What's The Proper Technique For Field Quartering Large Game?

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Planning The Quartering Process Assessing Carcass Size Large game like elk and moose should be quartered to create manageable pack loads. A whole hind quarter from an elk weighs 60-80 lbs, too heavy for most people to pack long distances. Subdivision into smaller sections (20-40 lbs each) becomes necessary.
Assess the carcass and plan how many sections you’ll create. More sections require more work but create more manageable loads. Fewer sections speed the initial quartering but may result in packing problems.
Tool Preparation Sharp knives are essential. A primary hunting knife (4-6 inch blade) and a larger butcher’s knife (8+ inches) give you options for different cutting tasks.
A small bone saw or folding hacksaw makes cutting through joints much faster and easier. Some hunters also carry an axe for separating heavy sections.
Major Section Removal Separating Hind Quarters Position the carcass on its back or side to access the hind quarters. The hind leg connects to the pelvis through a ball-and-socket joint.
Locate the joint by grasping the hind leg and moving it. The natural movement point is the joint. Cut through connective tissue around the joint using a sharp knife. Cut from the inside of the leg toward the hip, severing all tissue connecting the leg to the body.
Once connective tissue is severed, pull the hind leg firmly away from the body. The leg should separate with the hip bone attached to the leg (not the carcass). This is the correct separation.
Repeat on the opposite hind leg.
Separating Front Quarters Front legs connect to the shoulder and rib cage through heavy muscle rather than a distinct ball-and-socket joint. The connection is more muscular than the hind leg connection.
Cut through the muscle and tissue connecting the front leg to the rib cage. Work around the entire connection, severing all attachments. The front leg should pull away from the body, separating cleanly.
If you’re having to hack and saw excessively, you’re likely not cutting in the right plane. Adjust your angle and work more systematically around the joint area.
Removing The Backstraps Backstraps are premium meat running along both sides of the spine. They’re accessed from the exterior, not by opening the body cavity.
Position the carcass so you can access both sides. Using a sharp knife, cut along the spine on one side, separating the backstrap from the ribs. Work from the hind end toward the front, following the spine closely. The backstrap is a long, cylindrical muscle; it should separate as a single piece.
Repeat on the opposite side.
Subdividing Major Sections Breaking Down Hind Quarters A whole hind quarter (femur, tibia, and surrounding meat) weighs 60-80 lbs. Breaking it into smaller pieces creates more manageable loads.
The natural seams between muscle groups create convenient division points. Separate the back strap portion from the leg. Separate the sirloin tip from the main leg muscle. These subdivisions create 15-25 lb pieces.
Different sections have different muscle groups and quality. Front portion tends to be tougher (slower-cooking cuts). Rear portion includes the tender sirloin tip.
Breaking Down Front Quarters Front quarters are more complex due to multiple muscle groups and the shoulder bone complexity.
Separate the arm (lower leg) from the shoulder blade. Separate the brisket/front ribs from the shoulder. These divisions create more manageable pieces.
The shoulder area is often tough and is better as stew meat or ground meat than steaks.
Dividing The Backstraps Long backstraps can be left intact or subdivided. For packing purposes, divide into 20-30 lb sections.
Backstraps are premium meat suitable for steaks. Don’t subdivide them excessively; reasonable sections are often steaks anyway.
Detailed Cuts For Specific Muscles Hindquarter Detail Cuts Hind Shank: The lower leg, typically used for stew or ground meat.
Round: The upper back leg, often divided into roasts or steaks.
Sirloin Tip: Premium roast or steak meat from the upper hind leg.
Hindquarter Roasts: Large roasts from various hind quarter muscles, suitable for slow cooking.
Front Quarter Detail Cuts Front Shank: Lower leg, typically stew meat.
Chuck: Shoulder muscle, often tough, suitable for ground meat or stew.
Brisket: Chest/front plate, suitable for slow cooking or ground meat.
Arm Roast: Shoulder arm muscle, medium-quality roast meat.
Removing Premium Cuts Tenderloins Tenderloins are thin, tender muscles located inside the body cavity along the spine. They’re accessed by cutting into the abdominal cavity and carefully working them free.
These are premium cuts and highly valued. Most hunters specifically seek and remove tenderloins.
Trim And Scraps After removing major sections, meat remains attached to the spine, ribs, and pelvis. This trim meat is valuable but requires careful separation.
Separate meat from bone using a knife. Save all trim meat; it’s perfect for ground meat or stew.
Protecting Meat During Quartering Managing Contamination Keep removed sections covered to prevent fly and insect contamination. Place each section in a plastic bag immediately after removal.
Maintain clean hands and tools throughout. Wipe blood and tissue regularly to prevent accumulation.
Temperature Control In cool weather, exposed meat cooling is acceptable. In warm weather, get meat in bags and cool locations quickly.
Work efficiently; the faster you quarter, the less time meat is exposed to warm air.
Efficiency And Organization Working Systematically Process one side completely before moving to the other side. This allows organized coverage and protection of processed meat while you work on the remaining side.
Mark processed sections with tape or flagging, indicating what you’ve completed.
Record Keeping In your hunting journal, note how much meat you recovered, where major sections ended up, and any losses due to spoilage or damage.
Over time, this record helps you improve quartering and packing efficiency.