Elk Quartering
 

Has anyone see or used this gutless quartering method? I am entertaining the DVD for $16. I hear good praise on monstermuleys.com.

http://home.att.net/~sajackson/bugle.html

RE: Elk Quartering
 

It looks as though the rib meat is left behind.If that is the case,You would be charged for wasting meat in some jurisdictions.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

I work with a guy who guides for big game hunts all over the world and he swears buy this technique. I have gone over it with him several times and I plan on using it this year if I am lucky enough to have the chance. He says he hasn't gutted an elk for 6 years.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

I like it, quite legal in Colorado.

Take one very small knife with a 1" blade for doing the tenderloins, THAT is a tight fit.

If you shoot a trophy that needs caped, then you probably need to be equipped to do the traditional method.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

sometimes guides dont DO best even when they know best. More meat means more work. Who knows.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

stubblejumper:

I have seen this method described and pictured in a book. You can still take the rib meat effectively with this method, thereby avoiding the charge of wanton wastage of game meat.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

I agree, there should be no reason that you couldn't take as much neck/rib meat as you want with this method.

As far as caping, if you want to do that, just make your cut down thetop of the neck and extend down the backbonetoward the rump. Then skin from thebackbone down to the legs instead of the other way around. You can still do the guttless method.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

I have done it that way ever since Wyoming made it legal to only take the 4 quarters and the back straps. I also get the inner loins and hardly get a drop of blood on me.

The rib meat dries out as does most of the other trimmings by the time you get them to town. And besides that, if what is left feeds another predator, lion, coyote, bear, wolf, they don't have to kill another living animal to replace it. So it isn't going to waste.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

How does one get to the inner tender loins without gutting the animal. Do you break the ribs from the vertebra?


To me leaving the heart and liver is a sin. Good luck.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

handloader1,

If you gotta have the heart and liver, then the traditional method is the one I'd recommend.
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Regarding getting the tenderloins out,

The tenderloins are not obscured by the ribs, they are in the flank area behind the last rib and ahead of the hip. However, they are obscured by the failrly wide "wings" of the vertebrae and the paunch/gut "bag".

You will have already filleted the backstrap slabs out from just above the tenderloins, the series of vertebrae wings that makes the floor of the backstrap "tray" also makes the ceilingfor the tenderloin and seperates the two cuts of meat. With the critter on its side, work your way out to the outside edge of the now vacantbackstrap tray, locate the edge (point)of the vertebrae wing, and swing immediately right around the corner (180 degrees), down under the vertebrae wing. That is where you need to go and you'll have to cut your way in --- not hard to do, butthe tenderloins hide, they don't volunteer (as in traditional field dressing).

You will have to carefully cut some "wall" tissue layers that you may think will put you into the interior of the paunch/guts, if you are careful it will not and all will stay clean. After you have carefully sliced a layer or two away, thenpush the paunch/guts exterior "bag"aside, shape your hand like a "spear point" and push/slide your hand in against the heretofor unexplored underside of the vertebrae wing. Work back and forth along the underside of the vertebrae wings (going front to back on critter) freeing and clearing attaching tissue, sometimes withthe push of your hand, sometimes trimming a little with the knife. Work to create a12" to 14" long"slit" (longer on a bigger elk) that is about fingers length deep. Pull and hold the paunch/gut bag away from the vertaebrae wing so you can see to the bottom of the slit and you'll find the tenderloins down in there tucked up against the underside of the vertebrae wingjust off ofthe centerline of the spine.

In contrastto most aspects of hack-hack, chop-chop field dressing, this exercise rewards finesse and patience. There is room foryour hands (barely), it is tight, itcan betiring (especialy the first time). Locate the tenderloin, work over tothe back end, cut the anchoring end free, just use a series of mini slices and light tugs to free it up, once you have 1" or 2" free then it gets easier. Avoid thetemptation to just get ahold of the free end and pull hard, the meat is tender andwill seperate leaving part of it still attached to the vertebrae/spine side and part of it in your hand, be patient and continue with the mini slices --- seriously, a little dinky (as in short and skinny)folder knife with a 1" to 1 1/4" blade is just about right.

I consider this "tight quarters for the tenderloins" aspect of the "Alaskan method" to be its only downside. After you work thru it allthe first time, though,it gets easier and easier. Again, it is a finesse moment versus the usual hack and chop, it does keep your fingers warm though!
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Seperately,

Regarding the rib meat, if you are talking about the slab of flesh that lies on top of the ribs then the Alaskan method works fine; however, I have seen some folks that even cut the meat from between the ribs --- in this latter case I'm thinking it would be difficult not to puncture the paunch. If you want every last snippet of rib meat, then I would recommend the traditional method.

Neck meat, no problem --- extend the incision down the spine right up to behind the head and lay it open, cut and take all that you want. Slicing down the back and then folding the hide down over the side is handy for working with all cuts of meatas the flesh side of the hide makes for a "clean" surface to work over.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

Good description!

RE: Elk Quartering
 

ElkCampMaster:

I would rather gut the animal than go through all that to get th the inner tender loin. Thanks for the information. Good luck.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

Not me, sounds much worse than it is. ElkampMastergives a good descriptionfor someone who has never doneit before and needs landmarks. However, the short version of the description is this:

Make a cut through the abdominal body wall just under the backbone from the back of the ribs to the hip. Reach in and find the tenders. Cut them out taking care not to slice through any guts.

Takes just a few minutes to get one out once you learn how.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

fcf,

I've been doing that for many years (20 +) on hogs and deer. That was before ATVs' was had by all. When you have to carry on your back thru swamps, across running creeks, etc., it makes a big difference. I'm talking mostly whitetails and hogs, I can't even imagine having to pack out a quarter elk or moose. I'm sure I would gutless on these animals because of the terrain.
dog1

RE: Elk Quartering
 

This is the method I use. I even go as far as to carry 4 game bags and about 12' of rope. Upon locating the downed elk, I start to quarter, instead of gutting and going back to camp. I quarter the elk, hang the meat bags, then go back to camp. Depending on how far from camp and the terrain,I sometimes will carry my frame pack, and one quarter will go back to camp with me, saves one trip!!

RE: Elk Quartering
 

The mock tenders are just as good eating as the tenders, and are located in the front of the cavity, and are the size of a deers tenderloins. How would you remove them with the gutless method????? They are completely housed by the front 3-4 ribs.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

We use this methodquite often on pigs and feral goats. I tend to do it only when it's a gut shot but a lot of the pig hunters on the big island only do it this way. You do loose some meat including the meat between the ribs and the meat that holds the guts. You can still "scrape" the ribs but that little bit between each rib cannot be gotten. I always considered it a quick method but not a good one.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

How do you get the tenderloin if you don't gut it?
Now THAT'S wasted meat!
It don't take long to dump the guts, feeds the yotes while you're at it.

RE: Elk Quartering
 

I personally don't prefer the "no-gut" technique, and I have tried it on one elk and one deer. To each his own, though, it seems like a lot of folks on here like this method.

See, I have not taken an animal (deer, antelope, or elk) out whole in five years. I quarter literally everything I kill. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment, but I hunt back off the roads as far as I can get. Even meat tag does usually drop 1-2 miles off the nearest road. Dragging something that far is cruel and unusual punishment.

I got excited the first time I read about the no-gut deal, so I tried it a couple times. My complaints:

1) You are in constant danger of punching into the guts with an errant knife stroke and making a real mess. We've probably all experienced this unpleasant situation in normal field dressing. With the no-gut technique, you can get into a mess the entire time you're removing each hind quarter. Maybe I'm just a spazz with a knife...

2) Make no mistake, getting out the t-loin with the guts in there is a chore. Especially is this so if you're dealing with a deer or antelope with a smaller t-loin.

3) With the guts still in, it makes more weight you have to deal with once you get the top two quarters off and then have to flip the animal over to get at the other two quarters. This is especially true with a good-sized elk, whose guts might weigh in at 150+ lbs.

How long does it really take to do a basic gutting job? Remember, because you're just going to quarter it immediately anyhow, you really don't have to worry about things like reaming the butthole or cutting out the windpipe. You just whip out the gutpile in 5 minutes and then it's out of your way for the rest of the process.

Again, this is heavy into an opinion area, and individual results may vary, so do whatever you want. If you're elbow-deep into an elk or deer in the first place, you did something right! The rest is details!

RE: Elk Quartering
 

I've heard of several people using this technique before, but like anything else it requires practice to make it worthwhile. I'd rather gut them the traditional way then quarter them with a couple of lightweight axes. Takes no time at all.