Solo Elk Quartering

[Breeves1]

I’m hopefully headed to Colorado for my first archery elk hunt solo this fall. I was wondering how everyone quarters up an elk solo. Do you use lightweight pulleys? Or a lightweight wench? Or do you just try and man handle it? Thanks for any advice in advance.

 

[cnelk]

Yep. Man handle it
Ive done a ton of elk solo.
Learn the gutless method. Easy Peasy for one guy.
I can quarter an elk up in about 45 mins by myself

The hardest part is rolling the elk over to do the other side

 

[Breeves1]

That was my main concern. I do the gutless method here in Kansas on whitetail so I’m very familiar with it. Just wasn’t sure how to flip it over solo. Sounds like it can be done without a pulley system just tough. Thanks cnelk.

 

[cnelk]

I do remember that this bull was a bitch to get turned over by myself.

 

[IH8Cali]

550 cord is very helpful.

 

[go_deep]

Ground cloth of some kind, and man handle it. Look up videos on the gutless method if your not familiar with it. I prefer to skin the side, before I do the gutless method, some videos show leaving the hid on and I'm not a fan of that.

 

[Salmonchaser]

CNELK is fast, takes me a bit longer so I would say don’t worry about how long it might take.
Also a fan of the gutless method, but I’ll gut an elk under some conditions.
First thing I do if there is any chance he can roll or slide is secure with a rope or build a rock nest.
I carry about 200 ft. Of 550 cord.
figure out where you are going to put the 1/4s before you have a 60 or 80 pound chunk in your hands.
I carried those little block and tackle kits as a kid, haven’t bothered in 30 or 40 years, but I do make use of my 550 cord to hold legs back out of my way kind of thing.
Its challenging, the ground can complicate things, but it’s not rocket surgery, take your time, stretch from time to time and you’ll get it done.

 

[Dennis]

I agree with Go_Deep manhandle it. Have a ground cloth or small tarp, skin leaving evidence of sex, skin one side and quarter. Remove back-straps and tenderloin and roll over for side two. I carry 550 cord as well and usually use it to hang quarters to cool meat in a shady cool spot. However I have also used it to keep elk from sliding downhill to worse spot. As I have gotten older I now carry three steel rings to make a mechanical advantage, but so far never used it.

 

[grossklw]

Yup- just manhandle it. Little trick with hindquarters is as your cutting rotate them towards the head. When you get it free you don't have to mess around with trying to get the game bag around it with one hand when it's free since it's resting on the rest of the body.

 

[Dos Perros]

I’m not strong enough to lift a rear quarter off and cut by myself. One time the forest bed was littered with pine needles and I didn’t have a ground sheet so I just took the meat off the bones. The good Lord put a tree perfect distance from the bull’s flank and it took me getting completely horizontal both legs pushing on the tree and his dorsal to get him flipped. I’d have been effed without that tree.

 

[Jethro]

I've never done an elk solo and I can't even do it in 45 minutes with help. But I do tuck a game bag underneath the hind quarter as a ground cover. As it starts to loosen, can lay it backwards without it getting dirty. Also don't have to worry about picking it up the instant the last cut frees it up.

 

[Deerhunter6250]

I do the gutless and I debone the quarters leaving evidence of sex if required. As I debone the elk I cut off all the fat and most silver skin. I use to do the last step after I got home but this way I’m not carrying out something I am not going to eat. I keep it very clean and bag it in game bags. I spread the meat loosely in the bag through the nigh to cool well then in the morning put it in the shade and start hauling it out. The process takes me around 4 hours depending on conditions. When I get home the wife is happy I am not cleaning meat for a day.

 

[Coveyleader]

Solo is no issue if you know what your're doing. I will say, if they get in a real bad spot, then you will wish you had a second person, or at little pulley system.

Case in point, not sure I have the photo, I shot one it rolled down the hill and there was a tree that fell that had to be 25 inches in diameter or more. It was off the ground about 2-2/12 feet and that elk rolled right under it and stopped right there. It was a nightmare.

If you kill one in real steep, I mean the stuff where he doesn't stay, that can be a challenge as well alone.

Also recognize an average elk here in CO isn't that big. There is a huge difference between a big bull, and your average raghorn or cow. They are two different critters.

 

[cgasner1]

I throw my fame bags down behind the quarter and push it over onto them as I pop the joint so it lands on them. Use what I have instead of carrying things to set the meat on do the hams first and I have plenty of bags


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[Huntin_GI]

So everyone pumps the tires on the gutless method. What am I miss out on? Minus getting a little bloody cutting the esophagus, I don't feel the guts have ever complicated the matter and it makes the animal lighter and easier to work with. Learn me!

 

[5MilesBack]

So everyone pumps the tires on the gutless method. What am I miss out on? Minus getting a little bloody cutting the esophagus, I don't feel the guts have ever complicated the matter and it makes the animal lighter and easier to work with. Learn me!

Why waste the time, effort, and mess when you don't need to.....especially if you're going to mount it.

 

[Deerhunter6250]

So everyone pumps the tires on the gutless method. What am I miss out on? Minus getting a little bloody cutting the esophagus, I don't feel the guts have ever complicated the matter and it makes the animal lighter and easier to work with. Learn me!

I like it because it keeps the work area clean and it’s one step I can skip to save some time. Also depending on how the elk is laying when it dies sometimes I can’t move them by myself to gut them easily. I start skinning and cutting meat usually right where the elk dies after I cut off what I can the I usually can move the rest.

 

[Huntin_GI]

Why waste the time, effort, and mess when you don't need to?

I mean I am reducing animal temps quicker, time is 10 mins at most. As for the mess, I guess there is that.

 

[Dos Perros]

You put a good hole in an elk and there is going to be a mess regardless.

 

[5MilesBack]

I mean I am reducing animal temps quicker, time is 10 mins at most. As for the mess, I guess there is that.

In that 10 minutes you could have already removed one rear ham and been on to skinning and deboning the rest of that side if you want to mount it........or google Fred Eichler's video......."Fred Eichler: How to quarter an Elk in less than 10 min. Gutless field dressing".