Game Bag question for those who QUARTER your elk

[kentrek]

I'd just do two hind hams bags....the rest of the bags can be pretty small to appeal to more people

From a business stand point I'd want to appeal to the majority of hunters...and the majority of hunters would prolly be better off only winging out a bull 

No matter what you gotta have some bone out bags...Karl just buys more then trophyhunt...either way it's a win for whuppinstick 

[MtnMuley]

I've done a couple both and never had an issue keeping meat just as clean boning vs leaving on the quarter. As for your new bags, I'd keep them as simple as possible as mentioned abovr. Make the elk quarter bags just a bit bigger to accompany moose as well. The extra material won't weigh or hurt anything. As for the boned out bags, I'd go 12"x28" with a handle sewn in on the bottom. Reinforced sticking on the bottom will go a long ways too. I've used TAG bags since the beginning and am I'm my same set and have used Kifaru meat sacks for boned out meat and they work great unless your buddys get lazy and drag them when their tired.

[trophyhunt]

I'd just do two hind hams bags....the rest of the bags can be pretty small to appeal to more people

From a business stand point I'd want to appeal to the majority of hunters...and the majority of hunters would prolly be better off only winging out a bull 

No matter what you gotta have some bone out bags...Karl just buys more then trophyhunt...either way it's a win for whuppinstick 

       

[WapitiTalk1]

OK you wild bohemians, you should really take a tip from Karl (he’s been down the road you’re traveling and has the T-Shirt, a few of them, a few really old shredded, stinky ones down in the corner of his closet I’m sure).  Sure, I used to pack out quarters, bones, etc. back in my intemperate youth.  That’s what I was taught as a pup growing up in “the” elk state.  Heck, I’ve even drug a few out whole with a few buddies, and, snow sledded a few down the mountain side on a tarp (real bright piece of thinking there)  .  OK, number one.  What can happen if you don’t get the meat off the bone quickly?  Bone sour.  What is that?  Glad you asked.
 
#1 - Bone sour is when the carcass does not cool fast enough and bacteria explodes within, rotting the meat from the bones outward. This most commonly occurs in larger animals like elk and moose, but it can happen in deer, too.  There is no way to fix or salvage the meat. 

#2 – Well, its lighter (no kidding, it really is).  I dug this up somewhere a while back. Looks like it was originally from a Wyoming Game and Fish Department study on harvest rates with bonus columns on dressed out, vs. boned out weight. Formula works as follows: determine approximate weight of field dressed bull, multiple that total weight by .50 which gives you the boneless meat weight (as seen in chart). So, if you shoot a bull that field dresses out to 500 lbs (6ish year old bull/Rocky Mountain Variety), multiple 500 X .50 which should yield 250 lbs of boned out meat. Why in the he double toothpicks would you want to carry that extra weight/bones out? 

#3 – Yes, it is cleaner when you bone out a big game animal.  Do it properly and set each chunk of boned out meat on a 5X7 piece of plastic you should all carry in your kill kit until it’s time to put it into your super cool, breathable, game bags (I do like VIAM Outdoors products).   

The only reason I can think of to not bone out an elk is if somebody doesn’t know how, we can help you with that small roadblock.

[Karl Blanchard]

Id also point out that boned out doesn't necessarily mean a million chunks of meat either. If ive got an animal down in a good workable area I'll have 2 hind quarters without leg bone, 2 straps, 2 loins, and 2 boneless front quarters with neck and brisket meat all in one piece.  Elk usually gotta have 1 split per quarter just for handling purposes.

At any rate, I'll be buying some of whuppinsticks bags regardless.  Especially since magpies put a hurting on my current bags in CO last year 

[trophyhunt]

It’s funny how many debates we can have on just about anything.    I’ve never had bone sour on any of my kills, I did once lose some meat that hung up too long. It was deboned meat in a bag, I didn’t open the bag up during the day and let it air out. Figured I was fine because I’ve hung quarters for the same amount of time with no problem. I’m not talking about sept archery hunts, I’m talking oct 10th Idaho rifle hunts.  I get the weight concern, but it’s not that much more weight really, to each his own. I’ve tried both, like the quarters myself.

[trophyhunt]

And I do agree w Karl about this, I’ll be buying wuppinsticks bags too!

[WapitiTalk1]

Ok, what are these bags thou speaketh of?  Got a link so I can give em an eyeball?   

[BULLBLASTER]

Id also point out that boned out doesn't necessarily mean a million chunks of meat either. If ive got an animal down in a good workable area I'll have 2 hind quarters without leg bone, 2 straps, 2 loins, and 2 boneless front quarters with neck and brisket meat all in one piece.  Elk usually gotta have 1 split per quarter just for handling purposes.

At any rate, I'll be buying some of whuppinsticks bags regardless.  Especially since magpies put a hurting on my current bags in CO last year 

But that meat was pristine in those bags when it came off the mtn! You had the A team for packers! 

[Karl Blanchard]

Id also point out that boned out doesn't necessarily mean a million chunks of meat either. If ive got an animal down in a good workable area I'll have 2 hind quarters without leg bone, 2 straps, 2 loins, and 2 boneless front quarters with neck and brisket meat all in one piece.  Elk usually gotta have 1 split per quarter just for handling purposes.

At any rate, I'll be buying some of whuppinsticks bags regardless.  Especially since magpies put a hurting on my current bags in CO last year 

But that meat was pristine in those bags when it came off the mtn! You had the A team for packers! 

it did look like a fine processing job through the spotter from truck. Though it took you guys a bit long. I ate like 5 cookies and had 2 cups of coffee in the time it took you guys to get him out

[kentrek]

There's arguments for each method...but thats not what the thread is about...the thread is about making whuppinstick some freaking coin and producing a good selling bag !!

Karl do you wash your hands while butchering or gloves ?? And when your home do you reskin all the portions? Or just eat it ?

Sometimes you don't know what you don't know 🤷

[dilleytech]

OK you wild bohemians, you should really take a tip from Karl (he’s been down the road you’re traveling and has the T-Shirt, a few of them, a few really old shredded, stinky ones down in the corner of his closet I’m sure).  Sure, I used to pack out quarters, bones, etc. back in my intemperate youth.  That’s what I was taught as a pup growing up in “the” elk state.  Heck, I’ve even drug a few out whole with a few buddies, and, snow sledded a few down the mountain side on a tarp (real bright piece of thinking there)  .  OK, number one.  What can happen if you don’t get the meat off the bone quickly?  Bone sour.  What is that?  Glad you asked.
 
#1 - Bone sour is when the carcass does not cool fast enough and bacteria explodes within, rotting the meat from the bones outward. This most commonly occurs in larger animals like elk and moose, but it can happen in deer, too.  There is no way to fix or salvage the meat. 

#2 – Well, its lighter (no kidding, it really is).  I dug this up somewhere a while back. Looks like it was originally from a Wyoming Game and Fish Department study on harvest rates with bonus columns on dressed out, vs. boned out weight. Formula works as follows: determine approximate weight of field dressed bull, multiple that total weight by .50 which gives you the boneless meat weight (as seen in chart). So, if you shoot a bull that field dresses out to 500 lbs (6ish year old bull/Rocky Mountain Variety), multiple 500 X .50 which should yield 250 lbs of boned out meat. Why in the he double toothpicks would you want to carry that extra weight/bones out? 

#3 – Yes, it is cleaner when you bone out a big game animal.  Do it properly and set each chunk of boned out meat on a 5X7 piece of plastic you should all carry in your kill kit until it’s time to put it into your super cool, breathable, game bags (I do like VIAM Outdoors products).   

The only reason I can think of to not bone out an elk is if somebody doesn’t know how, we can help you with that small roadblock.

When it comes to a bone in quarter you can easily separate the meat from the bone while the meat is still hanging from the bone for very efficient cooling. So you can’t really argue boneless cools faster depending on how you do it. And a elk rear quarter bone weighs about 7 pounds. It’s certainly weight you don’t have to carry but it’s simply not much. Your 50% weight loss boning is including ALL the bones including spine. The two quarters off my most recent mature bull bone in were 65&67#. Boning out the shoulders makes more sense as that bone weighs about the same as a rear but is a higher ratio of bone for the complete front quarter.

But theirs more then one way that to do things. I have boned lots of animals and never had a problem with it staying clean but some folks just can’t manage that for whatever reason. I would always bone a deer to make a one pack out trip easy. Elk, completely dependent on the situation. I like boning in my butcher table when possible.

[whuppinstick]

Ok, what are these bags thou speaketh of?  Got a link so I can give em an eyeball?

Still in field testing mode this year, but hopefully on the market in 2022!

Thanks everyone for your responses and tangents. I'll be reaching out to a few of you for testing.