quick question... Processing elk (hopefully)

[upstate88]

Just a quick question...

How much butcher paper and clear wrap do I need? I hunted white tails and processed a lot of deer, but it was one deer at a time, and I used a vacuum sealer. How many and what size rolls?

Thanks NW in advance!

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[Twodogs]

One Costco role of each tape and marker pen.

 

[clearconscience]

According to steve rinella you should use clear wrap then paper wrap to keep as much air out as possible.
I would say use 5 times what you would for a deer

 

[thorborg]

Elk butchering takes some time if you want your steaks uniform in size and bones scraped for burgers jerky, and sausage. Especially if your once a year (if your lucky) butcher like me. Fortunately (for me) they come prepackaged in five convenient packages ( if you did your field work right) so you can do one or two quarters a night so running out of packaging isn't an issue as I could always get more on the way home from work the next day. I never liked to do more than a quarter a night because I didn't want to overload my freezer. (I have been lucky to have a good place to hang them)I always started the tedious carcass scrape first which proves out your butcher / wrap set up ( a 4x8 sheet of plywood helps a lot)and knives are sharp water wash bowl and towels etc. since you can keep the scraps in the fridge till the other quarters are finished. If you have someone to help (my wife always did the wraping) they don't need to roll up their sleeves till the carcass is done the front quarters came next mainly because at least one of them usually had a wound channel so I liked to get that cleaned up.
having started to down size I no longer have a big pot to boil the bones and get the marrow so they are no longer an issue, albeit we are sorely missing the marrow and soup stock broth we canned. I used the camp stove outdoors for this so we didn't peel the wall paper off
For hamburger we like to add 20 to 30 percent lamb instead of other fats to both Elk and venison along with a triple grind.
There used to be butcher shops and freezer lockers for rent everywhere, but not so now so the last few years I have been taking my scraps (and lamb) ( they can provide pork but not lamb) to Gartner's in Portland to be ground. I have it done in bulk and package it ourselves so I can control the sizes. Another way is to package small pieces as stir fry' then you can thaw it for stir fry, jerk it later, or grind up your hamburger as you need it with a hand grinder.
A friend has a caulking gun looking press that makes jerky strips ready for smoking from ground meat that is wonderful on poor teeth.
Good luck hope your successful this year!