To Bone out or Not to is the question

[frostop]

IdahoCTD, I would love to see your routine if you have the time to take the pictures!!

Seems like a guy should be able to make a five trip(bull elk) into maybe a four trip pack-one guy!??

I've been involved in several pack outs, unfortunately only three were mine, always with bone on, but there was always lots of help available and maybe 2-3 miles to camp/truck.

 

[IdahoCTD]

I packed a boneless 5 point bull out in 2 trips last year by myself. They were not light packs at probably 125+lbs each but it saved me trips. When I was in shape I packed everything but a hind quarter of a spike bull by myself but that was in my 20's, 20 years ago. We shot 3 bulls from the same herd and my buddy had a knife accident the second day so I packed 1.25 elk out in 3 days. Each trip was about 7 miles, mostly down hill. I was ready to be done packing meat at at that point. I had already shot a cow a couple months earlier so I gave half the elk away to some people we met up there.

Even with a bone an elk should never be more than 4 trips IMO and 3 should be doable with semi heavy (around 80-90lb) packs. I'd take one hind quarter with a back strap and any neck meat twice and then do both fronts with the horns (if it's a bull).

 

[horse killer]

I have gone the gutless method and boned out all the elk that I have shot the last 5 years. If it is further than 2 miles from a road I will never go back to bone in. The group of friend I hunt with have packed out close to 10 elk in the last 5 years this way and have never had any problems wit meat spoiling.

 

[frostop]

IdahoCTD, That is about what I was thinking-Hind quarter less the bone and a backstrap was about what I was thinking and the front and the horns, yeah I could see that working. I have never done it that way but that makes sense. lightbulb

 

[IdahoCTD]

I had to gut 2 of the 3 bulls we shot last year because it was late in the afternoon when we shot them. I only got one boned out, I was with 2 pretty green people, before it started getting dark. We still didn't get out until 3 hours after dark. Generally I don't go dumpster diving (into the guts for the tenderloins) until the whole elk has been boned out. It's so much cleaner for the meat that way and the guts just fall out of the way with fairly easy access to the tenderloins.

A week from now we should have 2 elk dead and my wife won't cut them up or get near that so I'll stick her on camera duty.

 

[Barrelnut]

I do as above also. No need to get guts, urine, poo, and cud all over everything before all of hams, shoulders, and back straps are off. Then you can get the tenderloins and run a knife through the ribs and put that meat in a separate bag. The only thing I don't bone out is the neck. I love neck roast in the crock pot too much! I carry the neck out in a separate bag bone and all...

 

[Timber338]

... I love neck roast in the crock pot too much! I carry the neck out in a separate bag bone and all...

Always interesting to hear how other guys are cooking up their meat once they get it home. My first meal back home is always the heart, either fajitas or stir fry.

Anybody pack out the liver? And I've heard that elk tongue is amazing... But never tried it.

 

[NYSHUNTER]

Timber,

Liver lightly salted and peppered with onions and bacon.. Taste so GOOD!!!!

 

[frostop]

This is great. I really enjoy making sausage etc. This year I kept the liver and heart from my deer, haven't done anything with it yet. Waiting for the wife to be gone or for a camp meal with someone that will appreciate it. I personally have never tried either!!

 

[mtnwrunner]

I think that quartering is easier for the meat to age but if anyone has spend anytime backpack hunting more than a mile from your vehicle, I can not imagine what you would want to pack out bones. It takes a bit longer to bone an animal but man, it is WAY easier to pack. I bone everything now if I am away from a vehicle. And we usually have our spike camp on our back also, so lighter is mooch betta.

Randy

 

[Tikkamike]

Most of my meat tends to get backpacked out. With deer I will often carry the bone. If I were solo and wanted to get it out in one trip, I would bone it. With elk they almost always get boned out. Bones are heavy.

When we bone out we try to take the meat off in muscle groups and in as big of pieces as possible. I will generally leave neck and rib meat. Getting the meat off the bone also helps in getting the body heat out more quickly.

Steve

The only thing I will add is that usually when you bone out the meat cools too quickly and you get tough steaks

 

[MachV]

The only critter I have gutted in the last 7 years was a cow elk a couple years ago. I was just starting to cut down the back when I noticed the truck coming for us=Cut the belly, gutted and threw her in the truck.
With goats and deer they get boned out where they land, threw in the backpack with a little ice and hauled to the truck cooler. A goat is a very easy haul out when you bone it out, a deer is one big haul with the head!
As mentioned the meat tends to be a little tuffer when you bone it out warm but the faster you can cool a goat the better and the meat aint tuff anyway!
This works great when there is a cooler waiting but it might not work as well for hanging at camp??