Gross weight of elk meat?

Aron Snyder

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I've gotten into this debate many times on other forums, but I'm curious what some of you guys have to say.

How much de boned meat do you think a 500-600 lb elk will yield?

I've talked to the local meat processors and they all gave me pretty close to the same answer (30-35 percent of the total elks weight on the hoof) and that seems to be real close to what I've figured.

So a 600 lb bull will give you around 200 lbs of useable meat.

We usually come out in 1 trip (2 guys) and 80-110 pounds is usually turned in from each person (for rocky mountains), but I've shot a couple bulls in Western Oregon that seemed like they weighed as much as a moose....those take more trips:)
 
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aron, my brothers hunting partner shot a roosie a few years back that was 1020lbs hanging minus the guts! I could not imagine what that yield would be. I had a butcher tell me the same thing. 35%. I know that my last bull took 3 trips and that was two full hind quarters and de-boning the rest.
 

ScottR_EHJ

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My small bull this year was likely right at that 35% mark. My pack weighed 135lbs, no gear, my buddies pretty close to 90 with his gear. He was pretty little though, getting off the raghorn express in Wy. general units.....
 
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My bull from Montana last year had 189 pounds of meat, no bones, on the scale at the butcher. I think we could have broke 200 if I would have taken a little more time in the field. 6 point bull. No packing for me, I love my horses.
 

bowhnter7

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I'd say that's close.

Each meat sack last year weight an average of 44#'s.









Had to weight em before I put em in the paniers on the llamas to make sure they weren't over loaded. ;)
 
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Animal Weight* Meat Waste %Meat Lamb** 50 40 10 80% Hog 240 189 51 79% Black Angus 600 438 162 73% Holstein Steer 900 513 387 57% Mature Buck 180 72 108 40% *Carcass weight. Head, hide and intestines removed
**University of Wisconsin research

Pulled this off a butcher web site. This was due to people complaining they were not getting back a honest proportion of what they brought in to be processed. Your numbers are spot on looks like.
 
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Matt Cashell

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I agree. I have always heard the rule of thirds. Boned out meat in lbs X3 = live weight in lbs. My personal record was 330 pounds from one MT bull. My butcher said it was very unusual. That bull's pic is in the Elk Grips and Grins thread. You could have saddled that thing.
 
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Couple years ago I took and bull and my dad shot one the next day. I think one was 320 and one was 350 pounds of strait meat via the butcher. But that was my biggest.

Most mature bulls somewhere around 200- 250
 
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wapitibob

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Aron, I would guess your numbers are pretty close. 500-600 for a bull sounds close too although most "internet" bulls are closer to 1,000#.

I separated the muscles on a NM bull a few years ago and it filled two, 120qt coolers to the top. 30 hours later the meat was weighed at 330#.
Unusually large body for sure.
 

Xtorminator

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From what I have heard that sounds right. A little off topic but this bull weight in at 563 going in to the cooler so he might be one of those internet bulls. Not sure what the live weight was but sure was happy to have the forest manager come by when we were going in to do the recovery. He let us drive in. My back thanked him. This is my buddy standing with him. He is 5"11" for referance.

DALEELK1534x800.jpg
 
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slim9300

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There is a large difference between Rocky Mountain and Roosevelt elk as you already know Aron.

From a mature Rocky Mountain bull I expect to get around 200 lbs. of boned out meat. From a raghorn, about 160 lbs. and from a spike, about 120-130 lbs.

My 2010 Roosevelt from the Olympic Peninsula was a heavy horned 4x4 and was either 3 or 4 years old. It yielded around 240 lbs. of boned out meat. I have read of mature Roosevelt bulls ACTUALLY weighing around 1000-1100 lbs. on the hoof (I can provide documentation if you would like). The bulls on the OP and Vancouver Island are the biggest bodied elk on the face of the planet (other than a few in AK that have been recorded to push on 1300 lbs.), so I guess 300+ lbs of meat is possible.
 
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flytrait

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usually a 1/3rd. Most mature bulls have been just over 200lbs largest was around 260lbs that is all boned out weights of course. I'm sure there are larger ones out there built like Aron, but thats been my average..
 
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My dad has sent me numerous newspaper articles from Michigan where it is okay I guess to drive almost everywhere. Those fellows bring them out "WHOLE". Many are between 900-1,000 lbs.. Rather than eating just grass or Aspen bark like here in CO., those Elk eat corn, beats and whatever else grows. I believe those are RM Elk
 
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My dad has sent me numerous newspaper articles from Michigan where it is okay I guess to drive almost everywhere. Those fellows bring them out "WHOLE". Many are between 900-1,000 lbs.. Rather than eating just grass or Aspen bark like here in CO., those Elk eat corn, beats and whatever else grows. I believe those are RM Elk


Yeah.... Us idiot michiganders think elk are just big deer and they just throw em in the truck. I quarter my whitetails in the field now, and people always ask me WTF am I doing? I hate dragging deer... We do have big elk though, they get to eat great hay, beets, corn, and every other farm field found over here.
 

RosinBag

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I usually get about 400 pounds of boned out meat on an average 600 pound elk, or at least that's how it feels on my back. Shockingly enough it is always around 200-225 at the butcher. Two guys one trip, usually about 100-120 each including whatever gear we have that day.
 

2rocky

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slim for the win!

RB you been there done that for sure!

DR thorton, Those UW guys are the only ones i know who did the Wild game dressing % research. I'd Love to se e the OSU guys do some on roosies...
 

MT_Nate

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I'd agee at ~250lbs + or - 35lbs.

Last year's harvest numbers from my bull:
-5x6 mature bull elk (Rocky Mountain)
-antler gross score 307
-4 quarters (bone-in - no lower leg) plus tenderloins/backstrap.
-No neck meat (heat soured)
-Weight at butcher = 308lbs

...so probably about 235 if bone weight was subtracted out.
 
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