How do you split up your meat when party hunting?

Rubber Robin · 03-01-2006, 10:03 AM

This topic has most likely come up before but I have not seen it yet.

This past season we had some controversy in our party over the sharing of meat. We were fortunate and managed to bag one spike in our group. The group was composed of 6 people this year. Two of the party do not like elk meat so it was left to split up among four of us.

Normally this is a simple split. Everybody gets a quarter.
However, this year one of our hunters spent maybe 1-2 hours out in the field daily doing actual hunting. The rest of the time was spent back in camp cocktailing. Very little time spent hunting. He did manage to do more than his share of dishwashing which was a help.

This person showed up at camp after all the set up was done and left several days early and was not involved in any of the take down and clean up of camp. Because of all of this we were going to split the meat 3 ways and leave him out.

After the hunt we had some discussions back and forth and kind of came to a meeting of the minds as far as everybodies responsibilities for pitching in and sharing the load.

I ended up giving him some of my portion because he said that his wife was really looking forward to eating elk.

In the future we are contemplating some type of an end of the hunt vote as to shares based on everybodies participation. Kind of like how a pro sports team votes on what share everybody related to the team gets.

How do you other hunters deal with this type of situation?

waterfowlin101 · 03-01-2006, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Two of the party do not like elk meat so it was left to split up among four of us.

Can't figure this one out

Split it up equally between all folks who help in the processing of the meat...gutting, skinning, boneing, cutting, wrapping, etc.

Just because you showed up at elk camp doesn't entitle you you squat. The work is involved in meat prep...and those are the folks who should get the meat

just my

baltz526 · 03-01-2006, 10:16 AM

in my camp i try to keep it simple. if you help pack it out, help with camp chores, you get your share if you are there. it also comes down to what is already in your freezer at home and other hunts on the schedual for the year.i will share with guys that where schedualed to go on the hunt but had to cancel.

Coastalfisherman · 03-01-2006, 10:19 AM

My hunting party has agreed not to split meat because of this very problem. If we were going to do it, it would be something that was prearranged prior to the trip. Giving everyone a quarter does not seem fair to me, due to the persons that get the front quarters are getting less meat that someone who gets the hindquarters

DRUNK COWBOY · 03-01-2006, 10:33 AM

We have several people who would not hunt much, but they would keep camp clean. They would also cook and do other stuff as well. We have three very good hunters in camp. We are out from dawn till dusk. We take a pack with us and never come back to camp for lunch.

The person who kills it gets 1/2 of the elk. The other 1/2 gets split with all who contributed in some way to camp. We all sit in my shop and divide the cut and wraped Elk evenly. This was the best thing for my camp.

alaskan · 03-01-2006, 10:46 AM

We used to add all the people X days hunted, then divided all costs and meat by the days you hunted. If I only hunted 1 weekend, I didn't have to split the costs for all the gas, food for the whole time, but I only got 2 days worth of meat. As stated earlier, everything was agreed on before the trip and therefore we never had a problem.

SeanD · 03-01-2006, 10:50 AM

We do the same thing. Shooter gets half, half is split among the others. But we discuss it with any new folks beforehand so there isnt any hardfeelings, and its optional to share as long as everyone knows. When we get an elk down everyone helps pack it or take care of it in someway anyway. If you dont pull you own weight, you wont hunt in our camp again.

nitrobass · 03-01-2006, 10:59 AM

For a deer, shooter takes all.

For elk, shooter takes half and the remaining meat gets divided up among those that helped pack it out.

Its worked for us for years

Opportunist · 03-01-2006, 11:01 AM

The key is a complete understanding before the hunt begins. I would like to put money that this issue has caused more parties to go their separate ways than other hunting party issues. I know of one party that was started by four families and the elk are separated four ways, under each guy is their kids who get their share from their dad's 1/4 share. It works for them.

A couple of years ago I killed a cow bowhunting in Oregon second to the last day of the season with two buddies of mine. I rolled the guts out of her and we came back in the morning to pack her the two miles out. Mike brought one friend with him in the morning who wanted to go along. Mike, Gary and myself worked on the cow and his buddy watched. We put the two hind quarters on my buddies mountain bike and I took one front shoulder and gary grabbed the other. Mike walked the bike. His buddy walked out not carrying anything. The way we split meat is after we have cut it up. Mike wanted to know where his buddies meat was. Problem was we never discussed it. I told Mike that he wasn't with us on the kill, didn't help work on the animal, didn't help pack, he didn't do anything except slow us down when we were hiking in. If he had done anything in the process we would have given him a share.

For me it changes with whoever I'm hunting with. Some of my friends don't want meat if they didn't kill it. But I always offer and other friends who love elk meat as much as I are always glad to get hard earned meat. We don't split deer, not worth it for the amount of meat.

Get it out in the open before the hunt.

pythonwill · 03-01-2006, 11:19 AM

The way I do it is if I dont kill it then I wont be asking for any, but if they want to offer some it will be gladly accepted. My nephew got a nice bull this year and it was his first big game kill ever. I paid for his tags and all the hunt, But I was very happy to let him have the meat. It was worth it to me just to be a part of the hunt. Later he came over and gave me a half dozen packages of steaks and some pepperoni and a HUGE thanks for letting him go with me. I told him any time.

StickFish · 03-01-2006, 11:23 AM

Eveyone in our camp helps out or they simply are not there next year. We split the meat evenly except the shooter gets the tenderloins

Crayfin · 03-01-2006, 11:30 AM

Seems like it is always a sticky situation for guys that dont hunt together that much. It seems out of our party we usually kill between 2-4 elk very year so getting some is usually not a problem. Did not help.....do not get. Guys have had to leave for various reasons during the hunt but they helped while they were there. We split the costs between everyone when it comes to camp, gas ect. I have been pretty fortunate to get my elk for a bunch of years running (except for last year) and I have always just had it made into whatever and told the fellas they were more and welcome to whatever they wanted. I paid for everything. When it's on their honor they have always treated me fair. I always make sure I pass some pepperoni/sausage/beer dogs around when everything is finished. Most of the elk I have taken have been from teamwork-whether it be calling/packing/cooking/cleaning...that's a bill I make sure I pay

ehunter · 03-01-2006, 12:09 PM

We have in a big party of 4 or more always given the shooter 1/2 the elk and the other 3 or more guys split the other 1/2. Now if one of them shoots one they end up with 3/4. This works for elk it goes with out saying that every one helps.
For deer we don't bother trying to split it up we give a package or two of steaks.

It use to bug me when I would shoot a elk pay for the cutting and wrapping and hand out 3/4 of it. Now we do it this way and it works for us.

Spell it out clearly before you go.

Chesapeake · 03-01-2006, 01:01 PM

I would have to go with:

"Decide before the hunt, and make sure everyone knows"

My party changes yearly due to friends coming and going. The core group of my family and inlaws is always the same. One friend never shares no matter how much we help him. We all know this and help him anyway.

I always share with my Dad no matter what. Same goes for my father in law. They do the same for me in return. Between the 3 of us we have always had elk in the freezer. This year was the first that nobody shared. All 4 of us got our elk.

But we all helped each other pack, and process the game.

lor · 03-01-2006, 02:17 PM

A deer goes to the person who killed it.
There just not that much to split.
An elk is typically split between the camp, this is mainly because of the help in packing it out.
I only hunt with two other people, no elk has been killed since I've hunted with them. But if one is taken, we've already decided the killer gets half and the pack mules each get a quarter.

Wreckless · 03-01-2006, 02:22 PM

Deer: Shooter keeps all (shares if he/she feels the need)

Elk: Split the cost & meat evenly among the hunters in the party, hunting on that given day, unless they come up and help with the pack.....I hunt mostly "day hunts" and as my hunting partners are having families, their time is becoming more limited. We used to say that if we drew together, we'd hunt together and we'd split the meat. But if little Suzy gets the sniffles and dad can't get away..............It may get "sticky". As stated before work it out WAY BEFORE the critter is down.

If everyone pitches in and helps out there will be no hard feelings (if they can't help pack, maybe they help a little extra with processing $$) It works out....And as someone pointed out earlier , if they don't pitch in they aren't invited again.

Lucky one · 03-01-2006, 02:30 PM

In our party it is left up to the shooter. Our party is fairly big, maybe ten guys. So there is always enough room. People help out without asking for any meat. Most often meat is offered and refused anyhow. This year elk hunting our party got two animals. We ended up splitting it up so the two shooters got half and everybody else that helped got at least a quarter.

Its simple though, if you don't pull your weight in one instance your left behind the next time.

Wetwrk2 · 03-01-2006, 03:27 PM

So my Dad and my cousin and I are elk hunting...Dad comes up with great idea (naturally)he-he-he. If we get one we split it by total weight, a few steaks, back-straps, but mostly split the burger by weight. Well my cousin and I were just young pups, eager for the hunt, and headed out and got us each a cow over the span of a week...so we send the meat to the butcher to get processed and tell my Dad if he picks up the meat we'll split it up with him when we get back in town. As my cousin and I leave the camp, Dad had quietly mentioned we should each give him half of each of our elk. I barely remember that part...... About a month later I realize between my cousin and I we gave Dad a "WHOLE" elk!!!! and he didn't even have to hunt half as hard as us he-he-he.... I've learned two valuable lessons from that (1) two halves = a whole, and (2) youth and enthusiasm are no match for age, wisdom and treachery!

Being a military man, the senior ranking person, either the party leader, or the eldest in the party is in-charge. If you want to rotate the "leader" every year, so everyone gets his chance to be the boss. The leader needs to write up the worklists for chores ect. We start our week with a worklist already posted. It names who gets what chores from dishes to firewood. It rotates so everyone gets a chance to cook, clean, ect. This makes everyone earn their keep. Even late comers go onto the worklists, thus pulling some sort of weight for the rest of the guys, and makes it easier to hand off some of the meat.

riverswild · 03-01-2006, 04:38 PM

Elk-
Shooter gets half. Packers get the rest. If you hunt/sit in camp but don't pack, you get nadda!

Two hunters - each get half.
Three hunters - shooter gets half, the other two get 1/4, but everyone does equal work.

Deer or bear-
Shooter gets it all, even if there were two or three guys packing/dragging. (they usually get a couple packages of steak & burger anyway)

We always know how it will be divided before it is down and the work begins.

biederboat · 03-01-2006, 04:53 PM

We always split equally but we make sure and only have people in camp that HUNT and PACK equally, let's say up to 75% of what the hardest guy does anyway. Sometimes you want to keep other people hunting if you bag one and don't need any or much help. I would lay into (and have basically kicked people out before) a hunter if they don't put in their fair share. Doing more dishes wouldn't cut it in my opinion.

That being said my best friend is often up last and first back but he is better than a brother to me so no big deal. I don't mind that. Also, we have one guy who is older and you can't expect him to pack as much, even though he does anyway.

I say kick 'em out. You invest too much time in an elk hunt to deal with that kind of stuff.

Biederboat

Old Coot · 03-01-2006, 05:51 PM

Simple. Each family gets an equal share. If somebody's having tough times, their share might be a little more equal than the others.

baltz526 · 03-01-2006, 05:52 PM

i go and set up elk camp alone most years, on wednsday/thursday cut all the fire wood, dig the privy, put up all the wall tent, privy tent. then friday night the work week guys show up roll out their bags and get ready for hunting. the only time it is different than this, is if i'm going from one tag to the next. idaho deer to oregon elk. with a camp setup change in between. my point is sometimes the work load is very unbalanced, from one hunter to the next. i set up camp and hunt for the pleasure of it, it is not a competition, about equal work sharing, equal packing, or equal meat sharing. it is about the enjoyment. if someone in camp takes the enjoyment out of the hunt, that is the only reason to not share portions of everything, next season.here is an example, 2004 cascade elk. i set up camp alone wednsday, friday night midnight, hunter x shows up 4hrs late, driving 2wheel drive little truck, left 4x4 in garage, heavy snow above 4000 is forcast. camp is 5400'. next morning 9:30 hunter x kills spike with eyegards. go help skin quarter pack hang in camp.big storm comes in dumps 1' wet heavy snow, hunter x decides he needs to get 2wheel drive off mountain and go's home, see hunter x ten days later, ask how much meat he got out of spike, still hanging in shed.tell hunter x he needs to bring to my house now. so i spend 3 hrs cleaning/trimming and save 2/3 of meat put in clean plastic covered bins and send him home to wrap meat. see hunter x two weeks later ask about my plastic bins. meat is still in them, gone bad. me and my step son both killed elk that year. hunter x has a great resume, church going family man. deacon in the church, captan in the marines, disabled vet,hard working family man. but he wasted our friendship when he wasted the elk. no i will not turn him in, no i will not say his name, his family needs his support, his punishment has been taken care privately. and it is suficient.

D-tangle · 03-01-2006, 06:30 PM

Chesapeake, it sounds like you all shared and recieved together. Nice that all got their elk, too. That's what I like: the hunting PARTY itself. One where everyone likes each other and contributes to the atmosphere. The meat is a definate bonus though.

PS- My 12 year old got his first deer this year. Pretty special.

bullslayer · 03-01-2006, 06:59 PM

i think of hunting in a group, as a "team" hunt. meaning, if you help with camp, cooking, packing and all that goes along with the trip, all invoved will divide the meat equally. We've done this as long as I can remember and it works for us. All of us were involved in sports and still are and hunting is no different. If you don't do your share though, I feel you are not entitled to the spoils. If you show up late and leave early, you better be working very hard in the field or camp to get your share. The elders are of course given major slack on this. No young slackers allowed

We do this on all hunts and we've never had a argument yet. guess we're just lucky by the sound of it

good luck, Kris.

Headhunter · 03-01-2006, 07:10 PM

We have a group of core hunters that have been hunting 10+ years togehter and then have a few people that come in and out of the group depending on work or family issues that come up in life. Dependintg on who draws a tag, we may have more hunting one year from the other. We usally have about 3 guys that will hunt every hour of every day until they fill their tag. We also have some people who can only hunt a long 3/4/5 day weekend, and others only weekends.

Regardless of who is hunting, we hunt as a team. We are all lined up/out 150-200 yards apart and hunt from ridge-to-ridge or draw-to-draw or whatever, with GPS and radio's. Someons might take a stand from time-to-time, but it is a team sport for us as usally what happens is someone jumps an elk and your buddy ends up shooting it. We all help drag it to a skid road or pack it out. We all skin it out and quarter out. The point is we all help in the taking of an elk.

We split it up equally depending on who was hunting that particular day as folks come and go from our group. I love elk meat and so does my family. However, we do not have a chest freezer so when it comes to my share, all I ask for is a few packages of burger, 2 roasts, and a dozen steaks and I am pretty happy. Some years I have gotten more, but that is about what is right for our family so I would rather have one of my teammates get more. As for deer, shooter takes all.

Cheers,

Jim

Big TULE · 03-01-2006, 07:15 PM

For us it is easy, mostly just hunt with family and i do not care who gets what, except i get the loins...

Deer hunting this year i shot a big deer a long ways from nowhere, and we cut it in half to pack it out, i took the rear end because i am bigger and it was heavier. Now just because it was a deer doesn't mean i get the whole thing. I split it even right down the middle. Even to the loin. No question about it in my mind and we hadn't discussed it. But again there was no need to, we both worked our butts off to get that deer out.

With elk we just split it up between our party even if they wern't there. My family will not eat a whole elk in a year. So we give to others that do not get there elk.

42HNF4LIFE · 03-01-2006, 07:43 PM

I was raised hunting and fishing and it didn't matter wether you were trout fishing on diamond lake,duck hunting at summer lake, hunting deer or hunting elk we split the meat equally. that's the way it's always been and that's the way it will alway's be. that's just the way I am! Two things though the person in question (regaurding the original post) should be able to realize when they haved crossed that not grey but black and white line between a team player and a free loader the other thing is I would find a way not to be in this position again , becuase it sure takes all the fun and enjoyment out of what ever sport your doing

Water Ready · 03-01-2006, 08:21 PM

That's why I only hunt with one guy, and we usually trade years on the kill. But we split it! We split groceries, whiskey and gas too!
Sounds to me, the original poster, should re-think his huntn' partners.

Best thing to do, is chat with your buddies and be up front about chores and duties in camp.
I always liked diggen the toilet hole, cause I could make sure it was not to close to camp, and always made sure the hand sanitizer was with it. :grin: Cause ya never know who's cookin'?

Deal is, in elk camp, it's all fun, and the work begins mostly, when furs on the ground. All the rest is easy! :smile:
Happy Huntn'

Duckwheat · 03-01-2006, 08:46 PM

It sure comes in handy sometimes, not having any friends.

Either you guys have too many guys hunting with you or you are not killing enough ELK.

A half here, three quarters here and a split half there. I don't know how you keep up with it.

Du/ck/wh/ea/t

RoscoeP · 03-01-2006, 10:37 PM

We have always split everything equally, including the costs if we have the game processed. I believe in choosing hunting partners very carefully. Nothing ruins a trip faster than someone who doesn't pull their weight and expects a free ride and free meat.

I usually only hunt with family or very close friends that I trust implicitely. Greed has no place in a hunting camp...IMHO

BrianMaguire · 03-01-2006, 11:06 PM

You kill it you keep it. Other guy kills it he keeps it. Whats the problem?

Screamin Bulls · 03-02-2006, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Two of the party do not like elk meat so it was left to split up among four of us.

Can't figure this one out

Split it up equally between all folks who help in the processing of the meat...gutting, skinning, boneing, cutting, wrapping, etc.

Just because you showed up at elk camp doesn't entitle you you squat. The work is involved in meat prep...and those are the folks who should get the meat

just my

101% agree and this would have been my exact answer.....

Josh

Rank Amateur · 03-02-2006, 08:05 AM

Who ever's freezer is emptier!

We don't sweat it much, nobody ever complains. We usually go with the 1/2 an elk to the shooter and split the rest, but with our style of hunting, we usually end up with a whole elk.

Like this year, one friend didn't hunt with the "group" because of having too many preference points and not wanting to draw a tag. He takes a 5pt in the first season and him and his family pack it out. Come second season, his son takes a bull and I get a bull, we helped pack out the two bulls with three of us. Then my other hunting partners son kills a bull, I help him pack it out, while my partner keeps on hunting. His son shares with his dad, I shared with my dad who helped with the hamburger grinding. Like I say, we don't sweat it, nobody has gotten down to an empty freezer yet. The one friend raises beef, usually doesn't want a whole elk.

bullslayer · 03-02-2006, 08:59 PM

Very good points my "older" brother. I like the way we divy up the costs and meat. Great group of guy's and lots of fun. Kris.

RoscoeP · 03-03-2006, 09:12 AM

Darn right Bro, by one minute!

SetNet · 03-03-2006, 10:04 AM

My hunting party never has this problem. Just my presence in the local vicinity throws shear terror into the wapiti herds. Although I have not seen this, my hunting buddies swear the elk know I am close. Usually an elk just flips them the hoof and heads for the next county.
SetNet

kodiakfisher · 03-03-2006, 12:16 PM

Our group splits equally with everyone that is in camp and hunting. We have never had issues with leaving early and someone not being there. We have had an issue of someone shooting spike at top of mountain far from camp when group wanted to leave early, that messed up all the plans :smile:. I believe it would always be independant of amount of work done in camp. Some in the group are older and depending on physical ability one year to the next may do more or less. The truth of the matter is the younger folks should be expected to do more if they are able, older members often stay closer go and get rigs to pick up the younger ones this save work for everyone. The first year I was really sick first day and walked around but really didn't "hunt" another year someone else was sick and so his credit pulled himself out of bed to help pack meat. Was he entitle to any less IMHO no. The truth is without the older folks showing me/us everything about hunting I probably wouldn't be very sucessful, if the senior member/mentor at the age of 70 wants to sit in camp (btw most of us would be hard pressed to keep up with him) that is his right and I'll gladly give him an equal share for all the knowledge he has passed on to me. I hope to pass this same knowledge on to folks that will share with me when I'm not able to be as productive in Elk camp anymore.

RoscoeP · 03-03-2006, 02:21 PM

Good points! My dad is 70 years old, and still tries to keep up with the younger crowd, which gets him a little too tired at times. My brothers and I always give him strict orders to just get the cleaning done and leave the rest to us if he gets something down. In my eyes he's paid his dues in full and should leave the packing to the slightly younger bucks in camp. The last thing I would ever want to have to do is pack the old man off the hill.

ehunter · 03-03-2006, 02:58 PM

You guys make good points and I think your right on regarding older hunters.

I think when you have a group of estbalished hunters the meat issue is less of a issue.

Rubber Robin · 03-03-2006, 03:57 PM

Great discussion everybody. It's good to get a lot of different opinions.

I definitely agree about the older folks sharing with less work put in. That is a given. They paid their dues when they were younger and it is a privledge to have them at camp. Their wisdom and stories are contribution enough.

My Dad and cousin are both 70+. No way would we let them do any packing. That is for the younger guys. Part of the fun of elk camp is listening to their comments coming from their lawn chairs as we are skinning the elk. It can get pretty hilarious.

Lucky one · 03-03-2006, 05:00 PM

That's true, the old guys in our camp don't really have to pitch in as much. Quite often, the old and more established guys bring all the equipment (because they can afford it) and the young guys put up camp, cut firewood, and generally do any of the physical work, including packing out the game. Nobody complains, we've never even talked about it, everybody seems to know that is the way things are and should be.

snit · 03-03-2006, 05:58 PM

We split everything up among all the people. For deer, we all help get it out (if needed) and it's offered up to everyone evenly. We always (knock on wood) get our bucks, so nobody ever takes you up on splitting the meat.

Now for elk, our camps are small so the animal is also split up evenly. Nobody turns down elk meat! LOL

ajfishfinder · 03-03-2006, 08:48 PM

I can't believe that nobody has mentioned the one large package of backstraps that gets hidden in the freezer for the night before opening day???? This package is always clearly marked "camp meat only"!!! We also make sure there is a couple packs of burgar, stew meat, and stroganoff meat that is also marked "for camp only". The rest pretty much takes care of it's self. Who ever has freezer space and has the need is welcome to what they need, besides there is always plenty of fish sharing throughtout the rest of the year. Sooo, who wants to trade some fresh springer for some nice tender pheasant hindquarters???

baltz526 · 03-04-2006, 07:51 AM

i have some prime goose legs i'll trade for some nice halibut/salmon/ect. for camp meat.

BrotherWolf · 03-04-2006, 09:44 AM

Quote:

So my Dad and my cousin and I are elk hunting...Dad comes up with great idea (naturally)he-he-he. If we get one we split it by total weight, a few steaks, back-straps, but mostly split the burger by weight. Well my cousin and I were just young pups, eager for the hunt, and headed out and got us each a cow over the span of a week...so we send the meat to the butcher to get processed and tell my Dad if he picks up the meat we'll split it up with him when we get back in town. As my cousin and I leave the camp, Dad had quietly mentioned we should each give him half of each of our elk. I barely remember that part...... About a month later I realize between my cousin and I we gave Dad a "WHOLE" elk!!!! and he didn't even have to hunt half as hard as us he-he-he.... I've learned two valuable lessons from that (1) two halves = a whole, and (2) youth and enthusiasm are no match for age, wisdom and treachery!

Being a military man, the senior ranking person, either the party leader, or the eldest in the party is in-charge. If you want to rotate the "leader" every year, so everyone gets his chance to be the boss. The leader needs to write up the worklists for chores ect. We start our week with a worklist already posted. It names who gets what chores from dishes to firewood. It rotates so everyone gets a chance to cook, clean, ect. This makes everyone earn their keep. Even late comers go onto the worklists, thus pulling some sort of weight for the rest of the guys, and makes it easier to hand off some of the meat.

Sounds like something My dad would have done...LOL

BrotherWolf · 03-04-2006, 09:53 AM

Quote:

You kill it you keep it. Other guy kills it he keeps it. Whats the problem?

Thats the ways its always been with our group. Im just happy to be able to help a friend out if he does get one etc its all about the team work and friendship. I dont feel that just because I help pack some meat out that I should get something in return...well maybe a beer!...its still better than being at work.....comes around goes around

No Wishin Just Fishin · 03-05-2006, 08:57 AM

Been hunting with the same partner for almost 35 years, with other guys coming and going and the kids also growing up. We have always split expenses equally and the meat the same. Deer, except for the loins, is all sausage and pepperoni. Elk is all steaks then sausage and pepperoni. We have always limited deer and alot of times elk, so never a problem. We have always split, even with the lazy ones who never did anything, but then they are not invited back.