Asking strangers for help hauling meat

[WoodlandCritter]

I haven't been asked but probably would help if I was. I don't think I would ask unless I was truly, truly desperate.

I killed my first deer last year 2 miles in. My phone camera was busted, but I was dead set on getting a proper grip and grin. So I removed all the guts below the diaphragm and stuffed that mf whole between my pack and frame.

I know its not the same as packing out an elk solo, but it was plenty miserable nonetheless.

Here's the setup.

 

[Gribley]

I shot a cow this past season. My first solo elk and my first public land elk. So I satellite texted my wife who was so excited that she texted a bunch of friends and family. At one point I got a blip of cell reception and received a few text messages from friends congratulating me. One buddy asked if I needed help. I said “mm I don’t need the help and I’ll probably have it packed out by the time you get to the trailhead. But it’d be fun to have the company.” This was dumb on several levels since I was a couple miles from the truck and wasn’t done gutting the elk. He dropped everything and drove the couple hours to a trailhead he hadn’t been to before. I met him on the trail (at a fork that’s not on the map no less) with my first load out. He helped me pack out the rest of the elk, then helped me break down camp so I could get home to process the meat. And he had to work the next day. He said he didn’t want any of the meat. Not a big meat eater. Just wanted to enjoy a snowy day in the mountains. He did say he’d come over for a steak. I actually still owe him that steak.

 

[Tobe_B]

I get asked regularly all year by random dudes if I’ll help pack their elk that they haven’t even killed yet. Having a string of good horses seems to solicit that kind of expected favor. I even had a guy recently try to plan his hunt around me packing him in and I barely know him. That said, I’ve offered and carried meat for all kinds of folks in need when I’m out in the woods. I’m not above lending a hand to someone who’s humping it and working hard at it. But the lazy guys just expecting me to show up can kick rocks.

 

[poboy2214]

I personally wouldn’t ask unless I had somehow hurt myself I couldn’t do it on my own, but I would help others in certain situations (ie headed back anyway or an older guy by himself). You never know when that stuff will come back around and you’re going to need help.

 

[GreenNDark Timber]

My brother drew moose tag in Idaho several years ago. Before the hunt I called and made arrangements with an outfitter to come in with horses and pack out the meat if he we killed one. Because we knew we had horses, we hunted some pretty remote and nasty places and ended up killing a bull in one of them. When I called the outfitter to come pack out the bull he told me he was too busy. We were pretty screwed. On the way out we found an ATV trail that would cut our pack out in half, but we didn't have an ATV. I stopped by a camp not far from ours that had a side by side parked at it and offered to pay to use it for a couple hours. The three guys at the camp insisted on coming along and helping. They came in with us and we packed out the entire bull in one trip. We gave them some meat and tried to give them cash, but they wouldn't accept it. I would have never asked for them to help with the packing, but I was definitely grateful for it, and I will certainly pay it forward if I run into someone needing the same type of help.