With elk, I have had the great pleasure of using both methods of getting elk back to camp. My first elk was shot upslope from a road opening morning and camp (and horses) were only a mile or so down the road, so horses dragged my elk right into the back my pickup. That was the only elk to ever make it back to camp in one piece. All other elk have been quartered (deboned mostly) and hauled back to camp on horse or my aching back. I cut my own meat so it has to be done anyway, and why carry more than you have to.

But to get to the original question, I hang deer, antelope head up, I' ve always thought it was easier to skin and split for cutting up. Elk normaly hang in quarters (game bagged)