Meat care in the back country.

[cmeier117]

Thanks Rocky!!

I have to say I am hunting Rocky mountain this year. But have seen some big Roosevelt bulls that would tip the scale well above those numbers. I would hate to carry out a Roosevelt bull from 6 miles back.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Totally depends on where you're hunting. The Idaho bulls I've been around haven't been as big as some of the bulls I've seen come out of SE WA. The elk in the Blue Mountains have some roosevelt blood WAY back which is why they have higher body weights, and you see crowned tops a lot more down there than else where...

Mike

 

[Chris Roe]

Great responses and I agree with almost everything here. The only thing I would add is that I'm a FIRM believer in sinking quarters in running stream ASAP, but I do NOT put them in plastic garbage bags to start. Cold RUNNING water on meat for a little while does NOT cause bacteria problems that people associate with "damp" meat, but it DOES help wash away blood. NOTHING beats a cold stream for rapidly cooling meat in the field, but even if you keep the quarter just above freezing, blood can still spoil and taint the flavor. By sinking the quarters in a clear, cold stream and allowing the water to flow over them freely, most blood gets washed away as it seeps out of the meat, and all you're left with is great tasting meat! ...and a nice cool chunk of meat to pack out on your back. For newer pack animals, the "washed" quarters are often "accepted" by new pack animals easier than "smelly" ones.

Chris Roe

 

[Broken Arrow]

My thought process being solo is to get it deboned hung in the shade to cool then in the nearest creek. Take each load to the creek closest to the trail head then head to town for ice (not sure you'd have ice after a few days if you got it on the way in) then a few short trips from creek to truck and head home.

 

[Ross]

Elk down regardless of the time of day or temps I am ready to quarter, skin and bag and get them on a meatpole to cool. My last two rifle bulls were right at dusk, so the majority was done with a headlamp I have had no issues losing quarters in 80+ degree weather if they are in the shade, hung, skinned and bagged as quickly as possible and packed out the next day and on to ice or freezer. There is so much heat in their body, that if left overnight, even when the temps are cooler, that the portion on the ground can spoil with the hide on and no air circulation. Depending on how they fall and if by myself, I figure I have about 4 hrs of work ahead of me to get them hanging.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Great responses and I agree with almost everything here. The only thing I would add is that I'm a FIRM believer in sinking quarters in running stream ASAP, but I do NOT put them in plastic garbage bags to start. Cold RUNNING water on meat for a little while does NOT cause bacteria problems that people associate with "damp" meat, but it DOES help wash away blood. NOTHING beats a cold stream for rapidly cooling meat in the field, but even if you keep the quarter just above freezing, blood can still spoil and taint the flavor. By sinking the quarters in a clear, cold stream and allowing the water to flow over them freely, most blood gets washed away as it seeps out of the meat, and all you're left with is great tasting meat! ...and a nice cool chunk of meat to pack out on your back. For newer pack animals, the "washed" quarters are often "accepted" by new pack animals easier than "smelly" ones.

Chris Roe

I've actually had the same experience on two animals over the last two seasons. We ended up sinking them in running creeks and never had a problem. You can leave 'em in the running water for an hour or three and then hang and bag. Make sure and use a bag that can breath and dry if you do it this way though.

Mike

 

[Rizzy]

I hung my elk quarters last year for three nights on the mountain and it then took me 2 days to debone and vacuum pack all the cuts at home. I had no spoilage and the meat tasted great! I got the meat and camp out in 5 loads by myself. Take a load about 3/4 of a mile and rehang, then go back for another and repeat. Slowly work your way off the mountain staging your meat as you go.

The key to it is to stay out of the sun throughout the whole process, especially when hanging the meat. Try to visualize where the sun is going to be when picking out a place to hang your meat. It only takes about one hour of direct sunlight in the morning or late evening when the sun is low to taint the meat.

Learn how to do the gutless method if you don't already, you can't drag an elk around nearly as easy as a deer. Where it falls is where you butcher it. If the elk dies in the open, bust out a tarp and set it up so your working in the shade. If your near a stream awesome, but don't count on being near one.

Make your first cut from the base of the antlers along the backbone to the tail, then down the back of the legs and around the shank. Then peel as much hide away as this cut will let you. This will get the meat cooling while you finish skinning and quartering. Bring an extra gallon ziplock to put the "naturally attached evidence of sex" in to keep it off the meat if required. I find it easier to leave the bone in on the hind quarters. Pillow cases work great for boned out meat storage and I am going to try the Kifaru meat bags this season.
Bull elk constantly piss on their own belly's so after your done doing any cutting down there, wash your knife or change the blade, and change your gloves.
Rope is easier to work with for me than paracord when it comes to hanging meat.

Meat laying on carcass minus hind quarters and backstraps.
Hanging quarters.

 

[HockeyDad]

Broken Arrow - I had a 150 qt cooler full of frozen milk jugs/2 liter pop bottles last in my truck in the sun for 6 days with minimal melting - Outside temps got into the 80's during the day. My truck has a topper on it, but I also covered the cooler with a old sleeping bag.

How to get that many jugs! As you empty your chest freezer during the year, add in new jugs and your ready by the start of next season. That also makes the cooler run more efficiently.

Using the gutless method, You should be able to have an elk broken down and hung in 1 - 2 hours by yourself (I've seen some people claim less than 45 minutes) depending on where they end up crashing.

One thing that is handy is to have a 4x4 piece of tyvex for a meat cloth to sit quarters on. It also comes in handy when you sink them unbagged in the creek - keeps meat clean.

If you put your quarters in a creek unbagged or have bloody game bags: Hang the quarters unbagged in a tree along the creek at nightfall to skin over. If the bags are bloody - clean them (TAGS or Caribou dry quickly and are ideal for this). This lets a skin form on the meat and keeps the bags from sticking when the quarters are rebagged. Then in the morning - bag the quarters before heading to trailhead. This will help with the flies and yellowjackets as they will not be attracted to the blood soaked bags.

 

[Rick Seymour]

No streams near where I hunt except 1/2 mile the wrong way and down the Mt. Lots of Bovine small ponds which will be dry this year. The one stream that is "out there" is right beside my rig. So........I am taking the quarters to the house. Last time I was driving out at daylight.

 

[jdmdavey]

we ALWAYS use gutless..1/4 em out..pack em out immediatley..then back to camp, on ice, and head back out. Usually a 2-3 hour hike back to the truck then another hour back to camp.. but all that being said..this year I will be packing much further in so I will have to see how the temps are in Late Sept. Looks like a 5-6 hour hike back to the trailhead.. Hopefully we have a cool one this year. If my plans go off as Im hoping I will leave the truck back at the trailhead with dry ice in coolers, dump the meat and go back in for a chance at another buck. We are planning a 5-6 day backpack hunt, I can't wait. But the heat of archery season has me up at night as well. Hopefully the 7k+ elevation will help with the heat. Any advice from guys that far out from your truck? Try and pack em back to the trailhead 5-6 hours? or Hang and pray while hunting for another deer?

 

[Buglebrush]

is that the general consensus that an elk down just before dark should still be at least quartered and hung that night? again assuming warmish daytime temps 70-80 degrees with im guessing nights anywhere from 45ish to 60

Without a doubt. I always carry everything I need to have that meat hanging, and don't stir until it is. Sometimes that means a miserable night, but if you aren't willing/able to do it then I wouldn't hunt the last part of the evening. My 2 cents.

 

[Buglebrush]

we ALWAYS use gutless..1/4 em out..pack em out immediatley..then back to camp, on ice, and head back out. Usually a 2-3 hour hike back to the truck then another hour back to camp.. but all that being said..this year I will be packing much further in so I will have to see how the temps are in Late Sept. Looks like a 5-6 hour hike back to the trailhead.. Hopefully we have a cool one this year. If my plans go off as Im hoping I will leave the truck back at the trailhead with dry ice in coolers, dump the meat and go back in for a chance at another buck. We are planning a 5-6 day backpack hunt, I can't wait. But the heat of archery season has me up at night as well. Hopefully the 7k+ elevation will help with the heat. Any advice from guys that far out from your truck? Try and pack em back to the trailhead 5-6 hours? or Hang and pray while hunting for another deer?

Have had great luck putting in a contractor bag and submerging in a shady creek during the day, and hanging at night. Should buy you some time, but can also mean moving camp to a creek and extra packing into and out of a draw etc....

 

[jdmdavey]

Yea..might still be snow up there.. if so we are golden.. if not its back to the truck unfortunately none of the streams down into the lake below originate that high :/

 

[jdmdavey]

That's why I do lots of this...so I can pack out 5 hours and make it back for more punishment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Px4FUcqTm4&feature=youtube_gdata_player