Wyoming elk hunt a success

[gunmart]

Well I am back from my elk hunt in wyoming.my group of 9 killed 7 elk.4 bulls and 3 cows.2 6x6 and 2 5x5.thanks to all that contributed to my request for gear.i found a couple of things that I did not take that I needed luckily someone there had some.the first thing was a good Wyoming saw and a good sharpening stone.also if we had not had a horse in camp I would have needed one of those carts to carry out the quarters…(that's on my list for next year…)

One word.(moleskin)!!!!we were walking in about 4 miles everyday and then up about 2000 ft more in elevation .wow talk about a long hunt.i cant wait to go back next year.we found a real honey hole.anyone interesed in meeting up next year? get a general elk lic in wyoming and we will hook up...


also I think I will reserve me my own horse.

[Ron Ankeny]

Glad you did well. I use a Wyoming saw to split the rib cage and pelvis, remove the head and to quarter the elk. Now that I am getting older, wiser, and weaker, I use the same technique most of the outfitters use if I need to carry the critter more than about a foot.

Run your knife from the tail bone to right behind the ears. Then cut down both legs to the leg pit, go horizontal to the brisket to center of the rib cage and cape the critter as normal. Then skin the back down exposing the loins. Skin the hind end. Remove the loins. Cut off the back legs and the front legs.

You now have cape, front legs, hams, and backstraps removed and you only had to roll the beast over once to do it. In Wyoming that is as far as you need to go and in reality you are only losing a handful of hamburger and the tenderloins inside the elk. If you really want the tenderloins you can go ahead and gut the critter, but I don't bother.

When I first saw this practiced I thought it was wasteful. However, I have discussed this technique with a couple of meat cutters and a couple of Game and Fish guys and they not only condone it, they recommend it. If you do it this way you only need a sharp hunting knife and I have even seen it done with the knife blade on a Leatherman tool. If you know how to do it, the head pops right off at the base of the skull with no sawing or chopping around.

[BadMedicine]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>In Wyoming that is as far as you need to go and in reality you are only losing a handful of hamburger and the tenderloins inside the elk. If you really want the tenderloins you can go ahead and gut the critter, but I don't bother.
[/quote]

You leave the backstrap??? On an elk that's got to be 10-20 lbs of the best meat on the animal, and you leave it?? When we shoot something too far from transportation we JOKE about ONLY taking the backstrap And the ribs? There is alot of good burger meat on the ribs. Not a flame, Just haven't ever heard of this strange method.


[This message has been edited by BadMedicine (edited October 25, 2000).]

[Al Thompson]

Bad, around here folks do something like that, but it's called a poachers roll. Not sure on elk, but for deer in thick places it works well. I do love the tenderloins, so I modify it a bit and take the tenderloins.

Gunmart - other than the knife, what else "gear wise" worked or didn't work?

Giz

[gunmart]

worked,
moleskin,heat and serve meals(great warm up),compact bino(left the big ones at camp),gps,3 pair of gloves in pack(used them all in the snow),neck warmer or scarf,sockliners,goretex jacket,leg gaiters(a must for keeping snow and mud off of your legs),wiggys fishnet underware(these worked like advertised,i never felt cold or wet),rangefinder,and motarola radios.

things i did not use where,

fire starter,space blanket and emergency supplies.it was unnessecary with as many people as we had.

ill add some bandaids and moleskin to my pack list next year along with a good saw.also i was always running out of water by mid day.i will get one of those water bottles with the filter on them and some chem tablets so i can use the stream water.one of the guys had one and he was very popular...he keep filling us up.that is a must.....also i found by accident that my gps, rangefinder and flashlite and radio all used aa batteries so taking in one set of extra batteries was a good idea..

i will forgo the 9 lbs 26 inch magnum next year for a ultra lite 6 lb 30-06 with 22 inch barrell..carring around a 9 lb rifle for 8-10 miles and climbing hills all day was no fun at all.i am thinging about a weatherby ultarlite with a carbon barrell.should weigh in with scope at 6 lbs...it might kick like a mule but at least i wont be carring a mule

also if you do not have access to horses or a 4x4 i strongly recommend taking in 2 frame packs and leaving them in the area you are hunting.it will sure make getting out the head and quarters out alot eaiser or get one of the game carts they advertise in cabelas.

[Ron Ankeny]

Hey guys turn down the flame throwers. The first item removed is the loins which is also called the backstraps. I would never waste the best chompin' on the whole critter. I also made it clear that you can gut it and take the tender loins out of the inside like Gizmo99 does.

The reason the critter is cut up the way I indicated is to allow for proper cooling as well as getting it manageable for packing. If I have horses I quarter an elk with hide on unless it's hot. If you need to bone it out or use the method I described, chances are it is more than a couple of blocks to camp and you will need to make more than one trip.

Each year thousands of pounds of perfectly good meat is spoiled because people are too lazy to take care of it properly. Meat spoils from the inside out and elk and moose have a lot of mass. A 6x6 bull elk isn't a white tail deer, you gotta get that core temperature down.

I have gutted well over 50 elk and I have boned only one completely out. I carried it on a pack frame out of a Wyoming wilderness area. I have used the method described above only twice and it is a great way to be assured of not losing the meat while assuring minimal waste. All three times I was alone and several miles from camp with no giddy up go horsey.

Like some of you, I thought the method odd and the first time I saw it done I called the game warden and reported the guys who did it for wanton waste. I was pissed to the max. After, discussing the issue with the game and fish, outfitters, etc., I learned it is a good solution if you are in a real bad spot.

Gunmart:

I apologize for messing your thread up. I mentioned the technigue because of you reference to the long trip in and not having a saw.

Bad Medicine:

I hope that clears things up for you. I see you edited your post. I'll bet it was a real butt ripper the first time around wasn't it, lol.

[This message has been edited by Ron Ankeny (edited October 25, 2000).]

[BadMedicine]

I always read my post for typos, I decided to "re-word" a few things.

I consider the meat on the back of the ribcage (inside) backstrap also. Hmmm. I agree about boning out the meat to cool it. Up in alaska you have to take ALL the meat. Neck meat right up to the head, ribs, and leg meat to the 2nd joint. Seriosly, how much meat is on a deer below the knee? On black bear they have quite different regs, depending on the year, and area.

[gunmart]

no problemo