Game Bags

[medvedyt]

Bed sheets. Make them the size you want, always work. From moose to antelope sew them up.

i used that for decades even when guiding. but it is harder to get nowadays very strong fiber with great cotton quality at least here where i live.

 

[Chirogrow]

Not to high jack the thread but on the game bag topic I'm curious why more people don't just go with the cheese cloth bags like alaskan game bags? I've seen on billy moss's channel he uses the cheap cheese cloth bags. For the record I use tag bags but I am just curious.

 

[RockAndSage]

Anyone with TAG vs Argali experience, in general for big game? Pros, cons, etc?

 

[Buckshotaz]

When choosing game bags for moose, first decide if you are likely going to bone out your moose (some Alaska units require bone in) If bone out, you need about 10-12 smaller bags. Goodwill pillowcases work great. Don’t use cheesecloth, had an issue with fly blows when a friend brought them.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

Not to high jack the thread but on the game bag topic I'm curious why more people don't just go with the cheese cloth bags like alaskan game bags? I've seen on billy moss's channel he uses the cheap cheese cloth bags. For the record I use tag bags but I am just curious.

Tried those once, the holes are too big and flies/bugs can get at the meat. happened to us but we notice it early enough and used a jet boil to burn off all the eggs we couldnt scrape off. after that, i spent the money on tag bags.

 

[william schmaltz]

I got a pile of every kind of bag people have left behind at the house. I always pay attention when we clean em after the season. Caribou and Allen clean the best. Kuiu cleans the worst. TAG air dry the fastest by a long shot followed by Kuiu. I used the canvas ones (sold as grizzly game bags here in AK) and cheese cloth when I was very cheap. Canvas ones get the dreaded ammonia smell in just a couple days. Cheesecloth is a big no go. As far as in the field, meat in TAG bags forms crust much sooner than others. I’m sure it’s tied to the speedy dry and associated breathability. All protect from bugs except cheesecloth.

I have a literal tote in my garage filled with a half dozen different brands and every year I grab two sets of the TAG bags.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Not to high jack the thread but on the game bag topic I'm curious why more people don't just go with the cheese cloth bags like alaskan game bags? I've seen on billy moss's channel he uses the cheap cheese cloth bags. For the record I use tag bags but I am just curious.

I’ve torn a lot of them on sharp bone, they also, at least in my experience don’t last more than a hunt. With my caribou bags or argali bags o can sew them if I tear them, wash them and they are good until the next moose hunt.

 

[ColeyG]

Caribou Moose bags kit. Bring two for each animal you hope to harvest so you can swap them out. Nice to be able to dry and clean one set while the meat is in the others. Especially if doing a machine based hunt where you will be moving/storing meat for a few days.

I've been continually impressed by how durable these bags are for their weight and bulk. I've definitely put a few holes in them dragging whole hinds through brush or dealing with rib racks with sharp ends, but I've not yet used a game bag that wouldn't have torn in a similar situation, many others would have been destroyed.




I like the Argalis and TAGs for ligher duty applications.

As noted above, cheese cloth bags aren't up to the tags of packing and transporting meat. If you are just going to wrap it and hang it, it works well enough.

 

[Supercubtrapper]

I used the Argali moose kit last year. Loved them. Super light and crazy tough. Dried really well too. Never used TAG bags so can’t compare.

 

[cfdjay]

Right now, weight is at a premium. Would like to try the Argali but looks like sold out everywhere.

 

[Demlockian]

Argali bags are not that light... I'd opt for the Alaska Game Bags. If you want, I can weight both setups later and get back with you.

Care of Alaska Game Meat in the Field

 

[cfdjay]

Argali bags are not that light... I'd opt for the Alaska Game Bags. If you want, I can weight both setups later and get back with you.

Care of Alaska Game Meat in the Field

That would be awesome, thanks.

 

[Hunter26]

I have been in several moose camps in Alaska and I think everybody uses bedsheets sewn together. It is a sign of an Alaskan rookie if you don't. We did try a set of cheap game bag and had fly's blow eggs on the meat because they have holes in them when they stretch and they inevitably get small holes in them. It is amazing how big of bags you need for a moose leg if you aren't boning out. They also use pillow cases for the stuff you do de-bone. Needless to say I moved to bed sheets and they are so much better than any other bag I have tried for moose. More durable, less issues with bugs/flies getting in. Biggest issue is the weight and you mentioned that being a concern. Good luck. If you do go the bed sheet route it might be amazing what your wife has stuffed away in some closet, it was for me. Then goodwill was the second stop.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Moose and ultra light don’t really go together. The extra few ounces for game bags is a drop in the ocean to what you’ll be dealing with.

 

[Demlockian]

That would be awesome, thanks.

The Argali Ultralight High Country Pack weights 9.8oz and consists of 5-17"x29" quarter game bags.
The Alaska Game Bags weight 10.4oz and consist of 5-48" quarter game bags (they don't specify the width).

The Alaska bags are 0.6oz heavier yet much, much larger bags (verified both weights on my scale).

 

[Supercubtrapper]

Alaska game bags are probably 10% of the strength of Argali bags. I’ve had a black bear quarter rip through the bottom of an AGB. With Argali you can pick up a 100# moose quarter by the bag with no issue.

Another plus for Argali is how small they pack down.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

The Argali Ultralight High Country Pack weights 9.8oz and consists of 5-17"x29" quarter game bags.
The Alaska Game Bags weight 10.4oz and consist of 5-48" quarter game bags (they don't specify the width).

The Alaska bags are 0.6oz heavier yet much, much larger bags (verified both weights on my scale).

I’m not arguing the weight but we’re talking the argali moose bag set here, not the high country set. The high country set isn’t what anybody would pick for moose hunting. That’s for sheep, deer, black bear. Type stuff.

It should also be noted that that set of Alaskan game bags you mentioned are not enough to bag up an entire moose, you need more than 4 quarter bags. The comparison between the argali high country set and the Alaskan game bags you weighed is a legit comparison but not in the context of moose hunting.

Here’s what’s in the argali moose set:

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Argali bags are not that light... I'd opt for the Alaska Game Bags. If you want, I can weight both setups later and get back with you.

Care of Alaska Game Meat in the Field

For a full size set that can handle moose, they is durable and functional, yes, the argali bags are light.

 

[Demlockian]

Great points. I have only used the Alaska bags for doing a caribou and then the Argali bags for doing a black bear. The Argali bags are higher quality and would last much longer, but at a slight weight penalty (comparing equal amounts of bags). I weighted what I had on hand, which happened to be those two versions.

I'm actually heading this July to do 4 days in Prince William Sound fishing/hiking followed by 4-5 days of bear hunting... my bag is loaded with the Argali. I kind of bit off on his "lightweight" comment, maybe a little too far. I'm a weight snob and have my 5-7 day hunting backpack around 35 lbs with rifle included. I count micrograms...

 

[shtrbc]

TAG, Argali, and bed sheets/pillow cases here. My favorites were the homemade bedsheet bags with paracord. As mentioned earlier, there is a difference between what is needed for bone-in quarters vs. deboning everything. I would de-bone unless something motorized is within 20 steps.