Leaving elk quarters overnight

Joined
Jul 21, 2019
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520
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Texas
I wonder if clothing has as much of a scarecrow affect as scent. I have hung a hunting seat on a aspen tree and came back the next day and the seat was totally ripped up by a bear. Also had black bears nose a trail camera the day after I put it up. A friend came back to his four wheeler to find a bear trying to rip open the compartment where he had stored food. I think black bears are attracted to human scent sometimes because they find food where humans leave scent
 

wyosam

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Aug 5, 2019
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I just put them in the snow last night, they were frozen solid this morning. A little tip- if you’re in an area that requires CWD sample, it’s worth the 5 minutes to do it in the dark, no matter how cold and tired you are. Dissecting them out when the whole damn this is frozen kinda sucked.

In general I’ll hang them, but if in the open and in a hurry I’ll just do whatever is needed to get air under them. I leave a lot of quarters out at night. Love to be in the woods late.

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Joined
Jun 28, 2017
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377
Location
Oklahoma
We lost a game bag with both backstraps off an elk in 2019. Never happened before with upteen elk. Was just sick about it. Guess a bear was the culprit. Had left all the game bags laying up against a log in the shade, probably 40 yards from the carcass.
 

Broomd

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Sep 29, 2014
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North Idaho
My son and I bugled in a grizzly bear to 35 yards before we saw it. Bear was good and turned and ran after a few yells.

600 yards and 20 minutes later we bugle in a 6 point bull that my son shot. Quartered the bull and packed all quarters about 300 yards from the carcass. We both went out with a quarter and my son was also packing the head and horns. We left the other two quarters laying on a log with his brand new Sitka jacket laying over them. Our intent was to return the same day for the quarters. My son took a tumble on the first trip down and messed his knee up. Decided to come back in the morning. We felt confident that with the carcass having the most attractive g scent and his jacket on the quarters we should be good.

Back at first life and both quarters and the Sitka jacket were gone. Very thick brush area and decided it was a bad idea to go searching. Decided there to hang quarters in future even if we plan on returning. Can't help but think it was the same grizzly we bugle in.
Yep, hang the meat! Dark or not, get it done.
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
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2,261
2 years ago my partner killed a bull at last light and quartered it. Hung the quarters and draped the backstraps over a high branch. Too high for coyotes. The next morning the quarters hadn’t been touched but both backstraps were gone. There was a little snow around but no tracks. Too heavy for a bird. ???
 

Deadfall

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Oct 18, 2019
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I do that just to irritate the bears. Sometimes they put my junk in a pile, pee all over it after smashing my stuff into the ground....haha..
Other times they bring quarters back to gut pile. Have never, not, been able to retrieve though. Sometimes they nibble on a rib.
Sometimes they are there watching me take the quarters. Can get alittle western in that situation.

Hanging is best if trees around.

Never had issue with black bear or dogs.

Really seems to pass off grizzly bears though, which makes me smile....lmao...
 

Deadfall

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Oct 18, 2019
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2 years ago my partner killed a bull at last light and quartered it. Hung the quarters and draped the backstraps over a high branch. Too high for coyotes. The next morning the quarters hadn’t been touched but both backstraps were gone. There was a little snow around but no tracks. Too heavy for a bird. ???
Bird of prey?
 

Ross

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Liberty Lake, WA
have left almost all of mine hanging overnight and some several days with only one having a small chunk chewed on, if the country had many griz that would have changed my thought but not something I’ve worried about, all of these stayed over night until I could return next day with friends to assist with no issues. More worried about early season heat than anything else
 

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COOPDUCK

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Apr 4, 2020
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I did the clothing scarecrow trick and piss all over, also hung a space blanket in the tree next to the meat. In any breeze, Space blankets are pretty loud, reflect moonlight, and smell pretty toxic to boot.
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
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Tijeras NM
It’s worth a try. I guess it really depends on what scavengers and predators are around, and more importantly, how many of them are around. My buddy lost half his elk to a bear or bears this year in the Gila. He had his in bags and hung even.
 

Marble

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We lost a game bag with both backstraps off an elk in 2019. Never happened before with upteen elk. Was just sick about it. Guess a bear was the culprit. Had left all the game bags laying up against a log in the shade, probably 40 yards from the carcass.
I feel your pain! Last year my partners were helping move meat to the trail for the horses. The guys were dragging the bags in the snow and I let them know it makes the quarters dirty and damages the bags. So make sure you carry them. Ill gladly pack them over to the trail if you can't carry them.

Well they ripped a bag and I lost one backstrap. Lesson learned.



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Huntnnw

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May 25, 2015
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Rockford,WA
When we could bait bears in WA we use to leave a dirty work shirt in the stand everytime in baiting to get bears use to smell. I came back one time and a bear climbed into stand and shredded my shirt
 
Joined
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Tijeras NM
In the Gila Wilderness, I think the bears have lost their fear of humans. We’ve set countless game cameras in the last several years and it’s just unbelievable how many pics of bears we’ve had up close and personal to those cameras. I’m talking seeing the inside of a bears mouth close. We’ve actually seen more bears than elk on those cams. I think the human scent actually peaks their curiosity.
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
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oregon coast
^^^ The point of the thread was about leaving a piece of clothing near the meat.
i too have left clothes on site several times and never had a problem.... the only thing is, need to be back to the meat before the ravens wake up in the morning
 

Ralphie

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Feb 18, 2019
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We have bears coming in on kills while people are there. I really doubt a jacket or pee is going to change much. Plus if you’ve been there cutting and hanging meat there is already so much of your scent there adding a jacket doesn’t do much.
 

Wassid82

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Dec 4, 2018
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I try to hang mine in the tree with the help of parador and then put my sweaty t shirt on a branch below the meat. One time in desert landscape I had to find larger sagebrush and the quarters on the brush and cover with other plants or brush to help keep birds away.
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2020
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Nunya
2 years ago my partner killed a bull at last light and quartered it. Hung the quarters and draped the backstraps over a high branch. Too high for coyotes. The next morning the quarters hadn’t been touched but both backstraps were gone. There was a little snow around but no tracks. Too heavy for a bird. ???
They were delicious
 
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elkliver

Lil-Rokslider
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Dec 25, 2018
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Oregon
skin completely and use gamebags and get the quarters at least a little ways away from the gut pile carcass. 100 yards maybe. Hang if possible. Upwind if possible. Gut pile is sweet meat for predator and will usually get eaten first. Clothing with scent may help but this is more important in my book.
 

KineKilla

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Apr 8, 2020
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Utah
Ta-Daaaa! Come back the next morning and de-bone the quarters for the pack out.
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