How much elk meat?

[Corax]

Some of the variables are neck meat and rib meat - up until this year I did not bother with rib meat - however it grinds up into a lot of good hamburger. I usually get 100 - 120 lbs from a cow.

 

[Paul in Idaho]

I have always processed my own meat, and compare results from year to year. My method is boneless and very lean. Meat that is dry, bloodshot or otherwise damaged is discarded. So, I'd expect my weights to be a bit below a standard quicker method. I like steaks. If I can find a way to keep a piece from falling through the grill, it gets turned into a steak. Hindquarter weights are all steak. Front quarter pieces get saved for the slow cooker. Pieces trimmed off to make clean steaks and roasts end up either in burger or stew meat. Skirt goes to jerky. I use everything I can, including rib and neck meat.

Here are my cow elk weights for 2011 and 2012. These weights were for final, wrapped packages.

2011:
tenderloin: 3 lb
backstrap: 11.5 lb
hindquarters: 46 lb
front quarter: 13.5 lb
stew and jerky meat: 22 lb
burger: 35 lb
heart and liver: 9 lb est.

total 140 pounds wrapped lean meat

2012
tenderloin: 3.5 lb
backstrap: 8.5 lb (lost some to drying out)
hind: 47 lb
front: 13.5 lb
stew & jerky: not weighed, est 17 lb
burger: 47 lb
heart & liver: 9 lb est.

total 133 lb + est. 17 lb stew/jerky = 150 lb

edit - I did the gutless field dress and packed both of these out by myself in fairly warm and dry conditions, so lost some meat to dirt, hair and drying.

 

[PFUNK]

I dropped my meat off at the processor today. I had cut it up myself and they weighed it with me before i told them what i wanted it made into. 147 pounds went to the butcher and i kept the loins and tenderloins.

 

[sbhooper]

Thanks for the meat.

LMAO!

There are lots of factors in final weight. The original size of the animal, how clean you stripped the carcass to start with, how much fat etc. was trimmed off, how long the meat hung and dried and how much personal freezer space the processor had!

 

[konasage]

Ouch!! Did you have sausage or burger made with add-in suet also ? That would make the take even less. I would find another butcher or learn to do it yourself which also keeps you from getting others meat that has not been cared for properly and may be stanky.

 

[Lawnboy]

Just got my meat back from a processor in billings. The cow came back with 125 lbs. and the bull 149. He was basically the same size as the cow it seemed.

 

[whyelkhunt]

DDD I recall your Dad said it was a calf with horns.