Quarter or De Bone?

[400out]

I t would all depend on the terrain and distance. IMO

 

[>>>---WW---->]

Sure is nice when you can drag em to the pickup with a 4-wheeler and wench em in the truck. Did alot of em that way when I was guideing on private land.

I'll do it either boned or quartered for myself depending of where I am and what means I have to pack it with.

 

[bearguide]

even if we have horses, we debone them so it is easyier on the horses. i see no reason to carry out bones

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

I agree with bearguide, there is no reason to haul out something you aren't going to eat other than antlers and maybe a cape.

 

[kcm2]

The butcher I used to use would not work with deboned meat. hence, we've packed out a lot of quarters. I have a new game processor now, so I'll debone when I can't drive to them.

 

[hunting1]

Always debone! I told my buddy last year after packing his elk if he leaves the bones in again I won't help him! Joking ofcourse, but alot of extra weight!

 

[Jason Stafford]

We pack out full quarters because we don't have the time to de-bone unless we want to risk having a close encounter with Mr. Grizz.

 

[MOHunter]

For an ignorant midwesterner, what is the gutless method?

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

Essentially its how you can remove all of the meat without having to pull all of the guts out. The frony quarters are about the same but the rear can be a little tougher. You also split the hide on the back like normal and get the backstraps and what neck meat you can.

 

[cnelk]

Here are pics of a cow I shot in 2010.

The front and rear qtrs and backstraps are removed.

At the end of the process, you make a slice near the short ribs and reach in to get the tenderloins.
I did the whole elk by myself in about 45 min and never took off my shooting gloves

 

[ckleeves]

For me it all depends on distance and terrain if it's under 2-3 miles I will always leave the hinds bone in as there is no doubt that you end up with a better piece of meat and more of it if it isn't deboned. Fronts I almost always debone as I am just making sausage and burger out of it and the weight of a whole front compared to the amount of meat on it is pretty bad.

One thing I find interesting on forums is the amount of people packing whole heads out which I can't for the life of me figure out. If your going to mount it face that thing out and notch it! European mounts take the lower jaw off and skin out the rest of it. I would much rather carry out a elk femur so I can have a good steak then a full head that is worthless!

 

[rumrzr]

I understand the weight of full quarters on a pack but from someone who butchers a lot of game u will get more quality meat off a full quarter compared to deboned. one exception is if a person knows what they are doing and takes the time to properly debone the quarter and get all the meat. I prefer to take full quarters unless a long ways in.

 

[groe]

JPhelps...does that cart come with trailer brakes?

 

[Swede]

I still prefer to gut, skin and quarter my elk, but my packers are starting to get a little surly about packing out the bones, so it depends on the situation.

 

[MammothBrad]

Discovered what NOT TO DO OCTOBER 2011. Gutted - skinned - halved - hog tied to a log - shouldered and carried by 2 people up 1000 ft elevation about a mile + entire head with 6x6 rack + entire hide. Then back for the second half. However, now I own an external frame pack specifically for meat from Bass Pro. I don't expect I will debone on the spot. Would rather bring out a quarter.

 

[Goober]

what about meat quality? I know from buthering our own beef cows and many whitetails over the years, you get a much higher quality meat if it hangs for a few days before cutting and packaging. Rigor sets in and the muscle fibers tighten, but after s day or 2 the enymes begin to break down, tenderizing the meat. Does this factor in to anyones decision? This will be my first year of elk hunting, but I had planned (if I get one to 1/4 it and get it to a processor so it can hang before cutting. But I guess if it is way back in and warm, I would bone it out right there. Just wondering if any one has noticed a difference in meat quality of quartering vs boning in the field. I guess if you bone it once you get to camp, it doesn't make a difference.

 

[Hardstalk]

In response to goober

I myself have done many cows and the difference i find in game and cow is opposite. Some of the best beef you can buy will be aged over a month and is delicious. On the other hand while watching beef age you lose a ton of actual meat in order to get to the good stuff you sacrifice alot of dried almost jerky like meat. I have sliced a chunk of a fresh still bleeding cow and threw it on the grill to see the difference between fresh and aged and the difference is phenomenal. The fresh entirely lacks the beefy succulent flavor you expect from beef. On the other hand wild game fresh is much more flavorful than hung game. And the price we pay per pound for wild game (alot of people dont like to mention that part) its hard to justify hanging and losing 1/3 of meat.

 

[In God We Trust]

Depends on how far in I am. Any more than 2 miles and I de-bone the elk.

 

[Goober]

Hardstalk, I agree 100% with everything you said. However, I would like to point out that there is a significant difference between "aging" beef and letting it hang for a few days. Every (to my knowledge, I know there are always exceptions) animal processed by a professional butcher hangs for 2-5 days before being processed. This does not constitute true aging. It allows a few different things to happen

1. it allows the meat to cool and stiffen up a little bit so it is easier to cut
2. it allows all of the blood to drain (in my opinion, blood in the meat is a huge factor in what people call "gamey taste" of their wild game)
3. it allows rigor mortis to set it, esentially the "stiffening" of the muscles which tends to make the meat tough, especially the steaks. After a day or 2 (I can't recall the exact time now) the enzymes release and begin to break down the muscle tension that causes "rigor", allow the muscle fibers to relax and the meat becomes more tender.

Actually dry-aging beef requires hanging in 37-39 degree temps with pretty strict moisture control for a minimum of 7 days, and usually much longer (10-30 days). I am not by any means suggesting someone should dry age their game meat by hanging for 10 days, but more wondering if any one trys to give it a 2-3 days hang to improve meat quality. Personally, if I have the ability to get the quarters hanging and can leave them for 2-3 days without spoilage, that is worth the extra work to me. I would not hesitate to bone out on the spot due to weather, long hike, ect, but given the option I would put in the extra work on the hindquarters especially. Fronts quarters are just going to be burger/sasuage anyway, so I guess I wouldn't bother packing out a front shoulder. Just my thoughts.....

 

[Goober]

also Hardstalk, I agree with nothing beats a fresh steak off a very fresh critter. But in that case I would believe that you are getting the meat on the grill before rigor sets in.......