Looks like mine was an average bull, which is what I expected to find for a 3 1/2 yo 5x5. The 4 1/2 yo 6x7 netted a bit lower due to the meat loss from bullet damage.
That's funny! The last few average size cows I've shot in Wyoming have yielded between 186# and 210# of finished meat and I don't have them put any beef fat in the trimmings for burger, which is mostly what I have made, minus the backstraps. You must have shot the chit out of them to lose what you did with bulls being a lot bigger!!!
Just had time to go over your charts in that link and it appears I'm correct in that they show you should have received between 200 -220 pounds of boned out meat from each bull.
Over 20 years of hunting elk I've boned out the meat and packed it in 2-100qt coolers. Put a layer of crushed ice on top and then dry ice. This past season I drove from Gunnison, Colorado to Alpine (San Diego) California. 1100 miles and the meat was frozen when I arrived home. No matter what state and distance this has been the outcome.
Once the elk is down, gutted, packed out and back in camp I hang it and let it cool for a couple of days. Typically there are four of us hunting. We hunted 3rd rifle and the weather was -20 at night and +20-35 during the day. By hanging the carcass it allows the meat to stretch and cool. When it's time to pack up I bone out the meat as stated above.
**Note**
I cover the cooler with wool blankets and a heavy canvas tarp.
Good Luck.
Gonzo
Well, there is the off chance you will shoot a large bull and wind up with 350-400 lbs as well. I wound up taking home 400 lbs once. I had to buy a new freezer that year for more capacity. I filled up both freezers in the fridges and the upright freezer, then I had to give some to family members. It was a good and bad ordeal. No room for any other animal that year. My last several bulls have all filled a 300 lb capacity freezer to max and I had to use both fridge freezers. When I get the meat back from the processor I wind up taking 4-5 mid to large coolers. I don't use the huge ones because you move the dang things around by yourself when they are full.
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