Topgun 3006

Unless you have at least a day or two to wait or can find someone that is caught up, which is unlikely during a season, you'll be wasting days waiting for your animal to be processed out there. Don't you have a processor close to where you live that you can take the boned out meat to when you get back, or can you do it yourself?

HawksRich

Yes I do. Wasn't sure if this was the best option or not

Bob H in NH

My wife and I are going to Wyoming in October for deer/antelope. Assuming success, we are planning to leave the antelope there for a dual pedestal mount, probably just bring the antlers of the mulie's home.

For meat, we are probably flying (30 hour drive), will plan to have it butchered local and fly home, but not sure on this one due to costs. Also considering driving, but that adds 5-6 days to the trip.

Topgun 3006

Flying has it's own problems with getting any significant meat back home. I believe there is a 50# per box/bag limit on weight and of course the way the airlines are now you'll pay significantly for each one. The other way is to go with a one day shipping through UPS or FedEx, but that can also get pricey. If you live far enough from the hunt area that you would lose 5-6 days by driving, doing either of what I mentioned should save a lot of money compared to driving with gas and motel costs entering into it, as well as possible loss of vacation time if a person is still working. One can always donate part or all of the meat to a local charity in the hunt area, but the hunter is still normally required to pay for the processing costs.

Topgun 3006

If you can do it yourself at home or have a local processor you trust, IMHO that's the route to take after doing hunts out there almost every year since the early 90s.

flags

Lots of times I take a small generator and a small freezer, grinder and vacuum packer with me. If I tag out early I have been known to cut, grind, package and freeze deer and antelope in the field. Never done it with elk though.

b0huntr147

Something else to keep in mind is the states transportation laws, I hunt in Idaho every fall but live in Nebraska. If I am butchering meat myself to bring home the genitals have to be left attached to the largest portion of meat to make sex identification possible when traveling. If you have it done by an actual processor while you're there then that requirement doesn't apply. Not sure about WY rules though

Topgun 3006

If you have an either sex tag in Wyoming, then there is no need to maintain evidence of sex. If you have a doe deer, doe antelope, or cow/calf elk tag, you need to keep evidence of sex with the meat and the easiest way is to cut the udder off and put it in a ziplock bag to comply with the requirement. Several years ago it had to remain attached to a part of the carcass, but that "attached" wording was eliminated and IMHO makes compliance easier. The main thing people need to know is that the majority of states now have laws in place that don't allow an intact animal or head to be transported into their states due to CWD. That means at a minimum removing the spinal column, brain tissue, and meat from the head since scientists say that is the areas where the CWD prion is. No longer do you drive down I-80, I-90, or I-70 through the middle of the country and see whole animals in PUs or on trailers.

flags

In CO evidence of sex must be attached to the carcass until it is processed. But if you process it in the field like I have been known to do then you don't have to keep the evidence of sex but I'll usually do so and put it in a ziploc bag in case the warden wants to see it. never had one want to though once it has been cut and packaged. Kind of hard to leave evidence of sex attached to a package of burger.

Alsatian

Pronghorn are not big animals. If you know how to process a deer, you can process the pronghorn yourself. You could process it on site, out there. If you are hunting on a ranch, the rancher might give you some place you could do this (like a clean board on top of a couple of saw horses). I processed and wrapped 2 whole pronghorns in a hotel room in Gillette one evening in October 2004. There are advantages to that. You have finished meat and you can pack dry ice below and above the meat (separated by 1/4" of newspaper or other non-heat conducting stuff) and really freeze it and know it will stay good.

I have heard that the hair on pronghorn slips very easily. By this is meant that the hair strips off VERY easy. You might end up stripping off lots of pronghorn hair from your cape if you aren't careful. Have you thought about having the head done there and shipped back to you? I did this. The shipping is somewhat expensive, granted. Something else to worry about, in case you didn't have enough already.