about removing the guts, which honestly only takes 3-5 minutes, is that it allows me to reposition and move the carcass so I can do a cleaner job with the quartering. I also like to have the guts to roll down the hill to attract the bulk of the yellowjacket, of which there are many in the places I hunt during archery season.

The time it costs me to gut the elk is made up in the speed I gain on being able to handle the carcass alone since it weighs a whole lot less gutted.

Some guys are slow with a knife and maybe don't have a lot of practice getting the guts out. Some of have to open up the ribcage and split the pelvis and all that but none of that is necessary. I had to show a couple of long time elk hunters how to get the guts out of a little cow a few years back and was amazed at their lack of skill with a knife or knowledge of elk anatomy. I had to do the same thing with hunting partner of mine and a deer once too. Maybe guys like that save tons of time going gutless but I just don't see the point.

In rough stuff where I can't move it, I skin what ever is on top and work my way down. I don't like skinning from the top because it gets too much hair on the meat, but it's doable. By the time I get the top legs & meat off, the weight is less than gutting. In fact, the job's half done. A few years ago, my partner did a moose this way that was on it's belly between some big rocks. It took him a while, working alone, but he didn't have to move anything until he went for the heart & liver.

To help keep the meat clean I make a tripod out of standing dead saplings. I run a rope over the top of it and use that to suspend the legs, one at a time to allow me to keep a steady pull on the hide and keep hair and dirt off of the meat.

Saplings? You got saplings? Darned hard to make a tripod out of 12" sage.

You don't gut them, correct?



I have started doing my whitetails gutless. I have done it both ways and gutless is cleaner for me.

I am assuming that you saw through the pelvis while removing the hindquarter. If not are you just cutting around the bones? I used a tool that is two pieces of steel made so they connect and have a flexible wire limb saw between. Worked great to just gut a buck. It inserts through the anus then comes apart providing two handles to saw through without busting pee bag. Sure beats Wyoming saw or axe or a knife beating with a rock. One minute sawing max.Comes in red bag for pocket. I am keeping mine.

Neat-sounding tool.

I split the pelvis with a bone saw on my two elk. IMO, unless it's REALLY cold, getting that pelvis opened up is Job #2, right after gutting. And probably even if it is really cold. It's amazing how much heat is retained in all that meat mass. I do know that in approx 0�F nighttime temps, my bud lost a bunch of hindquarter meat on a cow elk he couldn't get to until morning (shot at dusk). That would suck.

The bone saw on my Gerber was brand new, and it was still a pain. Then again so is about everything involved with getting an elk out of the woods and into the freezer.

Lay the animal on it's back, split the brisket to the neck, cut the meat to the pelvic bone, then use sticks or whatever is at hand to hold the animal's body as open as possible, IE, Let the cool air get to it as much as possible.
I have left elk over night like that in nowhere near zero weather, and the meat was fine in the morning when we went back across the river in a canoe to retrieve in the daylight.

Jezzz, saws, cables, saplings....wow.
One knife, gutless, We call it quarters here irregardless what the meat industry or websters calls it. Less blood, less mess. FASTER! 30-45 minutes depending on the lay/terrain when the elk expired and his size. Always a few minutes for photos before quartering. Time is important in archery season here. Usually at least 5 miles from the truck and more than one trip always. Gut it...with all due respect, laffin.

Here is a picture guide. I don't skin as much as this guy and mine is not as pretty....but I'm not posing for a tutorial.
http://home.att.net/~sajackson/guttless1.html

On no less than three occassions I've had the opportunity to kill several cow elk with a group of hunters with the same tags. I've always helped others do it their way on their animals first...

Then I let them help with mine or my wife's by the no-gut and quarter (Dicing and mutiliating I guess, since I'm not a "professional"). No one has ever gutted one again after experiencing both on the same hunt. All three guys thought it was a no brainer and took half the time.

If it's a short pack, and I'm not saving the cape, I've left the hide on quarters (Hind and Shoulder) to protect the meat from dirt.

Only way I'd gut one is to throw it in the back of a truck and take it to camp or home to hang it up... never left a tenderloin or liver in the field unless it had a bullet hole in it. Haven't seen an edible heart from an elk we've shot yet, and honestly quit checking...

Then again, even if I do gut it, I've never split a pelvis either...

FWIW.

I gut them and quarter them with hide on..I use a small axe..We hunt horseback..The hide on keeps the meat clean. cut the legs off of course...It is really a very simple process.

Once we get home we "bone out" all the meat and cut all we can into steak and the rest is for hamburger or Sauage..This is for both deer and elk.

We quarter them by cutting them in half at the last rib, them splitting the two halves into quarters.

I'm with RDMartin53, Last 5 bulls I've killed I've used the no gut method - 4 of the 5 I was by myself. It's quick, clean, and easy. Gut 'em if you like, but the only way I'd gut one is if it died in the road......even then doubtful.

In my younger (and stronger) years, I've packed out a few elk quarters. Now I'm a "bone and pack" guy. I like to position the animal on its belly (without gutting), unzip it from the back and skin it down the sides. (Nice thing about this is all the blood is pooling down into the belly NOT into the backstraps). I then strip out the backstraps, and top sirloins. These go into a cloth bag to dry and cool. Next I work down the rest of the hindquarters, putting chunks of meat into another bag, followed by the shoulder meat. I then cut a slit under each side of the loin to get the tenderloins out (these go into a small bag that goes in with the backstraps).

I then take as little neck meat as I think I can getaway with.

I ususally wind up with 4 bags and a head and cape. That makes five loads for me. I start with the loin bag (and/or head), and then bring out the lessor cuts. I try and place the bags in a cold shady spot befor I start packing anything out.

Also make sure you comply with any proof-of-sex or point restrictions.

If a bear grabs some of your meat and disapears (I had this happen to me once.), make sure you contact the DOW immedately so they can investigate. Otherwise, if they catch you without the right amount of meat (200 or so for a cow, 250-350 for a bull) you could get fined.

That's my way (but I would take the ATV if possible).

BH

Split the back bone with a saw or 2 single bit axes. For classic quarters, leave 2 ribs on the hind quarters. Front and rear sections should be within just a few pounds of one another.

I will bone things out if it's the tail end of our hunt and the meat will be loaded and taken straight home. If the carcass will be hanging in camp for another 8 to 10 days I want to minimize surface exposure and go with the bone in standard quarters.

gutless for me. the first elk was skinned and quartered etc etc. the second skinned, then i asked why bother as i sat and pondered just what was needed. the next one i just started takeing it apart with the skin on. thats the only way. far easier to skin the legs hanging anyway [ if ya got trees to hang em in ] good luck and it is a nice choice to have to make.

My take on skinning quarters is that it is lightning fast when the hide is warm, I want the meat to cool, keeping the meat clean is not an issue as you are not eating the outside membrane anyway and the big weight difference in "backpack" carry is weight. Old pillow cases work great for keeping the quarters clean. I prefer to bone but as I stated earlier that its usually warm during archery season and I want the meat out quick as possible.

Have you considered hiring some Sherpas from Tibet? They work cheap and are well acclimated to mountains and, they can carry a lot of weight!

If I was going to pack an elk out on MY back then I would not quarter it to do so..I would bone it out completely, put the meat in sacks and save myself about three trips in and out. In the steep elk country of Idaho that is a standard practice.....

I just got done doing this yesterday with the bull I shot. I was a little over a mile over a high ridge from the truck. I gutless quartered the animal and hauled out the two front shoulders.One strapped to each side of my day pack. In hand I carried the horns and my rifle, back to the truck. Then returned with a Cabela's Alaskan guide pack frame and made the second trip out. I deboned the hinds and put one of each in a game bag, along with the loins and scrap meat. Each bag weighed 65 to 70 pounds. At first I strapped both to my frame. I put it up on my back and quickly decided that was toooo much. I re-positioned and tied one bag on the frame then bear hugged the other ( my initial thoughts was just to get it to the top of the ridge). But after I got over the ridge and it was all down hill I took a few extra stops and just carried it. I got the whole useable parts of my animal out in two trips by myself ( Today well... I am saying it should have been 3 trips) Gutless quartering, Deboning and putting gamebags is the only way to pack an elk out on your back!

I might have missed it but could someone tell me how to cut the inside of the front legs when you cape it out?

thanks

Shoulder mount? Skin up the inside of both fronts to the chest, Cut rearwards to behind the elbow, and circle the critter. Finish skinning forward.......

Never go anywhere my horse can't go. No seriously it depends on how deep in you go to give you a good answer. If only a mile or two pack as much as you can physicaly and safely and take 2 trips if necesary. Do both you and your buddy have tags if so and you both take one and you are say 5 or more miles in your in trouble. Most elk hunting areas have packers that for a couple of hundred will retrieve your elk for you and that is cheap compared a heart attack or a broken leg just set it up before hand. Also they do drop camps - take you in and pick you up a predetermined time. Just don't get into a situation where you waste game because you didn't have a good plan and spend a month or two conditioning for the task. Good luck.

To you gutless guys;

There is a difference between the BACKSTRAPS and the TENDERLOINS.

If you are gutless does this mean you are leaving the Tenderlions?

Tenderloin = The best part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can still get to the tenderloins doing the gutless method but it's messy. I don't know what anyone else does but I'd never leave the tenderloins behind. In fact they go out with the first load every time.

They are easy to get out gutless, just get them last. Roll the carcass on its side and cut behind the last rib - fillet one out, roll over and repeat for the other side. I never get blood above my wrists - and have rubber gloves on so typically no mess at all.

and I disagree that they are the best part, mine go into burger, but don't get left behind

I haven't ever tasted Elk, but I would say the same thing about the tenderloins from deer..IMHO, I much cuts from the haunch or saddle..