I know that a lot of guys bone it out in the field. Weight over distance = makes sense.

Most of my deer and moose come out whole after field dressing. This lends itself to the processing options and, as most reply’s have said, tastier cuts.
Not sure if this is relavent in the warmer states, where icing the meat is common practice.

Smoke it at 225 for 2 hours then put shoulder in foil pan, add beef broth and roasting veggies (potatoes,onion, carrots, celery) and cover with foil. Increase heat to 300 and cook till tender

That’s not lazy, that is smart.

Everything here in the shop gets cut in half down the spine, washed off and hung for a few days. Most folks want the fronts and neck ground, loins are done as bone in chops. Sirloin roast and bone in steaks from the hinds.

Elk may vary but not much. Mainly depends on how much burger they want. All cuts go in a 2-mill plastic bag then into a vac seal bag.

Got a couple bone in shoulder roasts ready for the freezer today.