How far would you pack out an elk

[1982davew]

I've done 8...16 round trip in one day. We got out at 530 am. That's a young man's game for sure

 

[highcountrymuley]

i shot medium sized cow last year first day of 4th rifle season about 2.5 miles in from parking spot. a little bit of up and down terrain. pretty open aspen groves with a trail for about 75% of the way. broke down and hung game bags first eve after about 2 hours of cutting. took first load of daypack, rifle, and first meat bag of backstraps and tenderloins. low of 30*, highs around 40* next day.

one load of each back ham (bone in weighed 45# each), then both boned out shoulders and ribs was last load. finished before dark second day and stayed the night to eat a lot and refuel my body. this was not a very bad packout for a solo elk hunt. a bull that weighs close to twice as much in a hotter environment will be a bit of a strain (worrying about spoilage and trying to go quicker and heavier....) but i am going to try this year on my first rifle either sex elk tag! it will either be a bull or a calf... or the first legal elk i have in my crosshairs.

Plan well, train as much as you can (if you are from sea level i have no idea how you can pull this off! i live in CO and can't imagine what this air does to flatlanders... my brother is a triathelete from sea level and it crushed him at the end of a 5 mile pack-in for mz deer hunt).

if you have a friend/hunt partner it should help the mental stress but try to embrace the suffering.

 

[highcountrymuley]

PS I would definitely NOT save the heaviest weight for the last load! and walking sticks are a must. i find blowdowns and cut aspen poles just over head high with folding saw.
I am 48 yrs old, 160#, good hiking/hunting shape ... so it can be done!

 

[jolemons]

A disappointing reality is that some hunters will leave meat on the mountain and pack out the head and only part of the meat due to difficulty. It probably happens more than I'd like to imagine.

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[Ross]

A disappointing reality is that some hunters will leave meat on the mountain and pack out the head and only part of the meat due to difficulty. It probably happens more than I'd like to imagine.

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Sadly this is likely an accurate statement. Many simply have no idea of the work involved and get in over their heads….to keep a smile while packing out is not easy so you fake it till it is out …..then you forget and are ready again a month later to do it againGood to have friends and family that enjoy the same suck factor and laugh later when done you will notice my brother loves his pack board from the 80s add more tape and go