Some Questions on Field Dressing Moose

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mmattockx

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My hunting partner and I are going out for antlered moose next weekend. We have hunted deer only for the last 4 years and have zero moose experience between us. Both of us are fine with gutting a deer and have done a reasonable number of them, no problem. But that is a 200lb animal and not an 800+lb animal. I have talked to all the experienced moose hunters I know and have got some good tips, but I figured I would ask here as well.

The area we are hunting is north west of Edmonton, on mixed farmland/bush for the most part. Truck access will be 50/50 I figure, so we have to be prepared to quarter and get it out a short distance to the truck. We plan to skin and quarter where it drops and use game bags. We will be bringing rope and I am thinking several light block and tackle sets wouldn't hurt at all.

Any recommendations on techniques, tools to bring, types of rope to use, easier ways to handle and gut a very large animal, etc.?


Thanks,
Mark
 
Buy an extra set of game bags. You don't need a block and tackle. Two men can make short work of a moose. Skin one half to expose front and back legs. Cut in and around to remove hind and front at the sockets. One guy holds leg and lifts, other guy cuts. Next cut out loins (backstraps), bone out neck, and clean off brisket.

Flip moose completely over and repeat. After everything has been removed, open gut cavity and remove liver, heart and tender loins. All you are leaving is spine and ribs.

Basically, need a quarter back for each leg joint and two extra bags for the boned out stuff.

Won't need a thing other than a couple of sharp knives and maybe a saw for removing leg below the knee.
 
I'm going to go against the grain here and say we prefer to deal with our moose in camp. We take nearly 1000 feet of cable and a few blocks but have never had to use that much.

Attach a block to the trailer hitch of one truck. Attach the cable to the moose, through the block then use another truck to drive away until the moose near the road and hopefully on a berm. Then back the truck up to it and use a come-a-long to get it into the truck.

Another thing we do is fire up the chain saws and build roads big enough to get a quad through. It goes faster and is easier than packing a moose. Cleaner too (which to me means more than anything). We tie 2 quads in tandem and drag them.

...Now this is key, if you are going to drag a moose drag it from the hind feet. If you drag it from the front the antlers, and ESPECIALLY, the shoulders will hang up on everything. Don't listen to the BS about dragging them from the front. It's just that, BS.

When we get them in camp slice the belly, tie the ass and tie the esophagus. Split the pelvis and start pulling the ass forward but keep an eye on the bladder. Keep cutting as you pull forward (leave the fat on the tenderloin so it doesn't dry out when it's hanging) until the stomach falls out.

Now cut the sternum with a saw. Cut the diaphragm all the way around. Cut around the esophagus and start pulling it back until the heart and lungs falls out. You are done gutting.

Skin out the back legs so you can get a spreader in there to hang it, cut the back legs off and start lifting. We use a chain block.

Skin as you lift and I'd suggest starting with the flanks, do them before the rump or it's a pain in the ass.

Keep going until you hit the front legs, do them, cut them off and continue to the neck. Cut off the head.

Wash the cavity with vinegar and water, let air dry a day or two then bag. Done.

Here is a pic of us dragging this years moose. 8X8 42 1/2" spread 700 pounds dressed. Not bad for a Prince George moose.

gwvwFJR.jpg
 
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I re-read your post...what to bring.

A meat saw. You'll need it to cut the legs off, sternum, pelvis and legs.
For rope? Something that wont stretch too bad. That yellow stuff? Forget it, braided rope like they use on boats is what you want.
A come-a-long or better a turfer with cable. Turfers are awesome because you don't need to reset every 10 feet, with a turfer you can pull as long as the cable you have.
A wyoming knife or a good knife with a gut hook. I prefer the wyoming knife because I can replace the blade if it gets dull but mine will do a large moose.
Knife sharpener. These days I use a benchmade D2 so it doesn't usually need sharpening.

...and this will sound weird but remember those crazy carpets we had as kids? The roll up plastic things? They make great drags if you have to drag something by hand. Better than carrying anytime especially if you are on flatish land or snow.
 
If I can't get a truck to a downed moose then the gutless method it is. h ttp://www.all-about-moose.com/field-dressing-gutless-method.html

All you need is a 3.5-4" knife and a half dozen game bags....no fuss....no muss
 
sheephunter said:
If I can't get a truck to a downed moose then the gutless method it is. h ttp://www.all-about-moose.com/field-dressing-gutless-method.html

All you need is a 3.5-4" knife and a half dozen game bags....no fuss....no muss
Click to expand...

I watched the video and that's pretty slick but a word of warning, in BC the way he cut that is illegal. You have to leave evidence of ### on EACH hind quarter.

And a word on deboning game in the field....I contacted the BC CO's office and they said that if you debone game in the field they still want to see the carcass with the head attached to the spine so you have to bring that to be legal.

I saved the email somewhere if someone would like to see it. Or just email them yourself if you prefer.
 
07blackwater said:
I watched the video and that's pretty slick but a word of warning, in BC the way he cut that is illegal. You have to leave evidence of ### on EACH hind quarter.

And a word on deboning game in the field....I contacted the BC CO's office and they said that if you debone game in the field they still want to see the carcass with the head attached to the spine so you have to bring that to be legal.
Click to expand...

We have to leave evidence of ### in Alberta too...it's easy to with the gutless method but you make a good point that it needs to be left but only on one hind hind quarter....not each. I've done many backpack and horseback hunts in BC and never did we bring in the head attached to the spine. In fact we couldn't have. We did bring the head where point restrictions were in place. They might "like" to see it but I see no where in the regs where it's required. It just isn't practical in many circumstances. When people first hear of the gutless method it seems to frighten them that it somehow isn't legal or that you don't get the same meat but it is and you do. But as you point out, evidence of ### may need to be left in some provinces and in Alberta we need to leave the tail attached to one quarter on a deer.
 
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sheephunter said:
We have to leave evidence of ### in Alberta too...it's easy to with the gutless method but you make a good point that it needs to be left. I've done many backpack and horseback hunts in BC and never did we bring in the head attached to the spine. In fact we couldn't have. We did bring the head where point restrictions were in place. They might "like" to see it but I see no where in the regs where it's required. It just isn't practical in many circumstances.
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True. 2 years ago I shot a buck on my second day of a 3 week hunt and it got warm so I decided to cut and wrap it. I have a freezer in the camper and I have another in the trailer out of an old camper I use for provisions so I put them on high and packed it.

When I got home I emailed them and that's what they told me. Now this seemed funny to me seeing as everyone who hunts the high country knows that it's just not feasible to start hauling bones down with you. Kind of defeats the purpose of deboning doesn't it? I mean it's a well known and frequently performed form of packing meat but yeah, that's what they told me.

....I know I saved the email. I'll try to find it.
 
I never could understand why some hunters choose to do so much extra work with dead animals, especially big animals like moose. You are going to cut up the moose anyway, so cut it up at the kill spot using the gutless method, then it's an easy pack to the road. You leave all the unwanted stuff behind, you never have to worry about piercing the bladder or intestines, you don't have to mess around with cables, block and tackle etc.

In the time it takes to rig in to drag, or cut a road in for a quad, you can have the moose cut up ready for transport.
 
I'm looking at the regulations for BC and it does say that for evidence of ### 'must leave naturally attached to the carcass or one part of the carcass in the person's possession'.

Sounds like on one half is good as long as you have the whole animal. If you split it with your buddy might be different. I'm sure it used to say you needed evidence of ### on both halves but hey, I've been wrong before.

Either way, I fired off an email to the CO's to see what they have to say about it.

I wish I could find that last email so I knew who it was.
 
Gatehouse said:
I never could understand why some hunters choose to do so much extra work with dead animals, especially big animals like moose. You are going to cut up the moose anyway, so cut it up at the kill spot using the gutless method, then it's an easy pack to the road. You leave all the unwanted stuff behind, you never have to worry about piercing the bladder or intestines, you don't have to mess around with cables, block and tackle etc.

In the time it takes to rig in to drag, or cut a road in for a quad, you can have the moose cut up ready for transport.
Click to expand...

Did you see where that one was shot? If you want to eat swamp and shrimp fill your boots. I like clean meat.

And I'm old and have a sore back, I don't want to carry anything I don't have to Gatehouse.

Post some pictures of you with a moose on your back and I'll shut up.
 
07blackwater said:
Did you see where that one was shot? If you want to eat swamp and shrimp fill your boots. I like clean meat.

And I'm old and have a sore back, I don't want to carry anything I don't have to Gatehouse.

Post some pictures of you with a moose on your back and I'll shut up.
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No reason to get your meat dirty using the gutless method. It's pretty straightforward to put the meat into game bags. When doing the gutless method you use the hide to keep it clean then load it into bags.

I'm looking at your pic and I can't help but wonder why you wouldn't just cut up the moose and load it onto the quads? If you can get a quad to it you have about 30 minutes of knife work then bag and load and take to camp and hang.

I've done the whole "cut a road/use ropes and cables/ drag the moose/etc" methods and I've done the gutless and use backpack/quad/horse method and gutless is far more efficient.Last year we got a moose right on the road. Instead of fighting with it trying to load it whole then hang it whole and gut it we did gutless right there. Easily loaded quarters by hand into back of truck, easily hung quarters by hand in the garage.

Here is a pic of my buddies dad. He is old. We were packing a moose off a mountain. I am not in the pic since I took it, but my pack was also full of moose. We had to go to the bottom of that mountain to load the moose.

154_8339495515_8411_n.jpg


Load your moose any way you want to, but I like doing things the easy way. I've wrestled and fought with enough whole animals to not want to do it anymore if it can be avoided.
 
First off, thanks to all for the help. It is greatly appreciated. I did know about bringing a saw and that moose hide is tough on knives. I will have a spare knife and will bring sharpening tools just in case. Braided rope it will be, and maybe two block and tackles, just in case.


Bluffton Bill said:
Buy an extra set of game bags. You don't need a block and tackle. Two men can make short work of a moose. Skin one half to expose front and back legs. Cut in and around to remove hind and front at the sockets. One guy holds leg and lifts, other guy cuts. Next cut out loins (backstraps), bone out neck, and clean off brisket.
Click to expand...

I am trying to envision how this would be done on the rear quarters. I understand what you are talking about on the technique, I have removed front quarters on a deer in this way, but don't the moose quarters get too heavy to handle?

On leaving proof of ###, do you guys just leave a patch of hide with testicles attached on one quarter? I have never quartered a deer in the field, so never considered having to do this. Tag on the same quarter as the proof of ### like usual, I assume?


07blackwater said:
...Now this is key, if you are going to drag a moose drag it from the hind feet. If you drag it from the front the antlers, and ESPECIALLY, the shoulders will hang up on everything. Don't listen to the BS about dragging them from the front. It's just that, BS.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that tip, no one had mentioned that to me yet. I am hoping to not drag the carcass anywhere, but we all know how well the best laid plans work out when in the bush.


07blackwater said:
When we get them in camp slice the belly, tie the ass and tie the esophagus. Split the pelvis and start pulling the ass forward but keep an eye on the bladder. Keep cutting as you pull forward (leave the fat on the tenderloin so it doesn't dry out when it's hanging) until the stomach falls out.

Now cut the sternum with a saw. Cut the diaphragm all the way around. Cut around the esophagus and start pulling it back until the heart and lungs falls out. You are done gutting.
Click to expand...

A friend had told me he guts by tying a rope to the esophagus and then pulls everything down over the pelvis, kind of opposite to the direction you start in. I can see either way working fine.


07blackwater said:
Skin as you lift and I'd suggest starting with the flanks, do them before the rump or it's a pain in the ass.

Keep going until you hit the front legs, do them, cut them off and continue to the neck. Cut off the head.

Wash the cavity with vinegar and water, let air dry a day or two then bag. Done.
Click to expand...

This is how we do deer, except they are hanging when we skin them. Works best to start at the top on the flanks and then let gravity work as you go down the carcass.


Gatehouse said:
In the time it takes to rig in to drag, or cut a road in for a quad, you can have the moose cut up ready for transport.
Click to expand...

I am all for doing the least amount of grunt work possible, but no single method works in every circumstance. I like the gutless method, it looks like the way to go but I want to have a back up plan just in case gutless won't work where we drop one.


Mark
 
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