gut it, no reason to drain the blood! Hind 1/4's are easy to tie onto a good pack that has a shelf for the 1/4's to sit on. We use bungee cords. The front 1/4's can be done this way too, and you'll be better off with a pack with a bag for all the loose meat. You will have 4 good loads of meat and antlers. Buy some quality game bags to put it all in at the kill sight. If there's two of you, completely 1/4 the elk and hang the two bags that you won't take with you on the first trip in a near by tree so the meat can be cooling while you're packing out the first 2 bags.
Only reason to the remove the head is if you're doing a shoulder mount. If so, cut it off as near to the skull as you can and cape accordingly, otherwise, leave the head at the kill sight and take all the neck meat off right where it lays. As far as proof of sex, the tits or testis will need to be attached to the hind 1/4's, hence, no need for the head unless you're doing a shoulder mount.