What's a Quartered Elk Weigh?

Big Fin · Nov 12, 2018

I've often wonder this myself. I've never weighed quarters when I got home, but wish I would have. On our opening week hunt, our guest hunter, Beau Baty, shot a bull. Given Beau weighs everything for llamas so that each side of the load is balanced to the pound, this seemed like a good time to film such. Thanks to Marcus for the idea and for filming it.

This was an average sized 4.5 year old (best estimate of age) bull, weighed with bone in. The elk I have shot in central and eastern MT are larger than what I see in the mountains here in SW MT. Interested what all you might have for weights on bulls you may have put on a scale. Not sure if that is a result of higher quality forage in certain habitats.

[video=youtube_share;18GJU1C9R5E]https://youtu.be/18GJU1C9R5E[/video]

Lawnboy · Nov 12, 2018

Pretty sure Dinkshooter or Buzz maybe once had numbers written down that I thought were beneficial. Hopefully whichever of them can post them up again.

onpoint · Nov 12, 2018

An aside, FYI - this isn't about elk 1/4's.
But this Univ. of Wyoming Ag Station article is full of really useful and interesting info on elk carcasses in general. I found the quoted WY carcass weights to be very similar to Montana NYE, Gallatin, and Madison carcass weights.
I've referenced this article many times for various purposes.......
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...bs/B594R.pdf&usg=AOvVaw35oi-CV7BRPGEroPJIy9PR

Hem · Nov 12, 2018

All I know is most people overrate the size a bull and how much the quarters weigh.

noharleyyet · Nov 12, 2018

onpoint said:
An aside, FYI - this isn't about elk 1/4's.
But this Univ. of Wyoming Ag Station article is full of really useful and interesting info on elk carcasses in general. I found the quoted WY carcass weights to be very similar to Montana NYE, Gallatin, and Madison carcass weights.
I've referenced this article many times for various purposes.......
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...bs/B594R.pdf&usg=AOvVaw35oi-CV7BRPGEroPJIy9PR

Good info, thanks.

Pagosa · Nov 12, 2018

I have found out that 3.5 - 4.5 year bull weighs about 220 lbs; including neck, some rib, blackstrap, and loins. Average size cows and and younger bulls are more likely to be around 160-180 lbs. My first cow produced close to 275-300 lbs; she was massive. I’ve seen other cows of similar size, and a few bulls, but never managed to get a older bull. This is based on 15 or so elk from OK, CO, UT, and MT weighed at locker scales.

Interested to hear other numbers, and weight of elk seem to stretch out like walking 30 miles a day.

300stw · Nov 12, 2018

i harvested a 8yr old roosevelt bull coastal calfornia. 2 days after the harvest. rear quarters. were. 91. and 96 lbs no skin off at the knee, on certified scales. ive taken 14 bulls idaho colorado montana. most were 60-70 lbs on a packer scale. getting ready for the mules

elkduds · Nov 12, 2018

"No brag, just fact." Interesting how much those honkin' llamas can pack. Thanks for posting, BF.

mtmuley · Nov 12, 2018

As I head back to the Breaks solo....... mtmuley

hank4elk · Nov 12, 2018

Interesting.
Last cow I had weighed @ butcher was 225.
That small 6x6 bull last year was a bit bigger,guesstimate.
The cow a few years back was huge, old & weighed 285.
Bet this years cow was 180ish 1Year old.
A Tule cow we weighed whole 12 years ago ,skinned hanging was 225.Old large Tule cow.

Gerald Martin · Nov 12, 2018

Every elk I shoot weight at least 100lbs more at the end of the pack than at the beginning.

flyingvmt · Nov 12, 2018

Great video as I just finished packing my cow and a buddy's raghorn last week.

One question regarding the video, Beau mentions the testicles being in the trim bag....I thought evidence of sex had to be attached to a rear quarter until processing. Not trying to start WW3.....just asking as I think its nasty to leave a nut or a mammary gland attached to a hind quarter myself.....

onpoint · Nov 12, 2018

montexan said:
Great video as I just finished packing my cow and a buddy's raghorn last week.

One question regarding the video, Beau mentions the testicles being in the trim bag....I thought evidence of sex had to be attached to a rear quarter until processing. Not trying to start WW3.....just asking as I think its nasty to leave a nut or a mammary gland attached to a hind quarter myself.....

You'd be correct. MT statute directs evidence of sex be naturally attached to portion of the carcass. Pretty easy and non-nasty to do.......

flyingvmt · Nov 12, 2018

onpoint said:
You'd be correct. MT statute directs evidence of sex be naturally attached to portion of the carcass. Pretty easy and non-nasty to do.......

Oh I know its easy....just don't like the leaky udder soaking milk into the meat.....call me OCD I guess. :/

onpoint · Nov 12, 2018

That's why you need to be one of those self professed skilled guys who "only shoot dry cows"

brockel · Nov 12, 2018

I normally cut legs off at knee so I don’t have to pack them out but last cow we left them on and just for the hell of it I weighed them. They were between 8-10lbs a piece from knee to hoof. So now when I’m packing two quarters I have no problem making myself 20lbs lighter

brockel · Nov 12, 2018

Also the last cow I weight all the leg bones after boning and it was a total of 41lbs. That’s not counting the 8-10lbs from knee to hoof for each leg

tjones · Nov 12, 2018

montexan said:
Oh I know its easy....just don't like the leaky udder soaking milk into the meat.....call me OCD I guess. :/

There is a whole lot better way to leave evidence of sex attached to females then a leaking udder.

flyingvmt · Nov 12, 2018

tjones said:
There is a whole lot better way to leave evidence of sex attached to females then a leaking udder.

I'm all ears to be enlightened......

RobG · Nov 13, 2018

I took notes on two cow elk in 2001 and 2003.

Cow #1: 180 pounds of meat from a cow up by Ketchum ID; the bones including the hocks and hooves were 42#. I usually only keep the femur now, which are about 4# each.
Cow #2: 195 pounds of meat from a SW Montana cow.

Looks like I weighed 160 pounds in 2003, and had no shame using that guy's free notepad. In spite of my psychotic handwriting I wish I still kept notes on hunts and fishing trips.... Interesting to look back at a different era for me.

What's a Quartered Elk Weigh?

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