Leaving an elk over night

[BBND]

I've only got 1 year of elk hunting and 2 years of mountain hunting under my belt, so I'm pretty green.

I'm going through realistic scenarios in my head and I'm wondering what I should do if I put one down back in the hills at dusk.

I will be hunting solo and without animals, so the idea of trying to get an elk cut up and out in physically challenging country in the dark is not appealing. My dad and I did this last year and it took us 5 hours working together!

My thought is that I will cut the quarters and try to hang them and then get them out the next day. I would carry the back straps and tenderloins out that night.

I remember talking to a guy who had shot one in this area last year at dark and he gutted it and left it. I couldn't stop thinking that the yotes or a black bear was likely to get it. Never saw him again to ask.

What do those of you experienced hunters with this situation recommend?

If it matters, I'll be hunting the Little Belts in MT.
Thanks

 

[DW]

The best thing to do is skin, quarter, bone, bag it, and get it in a tree. IMHO I've known guys that just gut em and leave em overnight and the meat will sour around the bone in the deepest parts

 

[FamilyMan]

I have been in that situation and have left elk overnight at least twice. My first concern would be spoilage from heat, especially if you are early in the season when temps are higher. If you skin and quarter the animal this shouldn't be too big a problem, but if you leave it with hide on it certainly can be, especially on the bottom side where it is difficult for heat to escape. At a minimum peal back the hide and spread the legs.

Next concern in the Little Belts would be bears. Fortunately this is not grizzly bear country, but the black bears can still be a potential problem from both safety and meat-loss standpoints. Leave a few pieces of clothing with your sent laying on the animal, and be careful on your return to glass the kill site from a distance and make some noise to warn any bears that you are approaching the carcass.


Good luck.

Mark

My hunting spot is so secret, not even the elk have found it yet.

 

[zekers]

The guys are right, just get it quartered and hanging in a tree upwind of the gut pile 50 plus yards. Hang some clothes on the tree with the quarters. Any critters around will usually go for the carcass first. Don't just gut and leave as the neck will usually sour if warm. Good luck!

 

[Gator]

Get as much bone out as you can before hanging it, Lost a elk like that in NM one year the bears chewed the rope where my bloody hands had pulled on it, They really trashed the meat, you can try the sweaty clothes that should help( it didn't work for me) But I was in a area that they was dumping city bears in and they really did mind the clothes.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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[mtmuley]

I've left lots of bulls whole overnite. Never a problem. Gut it, split the pelvis and rib cage and spread as wide as you can. Peel the hide back on the neck. If you can get deadfall under the elk for airflow it helps. Leave the shirt you've worn closest to your body and take a leak close if you can. We have lots of bears, and the added bonus of wolves. mtmuley

 

[mntman]

Almost every single elk I shot has had some to all of the meat left out over night.
+1 of all above, I have only had one issue of animals getting into the meat (last year).
Had two mountain lions and a couple coyotes get into it over night. They covered the carcass but then also ripped 4 of my bags of meat. Some of it got eaten, some covered up with carcass but some was just scattered around. Rather pissed, but was able to go around and pick about half of meat back up. It had teeth marks in it where they would carry it but other than that it is nearly all gone and I am still alive


Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"


>wah wah wah......
a certain individuals response on 8/12/2014 to anyone that commits suicide.
http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID11/19864.html
There are many things that would be nice to wish for or say but then I would be just like him.

 

[BBND]

Thank you very much guys.

I'm really enjoying the crowd here and the willingness to help a fellow hunter out. I realize my questions are pretty green, but I've learned it's better to ask a seemingly obvious question than find out there's a better way after the fact.

These responses give me a better piece of mind about leaving an elk over night if I have to.

Thanks again.

 

[DW]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-01-14 AT 09:18AM (MST)[p]X

 

[nvthrt]

I've had to leave a lot of bulls. Almost always leave them whole unless it's really hot or have the time to break them down. I start caping, slit all the way to the top of the head and skin down enough to get the windpipe out, that's always the first thing to come out after the guts. Leave that open and split the brisket and prop it open as best as I can. I've never had one spoil yet. Leave some clothes around and on it, pissing all around It is good for the mind too.

 

[mevertsen]

In 2009 I shot a cow that was a ways from a road (that we knew of). It was near sunset and my dad and I skinned and quartered the elk and hung the legs in the trees with the intention of coming back in the morning to recover it. I packed out the backstraps, tenderloins, and brisket meat back to the truck. On the way back to the truck, we did manage to find an old two track road that got us close and we managed to get it done that night.

I would have no problem hanging elk legs in trees over night, but I would do it some distance away from the carcass and guts. I also carry game bags in my back pack when elk hunting.

 

[DW]

Ask yer butcher his thoughts on guttin em and leavin em lay overnight. He deals with em for a living.

 

[mtmuley]

My butcher has no problem. Been using the same guy for 14 years. Leaving an elk whole overnite IS NOT A PROBLEM when done properly. You may not do it DW, but then I wouldn't take green stock into the backcountry or poach. Two things I've learned you will do from your posts here. mtmuley

 

[DW]

How do I poach?

 

[Cass]

>How do I poach?

-Cass

 

[trophyhunter]

Lots of good replies, I have been in similar situations hunting alone or until others arrived. I skin gutless method, debone and hang everything not going out in trees overnight. I carry 500 feet of cut up para cord to hang my Alaska Game Bags. Carry minimum 8 Alaska game bags in your backpack. Works the same if your just going to quarter your animal.....be prepared for predators on or around your game bags when you return. Make lots of noise when you get close to your storage sight.....if I'm alone and decide to pack everything out. I usually caravan out the bags. Moving each one 100yds or so then going back for the remaining bags and repeating the process until I have everything out. Keeps the meat safer than if I go out 3 miles with each bag etc. plus reduces the trekking.

Good luck, you don't know how big an elk is until you have one on the ground and you have to pack it out alone. Add terrain into the mix can multiply the task. Have a plan and be careful what you shoot and where you shoot it. Always easier to carry something down hill than up hill. I'm crazy so I do both


))))------->

 

[Navaluk]

Never leave them whole with the skin on. I was told they are too big and insulated by hide to leave out. This truth was given to me when I was in your shoes as a gung-ho green hunter, by an experienced elk killer who wanted to help me get better. Several years ago I accidentally saw it proved. My buddy and I each killed our cows the same evening the day after thanksgiving. There was 1-2 feet of snow in the open and maybe 6-10 inches in the timber. He gutted his, cut out the windpipe and wrestled the cow on some small logs belly up and propped open. Then he hiked out. I unknowingly killed my cow at about the same time and I skinned, hung all 4 quarters and boned out the rest into a game bag and hung it. Then I damn near died of hypothermia getting out, or at least it wasn't fun. Anyway, the next morning we each started leapfrogging our elk out.

His bone soured with night time temps that were 15-20 deg F. So I believe the old man who took the time to teach me right, and I pass his knowledge to you.

15 elk so far and zero sour and zero scavenger issues.

 

[BBND]

Thanks again everyone for taking the time to answer.

Lot's of good info.

I'll be doing the gutless method as well. I fully realize I'll have my work cut out for me if/when I get one on the ground.

Last year my dad and I each got an elk and I hauled most of both out myself, I'm in good shape and up for the task.

Most of the area I'll be hunting puts me no farther than about 2 miles from my vehicle as long as the elk co-operates and dies close to where I shoot it and the spot I'm going to hunt primarily is a long uphill hike, so if I get lucky, it'll all be downhill coming back.

Thanks again everyone! I'm leaving Nov. 1, I'll let you all know how my hunt turns out.

 

[TineMaster]

If the temp is cool enough but the real question is how to keep it out if the hands of coyotes and bears.
~Master the Tines~

 

[Deerlove]

I lost some neck meat Sat night, it was about 35 40 degrees and the hide was still on one side. The bull was shot just before dark, and we were back on it at 7.00 am.

 

[mmwb]

I've only left one on the mountain whole. Split the pelvis and brisket and skinned the neck open. He was fine.

Went in with a friend to pack out a bull he shot the night before one evening. He had field dressed it fine and it had several inches of snow on it when we got back up to it, but when I opened the hips up, the meat was hot to the touch. None of it soured, but it hammered home how much heat an elk can retain, between the mass and insulation. If you can, at least quarter them. If not, still skin them back a bit and get those heavy joints opened up (front and back).

 

[DW]

It's real simple boys, at 5 o'clock at the slaughter house, and they bolt the last steer for the day, do they gut it and leave it on the cooler floor? Or do they skin it, halve it, and hang it? And why do they do it that way? Because it's how to maximize quality and flavor! U can do it alotta ways, but there's only 1 way to maximize the flavor! All I got.

 

[Gator]

Over night skin it and prop it open for good air flow don't leave one side on the ground, Or quarter it and hang it, To easy to sour the meat where there is heavy bones and it keeps the heat in. Always skin to cool faster. Hot weather a cool stream of water will help cool meat.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[Zeke]

>It's real simple boys, at 5
>o'clock at the slaughter house,
>and they bolt the last
>steer for the day, do
>they gut it and leave
>it on the cooler floor?
>Or do they skin it,
>halve it, and hang it?
>And why do they do
>it that way? Because it's
>how to maximize quality and
>flavor! U can do it
>alotta ways, but there's only
>1 way to maximize the
>flavor! All I got.

Bingo! We have a winner!
Zeke