All of the above, depends on what you have, where the elk ends up and distance.

I am far from an experienced elk hunter with 2 hunts and 1 elk, all guided. My elk was kind enough to die next to an old logging road we could get the 4WD truck on, so we winched him hole into the ATV trailer. Hunt was over for the day til he answered the call at dusk.

You can also gut him and get him onto the ATV hole, or quarter him out and carry or use horses/llamas if you have em. Alot of folks just put it on there back piece by piece and start walking.

--Bob