Elk down, it's getting late, now what?

[Bringitbig]

Here's a hypothetical situation for you elk hunters to ponder over and give your thoughts to me as well as other readers maybe wondering the same thing.

There's 5 minutes of legal shooting light left, you spot a bull (or cow if that's what your tag says) worth taking and you make the shot. Elk is down for good within minutes.

Now, you have the critical chore of getting the elk field dressed by yourself, which is no problem because you have the right tools and light. To put a wrench in the gears, you're 5 miles back, on foot. You could make it out tonight with one quarter. But, what do you do with the rest of the meat considering you won't be able to get back till tomorrow?

You should clearly understand that this scenario is very possible. This is the way I hunt elk every year, minus harvesting an elk every year I'm sorry to say. Keep in mind that I typically hunt in ID where the wolf population is way more than most hunters would prefer...please don't get started on the wolf topic...lol

I feel the options are as follows, not necessarilly in any order;

1. You pack your quarter out at night and hope for the best with the rest...keeping the meat cool is no problem as the temps are in the 20's at night and 50's during the day?

2. You stay the night with the elk to ward off predators, make the best out of it, then carry out a quarter the next morning and bring others with you that mid-morning to help get the remaining?

3. Combination of number 1 and then hang the quarters high above the ground with rope that's in your pack and then return mid-morning with help?

4. You leave the field dressed elk as a whole, haul tail back to camp and then work through the night with others to pack all the meat out before sunrise? Considering they're willing to do this of coarse, not likely in my camp, so please don't automatically select this one, leave it as a pipe dream.

5. You stay with the elk until it's all been eating by yourself? I'm just kidding about this one.


There you have it, so, let me, (readers), know what you think?

Robert

 

[Speckmisser]

No worries from this angle. Should be no big deal to hang the remnants in a tree out of coyote reach and go back the next day. We handled two elk like that last season in CO without any loss to scavengers, and I know guides who do that regularly. That's black bear country too, and to be honest, I was a lot more worried about that meat than the guides were.

If I were in that situation, I'd pack out the prime cuts with me, backstraps, tenderloins, and one quarter, then come back the next day with "the troops" to get the rest.

The only exception might be in grizzly country, but even then, get it way up in a strong tree and hope for the best. I wouldn't want to be screwing around with an elk carcass in the middle of the night in griz country anyway... and I sure as heck ain't gonna sleep on it. Griz can eat my elk, I don't want him to eat ME!

 

[crodog]

Speck. hit the nail on the head...that's what I would do too.

Cro.

 

[Bringitbig]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Speckmisser @ Aug 28 2006, 05:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

No worries from this angle. Should be no big deal to hang the remnants in a tree out of coyote reach and go back the next day. We handled two elk like that last season in CO without any loss to scavengers, and I know guides who do that regularly. That's black bear country too, and to be honest, I was a lot more worried about that meat than the guides were.

If I were in that situation, I'd pack out the prime cuts with me, backstraps, tenderloins, and one quarter, then come back the next day with "the troops" to get the rest.

The only exception might be in grizzly country, but even then, get it way up in a strong tree and hope for the best. I wouldn't want to be screwing around with an elk carcass in the middle of the night in griz country anyway... and I sure as heck ain't gonna sleep on it. Griz can eat my elk, I don't want him to eat ME![/b]

Man you guys are critical...just kidding. No worries about Grizzly where I hunt in ID, except for maybe a very hugry rogue from WAY up Northeast to me...like 125 miles, I'm not too worried about them. I'm more critical of wolves, mountain lions, fly's, wasps, and such. Think about it, I have a rifle, plenty of artificial lite, and enough adrenaline to keep me wide awake all night with a good fire.

But man I like the way you think. There is no limit except the mind, keep em' coming please.

Also, please don't suggest horses or mules, consider them not an option...just muscle, sweat, blood and tears from humans...man am I going to owe my camp hunters a big one if this really happens.

Robert

 

[MULIES4EVER]

Had a situation like this happen about three years ago. My son and I got a cow down late in the evening and i had the great idea to drag her downhill whole as far as i could then quarter her up to make the pack job easier. Did a beutiful job and hung the quarters off the ground to keep them clean. After hanging them I realized I was near an old road and thought I could get my wheeler in fairly close to get the meat out. My son and I start to hike out to get wheeler. It is now getting dark and heading up old road. I failed to notice a downed tree in grass and wheeler comes over on me and breaks ribs. Luckily my son was clear and unharmed. Now please realize that I am not one of those guys who drive a wheeler right through areas that should not be driven on. I like to keep wild things wild. As i said this was an old road that was grown over. Also I was only on it to retrieve game. Anyway with wheeler straddling a tree and ribs broke I somehow managed to move my polaris off tree and get it back on the road. If you have ever broken ribs you can appreciate this task. We headed for home and I was grateful that I took the time to hang the quarters so nicely before i left the elk. I returned with a buddy the next morning and he gratefully packed my elk down to his wheeler. The meat aired out beutifully and was entirely devoured over the following year by my family. After taking the meat home i went to see the doc and he congratulated me on broken ribs. The cool air was good for the meat and nothing was lost to predators.

 

[YORT40]

I usually hunt cows in Dec. so this method would not work in different seasons of the year. But, twice now, I've dropped an animal in the late afternoon, both times we field dressed the cow while light was fading. Then we covered the cow with our sweat shirts to keep the meat eaters away with human scent. We came back the next moring and finished the job.

 

[84toyota]

I was in this exact situation two years ago in Colorado... I was hunting cow elk with a muzzleloader in early September... I shot my cow right at dark. As a matter of fact, the flame from the muzzleloader was easily seen... But it was still legal shooting time. Luckily my dad was with me (as he had killed his cow earlier in the afternoon). We were already packing half of his elk out when I shot mine. We were right at 5 miles deep in the wilderness area. We proceeded to cut my elk up (actually boned it all out) and laid the meat on rocks to cool out overnight. I killed the elk in a very large avalanche chute, and there was nowhere nearby to hang the meat... I crossed my fingers that the bears, lions, and coyotes would leave it alone overnight... By the time we were done cutting it up and laying out on rocks, it was around 10:30 P.M. We continued back to camp with half of my dad's elk... arrived at camp about midnight. Woke up at 4:00 A.M. Hiked all the way to my elk, bagged all of the meat up, and packed the meat down to the trail. We left it there, went all the way to where my dad killed his (about 7 miles deep), grabbed the rest of his elk - then packed it the 7 miles back to base camp. Turned around, and went back for the first load of my elk. Grabbed half, went the 5 miles back to base camp, dumped it off, turned around and went back for the last half of my elk. All said and done, we figured between 2:00 P.M on Thursday to about 11:00 P.M. on Friday, we packed two elk out on our backs... covering somewhere in the neighborhood of 48 miles back and forth... I know, it sounds ridiculous, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it... We could barely move the following 2 weeks...

Ken

 

[jindydiver]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (84toyota @ Aug 29 2006, 11:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I was in this exact situation two years ago in Colorado... I was hunting cow elk with a muzzleloader in early September... I shot my cow right at dark. As a matter of fact, the flame from the muzzleloader was easily seen... But it was still legal shooting time. Luckily my dad was with me (as he had killed his cow earlier in the afternoon). We were already packing half of his elk out when I shot mine. We were right at 5 miles deep in the wilderness area. We proceeded to cut my elk up (actually boned it all out) and laid the meat on rocks to cool out overnight. I killed the elk in a very large avalanche chute, and there was nowhere nearby to hang the meat... I crossed my fingers that the bears, lions, and coyotes would leave it alone overnight... By the time we were done cutting it up and laying out on rocks, it was around 10:30 P.M. We continued back to camp with half of my dad's elk... arrived at camp about midnight. Woke up at 4:00 A.M. Hiked all the way to my elk, bagged all of the meat up, and packed the meat down to the trail. We left it there, went all the way to where my dad killed his (about 7 miles deep), grabbed the rest of his elk - then packed it the 7 miles back to base camp. Turned around, and went back for the first load of my elk. Grabbed half, went the 5 miles back to base camp, dumped it off, turned around and went back for the last half of my elk. All said and done, we figured between 2:00 P.M on Thursday to about 11:00 P.M. on Friday, we packed two elk out on our backs... covering somewhere in the neighborhood of 48 miles back and forth... I know, it sounds ridiculous, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it... We could barely move the following 2 weeks...

Ken[/b]

Goes to show how wrong the PETA types are when they say we just like to kill things, and that is what hunting is all about for us.

Good on you for making the effort to get it all out

 

[jpeaston]

Its happened to me.

I gutted it, peeled back some skin to help cool, pulled it to where the wind was entering the cavity, and when there was snow packed with snow. Rent horses and pack it out the next morning. Seems to work the best for me, and I hate to cut hot meat.

For predators, pee a circle around it, pur brush on top of the animal and throw a garment on the brush for scent. The first time I didn't utilize the bushes and the magpies had a party on one of my quarters.

 

[Taos]

Been there done that. Get elk cooled, cover with a littlt brush against the magpies, leave a stinky peice of clothing with it against the cats and coyotes and come back and get it in the morning with ample help. This has worked for me for years with no problems.

 

[Redneck75]

I've been through this situation three different times elk hunting in Western Oregon. I spent the night with the animal twice since walking out in the dark was not an option due to the terrain. I built a nice fire and relaxed. One other time, it was practical to walk out in the dark so we built a real large bonfire about 20 feet from the tree we hung the quarters in and left it for the night. I have no worries about leaving the meat...as long as you hang it in the trees first. I always have the essentials in my pack for spending a night or two in the woods when elk hunting so it's not a problem camping out on an animal. Either is a good option.

 

[Monsterbull]

I've done it a few times. I'm usually several miles back in the wilderness so, unless I know I can get a friend to come in with a horse the next day, I don't quarter 'em anymore (bones are heavy!). Bone it out, hang the meat bags (which I cover with a small tarp in case it rains) as high as I can, then pack out the head and a bag of meat. Head back up the next morning with the boys and get the rest.

With any luck, this scenario will play out this weekend.

 

[hunthog]

Easy question for me since I did it 2 years ago.

The elk must be skinned to cool the meat.

Bone all the meat, put it into the bag(s) you always carry into the field....right ?

Carry what you can out immediately which in my case wasn't much since I hunt light and only had a fanny pack. Backstrap, 1 hindquarter.

Hang the rest as high as possible with the parachute cord you always carry into the field....right?

Keep going back with help for the rest of the night until you get the rest out. This is where that GPS and backup GPS comes in handy as well as all the marking tape you'll hang all the way out to mark the trail.

You can wait until the next morning but since you'll have to walk in in the dark to get there before it warms up you might as well walk in the dark during the night.

My partner and I carried a Cow out that was 3 miles in (lucky the walk in was up hill and the walk out was downhill) in 3 trips since we took the meat packs in on the first trip back. We were done around 5AM.

The next day was a non-hunt day........go figure

hunthog

 

[barel74]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Redneck75 @ Sep 1 2006, 02:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

One other time, it was practical to walk out in the dark so we built a real large bonfire about 20 feet from the tree we hung the quarters in and left it for the night.[/b]

Not sure leaving a fire is a great idea.

 

[Redneck75]

Leaving a fire is a great idea...it works to keep predators away. Granted, there's parts of the country you wouldn't want to do it in due to fire danger but in Western Oregon during the November elk hunt there is 0 chance of starting a forest fire.

 

[D8hntr]

I wouldn't be advertising on the internet that I left an unattended fire no matter what part of the woods I was in. That kind of stuff gets frowned on no matter where it's at. Especially 20ft from a tree.

 

[alsatian]

I read one approach is to put pepper on the meat to keep yellow jackets and flies off the meat; place the meat into heavy cloth bags; make a bed of criss-crossed branches to promote air circulation; place the meat bags on the criss-crossed branches; cover the bags with more branches to keep birds off the meat; urinate around the wood pile to keep predators away. Most of the pepper washes readily off the meat. The pepper is probably more useful in archery season, before frosts have dispatched the insect hordes for the year.