Spliting up the elk meat after the hunt
- Thread starter MASHER
- Start date
I am usually pretty generous. Usually give them a little of everything if they are new and are not sure what they like and if they know already I take that into account. I also have people who are glad to help but have no interest in eating the meat and in that case its usually dinner and a case of beer or something.
Cool, thank you. That is good info.
When my brother and I hunt deer or antelope together and have the tag I give him one tenderloin and half a backstrap. The last several times I had a cow elk tag he didn't want any meat because he still had a freezer full of elk from his hunts. The one time he did take some meat I gave him half a backstrap.
npaden
Well-known member
There is no hard and fast rule on anything like this, BUT you would probably be considered a jerk if you didn't at least offer someone some meat for helping pack it out.
I've given as much as 1/2 of the meat to someone that helped pack out in a year where I already had an elk and a deer in the freezer and shot a 2nd elk that year.
We ended up giving a bunch of meat away to folks that didn't help pack out that year too because we didn't have enough freezer space to fit it all and we have a pretty big freezer that is pretty much 100% dedicated just to wild game.
P.S. - I butcher my own and am pretty stingy with the stuff that takes a lot of effort to prepare like jerky and sausage.
I've given as much as 1/2 of the meat to someone that helped pack out in a year where I already had an elk and a deer in the freezer and shot a 2nd elk that year.
We ended up giving a bunch of meat away to folks that didn't help pack out that year too because we didn't have enough freezer space to fit it all and we have a pretty big freezer that is pretty much 100% dedicated just to wild game.
P.S. - I butcher my own and am pretty stingy with the stuff that takes a lot of effort to prepare like jerky and sausage.
BrentD
Well-known member
When I hunt everyone helps pack out, everyone helps butcher and everyone gets an equal share. Pretty easy that way.
I hunt 1st elk season in CO which is only 5 days and there are usually 2 or 3 of us with tags. We know going in there is a very slim chance of everyone filling a tag, so we usually split everything up evenly. Everyone is cool with it, just happy to have an animal on the ground and be a part of the experience. We all have other hunts throughout the year so there is opportunity for us to put more meat in the freezer as well. We split processing costs as well.
The friend relationship portion... always good to chit chat about it over bbq or whatever in casual conversation. For myself, I typically offer a buddy 1/3 the meat - he can have processed or process himself. If he wants to throw his share in for the processing - sure. he pays for the 1/3 price.
406Born
Well-known member
Depends on how hard the packout is and how likely it is you are going to need their help again in the future. 
. I have always offered meat and have evenly split the meat on several occasions.
. I have always offered meat and have evenly split the meat on several occasions.
Bulldog0156
Well-known member
Everyone I've packed meat with has taken their payment in beer and grilled backstrap/tenderloin after the pack out is complete. I'm confident in my ability to fill the freezer, so if you shot it, you keep it. That being said, I always offer meat up to anyone that helps me pack.
We always split everything equally. But we also do everything ourselves from field to freezer; with everyone helping on the processing. We process alot so its a big time commitment for everyone involved.
Edit: With that said, we can kill all the deer we want so nobody ever goes without and that is a big difference between coveted tags that you may only get every once in a while. Not sure how I would handle it if I was in the situation of limited tags.
Edit: With that said, we can kill all the deer we want so nobody ever goes without and that is a big difference between coveted tags that you may only get every once in a while. Not sure how I would handle it if I was in the situation of limited tags.
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Khunter
Well-known member
Seem to be some meat processing cost tightwads out there in some of these situations
Why make someone you owe meat to for helping, fork over what is a pretty nominal fee at all. Suck it up and if you took your animal to a processor anyway pay for processing if they did the work and put in the time to help with YOUR tag. Especially if they dont even have a tag.
a processed elk is $160-$210 around here.
The above is not directed towards camps where everyone has tags and agrees up front to split everything. That is a random chance deal, no telling who will tag out each season so sure costs are split as well.
Anyway, when someone donates part of their hunt to help or is tagalong I am not charging them meat cutter fees when I give them meat. That is just a cheesy excuse to hope they want less. I try not to be a cheapskate.
I have packed lots of animals for others with no want or need for part of the meat but if my freezer was on the empty side and I was taking time out of my own hunt to help, and I was receiving meat I would not expect to pay for processing of that meat portion if the whole animal went to the processor anyway. Nor would I request/want expensive sausage etc, just burger/steak/roasts.
Why make someone you owe meat to for helping, fork over what is a pretty nominal fee at all. Suck it up and if you took your animal to a processor anyway pay for processing if they did the work and put in the time to help with YOUR tag. Especially if they dont even have a tag.
a processed elk is $160-$210 around here.
The above is not directed towards camps where everyone has tags and agrees up front to split everything. That is a random chance deal, no telling who will tag out each season so sure costs are split as well.
Anyway, when someone donates part of their hunt to help or is tagalong I am not charging them meat cutter fees when I give them meat. That is just a cheesy excuse to hope they want less. I try not to be a cheapskate.
I have packed lots of animals for others with no want or need for part of the meat but if my freezer was on the empty side and I was taking time out of my own hunt to help, and I was receiving meat I would not expect to pay for processing of that meat portion if the whole animal went to the processor anyway. Nor would I request/want expensive sausage etc, just burger/steak/roasts.
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I always just ask them how much they want. It's interesting how many people say just a few steaks, or say nothing at all. I have never had anyone ask for a 1/4 or 1/2 or even relatively close, but if they did I would give it to them. Upon giving them what they ask for I always load them down with more than they asked for and they are more grateful for it. I even keep some in the freezer as extra's to offer to them later as well. I do pay all the butcher fees, I don't ask them to chip in for it.
My rule with animals I harvest is you keep what you pack out. If I help someone out, I don't expect anything because I usually already have a full freezer, and I really enjoy being in the field, even if just post-harvest. There is no social rule. Just discuss it beforehand so there aren't any hurt feelings.
teej89
Well-known member
I guess this is fairly situational but in my situation we're all driving together, 24-32hrs, sharing the cost of gas and driving time. We all have the same tags, we draw straws for first shot or if someone hasn't killed one yet they're the first on the trigger. Everyone helps pack and butcher as well as set up and breakdown camp etc.... so we just split it all evenly. We work as a team and if we get an animal down we all get rewarded equally, who cares who pulled the trigger.
