Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game quartering an elk without gutting

I was trying to explain to my brother -in-law last night how to skin and quarter an elk without gutting it first. However, I think he would do better with pictures. Does anybody know of a link with pictures that will detail the process of skinning, quartering and boning an elk all while leaving the guts inside. I have used this method myself and it is very slick and not too messy but I need help describing it.

Thanks in advance.

Jason

http://members.tripod.com/~elkhunter2/nogut.html



Try this for a written description.



http://home.att.net/~sajackson/guttless1.html

This one should be pictures of the process.

It's alot easier than shown on those wteo sites,if when doing the front, after skinning the side, you just start at the brisket and fillet down along the ribs, up to the spine, and then run a knife dwon along the spine. Everything comes off in one piece instead of having 6 pieces , you have 4.

When doing the hind quarters. Start at thepoint you cut the front away and filet out the loins, thendown along to the hip socket. Remember the pelvis bone flares out before you get to the hip socket. . To getet the tenderloins out, push the paunch in and run a rounded blade knife, so you don't puncture the paunch, up uder the back bone to free the fillet. reach in and it usually pulls out easily, with maybe only one cut.

Jasong..Partsman has given you two pretty good options.
IF you are not familiar with elk anatomy, here's some help:

http://www.bowhunting.net/NAspecies/elk2.html

This is a pretty god pictorial and description.
Note this one is done in cold weather so you have more time..They had a ten mile pack..so PLAN what and how you will manage the downed elk BEFORE your drop it..jim

http://www.ski-epic.com/hunting2003/field_dress_elk/

Whether you want to gutless quarter, git and quarter in the traditional fasjion, or gutless bone your elk depends on a few factors.
Temperature is probably the first consideration.It's important to cool the meat down
How much help you have and the pack out distance (pack animals & buddies with meat backs?? or NOT) may sway the decision toward a gutless bone and pack out or a more leisurely approach.

I have butchered and packed over 20 bulls over 30 years and it's never easy.
Here's a RMEF PDF that can help also..
I like to tan the hides and save the skullcap-antlers, but never have indulged in taxidermy.I skin up from the legs to the spine on one side and work the carcase from that side first..gutless.
Then roll the elk over and skin up to the spine and do the other side.
Last operation is removing the hide from the back-top and the skullcap w/antlers and that's after the meat has been removed and bagged ready for the pack out..

http://www.sdgfp.info/Publications/MeatCare.pdf

Here is another link.
http://home.att.net/~sajackson/guttless1.html
tom

Thanks for the links. This is exactly what I was looking for. The pictures make it much easier to understand.

Thanks,

Jason

With the link of the ski-epic .com, I can't figure out the 4-6 hour time elapse. I"m an old fart and not very big, but I can do it in about 45 minutes by myself. If completely deboning , it might take maybe another 45 minutes.

Saddlesore, The article mentions that :

"Bruce is a madman. Also notice we started this whole process by building a fire. This is absolutely necessary to keep warm during this 4-6 hour butchering job. The guys doing the skinning take frequent breaks to warm their hands by the fire. .."

Maybe the cold temps..?maybe making notes to accompany their pictorial? drinking coffee? taking pictures?:)

I'm with you..I can bone out a big elk, have the hide rolled up and salted, antlers and skull cap ready to pack, ivories removed from the jaws,liver and heart bagged and smoke a cigar in about two hours..:)..so long as the weather is not sub zero..I don't take but a few pics with a disposable camera usually..jim

That's a nice advantage to leaving the guts in while doing the cutting - no fire needed, just reach into the pile to warm the pinkies occasionally. That assumes, of course, that the guts are intact. If they haven't been exposed yet there are the skinned surfaces. I have skinned a lot of animals when it was cold enough that the metal blade would stick to bare skin but I have never seen a situation where I couldn't warm my hands using the freshly killed carcass to do so.

Klikitarik, If I am interpreting the article I think the bull was shot the night before, so there may have been no body heat to deal with at all..but you are right about warming hands..
Down here in parts of the lower 48, we more often have problems with the weather being too warm(particularly for the archery hunts)Note it took them three hours to hike in that morning to begin on the elk processing..jim

"It took 3 hours to hike in (we started hiking in at 6:15am) and we reached the elk at 9:15am"

Thanks for the great info. How much does a typical elk quarter weigh?
Thanks!

TomO,
Much depends on the elk species, male or female and size of the elk .Mature RM bull or Roosevelt elk can weigh up to 1000#s live weight..Most are smaller..

A hind quarter with bone still in (less shank and hoof and hide) from a 750# bull will weigh about 75-90#s or so..A serious pack even if you are in good shape with a good pack board IF you have more than a few hundred yards to go in rough country..Higher elevation can compound the effort unless you are in shape and well acclimatized..

Front quarters are lighter, but still a load...particularly IF you are solo and try to hoist the loaded frame up..:)
That's why many who hunt walk in areas far from roads or ATV access and don't have a guide with pack critters will do a gutless bone & pack on an elk..

The fun of elk hunting really begins when you get one down in the backcountry, but hunting elk in the remote areas is a whole lot more enjoyable for some hunters..:)jim

Another newbie question. I will be hunting with Jasonq's brother-in-law and we need to know how long can an elk quarter be kept in the field. Obviously we will get it to a cooler as soon as possible and keep the meat shaded etc... How long can elk quarters in the shade last in the mountains in early Oct in typical weather?

TomO,IF the meat cannot be cooled down(thru and thru) to about 45-50 degrees or less, it will begin to spoil.

The larger the chunk of meat, the slower it will lose body heat after death and cool down to the outside ambient.
Hung in the shade( in a real canvas game bag) where cooler air can circulate helps on warmer days but you only have so much time...

IF you put meat in large 'C-130' type coolers, make sure the meat is cooled down first as the cooler will keep it warm or cold longer ( how do they do that..:)?
Also IF you pack meat in coolers with ice, make sure you leave the drain open so water doesn't sit on the meat.

Here's a decent article concerning the elks skeletal structure as well as a 'meat map' and some other tips that may help you.

IF they still have real butchers where you live,( not meat packagers and trimmers) stop in and talk to one about the time and temperature for hanging meat to cure as well as risks to spoilage.

If you knock down an elk, it really pays to be prepared with the right tools, physical conditioning and knowlege to handle the meat properly.Elk meat is some of the best there is..but many hunters have no concept of the process for gettin it from the forest to the table properly..jim

http://www.wild-about-hunting.com/features/features_003_meatmap.htm

and another worthwhile article to print and save tor read and refer to....jim

http://www.wild-about-hunting.com/features/features_004_maximize.htm