Hind Quarter Funk

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jarodjohns

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Joined
Feb 12, 2013
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879
Location
Colorado
Had a successful hunt this week in Colorado, shot the elk at 10,200 ft before dark, went in the next morning and started packing him out. Two hind quarters came down first to ice, then the two front quarters with the back straps and tenderloins, got home late last night and started processing this morning. The two front quarters had no odor, one of the hind quarters had an odor, the last hind quarter had no odor. I can't imagine it being bad but is there something that could cause this?
 
Never had an issue with the process you described. Can you elaborate on this odor you smell? Seems odd all 4 of the quarters got the same treatment and one smells off? Personally I don't like putting body temperature or freshly killed meat on ice. I've let quarters "cool" in 65-70 degrees before placing them on ice and never lost meat. Like @sp6x6 said about trapping heat, i definitely dont like putting warm quarters on top of each other in an icechest. Logic tells me this traps heat. Maybe this could have been the culprit?
 
certainly could be bad luck, as it was high ~60's midday and 28 that night. So could be the side he was laying on never cooled properly. As for the smell, can't describe it which is why I feel it's likely a loss.
 
Ckleeves said:
Were the quarters off the carcass and skinned and hung up that night?
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They were not, we didn't want to try and pack it out in the dark. It took 8 hours in the daylight with 3 of us the next morning. Just hate the thought of losing a whole quarter. Especially when it didn't smell at all when packing out
 
jarodjohns said:
They were not, we didn't want to try and pack it out in the dark. It took 8 hours in the daylight with 3 of us the next morning. Just hate the thought of losing a whole quarter. Especially when it didn't smell at all when packing out
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Really? If you're scared of the dark, then don't shoot one right before last light. Irresponsible and if I were a warden I'd give you a ticket in a heartbeat.
 
Not quartering is a a recipe for disaster even in sub zero temps with elk. I'm a little surprised the other hind is ok honestly. They hold a ton of heat from the ball joint down to the tib if the skin is still on. Even if I'm solo and it's gonna be midnight before I make it back to camp or my truck I'm getting it quartered and off the ground. Even in archery season temps never had a problem as long as I'm back there packing first thing in the AM. I'll usually at least get a front and some trim out that night just to ease the work load the next day.
 
Muddybuddy said:
Really? If you're scared of the dark, then don't shoot one right before last light. Irresponsible and if I were a warden I'd give you a ticket in a heartbeat.
Click to expand...
Who said anything about scared of the dark? How the hell would you ticket me when it was shot within legal hunting hours and I went back the next morning to retrieve?
 
Ive seen an elk left overnight for the same reasons and they lost meat in the rear quarters... lessons learned: If you don't want to work into the night then you shouldn't shoot one at the end of the day. Gotta get the hide off right away. If it smells you lost meat.
I bring a 50ft bundle of paracord in my pack to hang quarters at the kill site while I start packing out the elk, daylight or last light... its skinned, quartered and off the ground, everything, before I leave the kill site for the first haul out.
 

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