Butchering Time

[Swede]

This is probably mostly for bow hunters, but seems to apply mostly to hunters that kill elk in the summer. It takes me a couple of hours when alone to butcher an elk in the field. Some people say they can do it in under an hour, but I always find it takes me longer. It is a big job any time of day, but I generally prefer to do it at night. At night it is cool, and there are no insects to deal with. I hate yellow jackets and hornets, buzzing around, but at night I am generally more tired.
What is your favorite time of day to butcher and why?

[Indian Summer]

First thing in the morning. No hurry. All day to do it right and get it back to camp in daylight.

One time me and my buddy Will let a client shoot a cow with 20 minutes of light left. I said to him let’s set the world record dude!

We had that elk in pieces ready for game bags in 18 minutes!!! We even surprised ourselves. The hunter and his partner were saying oh my God holy heck the entire time. It was funny actually. And darn nice to get the job behind us so fast before we needed headlamps.

[WapitiTalk1]

Ya, morning field processing is my first choice (as IS mentioned, time is on your side and you can get the critter processed and packed out entirely in one day's time/hunt) but anytime of the day up till and after dark is my second choice . Yep, in the SEP archery season, the bees and flies can be a huge pain in the arse... from mid morning till nightfall. Rare are those cool, cloudy or even rainy days in the SEP elk woods..... ahh, those are the days when you can really enjoy the task at hand!

Quick side story. Old Swede hunted with me in the spud state a few years ago. My buddy Joe and I came back to base camp mid day after our morning hunt and found a bloody arrow propped up against our community tent. Message received; Swede had obviously gotten a bull and was telling us to head his way for the pack out once we got back to camp. After driving down an overgrown road a few miles and hiking in perhaps 1/3 mile, we located the Oregonian maybe 70 yards from his tree stand location. Upon our arrival, we'd found that John had completely processed his elk (solo) and had it in bags and ready for packing. That's my kind of hunting partner .

[Swede]

Joe, your time, even for two people on the job is incredible. Did you skin it? Obviously you did not remove meat between the ribs and other minor details. I don't always take the meat between the ribs either, but I get everything else. It takes me more than 18 minutes to get the hide off by myself. You must have had the perfect butchering location too. With two people it takes us an hour to get it done. By myself, butchering is just a lot of work, then comes the pack out.
Never mind the RMEF calling championships. I want a trophy for Joe the butcher.

[saddlesore]

I use to be able get one hung with quarters in the bags in about an hour and half.This last one took me 5 hours to get to the point where I had the hind quarters on the mule.
I like early mornings. Before headlamps I processed too many elk with a mini mag light held in my mouth.
As for bugs, flies, bees, chili powder is your friend

[Swede]

It makes a big difference for me where the elk is when I am butchering. I like a slight hill with some nearby trees to tie to, but I have had elk go down in a hole and against a log or even between logs. That ain't fun.

[Jhg]

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Early morning every time. Then I don't feel the need to hurry. Better results. I trim on site if I can. Efficent yes, sloppy no. I use a pack hook. Makes solo butcher work way easier. Now that I am 60 its the lower back that needs a stand straight once in awhile so not getting the qtrs bagged solo under 1 hr. (Ha ha) I go gutless always.

[Indian Summer]

Swede....gutless method. Cut down center of back, remove back straps, flop to one side and remove front then hind quarters, flop to the other side and remove both quarters, stand right side up lift the pelvis and remove inner lions..... done. The back straps and front quarters are no brainers. As fast as you can without cutting yourself. The hinds took about half or more of the total time. Two very experienced guides in a hurry on an average size adult cow. I wouldn’t have taken a bet we could be that quick and if someone else told me that admittedly I wouldn’t believe them. You had to be there!

[saddlesore]

It gets really messy when the elk falls into a beaver pond,you have to wade out to get a chain on it so the mule can pull it out.Then the only avenue the mule can do it is up over the dam and it slides down into beaver slough ditch, covered with black mud.Would have hated to do it at night.It was hot, no shade and on close trees to help. That one took considerable time too.

[>>>---WW---->]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4kJIrW1IDM Check this out! Fred has this elk ready for the game bags in less than 10 minutes. I'm not near that fast. But I have done it in 20 minutes per side or 40-45 minutes total for the entire elk by myself. Trimming the brisket and ribs etc. adds some extra time.

As far as when to do it goes, when the elk hits the ground, it's time to do it. I hate those meat bees and blow flies just as much as everyone else. But if you don't bother them, they usually won't bother you.

[WapitiTalk1]

Pretty damn slick WW, thanks for posting that VID.

[WapitiTalk1]

Another way to get those loins out is to just saw thru the backbone/spine, right behind the last ribs, pull up and back on the backbone towards the tail end, and the loins are laying right there for the taking. Works pretty slick.

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[saddlesore]

Another way to get those loins out is to just saw thru the backbone/spine, right behind the last ribs, pull up and back on the backbone towards the tail end, and the loins are laying right there for the taking. Works pretty slick.

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With the CWD around,CPW advises not sawing thru the spine

[WapitiTalk1]

Good point Vince, not advised in areas with CWD.

[stringunner]

Best time to butcher? Admittanlty whenever I kill one! Morning is preferable and tends to be the time i kill, the last 6-7 have all been within the morning hunt. One I did by myself right at dark and it wasn’t fun.

Takes me solo about an hour and half average. Some go faster depending on where they fall.

[Lefty]

Another way to get those loins out is to just saw thru the backbone/spine, right behind the last ribs, pull up and back on the backbone towards the tail end, and the loins are laying right there for the taking. Works pretty slick.

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Iveeve never done deer or elk that way