During 35 years of elk hunting I have drug them (down hill in the snow) whole but gutted of course, quartered and packed out on my back and deboned in the field and packed out. My preference is to debone and pack out. A typical 5x5 bull will come out in 4 trips leaving the antlers and skin behind for a total of 250 lbs of meat (excluding liver and heart). I recommend cloth bags for parts and tags to mark them. Once it is deboned, it can be hard to recognize the parts.

I have butchered my own many times and though I don't anymore, you should for a while just for the experience. It is fascinating! Even gutting is fascinating! All the organs and muscle structures are amazing!

The most fun to me is backpacking in alone, cold camping and bivouac setting up each night overlooking a meadow for the evening and morning hunt. Or, following tracks and setting up for an ambush on a saddle. Fun stuff, but you need to know survival techniques well and be in good shape. Always have a plan and let someone know it.