How many lbs of elk meat have you gotten?

[Todd_ID]

Most meat I've ever packaged from an elk was a big 6x6 I shot in Idaho.  I had 135 packages of hamburger averaging 1.2 lbs and 70 packages of steak at 1.9 lb average.

[Chesapeake]

I dont believe alot of you guys.

google 'how much elk weigh'.

A deer-like animal will give 25 to 40 percent of live weight in meat. 25 percent when they are young, 40 percent when they are bigger and older. I know this from experience and from working in a slaughter house.

I would rather put this in a new thread........and this is 'hear-say' but here goes...

A guy by the name of Tom who owned 'fish'n Tom's tackle' told me that the gamies darted a bull elk on long Island (and this was in the '90s). He said they measured the rack and according them - it would be the state record if harvested - and that it weighed in excess of 1500 lbs. He said their scale only went up to 1500 lbs.

Again, this is hear-say. For those of you from Rio Linda - this is what he told me.

I believe him. Why? Because the very next year, Long Island was spike or cow only. The game departme.......oops.....the 'Wildlife department', didn't want any archers to shoot their big bull. Their stupid regs kept me from the island from then on.

Does anyone have info on this to back up Tom's story?

I hear this kind of stuff from time to time. I realy dont know what to thank about it. But this is my opinion:

I have a horse, well actualy my wife does, that weighs right about 1200 lbs(on a few different Vets scales). Its actualy kind of small as far as horses go. I see this horse everyday and have seen it or others just like it from 30 feet or less for pretty well the last 10 years of my life. In all my life I have stood next to dead, and seen hundreds if not thousands of elk at rather short ranges.

I have never seen an elk that was even neer the size of a horse.

I Googled "Size of an elk" and this is what Wiki says:

They can weigh over 900 pounds and reach over 5 feet tall at the shoulder.

This is what Wiki said about the size of a horse:

The size of horses varies by breed, but can also be influenced by nutrition. Light riding horses such as Arabians, Morgans, or Quarter Horses usually range in height from 14 to 16 hands (56 to 64 inches, 142 to 163 cm) and can weigh from 380 to 550 kilograms (840 to 1,200 lb).[21] Larger riding horses such as Thoroughbreds, American Saddlebreds or Warmbloods usually start at about 15.2 hands (62 inches, 157 cm) and often are as tall as 17 hands (68 inches, 173 cm), weighing from 500 to 600 kilograms (1,100 to 1,300 lb).[22] Heavy or draft horses, such as the Clydesdale, Belgian, or Shire, are usually at least 16 tp 18 hands (64 to 72 inches, 163 to 183 cm) high and can weigh from about 700 to 1,000 kilograms (1,500 to 2,200 lb).[23]


I fully agree with your %40 yield from hanging weight. We get right about that from all our animals. The biggest elk we have measured hanging weight on was right at 411 lbs I think. So just shy of 200# return in cut and wrap(I dont have the exact number for that animal cut and wrap). This is him on the ground. He is a Mt Adams bull, so yeah not a Rosie, but Rosie's arent twice the size of this dude.


Wiki also had this to say:
 Elk cows average 225 kg (500 lb), stand 1.3 m (4½ ft) at the shoulder, and are 2 m (6½ ft) from nose to tail. Bulls are some 25% larger than cows at maturity, weighing an average of 320 kg (700 lb), standing 1.5 m (5 ft) at the shoulder and averaging 2.5 m (8 ft) in length.[15] The largest of the subspecies is the Roosevelt elk, found west of the Cascade Range in the U.S. states of California, Oregon and Washington, and in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Roosevelt elk have been reintroduced into Alaska, where the largest males are estimated to weigh up to 600 kg (1,300 lb).[16]

Note they say "estimated" for the 1300# Alaskan Rosies.

So with an average weight of 700#, the 1500# Long Island bull would be more than 100% above the average.

I'm not saying it isnt possible, I'm just saying I've never seen it, and apparently Wiki hasnt either! Oh and Ive seen the elk on Long Island (if were talking about the one in Willipa bay) and they are big Rosies, but not draft horse size elk.

If I believed the weights I read on these chat boards I would have to assume that the Elk in Region 5 are some new midget breed and all these folks hunt giant Elk in other areas of the state.

But I understand. Before we got the walk in cooler and the scales we would have sworn our elk were all 1000# live weight, before I got a range finder all my shots were 300 yards or more, and before I started using GPS's I would have sworn I walked 15 miles a day hunting. Only now I have those gadgets and I've come to find almost all our elk hang at about 300#, most of my shots are less than 175 yards, and I pretty well only cover about 5-7 miles in a long day of hard elk hunting.

It is still fun though to read the stories, and the guestimated weights, and ranges, and look back and remember those days when school was 5 miles up hill both ways!!

[Romulus]

The elk in SW Washington are relatively small as compared to Roosevelts and Cascade Roosevelts. If you have ever hunted "Rainier Timber which used to be Champion and previous to that was St. Regis near Mt. Rainier the elk are much larger bodied than other elk I have hunted. Hanging weight without hide and head on a spike from most areas is between 225 and 275 lbs. When they had spike only hunting in Champion for a few years in the 90's we killed several spike bulls in there and they always weighed 50-75 lbs more than a spike killed at crystal mt or eastside areas. They were larger than small rag bulls from St helens area. The smallest rag bulls I have seen anywhere in the state both of horn and body are in the St. Helens area. These same Champion bulls as small 6pts approximately 4 years old would weigh in the neighborhood of 450-550 lbs with no head/skin. The average score on this age bull would be 275-300 inches. The largest bulls in this area will easily weigh well over 600 lbs hanging weight with no head/skin. Most of the bulls killed in there have not been weighed as they are butchered before they are packed. The largest bull with confirmed weight that I have been involved with weighed #597 at the butcher hanging halves no head no hide. Bull scored 309 gross and was not the largest bodied by any stretch just the only larger bull able to weigh.

[WAPITIHUNTER]

The elk in SW Washington are relatively small as compared to Roosevelts and Cascade Roosevelts. If you have ever hunted "Rainier Timber which used to be Champion and previous to that was St. Regis near Mt. Rainier the elk are much larger bodied than other elk I have hunted. Hanging weight without hide and head on a spike from most areas is between 225 and 275 lbs. When they had spike only hunting in Champion for a few years in the 90's we killed several spike bulls in there and they always weighed 50-75 lbs more than a spike killed at crystal mt or eastside areas. They were larger than small rag bulls from St helens area. The smallest rag bulls I have seen anywhere in the state both of horn and body are in the St. Helens area. These same Champion bulls as small 6pts approximately 4 years old would weigh in the neighborhood of 450-550 lbs with no head/skin. The average score on this age bull would be 275-300 inches. The largest bulls in this area will easily weigh well over 600 lbs hanging weight with no head/skin. Most of the bulls killed in there have not been weighed as they are butchered before they are packed. The largest bull with confirmed weight that I have been involved with weighed #597 at the butcher hanging halves no head no hide. Bull scored 309 gross and was not the largest bodied by any stretch just the only larger bull able to weigh.

Thank you for posting this. I live out in that country and yes the body size of the bulls are rather large. In comparison in 2008 I shot a 5x5 bull in the Mashell unit that was hanging butcher weight without the pelvis and ribcage or spine 380 pounds. According to my very good butcher he would have been in the 420 range. That same year my brother killed a 6x6 bull on the Goose Prairie permit. The hind quarters were 25 pounds lighter each. My bulls hind quarters were a smidge over 90 pounds each and his bulls were 65 pounds each. That is the difference between Rocky Mt. elk and Roosevelt elk.

Divide 65 by 90 and then times it by 1000 you come up with 722. That gives you an Idea of the weight difference of the two elk species. My bull was a young 5x5 and his was a young 6x6 and my bull weighed almost 250+ pounds more than his.

[Chesapeake]

The elk in SW Washington are relatively small as compared to Roosevelts and Cascade Roosevelts. If you have ever hunted "Rainier Timber which used to be Champion and previous to that was St. Regis near Mt. Rainier the elk are much larger bodied than other elk I have hunted. Hanging weight without hide and head on a spike from most areas is between 225 and 275 lbs. When they had spike only hunting in Champion for a few years in the 90's we killed several spike bulls in there and they always weighed 50-75 lbs more than a spike killed at crystal mt or eastside areas. They were larger than small rag bulls from St helens area. The smallest rag bulls I have seen anywhere in the state both of horn and body are in the St. Helens area. These same Champion bulls as small 6pts approximately 4 years old would weigh in the neighborhood of 450-550 lbs with no head/skin. The average score on this age bull would be 275-300 inches. The largest bulls in this area will easily weigh well over 600 lbs hanging weight with no head/skin. Most of the bulls killed in there have not been weighed as they are butchered before they are packed. The largest bull with confirmed weight that I have been involved with weighed #597 at the butcher hanging halves no head no hide. Bull scored 309 gross and was not the largest bodied by any stretch just the only larger bull able to weigh.

I can believe and understand this to a point, but some of these guys are talking about 300+ pound meat returns. Some of those well up in the high 300's. Some of those from cows!

If the Wyoming University numbers ring true that would mean 600+ pound hanging weights and 1000= pound elk. Sure it can happen, but I believe its the exception and not the rule.

[Romulus]

I was stating facts from my experience. I have been involved with several decent trophy bulls in other states also and as rule they are smaller bodied like the eastside elk. Most mature bulls are significantly smaller than the roosevelt and roosevelt/rocky mixes. As for cows I have no experience with cows but when somebody says they got a huge cow, who cares? In my opinion they just think it is big because all they have ever seen on the ground is cows and rag bulls. Just my opinion! it might be a big cow but that does not mean it is in the same class as a big bull.

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Hey Chesapeake.

I like this statement allot!

"But I understand. Before we got the walk in cooler and the scales we would have sworn our elk were all 1000# live weight, before I got a range finder all my shots were 300 yards or more, and before I started using GPS's I would have sworn I walked 15 miles a day hunting. Only now I have those gadgets and I've come to find almost all our elk hang at about 300#, most of my shots are less than 175 yards, and I pretty well only cover about 5-7 miles in a long day of hard elk hunting."

Being that I am a Land Surveyor and deal with distance every day at work. Measuring-Estimating etc. BUT NEVER GUESSING

Land Surveyors don't get to guess. We measure everything with high precision and accuracy. So when I am afoot in the field I try real hard to be realistic about how far I traveled and also about how far I have shot. I honestly believe our misjudged walking distances are based allot on how we feal rather than our perception of distance traveled. If we feel like we walked 15 miles then we must have.

I was hunting Indian Heaven one year and two buddies and I did a long hike. Aprox. 6 miles after I looked at the map. When we got back to the camp my buddies were claiming that we had hiked 12 miles on a death march. I guarantee that is how we felt. I was skeptical so I took a peek at the map. We certainly did not walk 12 miles.

With Elk It is our perception that they are gigantic and they look gigantic rightly so. When we have packed a 60-80 pound hindquarter several miles or just a few hundred yards for that matter,I guarantee that we feel like it is 120 pounds when we finally get out. On top of the fact that a giant bodied bull is just as much to be proud of as a nice rack.

[WAPITIHUNTER]

All this talk about giant Roosevelts I am getting all stoked up to go find a bruiser and let wind out of him

  It's a long time till next September.

[Buckhunter24]

Map distance Vs ground distance

Hiking across a section in the St Joe Valley is definitely more than 1 mile 

[denali]

My Son's cow "hanging" owens meats Cle Elum  302#  my uncles spike 290 #

in past years I've cut my own cows and spikes - avg. 140 -180# of meat

[35WLN]

Three years ago my buddy shot a nice 6x6 in Idaho and the boned out meat alone weighed in at 324 lbs.  The butcher said he hadn't seen that high of number in a few years.

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Map distance Vs ground distance

Hiking across a section in the St Joe Valley is definitely more than 1 mile 

I don't know anybody smart enough to calculate the slope distance, using a topographical map and a scale, to accuratley state their actual walked distace.

If someone is claiming to have walked 10 miles in the snake river canyon and they are basing those figures off of slope distances THEY ARE LYING THROUGH THEIR TEETH. Either that or their gps is keeping track of their distance traveled based on the slope distance not the horizontal distace. I am not sure gps units have that as an option.

As an example. 5280 feet on a 45 degree slope calculated to reduce it to a horizontal distace ends up being 3733.52 feet. Which means you just dropped 3733.52 feet in elevation by walking 5280 feet. Considering that most of us walk somewhat side hill to avoid climbing as much of the steep stuff as possible in all reality the slope distance we all walk is really not all that much farther than the horizontal distance. It's a heck of allot easier to just state the horizontal distance and everbody knows there are some elevation changes along the way.
Oh and if anybody has never killed a Roosevelt Bull...They really are bigger body wise than Rocky Mtn elk

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Here is what a big bodied Roosevelt looks like. His hind quarters were over 90 pounds a piece hanging. (bone in)

[steen]

The only sure thing I can say weight wise on my 6X6 Dayton bull was the Hindquarters weighed 80 lbs. bone in with  a few backbone pieces so the whole quarter could be taken out without exposing any more meat than possible.  The bull was probably a 5 year old.  Packaged 75lbs. of italian style sausage with 40% pork and 50lbs of pure elk burger.  That is what we weighed for sure.  I wish we would have weighed it all.

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Here are a couple Monster Hinds from a Cascade Roosevelt! That is as high as I could lift them. Those as you are looking at them were 100+ lbs a piece.

This was an old bull. His ivories were worn down nice and flat. He was in that 9 year old range!

I am 5' 11" and 220 pounds in this pic.

Can you tell I am hung up on big bodied bulls.