I don't gut an elk if I can help it. I skin it and bone it out on the spot and pack it out boned out. I can walk you through real easy how to do that with an elk if you would like.

Lay Elk on side and cut the hide from the meat out straight up the backbone from the anus to however far up the neck you want the meat. Then cut across the neck towards the brisket down the brisket, across the stomach towards the anus in a straight line. Once you get the hide all cut in half then make a down the back of the rear leg to the knee, cut around the knee. Cut from the spine across the front shoulder down to the front knee and around the front knee. Then skin the hide off the elk leaving it laying on its side, lay the hide out like a blanket, skinside up, hair to groundand start the deboning process. From the rear leg I just cut between the muscle groups to the bone and then roll the whole leg meat off the femur like a giant roast. Lay meat on hide and then do the same with the front leg. Then remove front leg bone by cutting away shoulder blade. Cut off backstrap and any additional cuts of meat you may want from the ribs. Make a small incision near the backbone between the last rib and the back hip to get to tenderloin inside the rib cage if you want that. Roll animal over repeat skinning process and deboning process on that side. When you are done meat is all laid out so it can cool evenly, and you can load up packs as necessary to remove meat.