Hello. Fuldraw' s link to the Outdoor Life site that depicts the boning out process is the best I' ve seen. We use this technique almost exclusively and it cuts down your work significantly. One variation if you' re not keeping the hide is to simply make the initial cut along the top of the neck down the top of the back to the rump then follow the same series of steps as shown in the link. All of us pack a hundred feet of parachute cord in our packs to help secure the game bags in trees etc.
Insure you use elk/moose bags that are much thicker than standard deer game bags. A couple years ago I had to use some deer bags and they just were too thin resulting in having to throw a large exposed front shoulder over my shoulder for the last mile out - wasn' t fun!
Use of a tool known as the Wyoming Knife is a great aid as well. These knives are normally in Cabela' s or similar pubs. Regards.

here in arizona you can drive to your kill and load it up. i like it

I carry a small pulley to hang quarters up till I get' em out. Got a pack frame and snow sled back at camp. Also got horses that haven' t packed yet (could be a rodeo). I wouldn' t worry about packing my first one out. It can be done. You will learn real fast from the experience lol. If it' s necessary, I think every mountain range has a couple people who' ll pack it out with horses for ya, but it won' t be real cheap. Packin one out makes hunting with friends really worth it!

Anyone use an atv and try to haul it that way?. I know that some areas are thick and dense with brush! But we' ve moose hunted in some pretty rough country and hauled then out on traverses in quarters..just a tought??

I always take an ATV. It usually stays in the truck or a trailhead till an animals down. But like some have said if its rough country sometimes you can' t get an ATV in. Besides I try not to tear up the hillside whenever possible. I think its good to have an ATV for packing but it shouldn' t be your primary plan.

Here in Colorado you can only have a ATV on the road, so it' s not much help anyway. Just need a good pack frame and lots of water (and some cold beer back in camp)

The answer is it depends! Are you young or getting up there? Are you a desk jockey and only moderately in shape or an iron man? How far is it? How much vertical is involved? How difficult is the terrain? How much help do you have and how good of shape are they in?

Just in my circle of elk hunters (which is pretty good size), just about every year someone usually knows of someone somewhere that had a heart attack packing out an elk. The task is no joke -- it' s a serious undertaking -- no similarity to dragging a deer out of the woods by the antlers. I wonder how many folks never make that last trip back into the woods for the shoulder cuts -- given their blistered feet and sore knees and backs -- after all who is going to know? -- and they just kind of take what they' ve got, break camp, and slink outta there -- I' ve seen the meat hanging out in the woods when it should have been long gone.

You' ve had a great hunt, a great time, great friends don' t spoil it now! Unless you' re all in top notch shape [A man has got to know his limitations.... Dirty Harry] then use a horse. If you arrive prior to the hunt to scout (instead of 10PM the night before opening day) it' s not hard to find the " packers." Stop and get their cell phone numbers. When the time comes pay them their $200 (which is nothing compared to the TRUE costs of an elk hunt) and you are way ahead. Your knees, heart, back and feet will thank you. In the time you save over backpacking go ahead and drink beer, cook up one hell of a victory dinner and relish the moment.

Another option is to rent a horse. We have 5 to 8 hunters in camp and we all pitch in to cover the cost of renting a draft horse for the season. In my mind, it' s safer just to use them for packing -- no riding. (Grew up on a ranch, but that was then, not now - if you aren' t a cowboy to where you are " right on top of your game" then riding horses in the mountains introduces a whole new level to your risk management). We use saddle panniers, a mannie (canvas tarp), and a lashing rope. Davis Tent and Awning in Denver (wall tent supplier) puts on a " packing school" each spring -- easy to pick up the basic do' s and don' ts for amateur packing which is about all you need for meat packing.

Never Go Undergunned,
EKM

I made the mistake of killing an elk last year about a mile from the truck DOWN in a hole. I spent all day skinning and quartering the bull and made it out about 5:00 with one quarter. It was so warm that I knew I' d lose the meat if I didn' t get it out soon so I went into town and hired a guy with horses to pack it out. We returned and had the whole thing at the truck by dark. It was a little expensive but I have the guy' s number in my cell phone and hope to pay him the same money next year.

I have been fortunate to harvest my last several elk on a ranch bordering the wilderness.I have used a tractor with front end loader for a few of them and an atv for the rest.We use our atv' s to remove game from the field but do not use them to hunt from.

I prefer rope, I have a 1200' spool in my truck and a 600' spool on my quad and a boat. Where I hunt that will get an elk out every time. I have taken two out I could drive my truck to, two out in the boat, two out whole on the back of my quad and several with the rope. It makes it so much nicer and cleaner to take them out whole. I don' t care haw carefull you are quartering in the woods you can' t keep them 100% clean.