Actual Weight of Meat - Can we be honest?

[AvidIndoorsman]

This season I brought a scale into the field for the first time, actually had two different scales for my elk hunt.

I tried to make my measurements as scientific as possible, my yields were dramatically different from the numbers people throw around. Neither of my animals were massive, but neither were dramatically small. I believe both were fairly representative of what your average hunter pulls out of the woods in Colorado.

Would you be willing to weight your meat, post a pic of the animal, and post pictures or give a short description of how you butchered.

I literally give no chitts about "oh well we usually get bla bla bla" the internet abounds in blowhards, I'm asking for some objective facts, if you can't "prove" the weight of a specific animal your info isn't of interest. Also please keep the shaming to a minimum, I'm interested in your numbers I don't care what you do or do not bring home as long as you are acting legally in your jurisdiction.

I realize this is kinda a pain the butt, so thank you to anyone that chooses to participate. All critters welcome.

 

[rideold]

You might want to give these a read:

http://wyomingextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B589R.pdf

http://www.wyomingextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B594R.pdf

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Co Elk - 2019



The bull had an arrow above his spine, this was several weeks after the end of archery season. Bull did not look dramatically smaller than previous bulls I've killed although that arrow is like a factor in his weight.

I boned out all for quarters, each were kept as one big piece, I cut the back straps where they start to taper and include everything back in the hind quarter, I end them at the shoulder and everything else is "neck". I tried to be symmetrical by life happens. My scale has a tare function so this doesn't include bags.

Hindquarters
40lbs and 40.8lbs.

Front quarters
32.8 and 29.8

Tenderloins, Backstraps, Neck, and Brisket
26.2

Did not keep rib meat, heart, liver, or tongue.

Weighed all 4 bonedout bones, the hoof and skin below the knee was still on.
Hind bones 11lbs
Fronts 10.4

Weight of skull with very little cape 40lbs.
Weight after being skinned out, lower jaw, eyes, tongue removed. 25.1lbs

Total meat weight
169.6

Total pack out weight
194.7

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

You might want to give these a read:

http://wyomingextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B589R.pdf

http://www.wyomingextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B594R.pdf

These are what got me curious, I want to figure out what weights people are getting from an "in the field butcher job"

 

[Tiredofthebickering]

My total pack out weight is about 280lbs, but that just includes me and my pack so I guess that isn't too helpful.

BUT! I'm interested in this, so I'm bumping this up in the "unread" section. You're welcome.

 

[rwc101]

Three rabbit quarters (one too shot up to eat) plus saddle: 8.3 ounces in freezer bag. Book your llamas accordingly.

 

[BrentD]

I don't have adequate scales but it would be sort of fun to find out.

Maybe one of my scales will handle a mule deer which is the intended quarry. hmm.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I don't have adequate scales but it would be sort of fun to find out.

Maybe one of my scales will handle a mule deer which is the intended quarry. hmm.

There are a ton on amazon for <$10 and then for small game a kitchen scale is probably best, though I would guess you can just "borrow" a school one.

 

[rideold]

These are what got me curious, I want to figure out what weights people are getting from an "in the field butcher job"

Got it. Heading out in a week for 3rd rifle. I'll add my data if (and it seems to always be a pretty big if) I have anything to weigh.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Got it. Heading out in a week for 3rd rifle. I'll add my data if (and it seems to always be a pretty big if) I have anything to weigh.

Much appreciated, for new guys like me who don't have tons of mentors this kinda data is super helpful.

Again really appreciate anyone who takes the time to share.

 

[Bambistew]

I've weighed a few caribou (bone in quarters) and a number of sheep (boned out)

Caribou (out of 5-6) have ranged from:
Fronts - 17-22lbs (bones are 3.5 lbs per quarter)
Hinds - 25-36lbs (bones were 4lbs per)
trim (all neck and back strap) 30-37
ribs (cut at the backbone, excluding brisket bone) 6-8lbs each side

Sheep varied, some where shot up, some not. Ranges from 55-82lbs. Skulls (totally cleaned in the field) 19-22lbs

 

[Trial153]

A total boned out, and trimmed game weight will damn close to .33 of the live weight

 

[Irrelevant]

We only weighed one rear, it came in a 68 on a fish scale if I remember correct.

As a side my biggest 4x4 WA buck resulted 108 lbs of meat post processing. Unfortunately I didn't take any pics.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

View attachment 117972

We only weighed one rear, it came in a 68 on a fish scale if I remember correct.

As a side my biggest 4x4 WA buck resulted 108 lbs of meat post processing. Unfortunately I didn't take any pics.

Bone in?

 

[npaden]

I've weighed several elk and deer and come to the same conclusion as you. Either people are shooting some GIANT animals (like 1,300 pound bull elk) or they are fudging the numbers on things by quite a bit.

The biggest bodied elk I've ever been involved with (by a long shot, this thing was MASSIVE body wise) had 60lb boned out hind quarters (each), 60lb boned out front shoulders (both), and 60lbs of neck, straps and trim meat. 240lbs of meat. That thing was MASSIVE.

Most bulls I've been involved with have had around 45 to 50 pound boned out hind quarters, 50ish pound boned out front shoulders (combined), and 45 - 50 pounds of neck, straps and trim meat. Anywhere from 160 to 200 pounds of boneless meat.

Looking at your numbers I would guess you end up with more shoulder meat and less neck meat the way you are cutting them up compared to the way I am cutting them up.

 

[sbhooper]

I have weighed the finished, field boned out meat from several cow elk over the years. It has been generally between 100 and 120 pounds of meat-no bone. I have killed a few bulls and their totals were a bit higher, but they were not monsters, so were not a tremendous amount more. I don't strip the ribs and only take the best of the neck. It is quarters, back straps and tenderloins predominantly. I have never weighed the bone, as that is irrelevant.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I've weighed several elk and deer and come to the same conclusion as you. Either people are shooting some GIANT animals (like 1,300 pound bull elk) or they are fudging the numbers on things by quite a bit.

The biggest bodied elk I've ever been involved with (by a long shot, this thing was MASSIVE body wise) had 60lb boned out hind quarters (each), 60lb boned out front shoulders (both), and 60lbs of neck, straps and trim meat. 240lbs of meat. That thing was MASSIVE.

Most bulls I've been involved with have had around 45 to 50 pound boned out hind quarters, 50ish pound boned out front shoulders (combined), and 45 - 50 pounds of neck, straps and trim meat. Anywhere from 160 to 200 pounds of boneless meat.

Looking at your numbers I would guess you end up with more shoulder meat and less neck meat the way you are cutting them up compared to the way I am cutting them up.

Yeah my attempt is not to call anyone out, but even assuming hunt talkers in are in top 1% of all hunters and kill big bulls and deer there is no way that most if not all of the weight estimates on the forum, including one's I did prior to this season are not totally bs.

Also the Wyoming study is great, but also "butcher grade" meaning it goes far beyond the legal edible meat requirements... which is great and should be the goal, but it's not what's coming out of the field in back packs.

I was talking to a butcher in Hotchkiss CO last season about this and he told me has never had a boned out bull come into his shop with over 230lbs worth of meat. Not once. Guy has been cutting up elk on the western slope of Colorado since 1983.

Makes you wonder about the 250lbs of elk people are claiming to have carried out and those 80lb quarters.

 

[Sask hunter]

bone in moose was 435, the big elk was 508 bone in and the spike elk was 287. I never weigh the deboned meat I just weigh the pieces and then get to work

 

[noharleyyet]

<250 or not, fill a YETI with one and it's 500 gross...I sweatergard.

-Donnie Baker

 

[PAhunter]

Nasty steep spot, so no pics that really show body proportions well. He looked massive to me, but he's the only elk I've killed or helped to disassemble.


We left the hindquarter bone in for the packout, with legs cut off just below the hock. We deboned everything else in the field - front shoulders, backstraps, neck, tenderloins. I did not take rib meat between ribs. Otherwise did a pretty thorough job. No scale in the field so no weights by quarter or category. Once back at camp we cut the hindquarter leg bones above the hocks so that they fit in coolers better.

Got him home to PA, weighed every bit of boneless meat on a kitchen scale after trimming fat, silver skin, dirt. The remaining bones from the hindquarter (few inches above the hock up to and including the hip ball) weighed between 6.5 and 7# each. Total boned out and processed meat weight was 226#.

Clean skull and antlers weigh 27.6#.