How many game bags do I need?

[KyleS224]

I tried searching but couldn't find an answer. I have the caribou carnivore III bags which are 5 16x30 bags for elk so I'm sure I won't need all 5. They don't take up much room or weight but I can fit my knife and paracord in the supplied bag easily, if I don't have all 5 bags in there.

 

[Jimss]

Are you planning on keeping the cape? Are you boning the entire animal?

 

[GregB]

You could put backstrap, t-loins, and trim in w/ the quarters, but of you're gonna cape it out you should take 5. I have the same bags and w/ all 5 I can also fit a folding knife, 2 pairs of gloves, plastic sheet and flagging tape.

 

[KyleS224]

No I'm not planning on keeping the cape

 

[hobbes]

Unless you shoot one heck of a big bodied buck, you can put a bone in deer in 4 bags. Four should be more than enough if boned out. However, one extra bag never hurt a thing.

Hind quarters - 1 bag each
Front quarters - both in one bag
Everything else - one bag

 

[snowshoein]

I packed this deer into one Caribou gear elk quarter bag. Granted it wasn't the biggest bodied deer I've packed out. Nonetheless, one or two deer quarter bags would be fine when deboning a deer. The quarter bag shots are rear elk quarters in the Caribou bags. After deboning them, the meat weighed out at 45lbs a piece.

 

[DeepForks]

5 has been the lucky number for us.
An extra bag is always nice to have just in case.
A tarp also comes in handy to keep the meat clean while field dressing (Pro Tip from Butcher).

 

[Scorpion]

Hobbes post above is pretty spot on. Extra bag never hurts. On a big bodied deer the trim, neck, heart, etc. take up a bunch of room.

 

[jspradley]

My muley wasn't a monster by any means, he fit in 4 Black Ovis quarter bags and the back straps, tenders and scrap took up about half of the smaller 5th bag. I probably could have gotten both front quarters in one of them.

An app 5x5 sheet of tyvek was a huge help in laying out the meat in the shade before bagging up too

 

[JuddStrow]

Was cool to read this. Ive never gotten to help pack out and am planning a back country hunt. Never would have known what i needed or even thought about it.

Thanks to the OP for posting this question so i could stumble across this

 

[hobbes]

My muley wasn't a monster by any means, he fit in 4 Black Ovis quarter bags and the back straps, tenders and scrap took up about half of the smaller 5th bag. I probably could have gotten both front quarters in one of them.

An app 5x5 sheet of tyvek was a huge help in laying out the meat in the shade before bagging up too

The tyvek or a piece cut from a cheap tarp is a great way to keep meat clean while breaking it down. There aren't always convenient logs to lay meat across. Keeping meat clean when you are on your own is a real juggling act sometimes. Deep snow can help but thank God it isn't around in archery very often.

 

[mireland62887]

I like 6. A quarter for each, one for loins and backstrap, and another for all the rib, neck, and other grind cuts.

It's only a couple extra ounces. I hate stacking meat on meat unless it's completely cooled down.

 

[197]

Depends on how long they will be in the game bags and how much you can carry out! 5 is the safest number, but you could squeeze in 4. You could likely fit two front quarters in one game bag if you wanted to....can you pack that much out is the question and how long will the two quarters be in contact with each other?

 

[SteveFlock]

2 bags will be fine if you are de-boning the deer as I do. I have 6 of those Caribou bags, and it will do 3 deer for sure. Not sure why everyone likes to carry bone around for no reason?

 

[hobbes]

2 bags will be fine if you are de-boning the deer as I do. I have 6 of those Caribou bags, and it will do 3 deer for sure. Not sure why everyone likes to carry bone around for no reason?

I do it both ways depending on distance. A deer isn't that heavy compared to an elk. If the pack isn't too bad, I prefer bone in. It adds more structure to the load as opposed to a bag of jelly, It's easier to hang if I so choose, and I prefer to process off the bone.

 

[jspradley]

I do it both ways depending on distance. A deer isn't that heavy compared to an elk. If the pack isn't too bad, I prefer bone in. It adds more structure to the load as opposed to a bag of jelly, It's easier to hang if I so choose, and I prefer to process off the bone.

Plus you get those sweet, sweet bone-in cuts.

Nothing better than a hot smoked deer back ham!!! oh lawdd!

 

[Juan_ID]

I personally pack 5 TAG bags. They’re the smaller ones I don’t recall the exact size but I think 14x24”. Both fronts in 1 bag, 1 bag for each hind, 1 bag for loins and straps/scraps then 1 bag for the cape. Typically hauled bone in since I’m not strong enough to pack a whole deer out in 1 load anyways.

 

[nicsegebrecht]

I personally think you would be just fine with 4 if your not taking the cape.

 

[Newtosavage]

I packed this deer into one Caribou gear elk quarter bag. Granted it wasn't the biggest bodied deer I've packed out. Nonetheless, one or two deer quarter bags would be fine when deboning a deer. The quarter bag shots are rear elk quarters in the Caribou bags. After deboning them, the meat weighed out at 45lbs a piece.

Beautiful buck man. Congrats.

 

[Newtosavage]

I do it both ways depending on distance. A deer isn't that heavy compared to an elk. If the pack isn't too bad, I prefer bone in. It adds more structure to the load as opposed to a bag of jelly, It's easier to hang if I so choose, and I prefer to process off the bone.

That's my plan as well. Hope I have to make that choice in a few weeks.