I have to ask, what do you mean by “dressed it up”? I’m assuming that you mean completely boneless as that is a 7.5 hour time frame.
To the OP, don’t over think it. Ourea alluded to this (I think), but you have to hunt elk where they are, not where you want them to be. Find sign, find where they live, and hunt them there. Sometimes that means diving over the edge and hunting them deep in the hell hole.
Once you have a bull dead, break it down into manageable pieces right front the start. A bull is physically intimidating when you first walk up to it, but all you really need is a backpack and a knife. A small saw and a few feet of paracord will help, but isn’t essential.
Split hide down the spine ears to tail, and skin off a side down to the hocks. Lift and cut the hind off and you will have a chunk of meat and bone that you can manage.
If you are mentally tough enough you can solo pack an elk in 4 trips, but you are going to feel it for a few days after. 5 trips is feasible but that load of neck meat/tenderloin/rib roll/backstraps/horns/and your stuff is gonna be a good’er.
6 loads and you are looking at some pretty easy trips, depending on terrain. The sense of accomplishment can’t be put into words though.
Soft, dead weight on a pack isn’t the same as a tidy, snug package that weighs the same. It WILL be off balance, and it might shift around, but it isn’t likely as heavy as you think it is. Packing meat is a mental game, break it down into manageable loads and get it done. (I always have a pack scale in my truck or in the shop, and record weights on everything. They are never as heavy as your mind is telling you, and when you weigh that first one and find out what it actually is, it gets easier mentally).
If the weather is warm, put your quarters up on brush or blowdown so air gets under it. If you are really concerned find the sinew seam on the hinds and open it up to the leg bone and put a little stick in there to keep it open before you bag it. That will let that heavy bone cool a lot faster and will really reduce the chance of bone sour.
Solo big game isn’t for everyone, but if you can prepare yourself mentally for it then you have the battle half won.
I've killed a few moose/elk in my time. I usually like them to be killed as close to the truck as possible. Saying this, I've packed out a few over the years on my back. Learn to bone out the critters! No need to pack out bone, if you do not need to! Remember, elk/moose burger is still as good to eat as a moose/elk roast or steak! Getting the meat and hide off the bone is critical to preventing spoilage in warmer temperatures!! Good quality game bags is also essential!! The packs of meat will be heavy, dead weigh that shifts around is :interesting" to carry, but like others have said, you remember the trip with every meal from that critter! Good luck with the solo hunt. I heard my first in nature elk bugle in 2007, and I haven't missed an elk season since!! I grew up listening to moose calling and grunting, and I still take every moose rut off from work!! Moosinaround
"A good day hunting is mud on your truck or blood on your hands"
“Some people go to church and think about hunting……………others go hunting and think about God!”
It's actually called the 375 "ouch and ouch"!!
"Not asking for any spots or anything like that............................................"
The above statement is absolutely true
Our elk scout starts on July 1 weekend (usually a week long camp out to see what was logged and locate their water/food sources and check in on a couple of Bull haunts we know of, water is the key though)
does not stop until successful harvest or end of season
I have learned the that to be successful with elk in my corner of region 8 you almost have to sleep with them once located
Good luck
"Just ask anybody who packs a 338... the 30-06 will bounce off a grizzly!"
"I am not here to awaken sheep, I am here to awaken sleeping lions" Husky7mm
So the bull was shot at 730am. Probably started working on him around 8am. Sent this photo to friend at 1:30.
Dressed for me is quartered up (bone-in) good cuts in a bag, and trimmings and neck meat in another.
Had to deal with head and neck meat. Friend arrived around 2 I'd say, and we got the head down to bone with no lower jaw. Tossed in last bit of neck meat and were gone.
When I head North it'll be bone out.
The moose was 6-01, south of Vanderhoof. Experienced Van Isle buddy Rick has been there a number of times & knows the area. Like on the elk hunt, we got the bull at the end of the 1st week. We applied for the LEH there again this year no success. Rick, Colin (who got the moose 201 & another fellow from the Island went up for GOS last fall but no joy. I had to sit out with case of severe back pain. I would have been a liability haha. The tent would be a bit crowded with 4 vs 3 as well.
"Falscher Hase" made with ground moose
Elk roast on the BBQ spit
Plated! German dumplings & 2 salads, a cucumber mixed & butter lettuce. Stout & a good red wine
^^^^ wow, just wow! right before dinner too...
forever noob
Nice man thanks for the tips! I wouldn't have known about opening up the sinew seam and putting a wedge in there. I'm good with skinning and gutting, and with deboning it is pretty much the same for all ungulates correct? Like an Elk will pretty much be the same breakdown but a much larger scale
Last edited by TheObserver; 01-05-2022 at 06:44 PM.
Man that looks killer Mike! is the top like a cheese stuffed Meatball? I am going to make my first batch of Jerky ever, going to do Hickory smoked Blacktail, and then some Alder Sockeye in the next couple weeks.
I have yet to get a Moose either, lots of Deer and Grouse since I was young, about time to reach my next right of pass as a hunter hopefully with a Bull Elk this year hahaha