Quick Question

[Trayball20]

As I have been looking through many posts of people packing out their deer, elk, or antelope I have noticed that many do not remove the lower part of front and back legs before packing the quarters out. So, just wondering why some leave the whole leg?

 

[MThuntr]

For me...it's easier to transport attached to the bone vs a blob of meat (can organize on a load shelf and it doesn't shift if I can't get a snug hold), saves time in the field, and if I get ambitious I can make stock and shanks.

EDIT: I completely misread this one. Not removing the low leg and hoof is insane. That's pounds that need to go! Nothing edible there unless you want to feed that to your dogs and have them shit and cropdust all over the house

 

[mtmuley]

Legs come off at the hock and the knee. mtmuley

 

[TOGIE]

people do what they do. i always prefer to save some weight though.

sure it somewhat depends on how much actual packing out people do. eastern vs western and such. but i will never understand leaving the hide on the quarters though, great way to make things not taste great.

 

[trb]

I think he is referring to the metacarpal bones which connect directly to the hooves, not deboning the shanks.

If so, I have absolutely no idea. The pictures I see of people packing out an elk with the whole lower leg and hooves riding a foot over their head look ridiculous to me.

 

[thomas89]

I'm pretty good at getting through that front leg joint to get the hooves off.

I'm pretty sh*t at getting through that back leg joint to get the hooves off. So yeah, I haven't learned how and that's why you'll see me with a big hoof sticking out above my pack. One of these years I'll figure it out though.

Not that I haven't tried, even at home it's a tough joint for me to get through for whatever reason.

 

[Fire_9]

I'm pretty good at getting through that front leg joint to get the hooves off.

I'm pretty sh*t at getting through that back leg joint to get the hooves off. So yeah, I haven't learned how and that's why you'll see me with a big hoof sticking out above my pack. One of these years I'll figure it out though.

Not that I haven't tried, even at home it's a tough joint for me to get through for whatever reason.

You always need to go further down the leg than you think

 

[OntarioHunter]

I always quartered mine with a saw in the field. No problem cutting the leg off. Leaving the hide on kept the meat cleaner. Made absolutely no difference in how the meat will taste (unless the weather is hot). Take the skin off when I get it hanging in the garage.

 

[geewhiz]

As I have been looking through many posts of people packing out their deer, elk, or antelope I have noticed that many do not remove the lower part of front and back legs before packing the quarters out. So, just wondering why some leave the whole leg?

People feel cool if there is a hoof sticking 2 ft above their head... for some reason. No idea why anyone would carry the extra weight for any distance.

I have no choice but to assume its people who have no idea what they are doing.

 

[thomas89]

People feel cool if there is a hoof sticking 2 ft above their head... for some reason. No idea why anyone would carry the extra weight for any distance.

I have no choice but to assume its people who have no idea what they are doing.

I will be the first to tell you I have no idea what I’m doing. No hard feelings, whatever names you’d be calling me I’m sure I’ve already said them to myself 100X.

You always need to go further down the leg than you think

I have read about this/seen it done in videos, it’s like for whatever reason in the moment I’m all thumbs and can’t figure it out.

 

[Red Fox]

I have read about this/seen it done in videos, it’s like for whatever reason in the moment I’m all thumbs and can’t figure it out.

Just need to keep trying, once you find the sweet spot it will save so much time.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

If you don't have a pack, leaving the lower leg on makes it a lot easier to pack over your shoulder. For the front legs anyway.

 

[Trayball20]

I have read about this/seen it done in videos, it’s like for whatever reason in the moment I’m all thumbs and can’t figure it out.

Back leg: I was taught that there are two joints close together you need to cut in the lower joint. I use my thumb to feel the joints and find the spot to cut with my knife.

 

[rogerthat]

I think it’s just to save time and effort. If you just have a knife, you have to hit the right spot or it can be a touch laborious. Sometimes if the pack out isn’t far, I just grab them and go that way.

 

[OntarioHunter]

If the pack out isn't very far, the deer gets dragged. Or I bring it out whole on my shoulders. Fifty-seven years and I have yet to cut up a deer in the field. One thing to keep in mind, as long as you keep the carcass moving rigor mortise can't set in. As live weight the carcass will move much more easily than "dead weight" after it stiffens up. Don't wait for help. Get it moving as soon as the guts are out. If it's downhill, by all means leave the guts in as long as possible. Keeps the meat cleaner and the weight works in your favor. I once dragged a whole elk, a whole HUGE bull, about a mile and a quarter downhill to my truck ... by myself. A few times I had to use his rack as a lever, shoving his nose into the ground. Next day after the carcass set up five of us couldn't move that whole bull across the garage floor.

 

[Caseknife]

Inexperience, lazy, or tough guy is my thoughts. Until I started eating shanks, we would bone out to the humerus bone leaving the shank meat attached. Hind legs are easy, cut the achilles and bend the leg and watch for the pivot point. Cut in from one side at the pivot point and then on the other side and then twist the leg to open up the joint. Kind of like removing the head at the atlas vertibrae.

 

[mtmuley]

Inexperience, lazy, or tough guy is my thoughts. Until I started eating shanks, we would bone out to the humerus bone leaving the shank meat attached. Hind legs are easy, cut the achilles and bend the leg and watch for the pivot point. Cut in from one side at the pivot point and then on the other side and then twist the leg to open up the joint. Kind of like removing the head at the atlas vertibrae.

Need to leave that big tendon to hang the rear quarters. mtmuley

 

[geewhiz]

Inexperience, lazy, or tough guy is my thoughts. Until I started eating shanks, we would bone out to the humerus bone leaving the shank meat attached. Hind legs are easy, cut the achilles and bend the leg and watch for the pivot point. Cut in from one side at the pivot point and then on the other side and then twist the leg to open up the joint. Kind of like removing the head at the atlas vertibrae.

As far as hinds go, i dont cut the achilles. There are 2 joints at the hock. If you cut at the upper joint then you cant hang by the achilles, if you cut about 2 inches lower at the lower joint then you can still use the use the achilles as a handle and to hang. Obviously to each there own but for the longest time I didnt realize there were 2 joints there.

Edit. mtmuley beat me to it.

 

[Buschy]

Everything has the hide removed and completely boned. I don’t like packing extra weight and bones I have to dispose of when I get home.

Do what works for you.

 

[BoulderBulls]

I prefer to save weight all 4 of them come off before going on my pack unless it's a quick packout

It's 3 minutes of work per leg and you save many lbs