I took my bull a few days before thanksgiving last year on the Montana State Prison Ranch. It was about 10-15F all day. I shot it around 11 am. Got it quartered and to a road by about 1pm, mind you I have 1 good arm so it wasn't an easy task. Hiked 3 miles out, dropped off our guns in town and sat by a heater till about 3 pm. Drove through the prisons entrance, got to the elk and got it in the back of the truck around 4pm. Driving over the Rockies with an inch of ice on the road, I didn't need 4 wheel drive with that 550 lb ice cube in the back of my truck. Also at this time I realized how nice it is to have a rear window in your truck as mine was busted out. I finally made it home around 6:30pm, to have the heater set at 40F in the house. After 2 showers to warm up I cut off the legs to remove the glands. Chainsaws work well when the animal is frozen. I got it hung the next morning.
I hope that pepper trick works for ya, I didn't need to use it last year.