How much meat is ethical?

[timekiller13]

I have an Asian family who lives near me. I give them 1-2 deer a year per their request. They want the entire deer, guts and all. They eat every bit of it, all organs, every slice of meat. They tan all the hides and make stuff, they make stuff out of the antlers and they grind the hooves up and make all sorts of medicinal concoctions out of it. They waste NOTHING. Hell, they treat any animal the same way. I shot a coyote in my back yard once, the youngest son came over and asked me what I was going to do with it, I told him I was going to toss it in the woods. He asked if he could have it. I gave it to him. Next day they brought me some cooked coyote over to try. Thanks but no thanks!

I will follow the rules and laws in regards to salvage of game meat per the state I am hunting in. If I want to go above and beyond, then I will, if I don't or can't then I won't and won't feel bad about it. Mother nature wastes nothing.

 

[SelwaySteve]

When we went back to look for them, their RV was gone. I guess I assumed everyone would agree that 1 trip each was no where near close to enough meat, but I was even more looking to see how guys were sure they could take care of that responsibility before they pull the trigger. Idaho is like Utah, anything less than 4 quarters, backstops, and tenderloins will get you a ticket and end up costing you your license. "It was too hot" does not get you an exemption, you need to take that into account in Idaho.
An elk required 2 horses/mules.

 

[SelwaySteve]

I also have heard some states require the head to remain until last- this might keep people motivated until the work is done.

 

[Newtosavage]

I wonder how much time has been wasted by people arguing ethics on the internet by now. Hmmm

 

[204guy]

I wonder how much time has been wasted by people arguing ethics on the internet by now. Hmmm

The post by the OP doesn't seem to be an ethical question, rather a legal one. He doesn't say how big of a bull, but unless the 2 bags where the size of king pillow cases and they where absolutely stuffed full of boned meat, they weren't packing out the legally required minimum.

 

[Newtosavage]

The post by the OP doesn't seem to be an ethical question, rather a legal one. He doesn't say how big of a bull, but unless the 2 bags where the size of king pillow cases and they where absolutely stuffed full of boned meat, they weren't packing out the legally required minimum.

Yea, but plenty of guys didn't waste any time turning it into a soap box from which to proclaim their personal ethics.

 

[ElkNut1]

Yes, but keep in mind two guys can pack out all legal meat in one load! My Son & I have done it a dozen times! Being in daypack mode makes this possible!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[DAOutfitters208]

Yes, but keep in mind two guys can pack out all legal meat in one load! My Son & I have done it a dozen times! Being in daypack mode makes this possible!

ElkNut/Paul

I know the type of mountains you hunt, that is impressive. Do you go in with a pack frame already on? I have tried two bone in quarters before and it is a chore.

 

[sneaky]

I've done a bone in hind quarter and a bone in shoulder off a cow plus my hunt gear before. It isn't fun, but it's doable. I about lost it when my buddy's daughter had a, as in A SINGLE backstrap, and asked if I could carry it too. She said it was too heavy lol.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[juan trueno]

Hahaha. I’ve got only a few buddies I’ll hunt with. And none of there wives and daughters. I think family outings are great- but I’m not tagging along on someone else’s family outing and I’m sure not turning my trip into thier famdamily extravaganza. My son is getting close to ready for a trip with other than just me and my best friend. Another year or so. At 14 He still kind of sees camp work etc happening and will watch for a while instead of just “seeing” how/ where he can pitch in and then doing it or asking “how can I help”

Not that he’s lazy- he’s awesome but he’s just still learning and I’m really nitpicky with standards like that, priorities of work etc.

Anyway. As long as a guy is hauling out what he’s legally required to in the order specified by the law- what do I care how many loads it takes him or how far he has to carry them. I was also never interested enough in other people’s habits to put myself in a position, ie game warden, to check on them.

Throwing away 10lbs of scrap that’s turned into scabby jerky in the bag before I ever start cutting is irritating as hell- because it was 15 or so pounds of meat that would’ve stayed in the ecosystem if I hadn’t had to remove it. I’m a hunter right up until I drop the hammer and then suddenly I become the worlds most particular and frugal butcher. I hate getting meat dirty and cutting hair. Hate it.

 

[5MilesBack]

I’m a hunter right up until I drop the hammer and then suddenly I become the worlds most particular and frugal butcher. I hate getting meat dirty and cutting hair. Hate it.

Cutting the hide right down the backbone and using the gutless method has been the cleanest method for me over the years. Usually no dirt or debris and very little hair. But last year my daughter's bull had been rolling in a dust bowl. It was like a really bad rug being beaten with a broom........dirt flying everywhere and impossible to keep anything clean. We deboned the first side and it was a mess, so we just quartered the other side so we could clean it up at home and have less surface area from cuts to get dirty. But normally the meat comes out of the game bags just about ready to wrap or grind.

 

[juan trueno]

Cutting the hide right down the backbone and using the gutless method has been the cleanest method for me over the years. Usually no dirt or debris and very little hair. But last year my daughter's bull had been rolling in a dust bowl. It was like a really bad rug being beaten with a broom........dirt flying everywhere and impossible to keep anything clean. We deboned the first side and it was a mess, so we just quartered the other side so we could clean it up at home and have less surface area from cuts to get dirty. But normally the meat comes out of the game bags just about ready to wrap or grind.

I always carry out the quarters Bone in and then generally do most of all the processing at home. But like you say- gutless with the hide sliced down the back bone from the back of the skull to the tail is my go to for the cleanest most hair free meat I can get. I don’t mind removing the crusty connective tissue and dried layer off a quarter that’s been hanging a week.

 

[Jared Bloomgren]

Yup, It doesn't matter where the animal is taken down. Prepare the meat at the kill sight to cool, get to packing! I take as many trips as needed in order to get the meat out! That goes for all animals! Chaps my rear when people neglect and leave meat behind!

 

[juan trueno]

I’ll also add that for me personally- and this has nothing to do with ethics, legality etc. I haven’t yet shot a big big game animal in the evening. Deer, no problem. Elk or moose- not yet maybe never. I am most in my comfort zone and as a result more effective and lethal when I know that I’ll have time to get two loads to the truck or at least camp before dark. By 1500 I’m usually pretty much planning tomorrow in my mind- and generally taking action to set myself up for the AM rather than attempting to exploit the last few hours of the day in an attempt to get a shot that evening. I’ve missed a afew opportunities that have popped upbecause of this- but I opt out of pulling the trigger for one reason or another a couple times a trip usually anyway

 

[Jim Carr]

I'm with Paul on this one 2 heavy trips for me alone or 1 trip with someone good at packing,boned out of course.

 

[Odell]

I just stay there until I've eaten it down to 75 pounds, then I pack out.

Seriously, my backcountry deer hunt goal is to kill a good buck on day one and eat it for 4 days until we pack out. #goals

 

[juan trueno]

Pretty good method. Screw packing. Just take one down and eat on it until it’s gone. once it’s done catch back up to the herd for another one.

I think that’s how it used to be done more or less

 

[Randle]

My grand dad used to Say "Boy, you shoot one down in the hole you better have a knife and fork to eat it on the spot"
He always tried shoot them in an easy spot. All he carried was a rifle, knife and 2 hardboiled eggs in a Ziploc with salt and pepper.

 

[treillw]

300 lbs of deboned meat off an average 6pt bull? I wanna hunt there!

Pretty good chart I found showing how much meat you can expect from an elk:
How much Meat to Pack Out on an Elk?

 

[ElkNut1]

I know the type of mountains you hunt, that is impressive. Do you go in with a pack frame already on? I have tried two bone in quarters before and it is a chore.

We carry EXO 3500 Packs, in All day mode they are under 20#. These packs have awesome titanium frames, they're lightweight & allow us to load over 100# from kill site! It's a gut buster at times packing heavy loads in road-less country littered with downfall & up & down elevations but with a fair amount of resting we can get out in one load! Thanks!

ElkNut/Paul