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Posted: 12/28/2015 1:13:52 AM EDT
[#1]
Last couple elk I was in on we boned them out in the field. No sense packing a bunch o' bones out. We did the gutless method by taking them apart from the back bone. This also doesn't require axes or hatchets or big heavy knives. I carry a couple fixed blade buck knives, a smaller knife, and a medium knife (maybe 5" blade, I don't remember)
Hunted with a guide once many years ago. they did quarter things in the field. The guides all carried two good hatchets in their kit. The would hammer one hatchet through bone with the back of the other hatchet. It made fairly short work of splitting pelvises and ribs. Of course they had horses and mules to carry the quarters. |
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Posted: 12/28/2015 1:39:27 AM EDT
[#2]
Two hatchets to break the sternum and ribs are in an atv we use to get to the area. I carry a buck skinner, a buck utility, an old timer skinner for the cuts through the hide.
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Posted: 12/28/2015 9:34:21 AM EDT
[#3]
Since I am on foot/no horse, I'm boning quarters. No knife pics, but any decent 3-5" knife that can hold an edge will do.
I usually have a ceramic stick to touch up the edge when it starts dulling. Don't forget good meat bags, not those mesh things. Large pillow cases will work too. |
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Posted: 1/1/2016 9:15:39 PM EDT
[#4]
OP, these are what I carry and use for all skinning/meat taking..been using them for years and now all of my buddies use them as well...we also use a dewalt battery sawzall for cutting bones..just the easiest way we have found to take care of game animals....depending on how we are going to process the meat, we will remove quarters/ribs/neck meat separately, or most of the time we just sawzall the spine/sternum then cut at the 3rd rib to make 4 pieces(same way a butcher shop does beef)........
Spyderco Bill Moran skinners and sharpmaker......... 
meat harvested by 4 cuts... 
meat taken separately....... 
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Posted: 1/7/2016 3:14:55 PM EDT
[#5]
Knives of Alaska Bushcamp to get the hide off and quarter use an outdoor edge folding fillet knife to bone everything out then start packing for camp
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Posted: 1/14/2016 11:54:47 AM EDT
[#6]
Similar to 50-140, I usually use a hatchet for opening up the rib cage and sternum, although I am generally on foot. I carry a Helle knife on my side, and this does most of the work to open the animal up and start the skinning, keeps a razor edge well. I have a couple other Helle knives that I will keep in my vehicle with a more rounded blade shape that work a little better for the skinning. I have also used Mora knives to skin, and that worked out just fine, they were also extremely sharp. I can keep a great edge on the Helle knives with ease, and like them a little better. It seems to me one time I got an elk close to the vehicle, and used a small chain saw to open it up, instead of the hatchet, took a lot of work to clean the saw afterword, but worked well. Also have a rip saw that I used for the same thing one time, and that also did a good job. One of the difficult thing with elk if you are alone is moving it around to work on quartering it, they are so big and heavy, make sure you have rope and look for something you can tie off the legs to as you open it up, and try to situate it so the blood runs down and away from where you are trying to work. The butcher shop that cut and packaged it for me chewed me out for getting the meat "dirty" last time, they had no clue what I went through just to get that elk out of the woods by myself. It was superficial dirt for the most part, fir needles and grass and such, that was some excellent meat, wishing now I had more of it!
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Posted: 1/14/2016 3:20:43 PM EDT
[#7]
I haven't killed an elk or cleaned one yet so please help me understand something. Why are you guys using hatchets to open the chest cavity? Is it not possible to cut between the breast plate and ribs with a knife like on a deer? Also, why a hatchet and not a meat saw? Seems like a meat saw would be lighter to carry and more precise.
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Posted: 1/14/2016 6:26:06 PM EDT
[#8]
I use this:
to do this: 
and this:
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Posted: 1/15/2016 1:20:42 PM EDT
[#9]
Havalon for skinning light duty, 3" edc buck folder for heavier duties.
I use gutless method, and usually just pack quarters out on the bone. |
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Posted: 1/15/2016 1:42:15 PM EDT
[#10]
<--- gutless method for elk
I use a $5 Stanley brand box cutter that has one long blade scored every 1/4" so that dulled sections can be broken off. It's light, cheap, easy to replace, and zips through a deer or elk in 2-3 blade sections. The blade retracts into the handle and is safe to put in a zip lock once the quartering etc is done. The only task I need a fixed blade knife for is head removal, but even there I do most of the cutting with my Stanley blade and only need the heavy fixed blade for the really tough connective tissue. |
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Posted: 1/28/2016 6:20:44 PM EDT
[#11]
I use the hatchet because typically I am packing it out on the bone, hunting alone, and in a hurry to complete the task of getting the animal out of there. If you have a super-strong saw that can take on elk bone, that will work too. The hatchet is small and sharp enough and strong enough that I can always pack it wherever I go and get the job done. I need to open up the rib cage to be able to separate the front quarters sufficiently so that I can handle them individually. Same with the pelvic bone. Most of the smaller saws for this purpose I have had in the past are just too flimsy to hold up to this heavy use. My rip saw for lumber actually works a lot better than the hatchet, and if I was close enough to my vehicle to access that piece of equipment I would use that instead of the hatchet. It all depends on how far you have to pack. Of course you will want to separately take off the backstrap and tenderloin and keep in a separate game bag, some awesome eating there! Other times we have been able to take out the whole animal using aircraft cable sections around the head of the bull and then dragging it up the hill by backing up a logging road. If you have enough guys you can then load the whole animal in the back of the pickup, and then hang it up prior to skinning, this is the best way for keeping it clean and getting the most meat out of the woods. I have never personally used the gutless method, but it appears to be an excellent approach if the logistics are in your favor. If you may leave the animal for a time to find help with packing it out, in my opinion it is critically important to go ahead and remove the guts first, to begin the cooling process and help prevent spoilage of the meat. If you do not have a lot of daylight left, then too, you may have to take the most expedient approach to getting the animal out of the woods, and into camp or your vehicle, as there is always a risk that a predator will find your animal. I think if I was hunting with a buddy, got the animal down with lots of daylight left, I would try the gutless method next time around.
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Posted: 6/24/2016 11:42:17 PM EDT
[#12]
Two hatchets, and a Havalon.
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Posted: 6/24/2016 11:50:09 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
<--- gutless method for elk I use a $5 Stanley brand box cutter that has one long blade scored every 1/4" so that dulled sections can be broken off. It's light, cheap, easy to replace, and zips through a deer or elk in 2-3 blade sections. The blade retracts into the handle and is safe to put in a zip lock once the quartering etc is done. The only task I need a fixed blade knife for is head removal, but even there I do most of the cutting with my Stanley blade and only need the heavy fixed blade for the really tough connective tissue. No fuckin way, on an elk? You are joking right? |
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Posted: 6/25/2016 10:17:29 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
No fuckin way, on an elk? You are joking right? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
<--- gutless method for elk I use a $5 Stanley brand box cutter that has one long blade scored every 1/4" so that dulled sections can be broken off. It's light, cheap, easy to replace, and zips through a deer or elk in 2-3 blade sections. The blade retracts into the handle and is safe to put in a zip lock once the quartering etc is done. The only task I need a fixed blade knife for is head removal, but even there I do most of the cutting with my Stanley blade and only need the heavy fixed blade for the really tough connective tissue. No fuckin way, on an elk? You are joking right? If you do the gutless method you dont need big knives. Box cutters and or sharp skinning knives are all you need. You dont have to cut through any tough bone, really its just the hair that dulls your blades. |
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Posted: 6/25/2016 10:19:02 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I haven't killed an elk or cleaned one yet so please help me understand something. Why are you guys using hatchets to open the chest cavity? Is it not possible to cut between the breast plate and ribs with a knife like on a deer? Also, why a hatchet and not a meat saw? Seems like a meat saw would be lighter to carry and more precise. If you are quartering the elk Hatchets can be quicker than a saw to break up the shoulder and pelvis bones. |
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Posted: 6/25/2016 11:19:34 AM EDT
[#16]
I use a 2 1/2 inch old timer. Can skin and quarter an elk with two sharpening. Gutless method FTW.
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Posted: 6/25/2016 3:02:14 PM EDT
[#17]
No, you don't need a big blade, but you sure need more than a box cutter.
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Posted: 6/27/2016 11:42:21 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
No, you don't need a big blade, but you sure need more than a box cutter. A box cutter would work with gutless. If you're good at it you could take all the legal elk meat in CO in 10 mins with gutless. If you're using bone saws, hatchets and all that you're doin it wrong, unless you like extra work. Gutless FTW |
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Posted: 6/27/2016 11:54:39 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote History |
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Posted: 6/27/2016 12:15:49 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Oh please tell me o can use this method on white tails Quote HistoryQuoted:
Oh please tell me o can use this method on white tails Yep, easy to do on white tails or any big game for that matter. The only reason gutless is so popular out west is because you might be miles from your truck so it makes it fast to get the meat off and ready to pack out. I plan on gutless for my deer this season since I might be several miles back to the car. |
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Posted: 6/27/2016 12:16:31 PM EDT
[#21]
No reason why not. The only meat inside the body cavity is the tenderloins and they are easy enough to get to.
The one complaint I've heard about the method is that since the meat will be aged off bone, it will tend toward tougher meat. Theory being as meat ages on the bone it dries and shrinks a bit, the shrinkage is resisted by the bone - which results some tearing of the meat. I don't know if this is true or BS. |
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Posted: 6/27/2016 12:17:35 PM EDT
[#22]
works fine on deer.
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Posted: 6/27/2016 12:20:46 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Oh please tell me o can use this method on white tails Quote HistoryQuoted:
Oh please tell me o can use this method on white tails No reason you can't. We use it on hogs around here all the time. |
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Posted: 6/27/2016 12:28:34 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: No reason you can't. We use it on hogs around here all the time. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Oh please tell me o can use this method on white tails No reason you can't. We use it on hogs around here all the time. 
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Posted: 6/27/2016 2:08:21 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
OP, these are what I carry and use for all skinning/meat taking..been using them for years and now all of my buddies use them as well...we also use a dewalt battery sawzall for cutting bones..just the easiest way we have found to take care of game animals....depending on how we are going to process the meat, we will remove quarters/ribs/neck meat separately, or most of the time we just sawzall the spine/sternum then cut at the 3rd rib to make 4 pieces(same way a butcher shop does beef)........ Spyderco Bill Moran skinners and sharpmaker......... <a href="http://s266.photobucket.com/user/AKSNOWRIDER_2008/media/IMG_0046_zps67aad075.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii265/AKSNOWRIDER_2008/IMG_0046_zps67aad075.jpg</a> meat harvested by 4 cuts... <a href="http://s266.photobucket.com/user/AKSNOWRIDER_2008/media/MEAT/IMG_0451_zpsjtj7khvk.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii265/AKSNOWRIDER_2008/MEAT/IMG_0451_zpsjtj7khvk.jpg</a> meat taken separately....... <a href="http://s266.photobucket.com/user/AKSNOWRIDER_2008/media/MEAT/IMG_0321_zps4egaengo.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii265/AKSNOWRIDER_2008/MEAT/IMG_0321_zps4egaengo.jpg</a> I have 2 of the Bill Moran skinners as well. I have gone through a few elk with them. One very early one came high polished and with a leather sheath. That one is retired now. The line up for this falls hunt will be: Havalon Knife Bill Moran Skinner Custom skinner Cheap gut hook with utility knife blades. |
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Posted: 7/22/2016 12:15:03 AM EDT
[#26]
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Posted: 7/22/2016 11:25:08 AM EDT
[#27]
Works like a charm. |
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Posted: 9/7/2016 8:49:54 PM EDT
[#28]
Canadian belt knife, any flavor with good steel. Folding Gerber bone saw. Fast and clean for me.
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Posted: 9/10/2016 5:39:04 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I haven't killed an elk or cleaned one yet so please help me understand something. Why are you guys using hatchets to open the chest cavity? Is it not possible to cut between the breast plate and ribs with a knife like on a deer? Also, why a hatchet and not a meat saw? Seems like a meat saw would be lighter to carry and more precise. A hatchet can be pounded through with a rock or ideally another hatchet. That 'gutless method' wastes the ribs, heart and liver. IMHO, the heart and liver are the best parts of an elk. |
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Posted: 9/11/2016 9:50:29 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Meat saws make bone dust. You don't want bone dust in your meat. A hatchet can be pounded through with a rock or ideally another hatchet. That 'gutless method' wastes the ribs, heart and liver. IMHO, the heart and liver are the best parts of an elk. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I haven't killed an elk or cleaned one yet so please help me understand something. Why are you guys using hatchets to open the chest cavity? Is it not possible to cut between the breast plate and ribs with a knife like on a deer? Also, why a hatchet and not a meat saw? Seems like a meat saw would be lighter to carry and more precise. A hatchet can be pounded through with a rock or ideally another hatchet. That 'gutless method' wastes the ribs, heart and liver. IMHO, the heart and liver are the best parts of an elk. I agree on all accounts but I still don't understand why a hatchet instead of just using a knife? Must be a speed thing. I have a friend who is a very experienced elk hunter and he swears by using an axe but then again he hunts with horses and mules. I hunt on foot and try to get as far from other hunters as possible so a hatchet seems like a lot of extra weight to carry around. Especially when I am already carrying too much to begin with. Like I said, I haven't killed an elk yet (hopefully that will change in a few days) but if I do I plan to just use my knives. I plan to try the rib roll method to get the flanks, ribs, and brisket. Maybe after I've been through it once I'll see the light and decide an elk sized animal is too much work to take apart with just a knife. |
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Posted: 9/11/2016 3:08:07 PM EDT
[#31]
I have done 8 elk with knife only. I have done strait up gutting, gutless and boneless depending on the pack out. Knives work fine but an axe can speed things up and save some energy.
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Posted: 9/11/2016 3:16:00 PM EDT
[#32]
These are the blades going to ID with me this year. I also have an Esee Izula hanging on my pack.
Left to right: Raymond Richard custom 52100 Coffee Cup Custom (SV10?) Erik Fritz 52100 Spyderco Bill Moran SV10 
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Posted: 9/15/2016 10:57:57 PM EDT
[#33]
Last Elk I shot I used a Kershaw pocket knife, a Cold Steel (not sure of the model) and a Wyoming saw. I wasn't aware of the gutless method until I started visiting forums. I don't eat organs so I could careless if I ever had to gut another game animal again.
I have gutted more animals then I ever care to. I worked at my father's meat plant and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I worked on the kill floor gutting Steer, pigs, and sheep. If I never see the inside of an animal again it's fine with me. |
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Posted: 9/16/2016 12:15:13 AM EDT
[#34]
Knives of Alaska.
White tail combo + the round edge caping knife + their survival knife. |
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Posted: 9/17/2016 11:57:55 AM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Oh please tell me o can use this method on white tails Quote HistoryQuoted:
Oh please tell me o can use this method on white tails Check your state regulations. Make sure you understand proof of sex laws. I think some states still require the animal to come out whole. |
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Posted: 9/20/2016 6:31:19 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Meat saws make bone dust. You don't want bone dust in your meat. A hatchet can be pounded through with a rock or ideally another hatchet. That 'gutless method' wastes the ribs, heart and liver. IMHO, the heart and liver are the best parts of an elk. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I haven't killed an elk or cleaned one yet so please help me understand something. Why are you guys using hatchets to open the chest cavity? Is it not possible to cut between the breast plate and ribs with a knife like on a deer? Also, why a hatchet and not a meat saw? Seems like a meat saw would be lighter to carry and more precise. A hatchet can be pounded through with a rock or ideally another hatchet. That 'gutless method' wastes the ribs, heart and liver. IMHO, the heart and liver are the best parts of an elk. Hatchets leave sharp edges I'll take a small Wyoming saw over a hatchet. Bone dust thats just silly. |
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Posted: 9/20/2016 6:49:33 PM EDT
[#37]
Just picked up this. Figured for $35 it can't hurt. Seems like sturdy knives, hopefully we'll see how it does on pronghorn, deer and elk this year.
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ruko-deluxe-fish-and-game-processing-kit-11-piece~p~2805c/ |
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Posted: 10/25/2016 10:29:31 PM EDT
[#38]
Gutless FTW.
http://www.gerbergear.com/Collections/Vital/Vital-Pocket-Folder_31-002736 This is what Randy Newberg uses. He's killed like a 1,000 fkn elk lol. Also, unless u have horses or atvs n shoot elk on private land 100 yds from the road, a hatchet / axe is a horrible idea haha. |
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Posted: 10/25/2016 10:36:17 PM EDT
[#39]
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Posted: 10/25/2016 10:38:55 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Good luck this year people. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/PhotoTWB/Elk%20hunt%202015%20Big%20Gulch%20Ranch/DSCN0027_zps4eaxofxm.jpg <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/PhotoTWB/media/Elk%20hunt%202015%20Big%20Gulch%20Ranch/DSCN0020_zpsadxncswh.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/PhotoTWB/Elk%20hunt%202015%20Big%20Gulch%20Ranch/DSCN0020_zpsadxncswh.jpg</a> Quote HistoryQuoted:
Good luck this year people. Quoted:
Also, unless u have horses or atvs n shoot elk on private land 100 yds from the road, a hatchet / axe is a horrible idea haha. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/PhotoTWB/Elk%20hunt%202015%20Big%20Gulch%20Ranch/DSCN0027_zps4eaxofxm.jpg <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/PhotoTWB/media/Elk%20hunt%202015%20Big%20Gulch%20Ranch/DSCN0020_zpsadxncswh.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/PhotoTWB/Elk%20hunt%202015%20Big%20Gulch%20Ranch/DSCN0020_zpsadxncswh.jpg</a> What time of year? |
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Posted: 10/25/2016 10:41:45 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted: What time of year? |
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Posted: 10/25/2016 10:43:26 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Week before Christmas, Ranching for Wildlife tag Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
What time of year? Fkn awesome man. I have about 100 head that winter right behind my house every winter. Fun glassing em' from my living room lol. Bastards disappear in April into high country. |
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Posted: 10/25/2016 10:47:31 PM EDT
[#43]
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Posted: 10/25/2016 11:04:32 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryFascinating, great video. |
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Posted: 10/25/2016 11:32:41 PM EDT
[#45]
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Posted: 10/25/2016 11:39:59 PM EDT
[#46]
I really like the top boning knife for cutting meat. A cimeter would be my next pick.
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Posted: 10/26/2016 1:32:46 PM EDT
[#47]
What good is a knife if it isn't sharp? I decided to learn to properly sharpen a knife this year. I purchased Japanese wet stones and got to work. I have some learning to do yet but my knives are now sharper than they have ever been.
Good luck with your choices... |
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Posted: 10/31/2016 9:17:05 AM EDT
[#48]
I carry the ESEE 3" and 4" knives in my hunting pack, either one will skin and quarter an elk from start to finish. Learned a few years ago the the gutless method was the way to go as there is no sense in messing with the guts, just get the hide and quarters off so the meat can cool. Only time I need both knives is if I get a little crazy removing the lower legs and end up fighting with them dulling my blade on the bone which is usually the first animal of the season when i'm out of practice. I carry a saw to remove the head if its something I'm going to have mounted, on smaller deer I will just cut the skull cap off with the horns, with cow's or doe's I leave some utter attached to one quarter as proof of sex and leave the head in the woods.
I don't feel boning out the quarters is worth the time involved for the weight savings. From weighting boned out leg bones I figure each quarter has 8 pounds of bone in it. I'm only packing one hind quarter on a big bull anyway so 8 pounds really doesn't make a difference when it already weights a ton. On smaller cow elk I can pack a hind and front out in one trip which again is heavy so whats another 16 pounds or less of bone? With the bone in the quarter the quarter packs better then a big wad of meat crammed in the bottom of the pack, quartesr hang better back at camp and a quarter is going to cool faster then a pile of meat setting in the bottom of a meat bag. |
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Posted: 11/1/2016 8:42:28 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Gutless FTW. http://www.gerbergear.com/Collections/Vital/Vital-Pocket-Folder_31-002736 This is what Randy Newberg uses. He's killed like a 1,000 fkn elk lol. Also, unless u have horses or atvs n shoot elk on private land 100 yds from the road, a hatchet / axe is a horrible idea haha. We used that knife and Newbergs video to butcher our first deer 1.5 miles downhill from the truck in Wyoming this fall. Awesome. |
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Posted: 11/16/2016 10:13:15 AM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I carry the ESEE 3" and 4" knives in my hunting pack, either one will skin and quarter an elk from start to finish. Learned a few years ago the the gutless method was the way to go as there is no sense in messing with the guts, just get the hide and quarters off so the meat can cool. Only time I need both knives is if I get a little crazy removing the lower legs and end up fighting with them dulling my blade on the bone which is usually the first animal of the season when i'm out of practice. I carry a saw to remove the head if its something I'm going to have mounted, on smaller deer I will just cut the skull cap off with the horns, with cow's or doe's I leave some utter attached to one quarter as proof of sex and leave the head in the woods. I don't feel boning out the quarters is worth the time involved for the weight savings. From weighting boned out leg bones I figure each quarter has 8 pounds of bone in it. I'm only packing one hind quarter on a big bull anyway so 8 pounds really doesn't make a difference when it already weights a ton. On smaller cow elk I can pack a hind and front out in one trip which again is heavy so whats another 16 pounds or less of bone? With the bone in the quarter the quarter packs better then a big wad of meat crammed in the bottom of the pack, quartesr hang better back at camp and a quarter is going to cool faster then a pile of meat setting in the bottom of a meat bag. Imho you couldnt be more wrong |
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