Elk butchering costs

[deerhunt1988]

By the law you would have to have the skull taxidermed in CO if you wanted a European mount.

You can't boil/clean the skull yourself and bring it back?

 

[elkstabber]

You can't boil/clean the skull yourself and bring it back?

I think you'd be okay by boiling/cleaning in CO before heading back home. I hadn't considered that because of the hassle. I've only cut off the skull plate (in the woods) and then cleaned it up good (in camp) before heading home.

I'm not confident that I know all of the laws regarding transportation of elk parts. My main point was that the OP needs to look up the regs of every state that he's driving through. In some areas the game wardens are serious about this.

 

[johnw]

Processing seems to be $250-$500 depending on how quickly you need it done, animal size and cuts.

If I have any luck this year I am going to try the processing myself. Biggest hinderance to this is trying to get the meat frozen enough for a 36 hour trip home...dry ice definitely keeps it frozen the whole way back, but haven't seen if it can freeze it solid from room temp.

 

[rayporter]

in Arkansas you can bring back a boiled out skull or a clean skull cap. and yes they do watch for out of state plates with deer or elk. no bones allowed from CWD states. you should research all the states you are going through carefully because I have heard of other states doing the same.

2 years ago they got one of the swamp people with a deer from a northern cwd state. stopped him about 15 miles from the Louisiana line. he had a big rack hanging out the back of the truck -just showing off cost him.

 

[cowboy300]

I mainly process my own animals but I have used and have a lot of friends/family that use and recommended Orchard Mesa Market In Grand Junction. I think they charge $180 to process an elk if its just basic cut and wrap and no skinning involved. I mainly use them because you get YOUR OWN meat back ... other places not so much

 

[muddydogs]

Processing seems to be $250-$500 depending on how quickly you need it done, animal size and cuts.

If I have any luck this year I am going to try the processing myself. Biggest hinderance to this is trying to get the meat frozen enough for a 36 hour trip home...dry ice definitely keeps it frozen the whole way back, but haven't seen if it can freeze it solid from room temp.

You don't need it frozen for a 36 hour trip home, don't even need it frozen to hold it for 10 days all you need to do is keep it cold. Once you use enough ice to get the initial heat out of the meat its not hard to keep meat cold enough even in cheap coolers, keep the water drained and refill ice as needed. Block ice work well for keeping meat cold.

 

[deerkiller]

Alot of place in west will hang for about $15 a week.
Cause they may not have it done before you go home.
Call around for butcher/coolers. Even a bar.
Or maybe even a member of the forum that will let you plug in your chest freezer while your out.

a large chest freezer on a reasonable sized trailer works very well - butchers sometimes like to bump prices up when they see the situation, just sayin' - elk meat, if cooled well that first night, does well aging - rub down the outside with black pepper for flies and a nice crust that will cut down on waste when butchering

 

[RaggedHunter]

I cut my own meat, but have several friends that take theirs to Orchard mesa market in Grand Junction. They do a pretty good job from what I've seen/heard.
They have probably the best prices in town that I know of.
I did have some elk sausage a friend made that was made at Hotchkiss meats, it was very tasty but I do not know what he paid for it.

 

[Bearded]

If you have nice coolers and park in the shade I wouldnt be surprised if you could go a lot longer.

You can make cheap coolers into nice coolers with a drill bit, a can of closed cell foam, and a rubber freezer gasket. Most cheap coolers don’t have insulation in the lid. Tape it all off, drill holes (from the outside in) every 3” or so. Spray it in and let it dry. Peel it off. Seal the holes with some epoxy.

Some lids won’t want to stay shut with a freezer gasket in place, but I find some bungee cords really help. Prolly $15 or less all up.

 

[BRTreedogs]

You can make cheap coolers into nice coolers with a drill bit, a can of closed cell foam, and a rubber freezer gasket. Most cheap coolers don’t have insulation in the lid. Tape it all off, drill holes (from the outside in) every 3” or so. Spray it in and let it dry. Peel it off. Seal the holes with some epoxy.

Some lids won’t want to stay shut with a freezer gasket in place, but I find some bungee cords really help. Prolly $15 or less all up.

Hmm good idea I think I'll fill the lid on my extra cheapy cooler.

 

[ghunter3]

That's a great idea

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