Fair Share of Elk?

[Deaver25btb]

4 of us leave for an elk hunt today for a week. All will help pack out if we are successful. How have others distributed meat for the group?


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[jimh406]

Elk are pretty large. Assuming all of the group pull their weight and are somewhat equal in hunting ability/experience, I think 4 ways would be fair. If it doesn’t work out, cut the people out who don’t hunt/pull their weight next year.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

This all depends on what the agreement is from the tag holder. Some will say none, some will say equal shares, and all answers in between.

If I join a tag holder and help spot and pack I expect zero in return. Rarely happens tho.

 

[Ross]

Anyone packing meat gets their fair share has always been my mottoGood luck

ps that is where you create some fun memories and find out who your friends aredo they come back for more fun

 

[MTJake]

This is something that should be discussed before packing out unless everyone is really close friends. Having a discussion beforehand eliminates the possibility of unmet expectations and hard feelings afterward. I am always have no expectation of meat if I help packout, but have always been offered something. The whole ounce of prevention thing is pretty helpful in communication.

 

[bozeman]

If you cant equitably share the meat, not quite sure the caliber of your hunting 'group'..........

 

[Wheels]

My experience has been, offer up equal shares, chances are most guys won’t take their share.

 

[svivian]

This has been discussed

Post hunt etiquette: Splitting/sharing meat

I'm usually a solo hunter when I have tags in my pockets, but I did a group hunt this weekend with 4 guys where 2 of us were tag holders and 2 were not. I has the only one to fill a tag. It was an antelope so not a ton of meat to go around and I absolutely love antelope. We shared the heart that...

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[Banded_spooney]

help deserves some meat for sure, but there is also the aspect of cost.
If 2 or 3 guys all have tags and hunt together and share cost of the trip it really should be a no brainer that you split an elk or two evenly. If you call kill then each take your own elk.

If you have a tag and pay for fuel and the tag but you have a friend offer to give you a hand/keep you company, then just be fair and share. it's your friend, I don't see a business arrangement being necessary. Example, a buddy and I drew a good elk unit in Arizona for a late rifle tag. We had a mutual friend join us. He paid no expenses but it was nice to have the extra eyes and the extra pack for the bull I killed. The other tag holder did not kill but he and I did all the meat processing when we got home and shared expenses for adding pork for burger. Helper came over and took all he wanted and we were happy to share (it was not 1/3 of the elk). The other tag holder and I split evenly what was left.

 

[MallardSX2]

Gave my buddy half of my elk. We both had tags. Its the agreement we always have had.

 

[Danny Hoey]

How we run it......

Half for whoever killed it, the other half is split between the rest of the group.

Have that discussion prior to the trip

 

[Scoot]

We split evenly, unless someone wants less. Doesn't matter if my compadres have tags or not- if they are there and with me when I shoot something (and help with the hunt and pack out), they get their equal part.

Most importantly, discuss it before you go.

 

[Laramie]

Quite a few variables to consider but generally equal shares is what our camp has done since the 80s. The only times we have run into problems is when processing preferences have come up. It wasn't a big deal in the end but a couple guys were upset one year. Essentially we were splitting 3 elk between 6 guys. 2 of the elk were home processed but the third was made 100% into burger at a processor. It made dividing up the prime cuts challenging. Each guy should have gotten a full backstrap, etc...

 

[svivian]

Quite a few variables to consider but generally equal shares is what our camp has done since the 80s. The only times we have run into problems is when processing preferences have come up. It wasn't a big deal in the end but a couple guys were upset one year. Essentially we were splitting 3 elk between 6 guys. 2 of the elk were home processed but the third was made 100% into burger at a processor. It made dividing up the prime cuts challenging. Each guy should have gotten a full backstrap, etc...

You ground up the backstrap?!

 

[Laramie]

You ground up the backstrap?!

I didn't do it lol. A guy we had in camp one year did. He took his whole elk to a processor and said he just wanted it all burger. Then we met up to split and there were some sour faces.

 

[svivian]

I didn't do it lol. A guy we had in camp one year did. He took his whole elk to a processor and said he just wanted it all burger. Then we met up to split and there were some sour faces.

 

[TreeWalking]

I am reasonably ethical when dealing with strangers and toddlers though if I was that butcher told to grind the entire elk then I am setting those backstraps aside along with the tenderloins.

 

[svivian]

I am reasonably ethical when dealing with strangers and toddlers though if I was that butcher told to grind the entire elk then I am setting those backstraps aside along with the tenderloins.

Ill bet those backstraps ended up somewhere other than ground....

 

[cnelk]

Don’t share nuthin.

Shoot your own damn elk.
I got meat from last year in the freezer. You can have some of that.

 

[Indian Summer]

Don’t share nuthin.

Shoot your own damn elk.
I got meat from last year in the freezer. You can have some of that.

That’s the way we’ve always done it. We used to backpack quite a few elk. It didn’t matter. I’ll help you for nothing and you can keep your elk and owe me one. Or you can pack elk for me and I’ll be there for you night or day to pack yours.

Now we use horses. Nobody I hunt with knows anything about riding let alone packing so I have to drop what I’m doing which is looking for a 6 point bull and go do the packing. I don’t mind and they can keep their entire elk. When I kill one it’s nice to have a hand loading horses but I can do it solo.

Every year I see guys giving up toward the end of the hunt. Every day I watch them get late start. I wouldn’t appreciate that when I’m pushing myself and hunting like a dog if our agreement was to share elk. The elk hunting is really good where we hunt so if you want it go out and earn it. Make it happen.

I check their saddle cinches and make sure they are ready for the trail and I give them gameplans every day. When I punch my tag I still get up early every day to help with horses and I take turns guiding them. I definitely do my part. But I live on elk meat and I’ve paid my dues for 3 1/2 decades. In the beginning we didn’t always kill elk. They can stick with it and do the same. They are lucky to be there. I wish I had it that good back when I started the game.

Before you feel bad for these guys I’ll tell you this: In 10 years only 1 guy went home without an elk. The two years before that were his first 2 elk hunts ever and he killed 2 bulls. The 3rd hunt he got frustrated and quit a day and a half early. No sympathy here!