A lot of hunters hunt elk simply for the thrill of the hunt, but elk hunting is also very beneficial for all the meat gained. Harvesting an elk will result in an abundance of clean, healthy meat to feed your family–all while having fun hunting the elk down! Keep reading to learn about the best cuts of elk meat, how much meat you will get, the benefits of eating elk meat, and how much it will cost to butcher your elk.
The average bull elk will supply one with 218 pounds of meat while the average cow elk will yield 169 pounds of meat. Approximately, you will receive a third of what your elk weighs in meat. If your elk weighed 600 pounds, you would get about 200 pounds of meat in return. That’s a lot of meat! For those with a large family, elk hunting could be very beneficial. The average family of four eats 888 pounds of meat a year. That means this elk could feed your family for a quarter of a year or longer considering you probably won’t be eating elk for every meal! Although you might want to because elk meat is delicious! Remember to eat all of the elk meat before it goes bad. The typical rule of thumb for elk meat is that it will last 12 months in a freezer set at zero degrees Fahrenheit. That’s a good, long time for the meat to last. Just don’t forget about it because who would want to waste elk meat?
best cut of the elk
Now that you know how much meat an elk will yield, you might be wondering what the best cut of meat is on the elk.
Just like the cow is known for the tender and juicy filet mignon, the elk is known for his meat cut from the tenderloin. Elk are desired for this delicious cut of meat that few people have had the opportunity to try. The elk tenderloin is known to have a very clean and sweet taste to it. When people think of game animal meat such as deer, they most likely are turned off because of the ‘gamey’ flavor the meat has. Elk meat is not like this. It instead has a very clean and sweet taste that is often times more flavorful than beef itself. A couple of other cuts of elk meat that are considered to be cream of the crop are the prime rib, sirloin butt, or top round. All in all, you can’t go wrong with elk meat. It’s a delicious treat to have so enjoy it while it lasts!
benefits of elk meat
Elk meat is so delicious, it can’t possibly be good for you right? Wrong!
Elk meat is high in protein obviously, but it also is packed with vitamins and minerals that the human body needs! The average cut of elk meat contains vitamins such as B12 and minerals such as iron, zinc, niacin, phosphorus, thiamine, and riboflavin. Eating elk meat could lower your risk of heart disease. It also does wonders for your immune system and your health in general. Elk meat is very low in fats and cholesterol so basically, you can feel guilt-free when chowing down on your next elk meat meal. In fact, elk meat has less cholesterol than chicken, turkey, beef, pork, and lamb. That makes elk meat one of the top choices for those trying to eat healthily and lower their cholesterol. Elk is known to be even better for you than venison. Obviously, this is before you add any seasoning, toppings, or bun to that elk burger, but still! It’s a great choice for those who struggle with high cholesterol or are just wanting a better quality of meat. Now go enjoy your elk meat knowing that it’s good for the taste buds and your health!
elk butchering costs
Odds are once you harvest your elk, you won’t be able to butcher it yourself. Taking your elk to the butcher can cost a pretty penny, but in the end, it’s worth it!
On average, it will cost anywhere from 300 to 400 dollars to have your elk butchered. This is when you just get the ‘baseline’ butchering job. If you add in extra cuts such as sausage or jerky, that will cost you a little bit more. The 300-400 dollar range gets you all the basic cuts of elk meat that you would want. If I were you, I would highly consider adding in sausage because who doesn’t love some good elk sausage? It may cost you an extra 50 bucks, but it will be worth it, I promise. If you do know how to butcher an elk yourself, you could save yourself a few hundred dollars, but you would also have to be ok with taking the risk of not being a professional butcher. Remember a butcher does this for a living. Odds are, he is not going to completely mess up your elk meat as you might do by butchering it yourself. In my opinion, I would spend the extra 400 hundred bucks to save myself the time and stress of butchering my own elk. If you feel comfortable with your butcher skills, then go for it! You might want to watch a couple of youtube videos first because butchering an elk is not the same as butchering a deer.
Elk are fun to hunt, good to eat, and good FOR you to eat. Go out there, harvest your elk, and chow down! Happy hunting!
