To field dress and reduce elk to moveable pieces?

[tippit]

Bowdoc, Forget shipping "Hoot" to Montana, he is on a FedX truck to Seattle right now...enjoy  :D  Doc

[d. ward]

Thanks Doc that will be great,I will put him to work in about 2 1/2 weeks packing my gear into the bush....ya da man.....bowdoc

[wingnut]

What you need is a couple of 25 year old partners that can read a GPS.  Just mark the spot and go get them.  Hand them the GPS and say . . FETCH!!

Dang I wish it worked that way.  LOL

Jason and I hope to have this problem in 5 weeks.

Mike

[outbackbowhunter]

If your thinking pack frames, a good tip is when loaded up, rest up by backing up to a tree and leaning on it.

Its easier than shucking off the pack and then, after resting having to strap it back on and rise up again with the weight.

A couple of "walking staffs" cut from small saplings, will help shift some of the load from your ankles and knees to your arms and upper body.

It also aids balance in rough country.

In Australia, we dont have Elk, we have Sambar, which are a large deer, not quite as big as Elk.

A common method is to skin along the back bone and remove the fillets and place in a pillow case.

Gut the animal and take out the eye fillets, place in pillow case.

Remove the back legs with your knife, take your time and feel around the hip ball joint, and remove the bottom of the legs at the hock joint.

Leave the skin on to keep the meat clean.

remove the front legs, leaving the skin on and taking off the lower leg at the hock joints.

Each leg is one pack load. You have almost all the best cuts of meat, in neat and manageable loads.

If you take a bull, the only change is to cape him first, which means another two game bags for the front legs.

If you take the animal in the afternoon, there is a fair chance of running out of daylight.

Some game bags and rope, to haul what you cant manage before dark up into a tree out of reach of other animals could also be handy.

[Jack Skinner]

What bowdoc said but I use a small plastic drop cloth for painting. Its lite and rolled up tite and fits in my daypack. Also carry 4 of those Z shaped screw in hangers you get just about anywhere to hang quarters from trees with.

[dan ferguson]

Hey!!!! don,t forget the ivory, as in teeth.

[Dark_Timber_Ghost]

Sounds like every thing has been cover except marking tape.  Take plenty of it, and don't spare it.  We almost lost our elk last time on the mountain as the GPS died and the only thing I had to mark a trail was the tail of my shirt.  We found him, it just took a few extra hours.  I will never leave camp again with out 2 roles.

JW

[Don Stokes]

Good point about the marking tape-just remember to remove it when you're through. I had to leave my first elk on the mountain, and if it hadn't been for the flagging I don't know if we would have found it the next day. Those aspen benches all look the same after a while.

[zilla]

Around here we bone em out if we don't have horses.  Use the hide to keep the meat clean, carry a couple of frame back packs, canvas game  bags [we made some].  Might take two guys two trips.  Or if it is not too hilly make or buy a one wheeled game cart.

If you have two saddle horses you can make one trip.  Open carcass up, cut in half at ribs.  Split front quarters down the center of the back bone with an ax.  DO NOT CUT THE HIDE.  Repeat on hind quarters. Lay quarters over saddle inside out, hair to saddle.  Where the saddle horn pokes the hide cut a slit just big enough for the horn to pass through.  Tie the legs undetneath.

[sticknstring_AK]

Just man up, my gramps is 77 years old and can pack pound for pound as me.

Just kidding, I packed 90% of the meat when I was hunting with my grandpa.

Steve

[Naphtali]

Where I live in western Montana I could hire horses or mules, also. We must hire them, however, before the season. This idea contains both additional expense and inherent risk of paying for what is not used. This is an expense that renders a successful hunt much less fulfilling. Perhaps when ten years have been added to ages.
***
In the past I have always hunted on ranches where a tractor was available to transport gutted carcass to the steer slaughter pen. We would then butcher from a gambrel and put the quarters into a cooler for about two weeks. Then, using professional equipment on the ranch, render the animal into steaks, chops, tenderloin, sausage, etc. Pretty painless and straightforward.
***
Just maneuvering such a large carcass to dress it seems, on the surface, to be a major undertaking. Yet no one mentions what tools or accouterments are needed to do this -- beyond knives and saws. Are mature elk not so large that one man can hold leg out of the way while the other uses the knife? We need not be concerned about turning the carcass, flipping it over, to dress it?

Into what do we put the meat for transport to truck? While I don't think there will be much of a fly problem, what prophylactic do we want to use?

What do we have around the pieces, on the truck bed, or both to keep body fluids from the truck? "Truck" might be pick-up, might be Landcruiser.

[beyondmyken]

1 person can field dress out an elk with one knife, saw is nice to cut skull cap off to carry antlers.  a small length of paracord is handy to hold a leg out of the way if gutting but not needed if doing the gutless method.  Put the meat in game bags and place on branches on truck bed to keep any industrial fluids off meat. game bags will keep bugs off.  if no truck bed, use plastic paint tarp to keep any blood off vehicle interior.

[Longbowz]

There ya go!  Someone finally figured out what the saw I mentioned in the beginning is for. I've never been in on an elk pack were a small light weight packsaw wasn't handy for some task.  After all the boning (which I do too) why then turn around and pack the complete skull?.  

I don't use a tarp, that's what the hides for.  There are many good ideas and personal preferences in this thread.  

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I agree with Orion, If your not in that great a shape, and elk never seem to expire on level ground, rolling one over can be almost as hard as getting him out of whatever patch of s*#t he crashed into when he fell. I know it is kind of heavy but a come-along or pulley system comes in handy. What I do is make a recovery pack with everything I need in it and leave it at camp or trailhead and after the shot I mark everything with ribbon and go get it. This keeps me from starting to track the animal too soon and possibly spooking it into going further than I want it to.

[Springbuck]

The only bone I carry out is the ham, because it makes the meat easy to manage.  I use the method of skinning half on the ground by cutting from tail to nape first and pulling the hide off toward the feet.  Then I cut off the hams and shoulders, saw the lower legs off, and remove backstraps, etc..  The rest you just cut off in chunks and bag in cloth sacks.

  We often pack meat to an accessible area and use a game cart the rest of the way.

[elkbreath]

I agree with the others.  Carry no bones, bone it out.  Take a sharp boning knife and bags to carry it.  Never have to cut any bones or nothin, just take home the meat.  You guys are all over this stuff!

[Brian Krebs]

Everyone has good input on this! Having hauled out elk on my back; in a one wheel cart ( I will not do that again) and on horse; mule; and donkey back- I can only add a couple notes and make a couple statements.

 I think the tarp idea is a good one; but you will have to have it with you; and that makes a pack frame a good idea to have while your hunting. Even with horses at the trailhead; you will want to get the antlers and perhaps cape out first.

 I had never heard of pulling the elk out on a tarp. Sounds good though.

 I take those fold up emergency blankets that are like what they found at Roswell. They are the size of a pack of cigarettes - until you unfold them. They will never be that small again; but are good for laying meat on as you bone out the animal; and your more likely to have a couple in your pockets than a plastic tarp on your back ....especially after a few days hunt. Seems like you never get an elk when your totally prepared for it..but the tarp idea has merit. Both can be used for emergency lean/2s  and that can be a lifesaver.


 I would second the parachute cord idea. When you leave your elk that you cannot carry out; you will need to hang it up to let it cool; and dry. And cord is really handy when your trying to gut the elk out. You will not regret having it with you ( helps with the emergency shelter deal too).

 One thing I have NOT seen mentioned is: WATER. Take water with you; and get a filter pump of somekind.

 You can sweat yourself to death - REALLY !!!

Dehydration makes you weak; and your heart needs all the liquid you can drink when your hauling the elk out- however you do it !!!!

 Remember that some states have laws which are enforced with glee; about leaving behind ANY meat. Idaho is one of them. The tenderloins are inside the elk along the backbone and rib cage; and rib cage meat is meat according to the law; as is neck meat.

 With hay prices the way they are- you might find horses to rent easier than ever. Then again; people are shooting their horses: because they cannot FIND hay to buy- let alone pay the $200 plus a ton to buy it. You will need a pack saddle or a regular saddle with saddle panniers.

 don't overload a horse; take two trips; and bring some 'vics vapo rub' - you smear it in the horses nose BEFORE you get it close to the elk.
 You will need parachute cord or rope to tie the elk on the saddle; and keep checking it to make sure the saddle does not slide over to one side.
 Making even loads on each side is a must.
If you haul out the antlers - cover the head of the elk with your friends shirt. If the pack animal looks back into the eyes of an elk - well you will find out the meaning of the word 'wreck' in packer terminolgy.
 Also put the rack on the saddle with the nose end of the head towards the head of the horse; the rack will go through trees without getting hung up as easy. You can tie a branch across the antlers and let the branch sit on a jacket or something to pad it; so it won't wear a hole in the pack animal ( see wreck above).
  I would get a halter with brass tabs- that fits behind the ears of the pack animal. That kind will tighten up and help you pull the pack animal; but don't use it as your only halter; as they fall off easy- and also have the tack dealer explain how they work. They can be like a rubics cube to figure out how to put on the horse. But they are worth it to have- especially with a horse that you are not familiar with.
  Check all the leather on a saddle; and even go to a local saddle shop; and have them show you how to do simple repairs and explain how pack saddles; and saddles- sit on an animal.
And how to adjust the straps..
  When you tie a load on; be prepared with the right knots to take it off - or have a sharp knife and courage. When a horse or mule or donkey or llama panicks - like when a load shifts... see reference to wreck above.
 If a pack animal starts to get away from you - and there are ankle sized trees around; then walk around the tree with the rope- and use some Kentucky leverage on it. OR LET GO OF THE LEAD ROPE. Better to stay alive.
  I am trying to say - if your not familiar with horses or other pack animals - you can get hurt.

 I like the pack frame and take breaks- by leaning against a tree system.. better than any other than the pack animals I am used to...

 Think your health first!!!