Advice for a Hunting Newbie

[Mtn.man]

That sounds good to me. The idea of just pulling up and hunting near a road sounds kind of lame, to be honest.

(Not to denigrate anyone who does, just not my thing. I do love long hikes after all.)

This brings to mind another question, though. Say I've done my homework, all the things line up right and I get my elk.

Now I have a 500+lb carcass at my feet and a long hike back to the truck. How do you get the tasty bits back to civilization?

Quarter it. Take the backstraps and tenderloins out first trip, ans if you can carry a front quarter good. Takes longer to bone the meat but if time allows then you won't be carrying extra weight.
Then pack out hinds, usually can only get 1 at a time. Finally if you want the hide and head take them last.
http://www.elk-hunting-tips.net/quartering-elk.html
http://elkhunter2.tripod.com/quartering.html

we use the gut less method or indian method of cleaning the animal remove hide and then quarter. remove backstraps, count back about 5 ribs or so cut into carcass and remove tenderloins by fingers.

I have packed a few out alone so it is possible, hard work, and rewarding. But it is more fun if you can get a hunting buddy to go with.

[ShooterJM]

Quarter it. Take the backstraps and tenderloins out first trip, ans if you can carry a front quarter good. Takes longer to bone the meat but if time allows then you won't be carrying extra weight.
Then pack out hinds, usually can only get 1 at a time. Finally if you want the hide and head take them last.
http://www.elk-hunting-tips.net/quartering-elk.html
http://elkhunter2.tripod.com/quartering.html

we use the gut less method or indian method of cleaning the animal remove hide and then quarter. remove backstraps, count back about 5 ribs or so cut into carcass and remove tenderloins by fingers.

I have packed a few out alone so it is possible, hard work, and rewarding. But it is more fun if you can get a hunting buddy to go with.

Are sleds worth it?

[Mtn.man]

Are sleds worth it?

Yup, we use those cheapo plastic sleds you get at the store for snow sledding. Add some holes and para cord to tie them in. There is also a meat sled that you can put quarters on and then tie the whole thing up that worked for a couple years when we got a moose and din't have one, they are cheap as well. But worked great.
I have a Bull Pac, had it for 18 years http://www.bullpacs.com/ for packing, and I carry plastic bags in my day pack for tenderloins, and backstraps. Army duffles with the shoulder straps work great as well.

[TennVol]

The last cow elk I shot I managed to get it out of the field in one piece. I used a processor who didn't have a license to dispose of animal waste. Therefore, I got back EVERYTHING I gave them to process. Here are the totals for a decent sized cow elk:

Boneless meat: 172 lbs
Head: 25 lbs
Hide: 40 lbs
Bones: 82 lbs

[TDYRanger]

The last cow elk I shot I managed to get it out of the field in one piece. I used a processor who didn't have a license to dispose of animal waste. Therefore, I got back EVERYTHING I gave them to process. Here are the totals for a decent sized cow elk:

Boneless meat: 172 lbs
Head: 25 lbs
Hide: 40 lbs
Bones: 82 lbs

who does that? gives you back the bits

[TennVol]

who does that? gives you back the bits

A retired couple who lives out in Falcon that don't have a trash company that picks up animal waste... But they do an excellent job on the processing and it is very reasonable.

I never realized how much all the bones, hide, & head weighed before I took the time to weigh it before I disposed of it. It was a real eye opener... I'll never quarter another animal and pack it out. Boning out an elk is the only way unless you can drive your truck right up to the animal!

[CapLock]

Have a friend who works at the King Soopers meat packaging plant here in town. There's a butcher with 30 years experience who is going to cut and wrap deer for us for 50 each. We just have to gut them obviously. I could see if he's interested in doing more than two if anyone is interested.

Also last week the wife kid and I seen probably 60 cows with 30 calfs outside of Deckers. Seems like it's hot for them to be so low. Maybe come July August they will head for higher ground?

From my limited experience it would be cheaper to buy T bones from the store that taste better than to hunt. I hunt for the enjoyment not because the meat is even close to cheap by the end of the trip. It's the hunt itself that's priceless. Then when my son gets old enough....now you really have something to look forward to.

[battle_sight_zero]

I am newby myself since 2006 and every year I have harvested on all my deer and pronghorn tags. I have not hunted a elk yet, but when I get some time I will. I mostly grill the meats obtained from these hunts and my guests who have had bad experinces with the gamey flavor elsewhere always want more when I cook it. I use some cool tools to process my meats from the minute the animal goes down to when I am in my garage or kitchen doing final processing. The tools are manufactured by Colorado based Outdoor Edge http://www.outdooredge.com/default.asp. I love that swing blade for field dressing! You can obtain how to DVDs from Outdoor edge here. http://www.outdooredge.com/game-proc...ideos-s/26.htm . I belive the key to advoiding much of the gamey taste in the animals is the hunters ability to skin, field process and cool the animal as fast as possible. I have been informed that much of the bad taste people may expereince can be from the natural decay of the meats because they were not field processed right away. Now I have had only 4 years of experience hunting but I have gotten better after each harvest as I learn to process the animals better and better. No offense to the butchers out there but I rather do it myself. I know the meat I have is mine and not a mix of other hunters harvest.

[Byte Stryke]

http://www.discountramps.com/game-cart.htm

[CapLock]

Watch the game cart and not get busted for taking your wheeled vehicle off road.