A number of first-time moose hunters have emailed me queries with some good questions, especially those dealing with what I call the Great Moose Extraction. Getting the moose out of the woods, after it is down, as the man said, ain’t no easy thing.
The logistical challenge of getting the meat from the woods to the freezer can be a formidable undertaking that, to be done right, must be approached with forethought and good sense. You need a plan.
One of the best tools that I have used during my moose hunts is a chainsaw winch. This device is not inexpensive, but it is an incredibly useful tool that will move the biggest animal from tree to tree or up onto a snowmobile trailer with no strain. The one I own gets loaned out every fall. (And I still haven’t been offered a piece of backstrap).
Tales abound about moose extractions. Some are funny. Some are scary. Some are pathetic. And some demonstrate how amazingly improvisational and inventive folks can be.
Astonishing to me is how many Maine moose hunters overlook basic physics when it comes to moose extractions: the smaller the mass the less it weighs. It is one thing to drop a moose on or close to a logging road, but quite another if your downed moose is off the beaten path or on the edge of a mossy bog. Why not quarter the animal up, like they do out West with elk, and carry it out in sections?
When I killed my bull moose along the edge of a remote stream, we quartered it and brought it out in two big canoes. Not a bad way to go if you don’t mind foregoing the photo ops at the tagging station.
Then of course there is the field dressing, which can be messy and somewhat daunting to those with a weak stomach. A new field dressing technique catching on out West in elk country is “dry dressing.” I’ve used the technique on elk a couple of times and it’s a great way to go. Elk hunting writer Randy Newburg explains:
“Start with the elk on its side. Make one long dorsal cut from the base of the skull to the base of the tail, following the backbone. Skin the hide off one side to get it cooling fast. As a reminder, always cut with the grain of the hair. Cutting across or into the grain removes more hair from the follicles, littering your meat. Working across the hair will dull your blade very fast.
Once the hide is off, lift the front leg straight up, cutting the muscle and cartilage as you go. The front quarter will detach easily. Place the quarter in a game bag.
Starting at the base of the neck, cut the backstrap free from the spine by making a cut parallel to the blades of the spine all the way to where the pelvis and hip join with the spine. Grip that backstrap and make a cut 90 degrees perpendicular to your first cut, right along the top of the ribs. Peel the backstrap away as you go. At the hip-spine intersect, cut off the backstrap. Voila!
With the elk still on its side, lift the back leg as high as you can, giving you access to the pelvic area. Tie the leg off in the raised position, or have a friend hold it while you do your work. Most states require the scrotum stay attached as proof of sex, so decide which hind quarter will retain that evidence.
You now have access to where the pelvic bone comes together between the legs. Fillet the hind quarter along the pelvis bone until you get to the ball-joint socket of the hip. Cut the tendon in the hip socket, and it will release the entire hind quarter, allowing you to fillet the remainder of the rump off the pelvic bones. You can now cut the foot off and place the hind quarter and in a game bag.
Remove all trim meat from this side, the flank, and especially the meat over and between the ribs. The neck will have a lot of meat. To access the tenderloin on this side, go in right behind the last rib and cut the tip of the tenderloin where it attaches to the bottom of the spine. Reach your hand in, loosening the tenderloin as you work down to where it connects to the pelvis, cutting it free.
You are now done with one side. Flip the elk over and repeat the process. When both sides are complete, get your packs loaded and get the meat to a hanging or storage place. And remember, meat first, antlers last.”
Good luck in the moose woods! And if you borrow your buddy’s chainsaw winch make sure he gets a hunk of backstrap.
The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide, co-host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network (WVOM-FM 103.9, WQVM-FM 101.3) and former information officer for the Maine Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. His e-mail address is paul@sportingjournal.com . He has two books “A Maine Deer Hunter’s Logbook” and his latest, “Backtrack.”
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