Tips for an elk hunt
11-24-2002, 02:12 AM
#21
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Posts: 1,964
RE: Tips for an elk hunt
Looks like there's more than one way to skin a cat, er I mean an elk!
If you are packing out from "way back" in the woods and using a minimalist camp then perhaps leaving the meat in quarters with ribs attached is attractive - not to many messy loose pieces to contend with in addition to the rest of the camp to pack out.
On the other hand, some debone in the field for any number of reasons, say: bones = poor flavor, better cooling rate, or reducing weight for packing out. Part of the trade off is it is going to messier, course for a hard core elk hunter a little blood never hurt anyone and gutting them out isn't known for leaving hunters clothes and hands (and face) clean! Nylon/Condura panniers don't rot and they wash right out when its all over with a little "Wisk Treatment."
Most folks that debone their own meat probably also process it themselves rather than relying on a "in town" processor: going through 300 elk carcasses a day, wacking the bones with a power meat saw strewing marrow thru the meat, not worrying zip about silver skin or hair, and god only knows whose burger you're getting back (CWD yum yum).
Now last I checked, not counting the organs, the only meat in the "chest/gut compartment" that most folks are interested in is the little tenderloins in the back which the "no gutting" method retrieved. Rib and neck meat can be carved right off, bagged and thrown in the pannier with the rest, especially if its say a couple inches thick - great strip jerky meat or burger meat. Can't imagine there would be much left but a hide, pile of bones (including 4 cute little leg/hip and leg shoulder bones) and the guts!
Hopefully this dog isn't too old or set in his ways to learn and perfect a new trick. Since we already debone in the field and process meat in camp, I definitely will be trying this on my next elk down. No hacking the sternum, pelvis, neck, or backbone; almost sounds like a safety improvement.
One downside will be it does require a little math proficiency. If you haul out whole quarters, then balancing the panniers is practically automatic as long as you put a hind quarter on each side or a front quarter on each side (from the same animal). When you have all the parts deboned and hanging/laying out in various game bags it does require using a small scale or doing some careful lifting to get the load even - not rocket science though.
Advantage being that by deboning, not only is the meat better (in my humble opinion), but by using a draft horse we can get it out in one trip per elk (except maybe a monster bull - not common) which gets it all cooling down in our in camp freezer a lot faster since we aren't making another trip back in for the other half - important in early season. Don't own a whole string of horses!
Anyone with thoughts about this method of field dressing, or deboning, or processing in camp just jump right in.
EKM
Good judgement comes from bad experience! Half of elk hunting is knowing what NOT to do!
If you are packing out from "way back" in the woods and using a minimalist camp then perhaps leaving the meat in quarters with ribs attached is attractive - not to many messy loose pieces to contend with in addition to the rest of the camp to pack out.
On the other hand, some debone in the field for any number of reasons, say: bones = poor flavor, better cooling rate, or reducing weight for packing out. Part of the trade off is it is going to messier, course for a hard core elk hunter a little blood never hurt anyone and gutting them out isn't known for leaving hunters clothes and hands (and face) clean! Nylon/Condura panniers don't rot and they wash right out when its all over with a little "Wisk Treatment."
Most folks that debone their own meat probably also process it themselves rather than relying on a "in town" processor: going through 300 elk carcasses a day, wacking the bones with a power meat saw strewing marrow thru the meat, not worrying zip about silver skin or hair, and god only knows whose burger you're getting back (CWD yum yum).
Now last I checked, not counting the organs, the only meat in the "chest/gut compartment" that most folks are interested in is the little tenderloins in the back which the "no gutting" method retrieved. Rib and neck meat can be carved right off, bagged and thrown in the pannier with the rest, especially if its say a couple inches thick - great strip jerky meat or burger meat. Can't imagine there would be much left but a hide, pile of bones (including 4 cute little leg/hip and leg shoulder bones) and the guts!
Hopefully this dog isn't too old or set in his ways to learn and perfect a new trick. Since we already debone in the field and process meat in camp, I definitely will be trying this on my next elk down. No hacking the sternum, pelvis, neck, or backbone; almost sounds like a safety improvement.
One downside will be it does require a little math proficiency. If you haul out whole quarters, then balancing the panniers is practically automatic as long as you put a hind quarter on each side or a front quarter on each side (from the same animal). When you have all the parts deboned and hanging/laying out in various game bags it does require using a small scale or doing some careful lifting to get the load even - not rocket science though.
Advantage being that by deboning, not only is the meat better (in my humble opinion), but by using a draft horse we can get it out in one trip per elk (except maybe a monster bull - not common) which gets it all cooling down in our in camp freezer a lot faster since we aren't making another trip back in for the other half - important in early season. Don't own a whole string of horses!
Anyone with thoughts about this method of field dressing, or deboning, or processing in camp just jump right in.
EKM
Good judgement comes from bad experience! Half of elk hunting is knowing what NOT to do!
11-24-2002, 09:15 PM
#22
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 22
RE: Tips for an elk hunt
Good to see another meat hunter like myself pay'n some attention to the end result of a good hunt, the meat. Seems like too many just pack it out and drag it to the packing house to satisfy the law. When comes time to eat it, kinda like Christmas, open it up and see what you got. If it don't eat right then they musta gave me someone elses meat! Two years later it all goes out in the mornin' trash 'cept for what was gave away, whata waste! You don't want to know what really goes on behind the slaugher house door! Better to handle your own meat, big savings too. Debone in the field, better for the meat 'n lighter to carry. Cut and wrap your own if you want high quality elk meat. Handlin' the meat yourself shows respect to the life you just took. Checked out the "field dressing without gutting" link a few posts back, kinda like how the meat comes off the critter quicker an' is coolin' while you'd still be hacken bone and pullen guts the old way.
11-25-2002, 10:20 AM
#23
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky (by God!) Mountings
Posts: 572
RE: Tips for an elk hunt
Hackin' bone an' pullin' guts? What on earth are you usin' to quarter with? Proper quarterin' in whole pieces is quick ifn done right. You need a sharp hunting axe and a saw, plus a heavy blade knife thet will hold an edge. I've done both methods, an' there ain't a whole lot of time to save with "new" method the ifn you go after all the meat. Remember, you gotta git the backstraps out an' the tenderloins too. Choppin' down the spine is easy with the right tool. I don't like leavin' meat to the coyotes. An' gobs of loose meat will spoil quicker cause its exposed to air. The only fellers what got an' excuse fer butcherin' in the field are the ones packin' it out on their backs. They're crazy anyhoo.
BJ
BJ
11-25-2002, 07:22 PM
#24
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 22
RE: Tips for an elk hunt
Schrade dressin' knife w'hook, 4 inch Buck folder, Gerber hand saw, diamond sharpener. Two 'n half pounds weight. Carry camp and elk on my back stay out twothree days atta shot. Don't use hayburners to carry my equipment nor my meat! Ain't no lumberjack don't carry an ax - weight's important. Dont carry bones or hide 'cept what's on the head. Studied cabela's hard overnite didn't find nuthin to keep from haven to hack (chop) bone 'n pull guts. Lifes hard enuff as is, improvements is welcome! I debone fer less load 'n will try somethin new if it might help. Will report either way right or wrong. More folks huntin' on ther feet than with broncs last I look'd.
11-26-2002, 08:01 AM
#25
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky (by God!) Mountings
Posts: 572
RE: Tips for an elk hunt
I seed them fellers packin' out meat on the trail goin' out from my unit. Usually got 1/4 an' elk atwixt two people. A solo feller is lookin' at 8 trips in on the worst trails this side of creation. Nut cases ifn you ask me. I gotta think thet the blisters keep a lot of 'em from returnin' fer the rest of their meat. A Grans For huntin' axe comes with an' 18" handle. It'll cut straight down a spine in 'bout 30 seconds per half. Be sure to peal the loins back away from the spine a lil and stand the half on end nuthin' to it. Hayburners are worth ever penny when it comes to elk huntin'. Ifn I didn't own 'em, I'd rent. When I leave the mountings, I got my whole elk, the cape, and my camp with me. The ride out ain't even a picknic. But when I git to the trailhead and its 75 degrees, I can head to town to drop my meat at the packer and on to the bar fer a well deserved cold one. Them hippie backpackers gotta head back up the canyon switches after another bloody load. Even 4 trips is 120 miles of walkin' jus' to git an' elk out! Nut cases fer sure.
BJ
Edited by - BeaverJack on 11/26/2002 09:04:15
BJ
Edited by - BeaverJack on 11/26/2002 09:04:15
11-26-2002, 04:16 PM
#26
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 22
RE: Tips for an elk hunt
Not tuff enuff is pink ars'd. Tuff but diffrn't is crazy. Hmmm. Don't hunt solo, huntin alone would be loco. Partn'r and I back pack in but not far nuff to put on no 120 miles. First one gets an elk we're done, nuff for both of us fer a year. Average cow deboned, no rug, takes two trips for two of us - more than that means we hire a packer. Not crazy, not pink ars'd.
11-26-2002, 09:34 PM
#28
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 22
RE: Tips for an elk hunt
Sur nuff true. Jacksons got some bad ars'd mount'ns. Gots to alter yer huntin' approach to the situation 'n the locale. Course there is a world outsida yer Jackson unit. Last heard elk is wide range'n critters, dont always live just in straite up straite down country whar goats is 'fraid to go. Some live in less rugged country 'n closer than 15 miles from the road. Thet's whar we hunt, 'n our approach just fine. Gots to be careful to know the details 'bout others huntin's situation 'for passen judgment. No pink ars, no rocks, no crazies, fer sure no hippie backpackers - jus' diffrn't locale 'n situation. Same elk.
11-27-2002, 08:22 AM
#29
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky (by God!) Mountings
Posts: 572
RE: Tips for an elk hunt
I don't nowhar near Jackson, but at least you learnt to write good. Flatland elk huntin'? Outta be a law agin it AND huntin' critters bigger 'an a coyote 'thout hosses. Least west of the Mississippi anyhoo.
BJ
BJ