We butcher and freeze as soon as possible, usuallly within 1 to 2 days by the time we pack them out and get the butchering crew together. Lean wild meat is said to NOT benefit from the aging process due to lack of fat compared to Prime beef, plus most folks cannot/will not appropriately control temperature during the aging process which I am told is absolutely key.
We butcher right in elk camp, package the meat, freeze it, and divide it evenly according to how many licenses where in camp. Record so far is that we butchered 6 elk in one day --- it takes a lot of beer to butcher that much meat.... about 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. ---eight of us.
Field Dressing -- Making Little Parts Out Of Big Parts:
It can be tiring work. Notice the "guard" in case they attack again.
It is enough to make you want to cool your heels.
Since we are back in a ways, some time is lost overnight in spike camp --- off load.... all meat is either hung again or laid on logs. Then we just reload the panniers in the morning and head out....
Packed up and heading thru the timber on the way to main camp.
Getting back to the trail head is always nice --- show off time!
A cold snowy night at Main Camp helps keep the meat that came out last (the rest was in the freezers, coolers really since with that much warm elk meat a freezer won't freeze it right away). Anyway, some nice help from mother nature for the quarters that were hanging back in the shade from the tail end of the day before.
The butchering starts at about 9:00 a.m. --- ahhh sleeping in....
Steaks, Roasts, Jerky Meat, and lastly, the hamburger.... (Note the 12 gauge camp slug gun).
Wrapping up our "six elk day" at about 10:00 p.m.
That some of my thoughts (and pictures) relative to elk meat....
Field Dressing and Packing Them Out and Processing Them.... the best part of elk hunting!