How would you skin the cat (elk)?

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Mental exercise, Sept and there are 2 elk down you have to break down (not saying you shot 2 elk, saying you're essentially responsible to break 2 down), how would you tackle it? I've had to juggle 3 pronghorn at once a couple times but elk being bigger tend to take me a little longer (heavier to deal with and more usable meat to debone).

Some thoughts, all assuming gutless:
Skin and quarter and debone one completely then move to the second one.
Take the quarters off hide on and set them to the side, debone the rest. Break down the other elk then go back and skin the quarters on the first elk.
Take the quarters off hide on. Break down the second elk. Go back and debone the rest of the first elk and skin the quarters out.

 

[Wrench]

My stupid azz did this once in August. I gutless'd both. In my case the bees were AWFUL and the idea of two open carcasses was a no go for me. I was able to have the first one done in about 20 minutes and the second a bit longer. My extraction was only a 400 yard hump and I just laid the bags out and finished my separation then transitioned to sherpa mode.

I'd never do that alone again.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Yes, gutless, I haven't gutted a critter in a long time.

I was able to have the first one done in about 20 minutes

Fully skinned out and the rest of the carcass deboned? Impressive, I am not that fast.

 

[william schmaltz]

None of the above. I'd do a modified "Gutless" style. Remove quarters (hide-off) and all meat from one side and then pull guts. Flip carcass and open up the hide on the second side leaving the meat on and let it breathe while you open up then other animal. Spay exposed meat on carcass #1 before moving to the next. Come back to finish #1 once #2 is done. It only takes a few minutes to remove the hide from quarters and that's what is holding in your heat. Should take less than 30-40 minutes for the whole first side. Assuming you have two guys since I can't think of a situation where you're responsible for two elk, but you didn't shoot both?

That's how we've handled moose that we shoot at last light. Leave the second side open and on the carcass (with guts out) to cool over night while the other half cools in game bags. If temperature is that big of a deal, don't debone at all or the earliest right before you pack it out.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

None of the above. I'd do a modified "Gutless" style. Remove quarters (hide-off) and all meat from one side and then pull guts. Flip carcass and open up the hide on the second side leaving the meat on and let it breathe while you open up then other animal. Spay exposed meat on carcass #1 before moving to the next. Come back to finish #1 once #2 is done. It only takes a few minutes to remove the hide from quarters and that's what is holding in your heat. Should take less than 30-40 minutes for the whole first side. Assuming you have two guys since I can't think of a situation where you're responsible for two elk, but you didn't shoot both?

That's how we've handled moose that we shoot at last light. Leave the second side open and on the carcass (with guts out) to cool over night while the other half cools in game bags. If temperature is that big of a deal, don't debone at all or the earliest right before you pack it out.

Think 12yr old you don't want using a scalpel without prior practice and something large like an elk while it may be warmer out so time matters (learning opportunities on smaller game in cooler temps will come).

I don't really have intention of boning out the quarters, was talking about getting the rest of the meat of the carcass.

 

[Btaylor]

Think 12yr old you don't want using a scalpel without prior practice and something large like an elk while it may be warmer out so time matters (learning opportunities on smaller game in cooler temps will come).

I don't really have intention of boning out the quarters, was talking about getting the rest of the meat of the carcass.

In that scenario I might pull the front and rear and let the kid remove the backstrap and neck meat on the top side while you start the second. But take the time to teach him how to pop the joints. You can probably have the top quarters off the second one by the time he is ready to flip the first one. Let him pull the front quarter at least or maybe both quarters on the second side of the second elk.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

In that scenario I might pull the front and rear and let the kid remove the backstrap and neck meat on the top side while you start the second. But take the time to teach him how to pop the joints. You can probably have the top quarters off the second one by the time he is ready to flip the first one. Let him pull the front quarter at least or maybe both quarters on the second side of the second elk.

He's seen me break down pronghorn before but probably wasn't paying close attention. For the elk in Sept if we're successful the quantity and temp will be a factor in how much time is spend teaching technique vs just getting the animals broken down, a single elk can be far more hands on. He's got pronghorn and deer tags later in the fall that can be dedicated to more detailed teaching.

Mentally I'm getting the thought process going in my head how I'd tackle it if we decide to put two down (given the opportunity) or just settle in on one. This all assumes its just me and him. My hunting partner might be able to make it out which alleviates the thought process on breaking down two.

 

[Boomer51]

My stupid azz did this once in August. I gutless'd both. In my case the bees were AWFUL and the idea of two open carcasses was a no go for me. I was able to have the first one done in about 20 minutes and the second a bit longer. My extraction was only a 400 yard hump and I just laid the bags out and finished my separation then transitioned to sherpa mode.

I'd never do that alone again.

This is it right here. One at a time. Bees and flies. Work on the one in the sun or that will have sun first if it's bow season or hot You want to get the meat off, boned and in a bag and hung up in the shade as quickly as possible.

 

[william schmaltz]

As they say, "if you can't skin, you can hold a leg!"

If teaching is the most important part of the trip and you don't want to be rushed (and you don't need meat), eat your tag if the opportunity for a double arises. I know it's easier said than done.

 

[dtrkyman]

I remember hunting New Mexico a few years back, didn't kill an elk but the bees were insane, you could hear a steady buzz in the timber all day, I remeber thinking WTH am i going to do if I drop and elk in here?

Gutlees one side and flip over for me.

 

[Legend]

We did this once. We arrowed two 6pts (both over 300in) in ten minutes right at last light. Big time gbear country. We had watched the first bull drop so no tracking needed. The second bull had 2 arrows in him but went out of site. Gutless method is the way to go. We broke down the first bull and packed him a couple hundred yards from the carcass. Then had to track the second bull. After finding him we broke him down and packed him to some dark timber with a cool stream. Then went back to the first bull and moved the meat so they were both in the same place. We are pretty fast with a knife but with the packing and tracking we didn't finish until 6am. Then we took a 45 minute nap. Next we did a little over 15mile hike out and got the horses.

Great memories but would I do it again.....maybe.

 

[cold stethoscope]

I may be too complicated in answering this one, but depending on daylight, weather conditions, goal of teaching vs expedited moving meat, etc: skin the first one and get it to a point to where you can trust the young one with a knife that's sharp enough. then start on the other while keeping an eye on what the kid is doing. If distance is an issue, leaving the 12y/o is a factor of trust. I'm sure lots of us have been left alone with an undressed animal at a younger age but plenty of caveats there, as I'm sure you're aware.
difficult to answer this as it's more of an algorithm working many of the variables than something that can be simply ordered into sequence.

 

[svivian]

Ive been there done that solo (colorado list A bull tag and list B cow tag) dumped both out of a herd about 150 yards away. First thing i did was peel them back on both sides and got the rear hams off and Tenderloins using the gutless method and got them hanging to cool. Then worked the backstraps and finally the front quarters. I shuttled Front quarter, rear quarter and backstraps/ tenderloins to the trail where i had marked a point for my friends coming up to find the quarters. Repeated it until the final load was there and walked it all out. Took about 45 minutes to do both elk total. Have plenty of paracord to tie a leg up while you are cutting on it.

 

[Wrench]

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Hunter-Lockblade-Swiss-Knife/dp/B06XDJTQK8/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?adgrpid=56079436556&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9ZGYBhCEARIsAEUXITV-m0Vj6o0_YJaIUV0C46CA_VAJW6h4ima2fgJi-M0XDgbcbNjCMNEaAgLQEALw_wcB&hvadid=580854144694&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9033743&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8928877642531336129&hvtargid=kwd-319658249945&hydadcr=17108_13425122&keywords=swiss+army+hunter+knife&qid=1661294655&sr=8-4

This guy is what makes it nascar fast. That under hide blade is wicked fast and clean. I don't worry about boning the quarters right away, busting the hips loose will buy plenty of time.....do that after #2 is done and away from the bees.

Ps, I can afford any knives made and I always come back to this one.

 

[roadrunner]

Take the quarters off hide on and set them to the side, debone the rest. Break down the other elk then go back and skin the quarters on the first elk.
Take the quarters off hide on. Break down the second elk. Go back and debone the rest of the first elk and skin the quarters out.

Sort of like this, kind of says the same thing twice.

1) Take the quarters off hide on and hang them in a tree AND shade. Finish ripping off the hide from the backstrap and neck. Debone and hang in a tree AND shade.

2) Go take care of the other elk in its entirety including skinning.

3) Go back and skin the quarters removed earlier from the first elk.

Spoilage in Sept happens down deep next to bone and joints. Expose this and it will begin to cool, even in 78 deg weather. It has to.

 

[LongWayAround]

I wod just do one elk entirely, then move on the next. The kid's job would be to hold legs and get me another game bag.

To me, it seems inefficient to be hopping between the animals. Especially since they're unlikely to be dead right next to each other.

 

[roadrunner]

I wod just do one elk entirely, then move on the next. The kid's job would be to hold legs and get me another game bag.

To me, it seems inefficient to be hopping between the animals. Especially since they're unlikely to be dead right next to each other.

What kid?

 

[Billy Goat]

Here's the real question.

How you getting them out?

If you are worried about spoilage from not getting them quartered and cooled fast enough, what about hauling 2 out?

I can see plenty of scenarios where it really wouldn't be that bad, but if it's really you and a 12yo, unless you have that spot that's not too far from a road, hauling out 2 elk mostly by yourself would be brutal.

It's going to be enough to work up 2 essentially by yourself, then packing them?
I'd shoot only one unless you have those cnelk spots 400 yards from the road.

 

[5MilesBack]

Here you go.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

As they say, "if you can't skin, you can hold a leg!"

If teaching is the most important part of the trip and you don't want to be rushed (and you don't need meat), eat your tag if the opportunity for a double arises. I know it's easier said than done.

He has doe pronghorn and deer tags for teaching opportunities, this would be freezer filling.