After a big kill...

[hippieinthewoods]

Hey,

Just wondering what tips you might have for having to leave a large kill in the bush. I imagine a situation where one might not be able to pack out a large moose or elk in a day and will have to return to it the next day.

What can be done to secure the carcass overnight from scavengers and to keep meat from spoiling? If you have a little or some decent time on your hands?

Thanks!

[Fella]

Quarter it and put the quarters up a tree

[Steeleco]

Remove the innards and skin as much as you can of the quarters to help cool. I was taught to wear 2 T shirts? One is for tying to the stick used to keep the ribs open. Drag the guts as far as you can from the kills site.

My first animal was a moose late in the day at Trimble lake. We did all those things. The meat was there at first light, the gut pile and the brisket were gone!!

[moosinaround]

Build a fire, quarter it up or debone it, put on the headlamp and pack it out! Unless it’s on a mountain top, it comes out of the bush same day, or night! IF you have to leave it, best bet is to segregate it from the discards, and mark it well, so you can see it from a distance when returning! Moosin

[patbrennan]

Much the same for us, get it cleaned and moved somewhat away from the gutpile. Try to leave it in a fairly open area if bears are a possibility, and approach with caution in the morning.

[Moose63]

Leave an empty shell casing in the rib cage or near meat....the smell wards off critters....

[high and to the right]

1. Quarter animal and carry meat at least 10 yards from the gut pile
2. Make sure the meat is dealt with properly so it cools
3. Leave human scent on the quarters (shirt, coat, shell casings)
4. Mark your territory (pea around the meat NOT on it)
5. Before you leave put a pole sticking up in the middle of the gut pile with a flag on it so you can see it from a distance when walking back to the kill site.
6. For extra security put another pole sticking up where the meat is stored. If it is down, you have a predator at or near your kill.
7. If the gut pile or meat is covered with dirt, you have a griz in the area.
8. As tired as you are, work all night if you can to get it out. You can always sleep later.
9. Tip - cut some pine bows and put it on the meat - it will keep the birds off it

[MRP]

1. Quarter animal and carry meat at least 10 yards from the gut pile
2. Make sure the meat is dealt with properly so it cools
3. Leave human scent on the quarters (shirt, coat, shell casings)
4. Mark your territory (pea around the meat NOT on it)
5. Before you leave put a pole sticking up in the middle of the gut pile with a flag on it so you can see it from a distance when walking back to the kill site.
6. For extra security put another pole sticking up where the meat is stored. If it is down, you have a predator at or near your kill.
7. If the gut pile or meat is covered with dirt, you have a griz in the area.
8. As tired as you are, work all night if you can to get it out. You can always sleep later.
9. Tip - cut some pine bows and put it on the meat - it will keep the birds off it
#3 works for me. Had a good vantage point coming back to the moose, watched a bear for about a half hr. Dont know how long he was there befor we got there, a good size black, he'd sneak up up from every angle then turned and run 100yds then try again. He eventually left, we had our hands full and didn't wont to shoot him.

[walks with deer]

1. Quarter animal and carry meat at least 10 yards from the gut pile
2. Make sure the meat is dealt with properly so it cools
3. Leave human scent on the quarters (shirt, coat, shell casings)
4. Mark your territory (pea around the meat NOT on it)
5. Before you leave put a pole sticking up in the middle of the gut pile with a flag on it so you can see it from a distance when walking back to the kill site.
6. For extra security put another pole sticking up where the meat is stored. If it is down, you have a predator at or near your kill.
7. If the gut pile or meat is covered with dirt, you have a griz in the area.
8. As tired as you are, work all night if you can to get it out. You can always sleep later.
9. Tip - cut some pine bows and put it on the meat - it will keep the birds off it

bingo this is my process..

only left a bou once all elk,moose and most bou come out...many times had animals tidied up as sun comes up.

[swampthing]

I have been in this situation quite a few times! I shot a great bull moose one day late in the afternoon. I was above treeline and about 5-6km or 4hours from the trail my atv was on. I only had time to pull the hide off the top side and get a shoulder off. The next day I brought a partner to help finish parting it out and bagging it up. It took 3 more full days of packing to get that moose off the mountain! I do the same as the other guys. Leave as much scent downwind as possible. I did a pee-rimiter and took a crap downwind. Left a sweaty bandana there and some wet wipes. After the first night I moved the bagged meat about 50 yards upwind of the gut pile. On the last day I approached the last of the meat bags and spotted a woof trotting away with a small bag of meat. I dropped prone and picked him up in the scope. It was a wolverine! They werent open so I yelled a few curse words and smiled! I have read a tiny bottle of pine sole open and downwind will burn the nostils of a bear? Never tried it!