Deer pack questions

[Kade206]

I've been getting ready for my first deer hunt next fall and I came across the question of packing out. I figure it's best to plan for success but I see a ton of packs that are not meant for meat hauling. When or why would you use a pack without meat hauling capabilities? Are there other methods to haul out other than pack or sled back to your vehicle/atv?

I expect my first year will be only day trips in and out carrying layers and essentials so I should be able to manage with 1800 cu in or so. This might be better for another topic but while we're talking, how big of a pack should I be looking at and what goes into filling that extra space for day trips.

My current top pick is the previous season Mystery Ranch Pop up 28. They are still available on discount and occasionally I find a used one. Any thoughts on this pack or suggestions for similar bags?

 

[schmalzy]

For your use I think the pop up 28 will be just fine. I’ve packed out a quartered WT and a lock on stand with day gear and had no complaints.

Lot of good threads on here. New pack money could be spent on good boots or binos. I wouldn’t upgrade packs until you start doing longer trips or get more of a feel for what you want.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NRA4LIFE]

My 2800 will haul out a boned antelope real easy. Maybe a small whitetail too. A bigger deer, not so much. With a bit of gear and a larger deer, it's 2 trips. However, I can no longer carry out 100 lbs so the larger packs aren't much of an advantage as my old a$$ carcass can't handle the weight anymore. I ain't a real big guy either.

 

[trailblazer75]

Pop up 28 or 38 would be fine. I've packed whole whitetails with an 18, a 28, a 38, a Pintler, an alps transformer and an eberlestock X2. The 18 was mighty small and didn't provide near the room I felt I needed for packing a whole deer and I couldn't keep stuff on the bag. The 28 did fine but it wasn't great for packing the deer and my bow and my sticks/platform or stand. The 38 and Pintler are plenty. The Eberlestock X2 gets by but its hell on my hips for some reason.

I would reiterate, I have literally carried 4 quarters, rib meat, heart, straps, tenderloins, neck meat, everything I could get off that animal plus day gear and my bow with each of the packs listed. Its always tough.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Welcome.

I have and use a pop up 38 as my whitetail pack and it does very well. It holds day gear plus layers and I have packed several whitetail with it. There are some smoking deals on the 2022 version right now and you can’t go wrong with one IMO. You could also get a bigger, more general pack like a pintler or something that might serve you better if you start doing overnights.

If you are gonna pack out deer you will need a “kill” kit with the necessaries to field dress and quarter along with some bags to hold the parts. Plenty of options for both of those.

depending on where I am - terrain, distance to truck, ATVs - I have simply dragged deer to my truck or to a trail where I can get them to a vehicle. I have used a neck strap and a plastic sled for this. They definitely help. I haven’t used one but there are also some hand carts that seem to work well for hauling deer.

If you search around the social medias you will see guys hauling whole deer on their backs. It makes for a cool photo but I am not sure how practical it is for many And I have not done it as the deer in my AO are usually covered in ticks that are looking for a new home right around pack out time. in a similar vein, if you decide you are gonna backpack pack your deer, but thoughtful and careful. quartered meat is gonna be 40-60% of the deers weight on the hoof depending on what you take and if you leave the bones in or out. If you add a rack/skull and a cape that goes up. Add day gear and a bow or gun and you will be at 80-100# total burden easily. Throw in rough terrain and that is a good recipe for an orthopedic injury for most. Depending on where you hunt, a sprained ankle or twisted knee might be a mild problem and a 911 call or it could be very very bad Indeed And put you in some real jeopardy. So be careful.

 

[Mudpuddle]

To answer your first question, I think most packs for deer hunting are only meant for gear because generally deer are taken on smaller parcels. Growing up hunting in Georgia I never knew of anyone using a pack, we just team up and drag the deer. But now that I do more public land hunting and hunting alone I carry a pack.

I don't have any experience with the pop-ups, but I do have a mystery ranch selway. It's bigger than I need for hunting, but it's also my backcountry camping backpack and I wanted the extra room for that gear. I have heard the pop-ups work better when filled. Any extra layers that you're carrying should fill up a 28 liter pack pretty quickly. I'd say go for it while they are on sale.

 

[roosiebull]

I've been getting ready for my first deer hunt next fall and I came across the question of packing out. I figure it's best to plan for success but I see a ton of packs that are not meant for meat hauling. When or why would you use a pack without meat hauling capabilities? Are there other methods to haul out other than pack or sled back to your vehicle/atv?

I expect my first year will be only day trips in and out carrying layers and essentials so I should be able to manage with 1800 cu in or so. This might be better for another topic but while we're talking, how big of a pack should I be looking at and what goes into filling that extra space for day trips.

My current top pick is the previous season Mystery Ranch Pop up 28. They are still available on discount and occasionally I find a used one. Any thoughts on this pack or suggestions for similar bags?

What kind of deer hunting and where? Will be able to offer better advice knowing what you’ll actually need

 

[nanuk]

Welcome.

I have and use a pop up 38 as my whitetail pack and it does very well. It holds day gear plus layers and I have packed several whitetail with it. There are some smoking deals on the 2022 version right now and you can’t go wrong with one IMO. You could also get a bigger, more general pack like a pintler or something that might serve you better if you start doing overnights.

If you are gonna pack out deer you will need a “kill” kit with the necessaries to field dress and quarter along with some bags to hold the parts. Plenty of options for both of those.

depending on where I am - terrain, distance to truck, ATVs - I have simply dragged deer to my truck or to a trail where I can get them to a vehicle. I have used a neck strap and a plastic sled for this. They definitely help. I haven’t used one but there are also some hand carts that seem to work well for hauling deer.

If you search around the social medias you will see guys hauling whole deer on their backs. It makes for a cool photo but I am not sure how practical it is for many And I have not done it as the deer in my AO are usually covered in ticks that are looking for a new home right around pack out time. in a similar vein, if you decide you are gonna backpack pack your deer, but thoughtful and careful. quartered meat is gonna be 40-60% of the deers weight on the hoof depending on what you take and if you leave the bones in or out. If you add a rack/skull and a cape that goes up. Add day gear and a bow or gun and you will be at 80-100# total burden easily. Throw in rough terrain and that is a good recipe for an orthopedic injury for most. Depending on where you hunt, a sprained ankle or twisted knee might be a mild problem and a 911 call or it could be very very bad Indeed And put you in some real jeopardy.

What bags do you like to use for holding the meat during the pack out?

 

[Desk Jockey]

What bags do you like to use for holding the meat during the pack out?

I use a set of caribou gear game bags. Those go into a contractor bag and onto the pack.

as a general rule I don’t want to be putting meat Into garbage bags directly. I also like it to breathe so the contractor bag is really only on until I get the meat to the truck.

their are plenty of options for game bags. The only ones I have used that I didn’t care for were the Alaska game bags. They tore and were not as good at containing the meat imo.

 

[trophyhill]

Why you ask? For me when I got into this bowhunting game, I didn’t know any better. Now my deer meat hauling pack is my elk meat hauling pack and my backcountry camp hauling pack. It’s my everything pack. This Kifaru Hoodlum does it all! From day hunting to hauling. Wish I would have known better from the start. That Badlands pack hurt!

 

[eaglemountainman]

I've packed 4 whitetails, 1 muley and 1 antelope with my PU 28, in the last 4 years. It's a little tank. I still use it for my NE whitetail stillhunting, but have gone to a Sawtooth 45 for my western hunts. The Guide Light MT frame is more comfortable with the longer pack outs and larger loads.

 

[Kade206]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm a fairly light packer so I lean toward smaller packs. The pop up 28 at 1710 cu in is all the volume I would expect to need for long days that I'm not carrying overnight gear. I've been also looking at frame and bag combos like Exo gear K3 system where I might run an 1800 ish bag for days then swap to a bigger bag when/if I go on overnight and longer hunts. Right now kids limit me to day trips.

Has anyone had much issue running larger packs on short hunts?

Has anyone run just a day pack on day hunts? If so how do you haul out a deer?

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Personally, an 1800 CI pack isn’t going to be big enough to carry all the layers and gear if it’s cold. I’d go 2500 CI to 3500CI. And, it’d have to have exterior water bottle pockets. A Kifaru tactical frame and a 22 mag would be great.

 

[Kade206]

2500 for a day trip? Think back to my backpacking days, I could carry that size pack for a week long mild weather hike. I think that’s what has me confused in size. I’m due to go gather everything again and double check the volume.

Is the general consensus 2000-3000 cu in for a day hunt?

 

[Drenalin]

2500 for a day trip? Think back to my backpacking days, I could carry that size pack for a week long mild weather hike. I think that’s what has me confused in size. I’m due to go gather everything again and double check the volume.

Is the general consensus 2000-3000 cu in for a day hunt?

I just did a 3-day winter backpacking trip in a 3600 and I took an axe, a saw, and a massive 1st aid kit. If I dump that stuff, the food and the camping gear, I don’t think I’d need over 2000 for a day hunt in any weather. It really depends on your gear and your mentality; you probably know those factors about yourself better than anyone else.

 

[Kade206]

Thanks. That’s inline with my thoughts. I think 1800 is plenty for cold weather day trip. I’ll still double check against old packs if I can find their sizing somehow.

 

[roosiebull]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm a fairly light packer so I lean toward smaller packs. The pop up 28 at 1710 cu in is all the volume I would expect to need for long days that I'm not carrying overnight gear. I've been also looking at frame and bag combos like Exo gear K3 system where I might run an 1800 ish bag for days then swap to a bigger bag when/if I go on overnight and longer hunts. Right now kids limit me to day trips.

Has anyone had much issue running larger packs on short hunts?

Has anyone run just a day pack on day hunts? If so how do you haul out a deer?

I personally would much rather have a little too big bag than a little too small. I assume you could find a good deal on a used k2, and the k2 is still a great pack, and if you get a 3500 bag, they compress down to nothing… put your main items you need access to in the lid, the rest in the bag cinched down, and extra clothes either in the bag or front stretch pocket… I personally like the pop up, but it doesn’t compare to a k2 in versatility or capability

I have a pop up 18, my wife has a 28, both are fine in warm temps, but if the temps fall to 40 degrees or it’s going to be wet, you run out of room pretty quickly

Even rifle deer hunting on the coast, I was strapping clothes on the outside of the pack, and my 18 seems to weigh as much as my exo k2 3500

I think the pop up shines in the brush, no frame sticking up, but besides that, the k2 wins in every category. In hunting mode, the exo is far more comfortable to wear all day

A k3 with a 3200 bag would probably be ideal for you, and you don’t have to use the lid if packing light (same goes for the k2)

If temps get into the 40’s or below, or if you ever pack rain gear, I think the pop up 28 will be very limiting

 

[Kade206]

I’m in western Washington. Not a lot of private land options so I’ll be on public. I have no idea how long the hikes will be as I’m just starting out this coming season.

The ideas from this thread and others have made me think I should start relatively close to truck access and try to limit grade I’ll have to cover.

I have time to keep researching. Thanks for the advise and feel free to keep it coming.

 

[CMF]

Has anyone had much issue running larger packs on short hunts?

Has anyone run just a day pack on day hunts? If so how do you haul out a deer?

Since I started elk hunting 4 years ago, I use my exo k3 4800 for everything. We day hunt way more than overnight. I deer hunt in MS with it unless I'm hauling a climber. I usually haul a ground blind and 2 chairs for taking the kids hunting. I haul my turkey chair and mesh during turkey season. I'm just more used to having it then not, there is always somewhere for my water, gear, etc, and the extra space isn't an issue, it just cinches down. I'll even use it for day hikes when we visit national parks, etc to haul our lunch extra water, etc. It always has waterfilter, firestarter, first aid, etc. Also having just one pack, there is one less decision to make, if I need a pack, it's the only option...

 

[MTElkChaser]

I’d strongly consider the Pop Up 38 because it could be more versatile in the future for you, either later in the season - or on other types of hunts. It’s ~600 cubic inches larger than the 28, but some of that capacity is in the lid. I personally like the lid and outer stuff pocket on the 38 for items I want to access quickly. Like Desk Jockey above, I started with the 28 and then quickly upgraded to the 38. Good luck!