Below Freezing Carcass Recovery

[sndmn11]

This will be my first rifle season since my early teens, and my wife and I will be hunting the fourth season in Colorado. I am curious if we harvest an elk late afternoon, if we would run into trouble with the carcass being frozen by morning with temperatures in the teens/20s? I would imagine that if we started the gutless process and for whatever reason had to leave for the night, that things would have a much higher chance of being frozen since we opened the skin.

So what does everyone do in below freezing temperatures when you know you won't be able to complete a field processing in one evening/session?

 

[go4thegusto]

Something with the mass of an elk would not be solid by morning in those temps. If you are half done I think I would gut it just in case so you have less of a rodeo to wrestle with the next day. That way you could flip it also to get the ground side cooling. Sometimes you just need to give up sleep and get it to the right point to not have a mess.

 

[5MilesBack]

You would still want to gut it and make sure you remove the "entire" windpipe, and prop it all open with sticks. It's amazing how much heat elk can hang onto even in freezing temps. I once left too much windpipe in freezing temps in a foot of snow and by morning the neck had gone sour.

 

[cnelk]

I once shot a spike [back when we could shoot spikes] in the late afternoon of the old 3rd Season. Temp was well below zero.

Gutted it, and split the cavity up to the wind pipe and came back the next morning with my horse.

Some of the lesser muscle groups were froze, the backstraps and hind quarters were not.

You'll be fine

 

[sndmn11]

Thanks guys. If I am understanding correctly, the hide is still on, innards out?

I do understand that some scenarios may require pulling an all nighter and what not, in the cases where the wiser decision is to not do that I am glad I have an answer now.

 

[Lark Bunting]

Watch as many videos as possible on the method you plan on using. Last year it took me way too long to debone my bull. This year my buddy and I had his cow in quarter bags in just over an hour doing the gutless method. Last year we packed meat out all night. I hated it. This year we hung some bags and took one load out that night and picked up the rest the next morning. Made for a much more enjoyable hunt and pack out. Personally, I wouldn't leave the site until it was in game bags.

 

[huntsman22]

I wouldn't leave the site until it was in game bags.

Yeah. What he said..... in spades.

 

[cnelk]

BIG difference between archery season and 4th rifle season. Especially weather.

 

[ElkNut1]

Be prepared with game bags & head lamp with xtra batteries, paracord so you can tie legs/parts to whatever is around to assist you as you break the animal down & get it into game bags. -- By the time you gut it, mess with wind pipe prop elk open etc. you could have one whole side in bags. -- Yes remove hide! Come morning have a plan to pack quarters out!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[Jimss]

As mentioned above the guts will likely keep the meat warm if left intact overnight. If time permits I'd get all the meat cut off the carcass before you leave for the evening. If that's not possible I would gut your elk and pry open the cavity with a couple sticks. I've never had a problem with meat freezing solid preventing me from processing meat. The only thing I've worried about is birds (magpies and crows/ravens) getting on a carcass prior to when I return. This is definitely a consideration if you intend on having your animal mounted. I had a raven once ruin a dall sheep cape once after peeking out the entire eye area! You may want to place the meat in an area where birds can't get to the meat as easy? I've only had 1 bear eat part of a hind quarter but never had problem with coyotes. Although game bags may help keep the meat clean you likely won't have to worry about flies overnight since you'll be hunting the 4th season and temps are usually below freezing. The outer layer of meat is usually dry and tossed so game bags likely don't do a whole lot. If time permits you may also want to get the /hide off the meat....dramatically helps cool down the meat and gets rid of the stinky hide smell that may somewhat taint the meat.

 

[cnelk]

Back in 2009, 4th rifle season, my buddy and I shot 2 cows right before dark.
By the time we gutted and prepared the elk it was dark and really cold.

Not the conditions you want when using knives and headlamps.

The elk weren’t getting any ‘deader’ so we came back in morning with sleds.
Cut them in half and pulled them out.

No game bags needed

 

[cnelk]

Dec 4, 2016 - Wyoming

Temp 15 degrees - Wind 25mph

Shot this cow at 560yds - YouTube

Like I mentioned above, cold weather elk hunting aint NUTHIN like archery elk hunting.
When your gloves are off, handling knives, and its really cold you do what safe. Not what what you read online.

No game bags needed here either

 

[rayporter]

other than wt. it does not hurt to leave the hide on the legs. it keeps the meat clean. and it is easy to peel off hanging up.
in snow I have dragged legs with the hide on a long way.

one thing about frozen meat- it can make for some awkward chunks to pack out.

 

[sndmn11]

Thanks guys!

 

[ElkNut1]

A frozen, rigimortis carcass is no fun to mess with, it's tough enough with two, one guy & he has more than his hands full, plus I like the peace of mind throughout the night that the elk is taken care of & in the game bags, I sleep a lot better!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[LongWayAround]

I killed a big cow two years ago at the bottom of a steep valley during fourth rifle. We packed out half the meat and planned to get the rest after our morning hunt. The next day, we found two sets of juvenile lion tracks at the base of the big spruce where I had hunt the bags of meat. The meat was undisturbed and not thoroughly frozen. That night had gotten down below 10° in town. We we're both surprised that the lions didn't take the meat and that it had not frozen solid.

 

[eagle_eye]

I killed a cow two years ago about three miles in(4th rifle season Colorado). It was about 4:30 in the evening. Darkness was nearing,
so I quickly gutted her and left her there.
Next morning we woke up to near or below zero temps. It was a biting cold.
We waited for the temps to rise a bit before going in to pack her out.
Three of us went up there to find her partially frozen.
Took the three of at least two to three hours to bone her out.
Would have been much better for me to perform the gutless method the night before and have the meat all bagged up and ready to go.
Definitely a learning lesson.

 

[eagle_eye]

Here's a pic I found of her. I got her on her belly with her head suspended.
She was stiff as a board due to the freezing cold temps over night.

 

[Short Track]

I'm surprised the bears and yotes don't find anything left overnight.

 

[rayporter]

oh they do.

but the ravens and pine martens probably get more.