Solo Elk Quartering

[Predatore]

I broke down my last 3 bulls solo with the gutless method. The last 2 times I just propped the lower leg over my shoulder as I cut off the quarter. Quickly grab the quarter before it hits the dirt then carry it to the ground cloth. I now wear a cut-proof glove on my left hand to avoid debilitating cuts. I make sure to do ample upper body workouts in my training to ensure I can handle the field dressing. I've had to drag my elk whole away from a downed tree and that took all of my energy. Eat, drink water, then manhandle!

 

[Marble]

I just cut the skin across the belly and towards the back to get all the skin loose and flip it over to the back side. That's my little ground cover.

If the animal is on a flat surface that's easy to work on, maybe an hour to get it done. If it on a steep hill of any kind or wedged into a log or tree.....man it can take hours.

I do the deboning right on the clean side of the animal and bag it as it's ready. I do one side , then flip. Tenderloins are last.

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[Maverick1]

Solo. Gutless method. Paracord.

I’ve used a pulley system in the past. Have also used a cam jam with great results too.

Usually takes about 3-4 hours to get all 4 quarters off the animal, all the meat hung in trees, and game bags put over all the meat.

 

[goathunter]

you can make a simple block and tackle out of paracord and 3 small steel rings a little bit bigger than key rings

I'd like to hear some details on this if you care to share

 

[Paul B]

Didn't read all the comment but paracord is clutch for doing it solo

 

[huntnful]

If you're not caping it out for a mount, cut the head off before you flip it over. It's a piece once you remover the first 2 quarters and the head. Also, for the rear quarter, cut all way down to the ball joint from the spine side first while it's just laying there. Then when you get that leg pushed up with your shoulder, it's very minimal cutting from the inside before it's off.

 

[bsnedeker]

That's a time lapse of my first solo elk... well, half of it anyway. It's a bad camera angle but you'll get the gist. I tied the back leg to a tree.

It took me significantly longer than 45 minutes!

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[PaBone]

When your older the whole process is a lot of work. Bending over skinning and quartering is hard on your lower back, rolling an elk over is like trying to roll a truck over and getting your pack on your back with a hind quarter in it and hauling it up a mountain like a jack wagon is torture. But it doesn't take long to forget the pain and want to do it again.

 

[Elkangle]

I'd just watch a pile of videos, maybe save some to your phone for reference? And youl be fine...try to be efficient...don't burn your self out

Some elk are alot easier to work up than others...so don't worry if your not done in 10 minutes..just keep moving and BE SAFE

 

[7LRM]

good luck on your solo hunting trip in CO and be safe!

 

[Indian Summer]

Elk country is never flat. Use gravity to your advantage. Sometimes getting them NOT to flip is the problem. In that case parachute cord is your best friend.

 

[Salmonchaser]

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!

If I can relatively easily move him around i go gutless, if my first comment when I get to him is oh s—- this is going to be bad, I’ll gut him if I can. I once killed a bull that fell into a stump well left when a giant white fir blew over. Had to whittle down to the guts, drag the guts out of the hole then whittle down to the hide on the bottom.

 

[fmyth]

I know most people leave the head on til last that I have seen. I feel like doing this solo, it would be beneficial to cut the head off first? Ive never cut the head off first myself. Thoughts on this?

While gutting a bull that died in a small dirt depression in sage brush country I slipped in the goo and nearly impaled myself on the antlers. Since then I have gone gutless and will remove the head before quartering. I am usually by myself and use 550 cord and my emergency tarp when quartering it to keep the meat out of the dirt.

 

[Haakon14]

I'd like to hear some details on this if you care to share

I carry 2 lightweight climbing carabiners (Black Diamond MiniWire or Litewire) and paracord in case I have one down in a difficult position where manhandling just won't cut it. The method shown in the image gives a little bit of advantage if you have the right branch/tree to use. Plus, it only uses one tie off point (disregard the jamb stick used in this bear bag diagram - tie it off if you can). I use a small loop of paracord around a leg to connect the leg to the carabiner.

 

[wyodan]

Manhandle it.

 

[Danny Hoey]

I paracord the head to a tree and then roll the body downhill. Gut and then fillet up the brisket and skin the front leg that's facing toward the sky. Cut the front leg off and the body gets a little easier to work with. Then skin the back quarter and remove. Pretty much do all the work on one half and then roll it over and repeat.

 

[Dos Perros]

I feel like some (but not all) of you aren't letting actually killing an elk suck enough. Isn't the point of killing a bull by yourself to stand over it and say "well, shit" and then just struggle bus through it? If I make it easy, then I might start complaining about piddly stuff at home and no one wants that.

 

[EVD]

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

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I love the idea of putting the quarters in the tree like that to cool better. Thanks!

 

[roosiebull]

When your older the whole process is a lot of work. Bending over skinning and quartering is hard on your lower back, rolling an elk over is like trying to roll a truck over and getting your pack on your back with a hind quarter in it and hauling it up a mountain like a jack wagon is torture. But it doesn't take long to forget the pain and want to do it again.

It’s a pain in the ass even if you’re not older, haha… I’m looking forward to packing meat at the end, breaking elk down solo is hard on the back

I remember not having a head lamp one time and killed a bull last light and had to hold a flashlight in my mouth the whole time… now I carry at least 2

 

[Maverick1]

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

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Yes, indeed. Those antlers can be very dangerous.

I was lucky one time - when the bull flipped over, one of the antlers caught me square in the chest. I was fortunate that the time was parallel to me body and slapped me. If it had been perpendicular to my chest it definitely would have punctured me. Not good.

Thanks for the reminder of a safety hazard, easy to forget when your working, tired, and dehydrated.