Yes you can but it is very fiddly and probably quicker to pull the carb.
Plus you can also kink the cable and then the choke might not return that well. If you have an external return spring fitted you will want to watch for that so you do not stretch it etc.
Better to pull it off an work with what you can see. Especially if its your first time doing it. There is not need to pull the throttle cable, just let it hang there, if it for only a short while.