Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

In another thread we got " off topic" into this interesting discussion so I thought it deserved its own thread......

FIELD DRESSING USING THE ALASKAN METHOD:

Using the " Alaskan" method you don' t cut the sternum nor the pelvis, you don' t fool with the tricky business of cutting out the rectum or urinary tracts and you leave the gut pile inside the carcass. It works very " slick" if you aren' t wanting to save the hide. An added benefit is that it reduces one' s contact with the areas that are more prone to harbor CWD and it drastically reduces the " blood bath" factor. This is the first year we have used it and all agreed, that unless we want the hide for something we won' t be going back to the " old way." The transition was easy, but you DO need to have it thought out in advance.

Check out the Alaskan Method at:
http://home.att.net/~sajackson/bugle.html

Notes:
(1) We use a box cutter on the " hide cuts" down the back bone, down the sides, and down and around the legs. We we reverse the blade at " half time" and replace the blade after each animal dressed and quartered -- this gives easy " controlled depth cutting" and replaces our Wyoming Knife and/or Gerber Zip Knives which are designed for gutting and but which " suck" at the hide cutting task elsewhere -- they will do it but they are highly erratic. The box cutter makes the initial set of hide cuts in a flash and gets you down to skinning in a hurry plus they are inexpensive.

(2) Keeping evidence of sex on the meat is trickier with this method than with the traditional. I encourage that you make the cuts around/between/through the testicles or udder that will allow the evidence to stay with the meat well BEFORE you get into the wholesale skinning mode -- that way if you are carving away on the " back side" between hide and flesh and work your way " down in there" you will come to your earlier cut rather than blazing right through there and severing the evidence of sex.

(3) We use a " baby knife" (a little, little folder with a 1.25" blade) for getting out the tenderloins (it IS a snug fit -- so DO be careful of your fingers)!

(4) The Gerber folding saws work great for cutting the legs at the " knees" and for removing the head (at the 4th vertebrae) for CWD testing. It is light, yet sufficiently " stout."

Never Go Undergunned, Always Check The Sight In, Perform At Showtime,
EKM

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

I had a 2 year old mule along this year who weren' t ready to carry full loads yet, so I used the no-gut method of quarterin' so' s to have lighter loads for my lil' mule. A bloody mess! Hunks of meat everwhere, very hard to balance the loads an' keep the meat clean. I' ll stick to the ol' fashioned way. God gave elk 4 nice balanced quarters, all you gotta do is split ' em right. Hell, mules don' t know they' re carryin' bones.

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

???

BJ,
I know you know what you' re doing; however, I think you must be doing a little " speed reading" here. This isn' t deboning (although that could be a further option) this is quartering. Granted, these quarters are going to look a little different than yours (with all the ribs and rib flesh attached).

The quarters " peel off" (leg bones and all) and weigh the same unless you choose to wildly cut them differently to make them weigh different. Backstraps and tenderloins get their own game bag and ride in the center with the head or if its a small elk, then throw one strap in with the game bag with each shoulder and one tenderloin in the game bag with each hind quarter. Don' t even need a scale.

When we pack them out the leg bones (and the cordage we used to tie them in a tree) are sticking out the top of the panniers; we tie them across the top of the saddle to help secure the load. Deboning is okay (even mandatory) if you are going to carry it out on your back, but I like " bones in" for use on horses. Like your stock, our horses don' t seem to know whether they are carrying bones out or not.


FYI, for everyone,

Sorry, we pass on the rib meat -- period. After processing our own meat and sorting through a 10 pound piece to get 10 ounces of suitable trimmed up meat after 15 minutes of trimming, it is with no apology that we have written off the rib meat -- of course the commercial processor will throw all that, ahem, " stuff" into the hamburger grind, LOL. My wife (our camp chef) is the " quality control" inspector and that meat just doesn' t make the grade. We gave it a go again this year and trimmed a bunch of it off of my large dry cow -- none of it more than 5/8" thick -- and once it hit the butchering table, we all looked at it and took a vote and it hit the trash, not even satisfactory burger. I know -- waste not want not -- ethics etc -- but that is where we draw the line.

EKM

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

EKM

Been using a similar method for about 12 yrs now, and you' re right, it' s much quicker and easier. Takes my son and I aprox. 45 mins. to have a complete elk in 3 bags and ready to haul.

BJ

I' ve heard you make this comment before. Sounds like you could use a hands on lesson how it' s done properly. You say you' re left with a bloody mess with loose meat everywhere, well you must be quite the hacker my friend. Plus there' s no bigger mess than gutting a critter like an elk and then wallowing near it trying to finish the animal off. Unless you' re animal is riddled with lead in the quarters or spine shot and died slowly, there' s little blood to deal with on or around the meat.
Maybe you could explain your method of removal and we could help steer you around the trouble spots. Be glad to help. elknut1

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Can' t be too hard. My brother and I used basically the same method while on our first elk hunt to CO there in Oct. It was in the early muzzleloader season. We packed out a bull and a cow about a mile and a half up hill by hand. Yeah, our trip got shorter after that. I' ve never been so exhausted in my entire life. Anyone good with a knife would love the method though.

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Thanks ELKampMaster,
We did it the old fashioned way on my cow, field dressing, skinning and quartering. We will have to give your method a try next season. Thanks again.

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Nuthin' neater then 4 big chunks. No extra bags, no WASTE. An you don' t even need a pannier to pack ' em. I refuse to leave meat on a ribcage. I also like the neck. You take it all, an' you got a couple bags of loose meat (if you remember to bring extra bags) that don' t match anythin' else, so you gotta sort ' em to make a balanced load. I ain' t patient enuff to fiddle with trimmins an' such. I gut, cape, an' quarter to git done whilst there' s still daylight to finish my day, not slop around big chunks of meat an' tie extra cords all over my load.

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

BJ
I can understand your method as well, especially hunting back 10 + miles. It would be unreasonable to pack that on your back.
As a bowhunter though and one who sees horses and mules as a nuisance, I prefer my back anyday in the 1 to 5 mile treks, which is about the distance we take most our elk. This is the reason we prefer the gutless method, as well as leave all bones except the hind quarters. We also take all rib meat and neck meat which is in the 3rd bag with back straps boned out shoulders and such. You could easily put the misceleaneous parts into 2 different bags if desired to balance your load. Again we choose this way because weight is a factor and the whole elk can come out with 3 guys doing the packing, all in one trip. That 3rd bag is not any heavier than a hindquarter bag even with all rib and neck meat trimmings.
I do the same with deer. With this method I' ve packed out over 100 animals, and it works great for us, but obviously it' s not everyone. elknut1

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Horses an' mules as a nuisance? God, please forgive him. I don' t think elk hunting would be possible without stock. Specially with all this hot weather. The road hunters are having another dry year this year. Game ain' t no where near reachable from the roads. Got a storm today, so maybe there' s hope for these equine-challenged fellers to fill out before Friday, the end of elk season. I like bowhunters. They bring skill back into the huntin' formula in a time when its sorely lackin' an' not even encouraged anymore. But I cain' t see packin' meat on my back though. When you git back to the trailhead, you gotta turn right back around an' go back afer more! That will kill anybody in this country. Even when I was a sprout, an' had good knees, one easy ride out leadin' a couple mules seemed a hell of a better deal than torturin' myself with a backpack.

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Iv' e used the gutless method a few times when it paid to do so. If I had horses though, I would quarter and pack out. I' ve only ever used gutless when we are talking about my back/knees.

The only drawbacks of the gutless method is expossing the meat way more than just quatering. If you cut your own meat, you will understand after you throw out so much of the died meat. My dog doesn' t complain though, he thinks it' s tastey

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Different techniques for different hunters, seasons, styles and tastes..... no doubt about it.

In our case, we hunt in the early elk season at about 8500' ASL, we usually don' t have snow and it can be shirt sleeve temperatures by lunch. Our first goal is to get the hide off to start the cooling process, get the quarters and prime cuts bagged for dirt and insect protection and get them hanging in the shade of a nearby tree for temperature control and then get back to hunting. Packing them all out comes later.

We prefer a good rind on our meat, it tends to deter any maggots and it also creates a barrier to hair and dirt. Then at the butchering table, when it is all trimmed off all you have left is fresh, untouched gourmet elk meat -- no hair, no grass, no dirt. We find that when a quarter that comes to camp with the hide on it, in weather that is cool and clammy such that it doesn' t rind up, it is not all roses. When the quarter is skinned in camp prior to butchering, then the hair gets on the fresh meat and then we find ourselves at the cutting table spending our time picking it all out. Of course if the meat goes to a processor, then you know they won' t be spending any time picking out any of the hair.

More than one way to skin a cat (or elk), main thing is to have a plan (field dress and transport) in advance; HOWEVER,

IF you decide you want to try the Alaskan Method and don' t want to totally re-invent the wheel, then you may want to consider some of the notes/techniques above.

Never Go Undergunned, Always Check The Sight In, Perform At Showtime,
EKM

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

ekm
i liked the slide show

however we have always refered to this as a poachers cut
(I like your termanology better)
it is quick and easy

(it can be done in about 10 minutes if you are experienced and leave the hide on the quarters)

and if you are taking the head you just continue up the back to the horns and leave all but the skull

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

BJ

I should clarify a couple things. Here in Idaho where I live and hunt, the country is steep, heavily timbered, (where not burned) brushy with tons and tons of downfall.
Making it very tough to get critters such as horses and mules around in it.
Secondly, I stay away from nearly all trails, what few there are, trails are people magnets, most are not kept up, it would take you days to clear one just to go a short distance. Once you get an elk down it would take more time to cut trail than to haul it out on ones back if you were to use horses. I' m not complaining, I like it this way, it keeps most folks away, most aren' t willing to work to hard. This is why EKMs way works best for us. In the country you hunt it may be steep and rough, but it sounds like you have good access, that' s great, I' d use horses too under those circumstances. There' s room for both methods, depends on the country you hunt, and availability to stock. Have a great day! elknut1

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Here is the dry cow I shot....

Before the Alaskan Quartering Job....




and here is the left overs of the same cow elk (head to the right)....




The large " lump" is the guts, still inside the rib cage. Anus, Rectum, and Urinary hassles are all still right there. Notice the grass around the kill, nice and clean, no " blood mud" to get into and no gut pile along with a gallon or two of blood to deal with.

Never Go Undergunned, Always Check The Sight In, Perform At Showtime,
EKM

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Did you git the t-loins out? Mighty neat leavins for the coyotes. I hope they bring their table manners. Now let me see a picture of yer loads. What was the time for gettin' the critter quartered an' loaded?

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

BJ,
Tenderloins are out, although it is a learning experience and a tight little fit. I got a lot of pictures of the horse packing out the spike camp in one load, but I' ll have to dig around to see if there is any with a " meat" load. Large or small (but not huge - haven' t shot huge) , the elk goes out one to a horse (big horse).

This is the first year we used the Alaskan Method so we had to work down the learning curve.... I' d say an hour and a half (with help) on the first one and 45 minutes (with two hunters) on the last one. Like I said earlier, the elk meat usually hangs in the shade of a tree while we get back to hunting (first day is the best) so loading the load is a seperate trip, but really nothing to it I' d say upon arrival with out a big rack to deal with about 10-15 minutes gets it all loaded up and lash roped down (Bosco/Arizona Hitch).

Never Go Undergunned, Always Check The Sight In, Perform At Showtime,
EKM

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

I had someone inquire about the Alaskan Method in an email and I said I would find it and bump it "to the top."

Note: Early in the thread there are websites you can go to to see the particulars of how to do it.

EKM

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

click on the link from EKM, then arranged photos, then Phoenix's Elk Wrasslin' Tips. [:o][:o] Make sure its dead LOL[&:];):eek:

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Alaska law requires you take all the meat from the outside and from inbetween the ribs too, also that "all the meat" is packed to camp BEFORE the horns are packed in!! Of course, you can pack the horns in with the last load of meat.

I always boned out the animials i shot, and that's because 99% of my hunts were by plane, and we needed to get things as light as possible. Seems there's NEVER enough runway in the bush!! On the water, or gravel bar, it's always a fight to get as much off the ground as possible.

When boneing an animial out, i cut the hide down the back, peeled it to the stomache, and took all the meat off as i went. When i wasn't useing a plane, i sometimes did it other ways, but i like boneing in the field.

Drilling Man

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

The Alaskan method works like a charm..did my last bull that way and I was amazed how fast it was done ...Added bonus is if you have to leave a quarter or 2 in the woods that night because you don't have a horse the smell is significantly reduced.

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Only problem I have with this method is all of the good burger and sausage meat left sitting there for the coyotes to dine on. Baby back elk ribs are better cooking on the grill instead of being left on the ground.:( :( Why not take the ribs after you get all of the other meat off?

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

bigbulls,

Especially if one is deboning for the pack out job, then yes the rib meat is all right there for the taking before you flip them over to do the other side.

If one is interested in the whole gambit of: cuts with the ribs still in the meat, and/or the heart, liver, etc., then I would recommend the standard field dressing method. In that case, perhaps the "can opener device" ["new field dressing tool" thread] would be a good pound or two extra to carry [or in our case, let the horse carry it].

Personally, we've "played around" with the rib meat thing and net, net bottom line for us it is a big "no thanks". We kinda feel the state of Colorado had it about right in what they put into the regulations as to what cuts you had to harvest and which you could leave.

Good Luck and Good Hunting,
EKM

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

A couple of questions here. I have not hunted elk as of yet, but my family has previously only used the traditional gutting meathod for deer, elk and antelope. I only have a deer tag this year, but was wondering how well this would work for mule deer from around 150 to around 225 pounds or so (about the sizes of deer I have shot). We usually don't mess with rib meat on deer, except for hamburger (sometimes, just depends on how big the deer is and how much fat is included with the rib meat), and I don't think that would be a problem with this method, as it looks like it would be fairly easy to trim the ribs as well as the neck. Only questions I have would be how to get the liver and heart and the inside tenderloins out? The liver and heart aren't as important, but would like to save them because my uncle likes them for some odd reason, but the tenderloins are a must. The space on a deer would be a lot smaller than on an elk, and I don't think it would be very easy to get the tenderloins out between the ribs. Would it be possible to get these from the throat without having to mess with the gut area? Or would it just be easier with a smaller animal to do a deer the "traditional" way. The only reason I would do this method would be for putting on a pack frame if I were more than a mile or so away from the road, which would also involve deboning the quarters to make the pack lighter.

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Charlie,

It will work for deer and certainly that could be good practice for an elk, but it is going to be more inconvenient because usually with a deer you can just gut it, grab it by the antlers and drag it out. Doing the Alaskan method on a deer is going to leave you with 4 quarters, 2 backstraps, and 2 tenderloins --- so unless you debone and pack it out anyway, then you will probably consider it to be a hassle for a deer (except for eductional value).

Liver and heart? If you want these items, then use the traditional method.

The tenderloins are under the spine in the body cavity and are located well to the rear of the critter and the ribs do not bar access to this area. These are accessible via the Alakan method and before we did it the first time it was one of my major concerns. A cross section of the spine creates a + and if the critter is standing up, then the backstraps lay in the top two "corners". The tenderloins are in the bottom two "corners." Of course when the critter is dead and laying on its side this picture is rotated by 90 degrees. Sooooo, the critter is down, and laying on its side, and you've cut the hide down the back and skinned the hide downward and have a big flap of hide laid down towards/over the belly, first, you’ll cut out the front and rear quarter on that side, and then the backstrap on that side (it was laying in the corner “trough” of the + cross section of the backbone). Regarding the tenderloin, again with the critter laying on its side, you will find the tenderloin “trapped” under the spine (in the lower corner trough of the +) and above the “gut body cavity” in fact the “gut compartment” will be laying right against the tenderloins sandwiching them against the spine. Skinning the hide off of this area is not enough. Behind the ribs and ahead of the pelvis you will need to gently slice (don’t poke) through the layer that lies under the hide but not cut/slice clear through down into the gut pile, just open it up enough to see the tenderloins.

Extraction. We use a little “baby folder knife” with about a 1.5” blade. A small and narrow bladed knife is your friend here as the space is tight, the bone features to follow are many, AND your fingers are going to be right in there. Make the first cut vertically along the vertical side of the “bone trough” created by the spine (remember the + cross section?) and the tenderloin, this one is easy and “safe” --- just meat and bone. This first cut will loosen one side of it. Now comes the tough part, the risky part for your fingers, and the good place for the little, little knife --- push the “gut bag” away from the remaining side of the tenderloin to get yourself a little bit of room and go in cut under the tenderloin and “fillet” the tenderloin (we start at the back end) off of what was once the “roof” of the body cavity (when the critter was standing up). Getting the initial cut establishing one “end” of your tenderloin piece of meat and getting enough of it filleted off to allow you a piece of the tenderloin to get ahold of so you can pull on it as you cut it is the “hard part” so don’t give up --- think “surgeon” not “butcher” at this point. The rest is just going slow and careful. Some folks at this point say the just grab them and "tear" them out. This may be possible, but it is a little like taking a cracked fingernail and just pulling on it instead of cutting it --- it don't always tear where it is supposed to --- so keep cutting, don't try to "yank" them out. Be careful of your fingers and careful of the gut bag as it is always right there and just inviting you to cut it.

I’m always amazed on these butchering deals that the tough spots (like the tenderloins) is always left out of the discussion. Another place where no one I’ve seen get real specific on the “how to do it” is how cut out over to and locate the hip socket without “butchering” the hind quarter. But that is another story… hope this stuff makes sense, I can "see" it clear as day, but there is nothing like doing it or helping do it to have it down pat.

Good Luck and Good Hunting,
EKM

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Elkampmaster-- Thanks for the info. Pretty detailed, I may have to print it out and read it a little more carefully next to a diagram of the skeletal and mussle structures of deer and elk. Actually, the "Another place where no one I’ve seen is real specific on the “how to do it” is how cut out over to and locate the hip socket without “butchering” the hind quarter." Was another question that I had after I posted my last question, as I went back to the site, and watched the slide show again. Then the question kinda popped into my head of exactly how to locate the hip socket without butchering the animal and destroying as little meat as possible. It would be cool if you could elaborate on that, again thanks for the previous response to my question.

P.S.-- yes this would be more of an educational value for (hopefully) elk hunting next year, as I have 2 bonus points for cow elk now, and the area that I apply for has a large wilderness area that holds a lot of elk and does not get very much hunting pressure, so I could get back away from the other hunters if rifle hunting, but if I draw a ML tag, not much to worry about with only 4 tags in the ML hunt.

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Charlie,

If you look at the picture of the cow, "before and after", you can see one of the "troughs" where we took out the back strap, it is a good 2 1/2 maybe 3 feet long (depends how far you go up into "neck" territory) and about 4"x3". This trough is bounded by bone on two sides. The tenderloin was immediately below this backstrap trough, but to the rear of the critter with the "wings of the vertabrae creating the separation between them (+).

Hindquarters. The back end of the critter is always where the dirty work lies BUT the good news is you can avoid almost of that [but if you have a bull you still don't want to (and don't have to) fool with the ureathia]. [Also don't forget how you are going to get evidence of sex (testacles or udder halves) to stay with those two rear quarters, not hard but you have to think about it before you go skinning up a storm.]

Now, just pretend you are doing the traditional method and are making the same cuts through the thin flesh to expose the pelvis so you can cut it with your saw or hatchet. Once you expose flat bone of the pelvis near the centerline (where you would normally cut it), turn your blade 90 degrees and start following (filleting) along the pelvis bone laterally to the "outside" and lift the hind quarter meat up enough out of the way with one hand so you can see what you are doing and keep cutting with the other. The distance you have to go is amazingly short (maybe 5-6" or less) on an elk and you'll come to the obvious ball joint which you will work your way through and then that hind quarter is just a few more slices away from "coming off". When it does it should immediately go into a game bag and getting hung in the shade of a tree right away to stay clean and cool (as should the other cuts as they "come off")*. BTW we skin all the hide off the quarter, down to just below the "knee", before cutting quarters off of the animal.

* If you are deboning then there is more work to do before putting it into game bags (assuming you are leaving with it right away). One fellow I know carries a 6' by 6' piece of plastic and 4 landscaping stakes. This is his deboning area and that is all that is done on that plastic is cut meat from bones --- no hide, no hair, no dirt, no nothing else. he holds the quarter vertically with the leg in his hand and the big end of the quarter on the plastic. About two or three slices and the meat is all off of the bone in big chunks. Then he bags it up in equal weight groups for packing into panniers (or onto your back).

With an elk (way back in) about the only way to handle them is to make "smaller parts" out of "big parts" --- the Alaskan method works great for that.

This part is better than shooting them, gourmet elk coming up!

EKM

RE: Field Dressing Using The " Alaskan" Method
 

Cool, thanks for putting the time into describing it. I guess I will give it a shot this fall if I get a deer, always like to learn something new because someone always has a better way than the way you do things. Thanks again EKM