LAST EDITED ON Aug-18-08 AT 10:32PM (MST)[p]I usually figure that a big bull will take 6 large game bags. I mean the big heavy cotton bags, not those cheap garbage cheesecloth things. In fact, I use a 7th bag for the cape if we keep it, so you might figure on 7 bags per bull.
As for boned out meat, I've found most mature bulls will yield around 175-250 or so pounds of boned meat, and usually under 225 pounds. That said, I've killed one bull that had well over 300 pounds of boned meat, but he was by far the biggest bodied bull I've ever killed or been around. I got as much boned meat off that bull than from a shiras moose I shot the same year.
If you get it boned out and in the shade, if there's any breeze, it'll be ok for a while. I wouldn't leave it for a day, though, or you're asking to lose meat. If you have it in the shade the day you kill it, that night try to hang it in a cool place like near a creek or something, then the next morning roll it up in some sleeping bags or put it in ice chests and it'll keep just fine. Handling it this way, you'll be surprised at how long you can keep it fresh.
But, I still like to get it either in ice chests with dry ice or at a locker within a few days whenever possible.
