Your rifle spoke its piece. The echoes have faded, the smoke has cleared, and now there’s a big-bodied bull elk lying quiet in the mountain grasses.
You’re used to driving Grandad’s old truck to the back beanfield, loading your whitetail buck in the back, and hauling it up the road a piece to the local meat processor. But you’re miles from the trailhead, and here lies 800 pounds of bull.
What’s next?
Properly cutting up, caring for, and transporting elk meat from the backcountry can be a serious challenge. Particularly, if you’re on your own.
First, the simple step. Notch your tag, and if required, attach it to the elk in an appropriate location.
Next, stage and take photos. Take the time to get good ones, but be efficient, because…
