silly question
- Thread starter crunchiespg
- Start date
- Location
- Saskatchewan
I just love it when people say never hunt too far form a road or ATV trail because you'll hate packing a moose or elk out of there. That's exactly why I hunt far from roads and trails. Gets rid of all the lazy hunting competition!
I consider a few items indispensable for hunting in the deep bush: A pack frame with large single compartment removable bag, some cotton meat sacks ( I use flour bags, or sew my own from old bedsheets) Parachute cord, a good knife, a steel & stone for sharpening, and a folding saw.
It is MUCH safer to cut a moose or elk into pieces with a knife and saw compared to using an axe. I have many old scars on my knuckles from handling moose quarters that were split with an axe. The bone shards are sharp and dangerous. Infected cuts on your hands are no fun in the bush. Believe me! Knife & saw are far superior tools.
To quarter large animals, you must cut down the backbone lengthwise. I never "quarter" big game any more. Cutting through all that backbone lengthwise is a waste of time and effort. And it damages the backstraps, the best cuts of meat.
I cut big critters into 8 pieces. The four legs are removed using the knife. The ribs are cut off with the folding saw and rolled up or deboned. The carcass is cut in half by sawing through the vertebrae between second and third ribs. The neck piece of a big bull moose carcass may need to be separated from the chest piece, if it is too heavy to pack with neck attached. I can normally pack two front legs, one hind leg, the loin, the chest/neck, and the 2 rib slabs as separate trips each. 7 or 8 trips in all depending whether you are also packing a set of antlers or not.
If you have a very long ways to pack, removing the bones is a great weight saving option, but it is harder to keep the meat clean. Meat ages better ( more tender) if it is hung for a few days in a cooler with the meat on the bone. If you cut the meat off the bone the meat will tend to be tougher.
Make sure the meat is hung in the shade to cool, and keep it clean! meat does not cool properly if packed and hung in plastic bags. Cotton is better, but many of the commercial "cheesecloth" bags are nearly useless for keeping meat clean. The holes are too big.
I come from four generations of butchers, so good meat care runs in the family. And delicious game meat is a fine reward for all the effort!
I consider a few items indispensable for hunting in the deep bush: A pack frame with large single compartment removable bag, some cotton meat sacks ( I use flour bags, or sew my own from old bedsheets) Parachute cord, a good knife, a steel & stone for sharpening, and a folding saw.
It is MUCH safer to cut a moose or elk into pieces with a knife and saw compared to using an axe. I have many old scars on my knuckles from handling moose quarters that were split with an axe. The bone shards are sharp and dangerous. Infected cuts on your hands are no fun in the bush. Believe me! Knife & saw are far superior tools.
To quarter large animals, you must cut down the backbone lengthwise. I never "quarter" big game any more. Cutting through all that backbone lengthwise is a waste of time and effort. And it damages the backstraps, the best cuts of meat.
I cut big critters into 8 pieces. The four legs are removed using the knife. The ribs are cut off with the folding saw and rolled up or deboned. The carcass is cut in half by sawing through the vertebrae between second and third ribs. The neck piece of a big bull moose carcass may need to be separated from the chest piece, if it is too heavy to pack with neck attached. I can normally pack two front legs, one hind leg, the loin, the chest/neck, and the 2 rib slabs as separate trips each. 7 or 8 trips in all depending whether you are also packing a set of antlers or not.
If you have a very long ways to pack, removing the bones is a great weight saving option, but it is harder to keep the meat clean. Meat ages better ( more tender) if it is hung for a few days in a cooler with the meat on the bone. If you cut the meat off the bone the meat will tend to be tougher.
Make sure the meat is hung in the shade to cool, and keep it clean! meat does not cool properly if packed and hung in plastic bags. Cotton is better, but many of the commercial "cheesecloth" bags are nearly useless for keeping meat clean. The holes are too big.
I come from four generations of butchers, so good meat care runs in the family. And delicious game meat is a fine reward for all the effort!
I was in my mid 20's before I even had an edible piece of big game. Had to shoot and butcher one myself to get good meat.
Speaking of tenderloins, I have a couple of friends that hang deer with the hide off until it resembles beef jerky. They would NEVER take the tenderloins out and always let them dry out to uselessness. Even when told of the tenderloins, they'd simply shrug. Apparently reaching into the cavity to cut them out was too much work.
Now I volunteer to gut all their animals..........................................
and peel out the tenderloins while I'm at it.
"Tenderloins? Oh? Your deer didn't have any."
Speaking of tenderloins, I have a couple of friends that hang deer with the hide off until it resembles beef jerky. They would NEVER take the tenderloins out and always let them dry out to uselessness. Even when told of the tenderloins, they'd simply shrug. Apparently reaching into the cavity to cut them out was too much work.
Now I volunteer to gut all their animals..........................................
and peel out the tenderloins while I'm at it.
"Tenderloins? Oh? Your deer didn't have any."
We gut it where it falls, leave the hide on and drag it back to camp with the ATV's. A couple years ago on the guys welded up a "stretcher" like wagon with 2 balloon tires and trailer hitch for the ATV. Works great and keeps the carcass cleaner.
Then, use a chain hoist up into a tree to hang before quartering. We use the battery reciprocating saw too. Tried the chainsaw/veg oil once. What a mess! It throws bone fragments all over the meat. Recip saw makes a cleaner job of it.
Then, use a chain hoist up into a tree to hang before quartering. We use the battery reciprocating saw too. Tried the chainsaw/veg oil once. What a mess! It throws bone fragments all over the meat. Recip saw makes a cleaner job of it.
I know they said don't shoot far from the road... but:
A) what if you can't get all the animal out at once, what steps are taken to avoid another creature (bear?) from claiming the rest of your meat while you're away? I assume you'd hang it until you come back.
B) Along with question (A), in areas that aren't opened up (IE a lot of BC) do a lot more BC'ers pack their stuff rather than use motorisation, like I hear from the east coasters?
A) what if you can't get all the animal out at once, what steps are taken to avoid another creature (bear?) from claiming the rest of your meat while you're away? I assume you'd hang it until you come back.
B) Along with question (A), in areas that aren't opened up (IE a lot of BC) do a lot more BC'ers pack their stuff rather than use motorisation, like I hear from the east coasters?
A) sometimes, if hunting with a group, you can leave someone behind while others return the gear. I like having a 12 gauge with slugs with me, personally, when dragging it back out. The spread of buckshot at bear attack range, IMO, is negligble. If you can't hit it with a slug at that range, then buck isn't going to do you much good either.
Last year, on the way out (about 1km into the bush); came across fresh bear scat close to the site of the kill. Glad I had a 12 gauge with me, when me and my buddy were bringing out the deer.
If you have to leave your animal overnight, some guys piss around it or even on the fur of the animal. As well as covering it up with an assortment of greens.
Don't think I'd piss on the fur of it, though.
Don't know about bears,but usually leaving a hat,vest,jacket etc. behind and on the carcass is enough to keep coyotes away for the night.
H Wally
I found if I had to leave the animal overnite I would just throw my coat on it. the scent seems to keep most other animals away. Also drag the gut pile off little ways. A couple times I have gone back the next day and the gut pile is gone, but the meat is untouched.
I found if I had to leave the animal overnite I would just throw my coat on it. the scent seems to keep most other animals away. Also drag the gut pile off little ways. A couple times I have gone back the next day and the gut pile is gone, but the meat is untouched.
I only left one animal overnight. I shot it couldn't move it at all so I gutted it and went back before light to skin quarter and haul it out. I wanted to get to it before the ravens woke up. I didn't worry about yotes or bears because it WAS a bear.
- Location
- Saskatoon Saskatchewan
Some great advice on this thread especially from longwalker. Taking the extra few minutes to do a great job on cleaning you're game really pays off in the quality department of the table fair. This fall I was hunting by myself in southern saskatchewan, I shot a big mule deer in a coullee that didn't look too steep but i couldn't walk up it on two feet. I ended up cutting right in half with my leatherman and dragging it up one half at a time with a 15' tow rope. I'd climb until i found a flatish ledge and pull half the buck up to me. My arms and back were killng me by the time i was done i was one proud puppy. It sure is satisfying to go through all that by myself.
here's some pics of my excursion:
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/ajdrury/jimmyhunting1.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/ajdrury/07muleycoolie3.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/ajdrury/07muley1.jpg
here's some pics of my excursion:
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/ajdrury/jimmyhunting1.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/ajdrury/07muleycoolie3.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/ajdrury/07muley1.jpg
