here in Vt all deer harvested have to be checked in at a certified check station which is the law. The deer can't be cut up and needs to be checked in whole after field dressing. When I hunt for elk out west I use the gutless method on them. Remove the quarters, back straps, tenderloins and neck meat without touching the gut cavity. Our average Vt deer weighs between 125 and 200 pounds so dragging them out usually isn't a problem. With a 600+ pound elk it is a different story and a bull elk hind quarter is about all the weight I care to deal with on a pack frame.