Elk Hunting
07-12-2012, 09:31 PM
#21
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 612
Don't underestimate the need to get an animal that size broken down. A friend shot a raghorn bull one evening. It started raining. He field dressed it and we went up with packs in the morning. It had started to snow during the night and there was a couple of inches on the bull when we got there. When we started breaking it down, the meat was still hot to the touch in at the hip sockets. They retain a lot of heat due to both the insulation of the hide and the mass. Snow makes for great refrigeration. If there is pink snow or pink in the snow avoid it. It is caused by an algae that can be toxic, though is more common later in the winter. Some may survive to the next fall. Other colors can also indicate different algaes.
07-13-2012, 10:57 AM
#22
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 380
07-13-2012, 01:17 PM
#25
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
Wyomingtrapper made a very good point in that elk are so big that you are really taking a chance of spoilage on the inner, thicker areas of the carcass if you don't get it opened up so that body heat can be expelled. This is the case even when there is snow on the ground and I've heard of many people say they had spoilage because they thought the weather was cold enough and they didn't break the animal down until the next day. I prefer to lay the meat on a tarp or on clean snow as I debone the carcass until I know it has had time to cool. Burying it in snow before the inner heat is lost on large pieces can insulate it and possibly allow the meat to sour. No matter what the temperature might be, I strongly encourage anyone to debone the carcass ASAP!
07-13-2012, 01:28 PM
#26
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Wakeman Ohio
Posts: 25
Good point, If i am fortunate enough to get one that is what I will do. I just perfer to have water nearby to keep the knife and my hands clean of dirt and hair as I debone. Of course a few hairs arent near as bad as spoilage so I will take you guys up on your advice. The animal will be gutted, skinned and deboned ASAP. Thanks guys.
07-13-2012, 01:42 PM
#27
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
I've used the gutless method for over 20 years, and never lost any meat. I was glad to give up that mess from gutting, and gutless is much faster and cleaner.
I will say that I don't hunt the afternoon. I want my kill in the morning, so I have all day to get the meat out. I hunt alone, and I don't want to be doing it in the dark.
Boneless has it's advantages and disadvantages. One negative it you're exposing more meat to the air. I find it harder to carry too, because it clumps together at the bottom of the backpack.
If you're going boneless. You don't need water. Use a tarp to put the meat on, and once you skin it. There should be hair involved. You get all of one side done, and then turn it over and skin that side and bone it. Dirt shouldn't be a problem either. Hair is worse than dirt as far as keeping the meat tasting good.
As is always said. The real work begins after you make the kill.
Good luck.
I will say that I don't hunt the afternoon. I want my kill in the morning, so I have all day to get the meat out. I hunt alone, and I don't want to be doing it in the dark.
Boneless has it's advantages and disadvantages. One negative it you're exposing more meat to the air. I find it harder to carry too, because it clumps together at the bottom of the backpack.
If you're going boneless. You don't need water. Use a tarp to put the meat on, and once you skin it. There should be hair involved. You get all of one side done, and then turn it over and skin that side and bone it. Dirt shouldn't be a problem either. Hair is worse than dirt as far as keeping the meat tasting good.
As is always said. The real work begins after you make the kill.
Good luck.
07-15-2012, 04:54 AM
#29
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Paradise
Posts: 23,428
I'll chime in and say the same as Muley. When I first started DIY elk hunting I gutted the animal then quartered and packed it out. Since that time I have learned the gutless method and it is way cleaner and easier. I have found I can break an animal down to quarters in about an hour or a little more so leaving it in one piece isn't something I would do. If I am not far from the truck I will pack out the quarters. If distance is great I have to debone and pack which does take more time. Take it from me, stay out of the guts. There are some tutorials about the gutless method. Our first time out I dropped a cow and after walking around the beast for several minutes taking pictures and trying to figure out what to do next I waded in and started to gut it. Lots of pressure and after it was all done I looked like a salad complete with quacamole dressing. My buddy called on the radio telling me he had killed a bull and I told him to watch out when he gutted it. He said too late. LOL
07-15-2012, 05:27 AM
#30
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Wakeman Ohio
Posts: 25
I really appreciate all the advice I have gotten guys. Going to learn that gutless method for sure. Its quite nice to see the brotherhood of hunters still has so many. If I can ever offer you guys some help hunting Turkey in the southwestern part of Virginia or offer up some 30 inch rainbow trout fishing (called steelhead here) in Ohio including a place to stay for the trip let me know. Would offer some deer hunting but honestly the area in Virginia doesnt hold much in quality and here where I live in Ohio there isnt much in accessability.