Just Google Gutless Method to see how it's done.

Good hunt! It is always fun to get one on opening day! Back in the late 60's, and early 70's we hunted a lot around Wisdom, and we did enjoy hunting elk at the edge of the sagebrush, and timber. Yup, that country you pictured brings good memories. The past 20 year, has seen us hunt around White Sulphur. The White Sulphur area has some sage brush, open timber, horrible jungles, and awful talus which attracts elk when they are pressured. Just for fun i found these old photo from 2007, where this kid killed an elk with my old 358, that i sold to him when i moved to SD.













The boys took the rest of that elk out on pack frames. They carried out the shoulders, and picked up meat sacks, pack frames, and returned to the elk the same day. The 2 boys took out the back straps, neck meat, etc., and hind quarters in one trip. We normally bone out the front half, but like to leave the bone in the hind quarter, so we know what the meat is when we cut, and wrap. When ever i have to completely bone an elk, i always seem to confuse the pieces of meat, so i prefer to leave the meat on the back leg bones.

Some conditions allow one to use a sled. Some conditions allow a plastic sheet. Some conditions allow a cart. Some times one is able to slide a whole elk down hill on snow right onto the tailgate.

There is many more than one way to get elk to the road.

I have a hard enough time just rolling an elk over while skinning it out. Forget about trying to slide it somewhere.

Congrats on a nice bull.

A sawzall is the hunters best friend. I haven't used one on elk, but on deer and antelope you sure can have them quartered quick. I usually don't have far to take them and just throw them in the pickup whole. If you notice Cabela's has started selling meat blades for sawzalls.

What would the sawzall cut to take off the quarters that a knife won't do?

I've used a sawzall on elk at home to cut the top of the pelvis and the short section of vertebrae on the back half.

When I had horses and did wilderness elk hunts I would use an axe to split the entire backbones of the elk that I shot. Then I could just tie a quarter on each side of two horses, and it would be an easy pack out.

That wasn't my question. All 4 quarters can be easily removed with a small knife. No kind of saw is needed.

Yep. Have to agree with this statement. Here is what I do:

I remove the front and back legs with a knife and then skin one side completely out. Then I bone the neck, flank and all the meat between the ribs. Flip the carcass over (if it is bull it is easier if you cut the head off first) and do the same on the other side. After it is all boned out I can reach in and get the loins, the heart and the liver.

When all that is done I skin the 4 qtrs and then bone them out. The skin, spine and bones stay there for the coyotes and magpies. If the law requires I take the horns (I carry a small saw for this reason) and in the case of CO I always leave evidence of sex on both hind qtrs to be in compliance with the laws. I've never seen any reason to carry out a hundred pounds of bones just to have to dispose of them later. Besides, if I return to a kill site a day or 2 later I can probably pick up a coyote and once I filled a bear tag that way.

Congrats. Im startin elk huntin next season cant wait to get one