Elkcrazy8,
Thanks for coming back and reiterating your beliefs, the process and the stats. For me it is not a common or likely event but I do want some sort of contingency plan as I said, if extremely good luck meets a warm, warm day (6,7,8 elk down in the morning and an 85 degree day warming up). Never thought about getting stung before -- not too big a deal, but will "file that one away".

Two thoughts.

One, we would probably use the horse (if we had just one) to "ferry" all the meat to the "cold water location" before worrying about taking the first load (just one elk) all the way back out and into camp. This short hauling and temporary cooling could be done by two hunters while the other half dozen or so hunters are doing the Alaskan Field dress on the remaining downed animals. You are right, it does take a while to get them dressed and the meat is air cooling the entire time and hopefully "rinding/crusting up" and dropping from say 100 degrees down to 85 degrees depending on the temperature, the shade, and the wind.

Two, in addition to the other ancillary items the poor pack horse gets to carry in our "field dressing kit" I will probably add an "instant read" thermometer.

Good Luck and Good Hunting,
EKM