Howler

If the week you are hunting holds true on the average temps. your meat will be just fine if: 1) you get the animal hung and skinned soon after the kill and use either clean bed sheets of game bags to hang it in, 2) keep the meat in a shaded area, out of sun light for as much of the day as possible! The animal wouldn't need to be deboned, but either way it will be fine.
Capping a large animal, such as an elk, is pretty easy and it would be best if you capped out the head, espcially if it's warm and it will be a week before getting it to a taxadermist, BUT if it's cool then even that wouldn't be totally necassary. Simply make a straight cut down the back starting from behind the shoulders ending at the base of the skull. Make a straight cut from the back around the body, behind the shoulders, and pull all the skin forward to the base of the skull! Just cap down to the base of the head and cut off there, roll the cape upto the skull and keep it as cool as possible. Give the taxidermist plenty of hide to work with, nothing worse than making his job harder than it should be, or finding out that you didn't give him enough hide for a shoulder mount! Clean as much meat and blood from the cape as possible! Don't put it in a plastic bag, it needs to be covered, but with something that will let air circulate! That's how I've done several, moose and elk, and I've had no issues!
Get in shape would be my best piece of advise!