Really good advice from experienced folks.
It is really important to skin them out quickly to allow the meat to cool. Remember, that hide and hair insulates these animals during some pretty cold weather.
Other than that, I'd suggest you make sure there is air circulation around the bags of meat. Meaning don't lay them flat on the ground, hang them from a tree or if no trees prop them up somehow off the ground on rocks or limbs.
Several of us took elk the same day a few years ago. It was getting into the upper 80s during the day. We hung the bags in the shade to keep them cool during the day. Packed the quarters out by horseback to the parked trucks. All elk came out the same day and headed home to the same city 5 hours away. My elk was great and I lost NO meat. All of the other guys lost meat!
The difference was I stopped in Jackson and picked up 2 pallets and put the bags of elk quarters on top of the pallets to allow air circulation while I was driving home. They left their elk quarters laying on the bed of the pickup.
