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.?

I shot a nice bull this year and i grabbed the front quarter, foot still attached, and moved it to some snow. It was dang heavy, but doable for most guys (I am 185#s). We took off the leg at the knee and it easily fit in one game bag. I think if you wanted a little bigger load, you could put a backstrap each in with each of the front quarters. However, I dont think I would wanna trek that too far uphill. Deboned would be much, much better if you had much of a walk. I think deboned quarters (4 bags) and one more for the backstraps is fairly doable for most guys for most hauls. Most of it depends on the hauler's ability.

Everytime we killed elk back in the back country we only loaded half an elk to one horse. So two horses to pack out one elk. Ive got a buddy who has hunted with a guy that pack 4 elk quarters out himself at one time. He must have been one tough SOB and from what my buddy said, he had a long haul a head of him. not just a couple hundred yards to the truck. When my buddy was with this guy, he tied two quarters together with about a 5 foot piece of rope and the rope around his waist. he grabbed the two other quarters one in each hand and started walking dragging the tied quarters behind him. tougher than me!

I killed a spike this year. It was about 1.8 miles back to the truck, and it was literally all uphill (no exaggeration). I had both backstraps, the whole head, my rifle, and my gear. It was all I could do to make it back to the truck. We stopped about every 100 yards the whole way back. I am 24 and 190 pounds in fairly good shape.

Long story short, I think one quarter + gear is one load.

Where I usually end up killing things the very last thing I want is a blown disc, a torn ACL or a broken ankle, so I don't pack my loads to the absolute max.
I am 6'2 240lbs and am in good shape for a 50 year old.

I find each of these to be a "load"

Backstraps, tenderloins neck & rib meat.=1

Shoulder, brisket, chuck meat.=2

Hind leg w/bone in.=2

Rack, cape, rifle or bow & optics.=1

That's six reasonable loads.
Loads that will allow you to cross deadfall, and negotiate the rugged, steep country that many trophy bulls call home.
Not maximums, but a load that will lessen the chance of a backcountry injury which can be devastating and possibly life threatening.

Using the gutless method on a medium bull. Hind quarter with upper leg bones no pelvis or spine about 65# ea. Front shoulder no lower leg about 30# ea. Complete long length of backstraps, tenderloins, neck, brisket and all the assorted bits of boned off meat about 65#. This is for an average elk. Big bulls are ALOT heavier, small cows less. I can usually get out the first load of backstraps and boned meat with me my first trip out with my gear. Then 2 loads with hind quarters and the final load of 2 front shoulders.

We've done quite a few on our backs the past few years. I think our method is very similar to Salmonella's.

Rule of thumb is for a calf 2-3 carries, a cow 5 carries, a bull or a herd cow 7 carries.

Hindquarters are maybe 55-90 lbs. You need a good big pack or a canvas military duffel with shoulderstraps. We take these first because we are concerned with heat and predators.

We take both forequarters together on one load. After those are removed you can saw the ribcage into 4 pieces that will stack together really nicely to make 1 heavy load. (These rib strips are also killer in a crock pot w/ bbq sauce if you cut them so they will fit). Be careful to saw clear of the loin on both sides of the backbone. This leaves your spine with your best meat (loin) on the back attached to some of your neck (usually a later carry load that becomes grind) and still attached to sternum in a rather unmanagable chunk. From here you have to evaluate how you are transporting it and do your best to cut it to fit the pack you are using.

This year, I opted to leave the hind leg bones in, but everything else got packed. I wouldn't have done that on a bigger bull. It was a 2 1/2 year old bull and only about 240 pounds of meat. First trip was 110 lbs (weighed) with meat, gear and rifle. Next two trips were about 90 each (estimated) with minimal gear. Antlers didn't amount to much on this bull, except when I still managed to wedge myself between a couple trees -- my buddy thought that was funnier than hell .

Last year was a much bigger bull and it took 4 heavy trips, but that was for over 300 lbs of meat (no bone!) and cape and antlers.

It's always a struggle to decide on an extra trip and keep them easier, but I pretty much always end up opting for heavier loads and fewer trips.

BTW, I carry a couple game bags (use heavy laundry bags that I get from Walmart) AND a queen size flat sheet with me at all times -- and a knife sharpener, amongst other things. The sheet is for throwing boned meat onto and helps a bunch to keep things clean. It can also work as an extra game bag in a pinch.

Plan for success!

I also do the gutless like redtop. This year's cow:

Average elk - 3 carries. First load all loose meat with my gear. Come back light and carry a front and hind quarter. Same for third trip. A bigger animal would might mean 4 trips.

This year I got lucky and had some help because the pack was close and down hill.

Mt Rushmore around here somewhere...grin

Dober

When you guys are doing multiple trips to pack it out, and boning out the meat, where do you put the tag?

How does it fit in with keeping evidence of sex on the animal?

First rule, don't shoot elk where you can't get to them with a truck.

Second rule, if you can't get to them by truck, you had better leave evidence of sex naturally attached to the meat, or it won't matter how much it weighs when the Game Warden finds you.

If a warden smokes a dude for not having evidence of sex not connected to all parts after a hunter makes a 100% honest effort in backpacking a bull off the mountain and every single anotomical body part is there he is being a complete prick.

this is how i prefer to do it....


3 bulls killed the same morning and drove the pickup right up to them and loaded them up

Welcome to Montana, there is no allowance for nice guys...rules are rules and they are strictly enforced. The evidence of sex doesn't have to be on every piece of meat, just naturally attached to the meat somewhere.

2 guys can pack a boned out cow in one trip......and it is miserable.

So if you have the rack of a bull lashed to your pack and not the nuts attached to your hams you are at risk?

You are not at risk, you are fined!

For me, it's 5 trips.

I start by gutting and skinning so the meat starts to cool. If I have a pocket saw with me, I also trim the legs. Otherwise I fetch the saw when I get back to the truck with the first load. Here's how it goes:

1. First trip, I take the head and all my gear. I fetch my pack and bags.
2. Rear quarter
3. Rear quarter (w/proof of sex)
4. Both front shoulders plus brisket
5. Backstraps, neck meat, rib meat, and all other loose meat

I do keep the nuts on just for those "Johnny Do Gooder boy scout rejects" but find that fuggin ridicules.
What? I shot a cow next to the trailhead and did a switch?

LOL.
Well not really.

Here is another ticket in Montana...Meat first, head last.

No such rule here in Washington, but...if you take out the head and "forget" to go back for the meat, you get nailed.

Where'd you see that?

Here in Wyoming proof of sex is required when you are hunting an area that isn't open to either sex. You only need a nut or a nipple on one quarter. A rack doesn't count unless attached to a whole animal. As to where to put your permit. I was told by a warden that when in transit having it your pocket is fine. One time I had both halves of my liscence with me and he told I should have left half with the meat already in the field. Only to protect your carcase from theft. If someone finds an untagged carcase in the woods and claims it. You have no legal right to it. So now I always carry the punched tag with me while packing and leave the other part of the tag visibly attached to the meat thats left hanging.

It's important to note that your loads can vary hugely depending on the animal and the shot. This season we shot 4 mature cows, and seeing them next to each other I cannot stress enough how different the size is from one to the next. Also, by the time the bullet was done, we only packed out 12 quarters. 4 fronts were hit to the point where I just boned them out in the field--it wouldn't make sense to pack out with the damage. Also, you will lose meat on the ribs/brisket depending on the shot (we had alot of bloodshot this year due to close shooting I think).

Rear quarters with the skin on weigh around 50-80, fronts 30-50. The meat from the frame (backstraps, rib meat, etc) will weigh around what a rear quarter weighs. A good bull head will weigh about 50-60. These numbers could probably go up, the high end is from a 300" bull, the low from a typical cow.

I usually hunt uphill, so the pack out is down. My wife and I can pack out a normal cow in one trip. Bulls take 2. One of my tricks is to keep about half or more of the hide from the ribs with the rear quarter, then lace that hide across the rear quarter tightly with paracord and drag. You can keep the quarter quite clean this way, and after aging you won't lose any additional meat. Open the hide back up and discard the extra as soon as you are to the truck, otherwise you will trap in moisture and allow rotting. Personally, I can handle up to about 90lbs, and I weigh 185. This season I carried a bit more (94lbs) on one trip out, and it was pretty hard. I won't put more than about 40lbs on my wife (she's 125lbs), but will load my friends until they cry.

Packed out boned meat, cape, and antlers from a mature AZ bull in one trip with three guys total. It was an easy pack but probably 1 1/2 miles. I'd not do it again, due to the possibility and likeliness of injury (short term or long term).

A bone-in hind leg is plently... as well as a bone in front with the strap, loin, and neck meat from a side. If it's a tit tag in AZ, just take ivories and scalp with ears attached... just has to be antlerless, so a bull calf is technically legal.

We've gotten spikes, boned, out in one trip split between two guys. Smaller 6pts, boned, out in one trip on one mule. Smaller 5 point out in three packs, first by one guy with backstraps/neck/rib meat, two others hauled out a front and hindquarter each with bone in. For me, I'd rather take a heavier pack fewer times. But then again, I'm fat...

Took both hind quarters out on a trip of a big 7x7 I shot one time. Did not de-bone it. I could go about 15 yards and have to stop. Luckily, it was a downhill pack. Would not do this, or suggest this again. I'm a big fella, 6'6", 210lbs, and in pretty good shape. It was our last pack, after shooting two bulls together, and I didn't want to go back up again. VERY heavy.......

In the ALASKA regulations, I thought it was true in Montana, but couldn't find it anywhere in the regulations. I called the district 3 FWP headquarters and talked to Marguerite, she said you don't have to take the meat out first in Montana, OOOps...

[/quote]
So if you have the rack of a bull lashed to your pack and not the nuts attached to your hams you are at risk? [/quote]

We aways leave the skinned out nuts naturally attached to one hind quarter. Every year I read about several cases where people get busted for not leaving evidence. I've also heard of people using a fresh set of spike antlers when trying to sneak out an illegal cow elk. The tag goes on the hock when we hit the main road. Until then the tag is punched and safely tucked away in a pocket where it can't be lost. Once at the road, the tag is put on the same quarter as the balls.

4 full packs for getting an elk out and we always have packs/bags, etc. with us so the first trip out isn't wasted. Never used more and never used less, but some loads were a helluva lot heavier or lighter than others.

We take off the tenderloins, backstraps, and neck meat; this all goes into one bag. Rear and front quarters are taken off, then ribs are sawn off next to the spine. 1 front quarter fits into one set of ribs and into a bag. Rear quarters go into a bag by themselves. Smallest elk weighed 50 lbs front/ribs and 56 rear. Largest weighed 100 lbs front/ribs and 130 rears; that was a fun day, 2 miles one way in 85 degree weather... Average is about 80 for front/ribs and 90 for rears.

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

I've weighed a lot of quarters and boned out meat. A big cow will go 85-90 on the quarters pretty easy. A good size rag horn a bit more and a mature bull quite a bit more. 100-110 isn't uncommon. Depending where you make the split and what you leave as far as ribs, the fronts usually go a little heavier than the hind.

Boning makes more sense to me. We packed out three elk in four days last year. Two guys, one trip per elk.

The heaviest was a 5 pt bull I shot. My pack weighed 125 lbs and Levi's 135 lbs. Three+ miles and 3000' of vertical.

Here is Levi with a big load of boned meat:

If you limit your hunting to where you can get a truck, you are passing up one hell of a lot of elk country.

Out of the 25+ elk I have shot, I can count on one hand the numer that came out whole, and those were more work than boning would have been.

Less you got access to some sweet private ground. Which most of don't. Schrapnel does, though, I'm guessing . . . .

Each state has it's own rules. Idaho says to put the tag on the largest section. I've never heard of a citation for having it on a smaller chunk, though. Evidence of sex is left on either hind quarter and I've never been questioned about not having the tag on that piece. Usually, I put it on the antlers although in brush, it can be easily lost that way so I play it by ear.

Last year we weighed the meat. Totally boned out. 2-3 year old bulls and average cows. The cow meat weighed 99# and we did it in 2 bags. The bulls totalled 140-150# and one was in 3 bags and one in 4. This year, no scale and we did all 4 animals in 3 bags each. The cow bags weighed in the low to mid 40# range and bulls upper 40 to about 50#. Both cows this year were exceptionally large compared the cows we killed in the past. As big as our 2-3 year old bulls. We had minimal carrying to do this year, but I did have each bag of meat on my back at one point for my two animals. We also shot antelope bucks that yeilded about 25-30# of meat each and after all the butchering was done, we each had 200 a 150 qt and 50 qt cooler full of meat for the freezer. I know my brother pays to hunt and shoots 6-8 year old bulls and he gets about 120-130 qts off one bull instead of bull and cow and antelope.