If you’re used to hunting whitetails, you might think that field dressing and packing out elk will be similar. I’m here to tell you that you can delete that idea. Getting a bull elk down in the wilderness is slightly different from shooting a whitetail out in a cornfield, and the work involved field dressing and breaking down a large bull or cow can be an eye-opener. Believe me, putting elk meat in your backpack in the field and hiking it out is much easier said than done. Elk quarters are heavy, the hides are very thick, and their antlers can weigh over 20 pounds each. Field butchering your elk will be more manageable with the right gear. Here’s what you need to break down your elk before you pack it out of the backcountry.
I never went elk hunting in Idaho. It is a world of difference from hunting Ohio whitetails. I knew this before reading this article.
Read the whole thing at WideOpenSpaces.