Sharing an elk

[KHntr]

I don't like gifting. It makes for a weird obligation to reciprocate.

You kill it, I'll help carry. Enjoy.

This. I have spent entire days strapped into a backpack carrying meat up and down mountains with zero expectations other than a heartfelt thank you at the end of it. Its just the way my circle of friends work.
That said, last year the gf and I gave half her bull to the buddy that had been with us when she shot him. Bit of a difference though, in that it was days of hunting on horses up North, and he was there for the shot, the field butchering, the packing on the horses, the hanging, the deboning and the horse pack out a week later.
Just felt like he earned it to me, but he sure didn’t expect any meat nor did he ask for any. He was getting in the truck to head home to his family when I yelled for him to hold up and we loaded bags of meat into his cooler. Gratitude, but not expectation.
This fall when I smacked a bull moose the day after he and I got back from the horse trip up North all he did was ask where I was and he showed up with his backpack and mine and we packed that bull out piece by piece. No expectations, just helping a buddy feed his family who had been fortunate that morning.
That night I worked with him side by side until 3 am to get HIS bull moose out.
I WILL say however, that if you are hunting with me and you kill something and we spend all day packing you will be paying the tenderloin tax that night when it is time for the meat to hit the pan.... And that will be payment enough for me, that will be the icing on the cake after a great day spent with a friend helping him provide for his family.
But thats just me.

 

[jek5224]

I think it makes a difference whether you are local or an out-of-stater. Hunting whitetails in PA, I have helped drag countless deer out of the woods and process them. I have never even considered it a possibility that I would get some of that meat. It's just what you do for a friend/family.

Going to CO this year was a different story. We said from the beginning that all meat, if any, would be split evenly. It was a no-brainer. Just a different mindset when the hunting trip involves hundreds/thousands of miles and a major time commitment.

 

[KHntr]

True enough.
I think the bigger aspect of this though, is that this is an issue that needs to be discussed and agreed upon BEFORE finalizing plans to go. That is something that I think makes a lot of people uncomfortable talking about.

In the original post, I think that if you want to give meat to a partner from the bull you killed, then that is entirely your decision. However, if you are then going to ask for half of the processing fees after the fact without previously discussing that clearlyyou run the very real risk of being told to stuff that bill up your ass.
At the very least you will create hard feelings and possibly lose a hunting partner.
And it is fairly presumptuous to think you can decide how a partner would like meat cut and packaged. Maybe they don’t eat steaks. Maybe they like steaks packaged 1 to the package. Maybe they only eat it as burger.

 

[Randle]

Ok time to maybe finish how this ended.
We talked about spliting near 5 years ago , this is the first year he has been actually with me when I killed an elk. so here we are . We did not discuss sharing cost of processing. He told me to give whatever I wanted to as far as meat goes. So he will get 10 or 20 lbs and be very happy. no need to split cost as I will end up with most of the meat. I was thinking of sharing1/2 with thus 1/2 the cost question.
My original question sure brought out food for thought. Thanks to all would replied.

 

[COHOYTHUNTER]

I hope all you guys 'sharing' your harvest are attaching all required documentation (each state is different). Could end up with a big fine in your just handing it over to your buddy.

 

[COHOYTHUNTER]

I've helped and been helped on many an elk hunt. Ive called for buddies, I've helped pack out their kill, I've had buddies help me. No body has ever asked for meat, I've offered but no body has ever expected it. I myself have never expected it either. I just enjoy being in the woods and for me packing meat is easy and fun. A cold beer might be all I need after a pack out. Its your kill, you worked your butt off for it, you keep the meat.. is how I see it. Maybe it's the out of state thing with the cost involved. Idk

 

[ChrisAU]

I hope all you guys 'sharing' your harvest are attaching all required documentation (each state is different). Could end up with a big fine in your just handing it over to your buddy.

Meat stayed together until after it was processed, about 1600 miles from CO. Think we are ok.

 

[bowtech3dhunter]

Funny.
We've killed and packed out dozens and dozens of elk over the years.
And not once has anyone complained about not sharing meat.

The 'handout' mentality is everywhere now I guess

It could be the “handout mentality” for some people. It could be that some people don’t shoot elk often enough on their own. From your post “Dozens and dozens” , you and your group are doing quite well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gbflyer]

I hope all you guys 'sharing' your harvest are attaching all required documentation (each state is different). Could end up with a big fine in your just handing it over to your buddy.

It took 45 posts. I’m surprised

 

[MTSasquatch]

So you guys that hunt with a partner ,do you split the elk if only one tags out. And do you split the processing costs?

If someone helps me pack it out, that person gets right of refusal on every ounce of meat they packed out. If they want it, they have it no problem. If they want some but not all, they can take whatever they want. For me, that method is fair to the person helping pack, fair to the animal, fair to our shared hunting ethic, and helps motivate whoever comes help pack. Really, it’s wins all around. Just how I do things anyways!

My friends and I usually process all of our own game, with some limited exceptions, so we only need to account for vacseal bags.

 

[SBAHunts]

As someone who just recently moved from MN to MT I have found that when I was coming from out of state with a buddy I had always planned on splitting the meat. Now that I live in MT and my buddies are all hunting all season long we don't even think about splitting anything. Everyone is just happy to help each out without expecting anything for it. I think it's just different depending on the type of trip it is...locals don't share, out of staters do. I packed out an help process two elk during archery season...got to eat some backstrap but that's it!

From my experience I would agree with you're post. More common to share on short "out of state trips" vs locals hunting all season long.

 

[Headwatermike]

As a local hunter, I'm in the "we don't share" camp. It sounds worse than it is. On the other hand, my buddy hadn't filled a tag a few seasons ago and I connected at last light, last night of season. I sent him home with that entire elk. His freezer was pretty empty and mine full; we've never discussed it again. I'm sure we've split a few over the years as well, but it isn't based on an agreement, but rather on where our freezers/opportunities sit for the season. I also send people from my house with frozen meat elk/deer/antelope and think little of taking a cooler of salmon and crab from my bro's house in Seattle when I visit. We owe each other nothing in my camp but give much.