How to Cut & Quarter a Moose

Protect yourself by shooting the downed moose through the neck at close range, to ensure that it's dead. Even a mortally wounded moose can be very dangerous at close quarters.

Cut the moose's throat and let it bleed out for several minutes, until the flow slows. Turn it to face uphill, and spread the hind legs. Cut the length of the belly from rib cage to sphincter, taking care not to puncture the intestines.

Carefully cut around the sphincter to free it from the rest of the skin. Pull it back in with the intestines, and remove the entrails from the abdominal cavity. Open the chest cavity and remove the heart, lungs and esophagus. Place any organ meats you wish to keep in a heavy-duty zipper-seal bag.

Use your knife to cut around the neck and sever the tendons and cartilage holding the head. Twist the head off, and set it aside. Cut through the skin and thin flank meat just behind the rib cage, at what is roughly the animal's midpoint, until you reach the backbone. Cut through the backbone with a butcher's saw or hatchet, separating the moose into front and back halves.

Separate the animal's hindquarters by chopping or sawing through the spine from front to back. Lay the hindquarters on a tarp or clean leaves, with the cut sides facing up.

Saw or cut through the breastbone of the animal to open up the chest cavity, then split the front half along the backbone with your hatchet or saw. Wipe down all the cut surfaces with a damp cloth, and transport the sections to your vehicle. If you're keeping the head as a trophy, you may wish to bag this separately.

Pack the carcass sections in ice at your earliest opportunity, to maintain the quality of the meat and minimize the risk of food-borne illness. This is especially important with the organ meats.