How would you skin the cat (elk)?

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Here's the real question.

How you getting them out?

If you are worried about spoilage from not getting them quartered and cooled fast enough, what about hauling 2 out?

I can see plenty of scenarios where it really wouldn't be that bad, but if it's really you and a 12yo, unless you have that spot that's not too far from a road, hauling out 2 elk mostly by yourself would be brutal.

It's going to be enough to work up 2 essentially by yourself, then packing them?
I'd shoot only one unless you have those cnelk spots 400 yards from the road.

I can call in hauling help but I need to get them broken apart to cool prior to anyone making it out.

But yes, I’ve packed elk and well aware location matters on those doubling up decisions.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Never kill more than you can handle at one time.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Here you go.

That’s what I was describing in the second scenario but taking the time to get the rest of the meat off the carcass. Everyone has their opinions but he left 30-40lb of meat on that carcass, he mentioned the neck and brisket but on elk sized critters the ribs and flank is thick enough to be worth taking imho.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Never kill more than you can handle at one time.

Who said anything of the sort? I was discussing how to strategize the scope of work at hand in that situation.

 

[Maverick1]

Just take them one at a time.
Skin and quarter first one.
Repeat for second one.
Hang quarters.
Start packing meat.

 

[LongWayAround]

What kid?

Post #5 pods refers to hunting with a 12 year old kid.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Who said anything of the sort? I was discussing how to strategize the scope of work at hand in that situation.

The question kinda leads to that line of thinking. If it can be handled, then there’s no issue. Everyone cleans what they kill.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

The question kinda leads to that line of thinking. If it can be handled, then there’s no issue. Everyone cleans what they kill.

Not really imho. I mean two elk down via muzzleloader (its muzzy not archery) that you start on right away will be completely broken down before some folks even start blood trailing some archery kills. I merely was having a discussion how one might tackle the task with efficiency and cooling in mind to handle it best, never said it was too much.

I'm not going to hand a 12yr old rookie a scalpel and leave him on his own. He'll help but I'll be doing the bulk in the interest of speed and me not having time in that situation to sit and instruct him. There will be tag opportunities later in the year for that.

 

[Laramie]

That’s what I was describing in the second scenario but taking the time to get the rest of the meat off the carcass. Everyone has their opinions but he left 30-40lb of meat on that carcass, he mentioned the neck and brisket but on elk sized critters the ribs and flank is thick enough to be worth taking imho.

There is some meat left but not 30-40 pounds. If you use this method to break each elk down so the quarters can start cooling, you can then go back to get the extra trim meat off. My guess is you may get about 15 pounds of actual trimmed meat per elk.

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm not going to hand a 12yr old rookie a scalpel and leave him on his own.

When my 16yo daughter got her first elk tag (ML), while we were driving up she says to me "You know how every time you try to teach us how to do something you end up doing it all yourself"......."Well, this time can you just let me do it myself"?

So after her very large bull was down I took out my knife and said "here you go". She looked at me like I had six heads. I reminded her of what she said, and she said "I was wrong......I'm sticking to small game from now on".

I was 15 on my first big game hunt, my best friend was 16. We were on our own, neither having done it before, nor even seen it done before. As soon as animals were down, we just got on it. There are definitely some problem areas and areas for careful cutting, but getting meat off the carcass is fairly intuitive. Also, makes a difference on whether you're keeping the cape or not.

Oh ya, and Fred does take all meat. His purpose of the video was just to show how quick it can be done. I'm confident that he cleaned up the carcass after the video was off.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Depending on the area if possible i make a cookie cooling rack out of a down tree and some smaller limbs.

Last couple Elk I have cut the quarters off hide on. The first one was because I was worried about the animal freezing solid.

And get the straps, loose meat off before the roll.

I got to say I think I'm a total convert on just taking them off hide on. Not saying over all the finished product is faster, but I think you get if flipped over faster and the side against the ground cooling sooner.

Seems easier on the back.

And my meat has seemed to come out much cleaner. I carry plastic to lay it out on.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

There is some meat left but not 30-40 pounds. If you use this method to break each elk down so the quarters can start cooling, you can then go back to get the extra trim meat off. My guess is you may get about 15 pounds of actual trimmed meat per elk.

If planning to go back for the meat need to use the hide or a tarp to keep it clean, in the video they flipped the first side into the dirt... Or take 5-10min to get the rest of the meat off that side, someone that fast with a knife would probably be <5min. Based on game bag weight that had just that trim meat in the past 30-40lb has been my experience based on the cuts I said. Neck, ribs, brisket, and flank (which I'm aware many don't take but on an elk is thick and worthwhile imho).

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

When my 16yo daughter got her first elk tag (ML), while we were driving up she says to me "You know how every time you try to teach us how to do something you end up doing it all yourself"......."Well, this time can you just let me do it myself"?

So after her very large bull was down I took out my knife and said "here you go". She looked at me like I had six heads. I reminded her of what she said, and she said "I was wrong......I'm sticking to small game from now on".

I was 15 on my first big game hunt, my best friend was 16. We were on our own, neither having done it before, nor even seen it done before. As soon as animals were down, we just got on it. There are definitely some problem areas and areas for careful cutting, but getting meat off the carcass is fairly intuitive. Also, makes a difference on whether you're keeping the cape or not.

Oh ya, and Fred does take all meat. His purpose of the video was just to show how quick it can be done. I'm confident that he cleaned up the carcass after the video was off.

If its one animal I'm perfectly fine to sit back and let him cut supervised as he desires, I don't want to be distracted also cutting or worse off on another animal. Frankly I don't expect him to want to dive in yet (12 vs 16 is a wee bit different in confidence for some kids).

Yes many of us learned on our own, including me (at an older age than 12), doesn't mean I feel like that's the best experience.

Fred may normally take all the meat but in that video he certainly didn't take the meat off the first side he rolled in the dirt. I'd believe he did if he used the hide or a tarp to keep it clean, in that instance he didn't and in that instance my wager is that meat wasn't salvaged. [He didn't break any rules in CO, that just isn't my preference to take the legal minimum which is what the video was showing despite what his norm may be.]

 

[Laramie]

If planning to go back for the meat need to use the hide or a tarp to keep it clean, in the video they flipped the first side into the dirt... Or take 5-10min to get the rest of the meat off that side, someone that fast with a knife would probably be <5min. Based on game bag weight that had just that trim meat in the past 30-40lb has been my experience based on the cuts I said. Neck, ribs, brisket, and flank (which I'm aware many don't take but on an elk is thick and worthwhile imho).

If you are packing all the scraps, I can see getting up to those numbers. I take a bit of extra time because I don't want the trim turning into another load to carry out.

In your scenario, I think the tarp suggestion is a good one. Focus on getting all quarters off and cooling, then go back for trim.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

If you are packing all the scraps, I can see getting up to those numbers. I take a bit of extra time because I don't want the trim turning into another load to carry out.

In your scenario, I think the tarp suggestion is a good one. Focus on getting all quarters off and cooling, then go back for trim.

I wasn't suggesting scraps. On an elk the rib meat and flank is a sizable amount of meat (in addition to the neck and brisket) and I prefer to take that meat. The flank is 1/2"-1" thick and is just a slab of lean meat on an elk, not scraps by my definition. On deer and smaller its usually thin and not too worth while.

Yeah liking the tarp idea more as well.

 

[LongWayAround]

Eichler has another video where he tutorials meat waste on a late season cow. He leaves basically all of the neck and ribs/brisket. There's no way he's going back for any of it after flipping it in the dirt.

Some guys want to rip through it as fast as possible just to satisfy the letter of the law. Some guys want to take their time and and recover as much meat as possible.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Not really imho. I mean two elk down via muzzleloader (its muzzy not archery) that you start on right away will be completely broken down before some folks even start blood trailing some archery kills. I merely was having a discussion how one might tackle the task with efficiency and cooling in mind to handle it best, never said it was too much.

I'm not going to hand a 12yr old rookie a scalpel and leave him on his own. He'll help but I'll be doing the bulk in the interest of speed and me not having time in that situation to sit and instruct him. There will be tag opportunities later in the year for that.

Even in your explanation, it sounds that way. Sounds like the best case scenario is to shoot one and deal with it. Then try to fill the other tag. In your case, it sounds like having two down at once will be too much. Hence, the reason you’re asking the question in the first place.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Even in your explanation, it sounds that way. Sounds like the best case scenario is to shoot one and deal with it. Then try to fill the other tag. In your case, it sounds like having two down at once will be too much. Hence, the reason you’re asking the question in the first place.

I think you're projecting. Analyzing how to tackle a task doesn't translate to too much.

Do you think having 3 pronghorn on the ground solo is too much? I don't (circumstances depending obviously) I've done it because the animals presented the opportunity and I knew I could break them all apart and pack them out in a reasonable timeframe for the conditions. In that case I opted to completed break one down. The second one I took off the quarters hide on and removed the rest of the meat from that carcass. Then broke the 3rd one down completely. Then returned and skinned out the quarters of the second one.

But I could see tackling it differently too, I could have taken the quarters off hide on and deboned the remainder before moving on for all 3 and then circled around to skin all the quarters. More than one way to skin the "cat" as they say hence the topic. I have no intention of trying to deal with 2 elk in 90F blazing sun on a steep slope with swarms of bees (add any other undesirable descriptor that suits your fancy ), I'm not looking to be irresponsible and the situational circumstances matter. Its not a black and white thing of whether two elk are too many, hell in some cases one elk is one too many if the circumstances are wrong. I am aware.

 

[Indian Summer]

Obviously there are two hunters. But I wouldn’t have each do their elk solo. Two guys on one elk is MUCH more efficient. Way easier and safer too.

A friend and I did a cow in 18 minutes once. For a client. Just to see how fast we could do it.

That first video is very good. It shows how fast and effortless it is to remove a front quarter. I’m leaving the hide on because the number one priority is to get everything separated from the body. The guts will retain heat for days. Get the quarters away from that and they begin to cool immediately. That’s THE goal. If you want to remove the hide do that after everything is hanging.

The guy in that video used an Outdoor Edge Razor Lite. I use the same knife. But I guarantee he left out the 2-3 times when he put a new blade in. A new one makes life really easy but they don’t last.

I’d tackle one elk at a time start to finish. When I dress out an elk there’s a designated spot on the ground where all my tools sit. I’m not jumping back and forth from one animal to another. When one job is complete I’ll relocate my tools and start the next.

One thing about the guy in the video. He’s super fast at removing hind quarters. To me that’s where the most time is. You follow the bone but there are holes through the pelvis where stomach bulges through and if you don’t lead with your fingers and be careful around it life gets harder and smellier real fast! I notice they didn’t zoom in on what was going on back there. I’d have liked to watch that in detail.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

One thing about the guy in the video. He’s super fast at removing hind quarters. To me that’s where the most time is. You follow the bone but there are holes through the pelvis where stomach bulges through and if you don’t lead with your fingers and be careful around it life gets harder and smellier real fast! I notice they didn’t zoom in on what was going on back there. I’d have liked to watch that in detail.

Yes that was impressive, the folks that know the motion well make it look stupid simple in almost a seamless motion, I go slower with shorter strokes.