Quartering or Deboning?

[Buckriser]

What is everyone preference? We used to quarter out the Elk, but have now started to completely debone the meat. It takes a little extra time but it sure does cut down on the amount of trips we have to make back to the truck.

[stringunner]

we generally quarter, easier to pack for us, we also most of the time are within two miles of the truck.

Though the bull I shot in 2010 dropped....75 ft from a main forest service road, pretty much backed the truck right up and loaded him. It was crazy, there was a herd of 40 head bedded down and others milling around less than 100 yards off the main road. best packing experience to date. Funny part was, it took us an hour to get into position and in that hour the elk were talking like crazy, several other trucks drove by, the elk would shut up until the vehicle was out of site and then start back up again...I think we counted 4 rigs drive right by.

[Swede]

I have generally quartered my elk, but have started to rethink the matter. The advantages of deboning are generally obvious. One not so obvious advantage is the cost of having the butcher shop debone. If I take my elk to them, they are charging almost $1.00 per pound to butcher the elk and the bones all count.

[Goneelkn]

Debone. Doesn't take that much longer, alot easier on my back, and cools quicker.

[eltaco]

I've only quartered to this point, and although it pains be greatly (literally) to pack it out, I'm greatly concerned about exposing more meat to the elements and black flies. I generally do everything I can to get the meat off the elk ASAP and into quality game bags.

[N5J]

Agree with Goneelkn...Debone= (less weight to carry)...Debone= (meat cools quicker). Hind quarters retains heat longer...possible chance of souring the meat.

N5J

James

[iRem]

Agree with Goneelkn...Debone= (less weight to carry)...Debone= (meat cools quicker). Hind quarters retains heat longer...possible chance of souring the meat.

N5J

James

Yeah!! X2

[WapitiTalk1]

Quarter if "less" than a mile from a road... emphasis on the less than. If I get an elk down in the evening, it gets quartered and hung in meat bags to cool. Come back early in the morning to pack out the quarters "or" do a quick deboning job after the meat has firmed up a bit. Hang the meat a good 75 yards away from the carcass as high as possible between two trees with a tied up meat pole. Farther than a mile, it gets deboned.. As many have said, no need to pack extra weight and at my age, it may be dangerous

Here's a video from Fred Eichler and it's a very, very quick way to quarter (although you may get a bit of hair on the meat this way) but it certainly a viable option if you knock one down late morning and you need to get it cooling quickly on a hot September day and on the way to the cooler quickly.. RJ

[HurricaneHuge]

Great video RJ. Nothing like what we do on whitetails in WI. I've wanted to see what guys were doing as far as quartering, and that seems extremely efficient, much less time consuming than I had pictured in my head. Any one know of good video that shows proper deboning techniques?

[WapitiTalk1]

Great video RJ. Nothing like what we do on whitetails in WI. I've wanted to see what guys were doing as far as quartering, and that seems extremely efficient, much less time consuming than I had pictured in my head. Any one know of good video that shows proper deboning techniques?

There's a bunch of them out there on You Tube HurricaneHuge.. Everybody seems to do it a bit differently but the common thread seems to be to skin one side of the animal, lay the skin on the ground beyond the critter and have at it. Finish that side (including taking the loins and straps) and flip him/her over and repeat on the other side. Just gotta make sure you leave proof of sex attached for those states that require you do do so.. Bottom line is it is all weather dependent.. If it's hot as you know what, you work quickly and get the meat off the bones fast.. not necessarily pretty.... and start packing.... hanging the rest in game bags in the shade preferrably (facilitates cooling) for the second trip. RJ

[iRem]

I prefer to debone my deer and elk! Takes no time at all once you've done it and had a few under your belt. Saves money, save meat especially when you take the quarters to the butchers. You'll get all your meat and you can pick what cuts you want and then take in the scraps to make sausage, jerky what ever your flavor.

I would recommend that you try and debone a deer first and then move onto an elk! But try it and you'll never go back, I love butchering my game animals!

[HurricaneHuge]

We do all of our own cutting with what we kill here, but that's usually after we gut in field, drag to a vehicle, take home, hoist, cut, package, and into the freezer. The idea of infield cutting and deboning just always seemed like an intimidating task to me, for whatever reason, probably because it's new to me.

[ElkNut1]

We generally these days remove hindquarters & leave intact on the bone & put immediately into our game bags, we like the solid structure for both packing & hanging of these, of course we skin animal hide off first! We then bone out front shoulders because there's so little meat on them & put in a 2nd game bag, in that same bag we put in a backstrap, tenderloin & burger meat from that same side of elk. That's all in those 2 gamebags! We pull hide tight that has been skinned & roll animal onto it & continue the same process on the reverse side. All meat is in 4 game bags! 2 guys 2 trips, done! We have used gutless method for too many years to count! (grin) We do it on all game animals! Most elk we haul out are in the 1-1/2 mile to 4 mile range & all on our backs, I love that part!!! One elk takes my son & I aprox 45min once elk is down & in the bags! In our ElkNuts PlayBook, there's a section in the back that describes this procedure, it's nice because you can have it in the field with you for reference if needed! Hunt, kill, pack out!

ElkNut1

[gunnar]

Debone, saves strength for getting after that next critter.... Especially if you are storing elk in coolers at the truck, and heading back into the bush. Saves on cooler space and ice required.

[Freebird134]

If you are deboning, do you leave evidence of sex attached somewhere?

[ElkNut1]

Only if you're hunting where it's not an either sex tag! Most all Sept elk hunts are either sex, if not in ones area & state then yes it's the law! These regs generally apply to rifle hunters on antlered or anterless elk hunts!

ElkNut1

[Goneelkn]

Not in CO, evidence must be left on no matter what tag, or what season.

[ElkNut1]

Is it most likely because there's other seasons & tags going on at the same time? MZ?

ElkNut1

[planebow]

Not in CO, evidence must be left on no matter what tag, or what season.

It is the same in Montna

[ElkNut1]

If cow or bull is legal with a bow what's the reason for evidence of sex?

ElkNut1

[planebow]

If cow or bull is legal with a bow what's the reason for evidence of sex?

ElkNut1

I have not figured that out either so I just follow the law in case I get checked.

[Goneelkn]

If cow or bull is legal with a bow what's the reason for evidence of sex?

ElkNut1

Different parts of the state(CO anyway) have different tags(bull/either sex). I'd guess for check stations.

[ElkNut1]

Thanks for the heads up on that, good to know!

ElkNut1

[mattstanton]

when hunting alone I de-bone everything to eliminate trips but when hunting with a group, I will quarter and we all pack what we can and get it done in one trip.

[N5J]

When we debone we leave evidence of sex on a large roast from the hind quarter. Usually wrap the sex organ in a baggie to prevent contamination to surrounding meat. F&G warden told me once, we need evidence of sex even if it's any sex unit if you debone...I said it doesn't make sense, your in an any sex unit...he said I'll ticket you if you don't because it says you need evidence of sex in the hunting regulation book. Go figure....

N5J

James

[Blackhorn]

This is the best video I have seen on the gutless method for those intrested. http://elk101.com/webisodes/gutless-video/

[caperoll/Scott]

I've done both it depends on how far away from the turck the elk is. It realy dosen't take that much longer to bone one out and it realy lightens the load on the pack out.

[bearman da man]

Guys, this is an easy one for me.....Quarter because I don't know how to debone.....or drag out with the ATV to the road and put in the pickup. What can I say, have been hunting the same real estate since I was 5....know the country boys, know the country.

[supermo26]

If deboning is done in the field, how is meat "hung?" I thought it was best to hang meat in a meat locker or fridge allowing cool air to surround the meat?


Is it perfectly fine to just place deboned meat into a cooler with ice / or into a fridge on a shelf?



I'm asking cause I don't know. This is my first year hunting. I haven't taken an elk yet. I did get a fork and horn dear with my bow. It was small enough that I cut him in half and placed in a fridge. I rotated him from side to side every day or so to make sure it was good.

[Vanish]

@supermo - Some people say you should age game meat, others say it doesn't matter. Its more of a personal preference.

The more important thing is making sure the meat doesn't go bad due to heat.

[Indian Summer]

Hi James and welcome to the Elknut Forums bud.

When deboning in the field you should place the cuts into game bags. Paul sells them on this sire in the Elknut Store. Keep the quarters all in their own bag if you can because it makes it easier for a butcher to know what's what. You can hang the bags easily.

Yes you can place meat on a shelf in a cooler.... but you'd need a pile of coolers to fit and entire elk. To age meat you can put it in a fridge or meat locker. Keep in mind to do it right it'll need to sit awhile and will actually form a nasty crust on the outside then you trim the exterior off so you'll lose a little meat. Like Vanish said.. aging meat is a personal preference & not a necessity.

[WindedBowhunter]

It truly is the individuals preference! There is the opportunity for "bone sour", but other than this the decision is yours.

For my, I prefer de-boning as it is lighter in weight and my pack can hold the meat very well to keep it from shifting around in the pack.

Others already, have may great points either way!

[NH Hunter]

The last two year's we've been deboning in the field to keep weight down on the pack out. This year I got a cow late in the day so we gutless quartered and hung the 4 quarters and packed out the backstraps, baby loins and the head (for CWD testing) because our packs were already pretty full of our normal hunting stuff. The next morning we went back with empty packs, deboned the quarters and each hauled out a front and a hind in our packs, uphill. I don't think we'll do it that way again. We're getting too old for that....too much weight. It cut down on the number trips but I think I'd prefer to haul less weight. I don't mind hauling meat but I HATE hauling out that stupid head. Cow elk should come with a carrying handle between their ears.

[ferris bugler]

I like to quarter mine just to help keep things a little cleaner. It seems easier to keep hair and dirt off.