[Jchip]

Hey everyone, this year will be my first time hunting elk and I'm trying to decide the best way to get it home. I'm only going to be about an hour from my house, is it worth skinning in the field, using game bags, then putting it in a cooler? I'm worried the meat would spoil in the cooler without cooling first.

I'm thinking I'll skin and quarter the elk, put the meat in game bags, then just toss those in some calf sleds in the back of the truck. Will the meat get dirty through the bags on the drive home?

Or am I better off gutting it and taking it home whole (like a deer in November)?

Any help is appreciated.