Packing out elk any advise.

[mojo]

New to the horse riding looking for some advice. Got a cow elk tag that is all but a 100% kill. The country is foot or horse back only. Need some tips on getting the horse calmed down at the kill and also cutting it up to pack out.

[larry]

take the bones out of it in the field if you have to pack it yourself. If your horse won't let you load him? Blind fold him, tie up a hind foot, and load him! Have a good hold of him when you drop the hind foot and yank the blind fold, in that order. If you don't know how to do these things, get someone that does or get a packframe and pack it out yourself boned. You don't need a horse wreck out in the boonies.

[M Evertsen]

I have no clue how to pack a horse, I figure I better not mess with something that is bigger, smarter, and more stubborn than me. Therefore, I have no horse.

I have, however, packed out elk on my back.

Do a search for the gutless method, alaskan method, etc. It basically entails skinning the carcass on the spot with no gutting, cutting the legs off at the shoulder and hip joints, cutting all the loose meat off, and finally reaching in and getting the tenderloins from behind the back bone.

If done correctly and evenly, the quarters should all weigh the same. If the quarters are not the same, then the loose meat from the carcass can be used to equal out the weight on the saddle I assume, though I have never loaded a horse before with meat.

The parts from my cow elk this year weighed 195 lbs, which was the four legs, and half a 5 gallon bucket of loose meat. The tenderloins and back straps were cut up at home.

I did that elk by my self in 5 trips, so it is manageable.

Later,

Marcial

[Conejos]

If you can get someone to help you I would highly suggest it! I used to pack elk out of the wilderness for hunters a couple of years ago. When they would rent or borrow horses and head out they always seemed to kill an elk attempt to load it up and then when they got out of the emergency room I would get a call. I have packed them out on my back as well and like was said the guttless method works well although an animal as big as a cow elk can make for some back breakin work and maybe a few trips. I would suggest you find someone who can go in after you kill it to pack it out for you. someone who has the animals that deal with that kind of work regularly. If you shop around you should be able to find someone who can do it resonably cheap. No elk is worth getting hurt way back in the boonies.

[Brady Davis]

[sheimer]

This is something I used to do for a living. There are several methods that work, and work well. There are some that do not work so well....

There are several things that should come into play before you even start to pack one out. How far is it to the truck? How large are your pack animals? How many trips are you willing to make? How much time do you have? What type of pack saddle do you have? Do you know how to "sling" or tie a "basket hitch"? What is the terrain like? Do you have a set of panniers or just manny tarps? How much farther are you going to have to ride compared to just walking(how close can you get the trailer)? What type of physical shape are you in?

If it's within a mile or so to the truck, just use a pack frame on your back. The horses require quite a bit of time to catch, feed, saddle, load, haul, get ready, and the inverse when you get back.

I wouldn't skin it, just leave the hide on and remove as much leg and neck as possible. If you just "quarter" it, there is only 4 pieces to deal with. If you bone it out, there are too many to count and all the meat is exposed to air and will need to be trimmed later. I used to be able to tie a rear quarter inside a front quarter and then put them on a pack frame and walk out. Probably couldn't do it now, unless I absolutely had to. One quarter with bone in is plenty on your back. Most horses can handle a front and rear quarter on each side if it's not too far. If it's a long ways or steep country, I'd use two horses.

This is something that you should be SHOWN how to do the first COUPLE times before attempting for the first time by yourself.



This is a spike bull on a horse last year.

Scott

[horshur]

[larry]

[Mike Leonard]

Sheimer,

Excellent advice!!!!

Horshur also great advice and what a great book ( Horses, Hitches & Rocky Trails by Joe Back.)!


My first initiation in packing elk was watching Howard Copenhaver and crew pack elk out of the Bob in Montana. you talk about smooth, effortless and professional! But that is what this man did all his life and he was at the head of his game. I mean that bunch could get er done. I was just a kid and I marveled at it, and years later while in colorado I watch some of the most unorthodoxed packing I ever saw by guys who also were doimng it for a living and I mean they got it done but comparing them to the packers in the bob Marshall wilderness was like comparing a Sunday hacker with tiger Woods. LOL!

When you talk about slinging elk quarter, I saw a guy down here in New Mexico over by Chama who could get and elk down, cut up slung and out of there slicker than scum on a Louisiana sawmp. He didn't use panniers or a dang thing and he could sling them out on a riding saddle with light rope, and boom he was gone! I asked him one time where he learned to do that so quick? He winked and said when you grew up living on poached elk in the back country you got pretty good at moving fast. LOL!

[logger57000]

I've used the meat bags that go over riding saddles. They work well if your on pretty good trails, that aren't too narrow. With pack saddles I prefer the deckers as I tie with mannys. I can pack anything in this way and is much more sturdy. Less chance of wrecks on steep narrow trails and can take a beating against trees and rocks. A very good book I've found on this is Packing in on Horses and Mules, by Smoke Elsner. I've found that the stock I use if its their first time. I just tie them up by the carcass and they'll give it a few sniffs then get more interested in grazing anyway, give them a bit to get used to it. Am lucky enough to haven't had any serious wrecks. I am no expert and only packed for myself. Most of my experience has been with Mules. Good Luck, Mark

[AzLionHunter]

[quote="sheimer"]
I wouldn't skin it, just leave the hide on and remove as much leg and neck as possible.


I think you gave great advice but I don't know why you wouldn't skin it? I was always taught to get the hide off as quickly as possible so that the meat can cool and not go rancid.

[sheimer]

[MT Hounder]

If you leave the hide on it keeps yor meat alot cleaner, and a lot less waste.

[AzLionHunter]

Both good points. I have only hunted down here in Arizona and it can be HOT. Game shot in the morning can spoil with the hide on by the evening and the hide is sure heavy to pack out. We usually skin them out and put the meat in cotton game bags. Whatever meat needs to be trimmed up for butchering goes to the dogs so I don't feel like I have wasted anything. Well, any way you do it, happiness is a warm gut pile, IMO.

[kehrer10]

just shoot one close to the road, its a lot less work and not as far away from the cooler!