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Hunting
Elk Hunting
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
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<blockquote data-quote="RedDirtRifleman" data-source="post: 1784015" data-attributes="member: 109044"><p>Harvesting the animal was an adventure in itself, as you can imagine. I've read and watched as many tutorials on field dressing deer and elk as you could ask a man. Gutless and gutting. But experience goes a long way. I failed to pack my Havalon knife, but I figured I should be able to get started with my Benchmade Mini Griptillian. Maybe I could have made it work with a stronger grip or putting more weight behind the blade, but between the chipped blade tip, tough hide, and my own nervousness about getting into the guts, I couldn't make much headway into gutting the animal. My dad shows up on the road about 11:45 and I have to go retrieve him. We get back to the carcass about 12:15 and start breaking her down gutless style, and everything goes pretty much without incident. First hindquarter comes off with hide including udders attached for proof of sex. I learn how much force I really could have put into the hide to get started (remember, first time field dressing *anything*). We get all four quarters, the backstraps, the tenderloins, and the heart. We considered getting more, but we are starting to run out of light and have reached the end of his experience breaking down an animal this large. We decide to pack out, we get the meat out in two trips (four pack loads) over the .75 mile hike back to the road. I know it's not far, but for two first timers (he's only ever used a cart for elk) in rough, unfamiliar terrain, it felt like a lot! We go back for one last trip for our two daypacks and the rifle, and my hunt leader gives us a ride back to the check station.</p><p></p><p>Could not ask for a better Tuesday.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="RedDirtRifleman, post: 1784015, member: 109044"] Harvesting the animal was an adventure in itself, as you can imagine. I've read and watched as many tutorials on field dressing deer and elk as you could ask a man. Gutless and gutting. But experience goes a long way. I failed to pack my Havalon knife, but I figured I should be able to get started with my Benchmade Mini Griptillian. Maybe I could have made it work with a stronger grip or putting more weight behind the blade, but between the chipped blade tip, tough hide, and my own nervousness about getting into the guts, I couldn't make much headway into gutting the animal. My dad shows up on the road about 11:45 and I have to go retrieve him. We get back to the carcass about 12:15 and start breaking her down gutless style, and everything goes pretty much without incident. First hindquarter comes off with hide including udders attached for proof of sex. I learn how much force I really could have put into the hide to get started (remember, first time field dressing *anything*). We get all four quarters, the backstraps, the tenderloins, and the heart. We considered getting more, but we are starting to run out of light and have reached the end of his experience breaking down an animal this large. We decide to pack out, we get the meat out in two trips (four pack loads) over the .75 mile hike back to the road. I know it's not far, but for two first timers (he's only ever used a cart for elk) in rough, unfamiliar terrain, it felt like a lot! We go back for one last trip for our two daypacks and the rifle, and my hunt leader gives us a ride back to the check station. Could not ask for a better Tuesday. [/QUOTE]
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