Packing elk quarters

[Double Creek]

Guys, I'm a relative newbie with only a few years of back country experience and my only pack outs were mule deer, which are simple enough. I have a Kifaru bikini frame with T2 bag. What is the most efficient way to pack out the quarters? Do you drop the meat bags down into the bag or do you strap them to the outside using the compression straps and grab it?

 

[realunlucky]

In the bag works best for me to keep meat closest to back. Heaviest closer to frame working out to lightest if bringing camp out also

 

[Archerm]

My 2cents. The best way I have found is to let the quarters cool down, debone the quarters then put the meat in a Kifaru meat bag then hang it in the pack and cinch it down laying flat on the ground.. You will get much more meat in the bag and don't have to haul out the excess bone weight. Why carry the bones out? I carry three original Kifaru meat bags with me.

 

[rodney482]

Kifaru hanging meat bag
Debone!!!!!

 

[mattstanton]

ya bone it out. no sense in carrying out leg bone. Guys used to be against carrying deboned meat because all of the game bags on the market just made a big blob of meat that ended up in the bottom of a pack and the load was terrible. now with bags like the kifaru meat bag or the tags bomb bags that keep the meat in an upright, compresable position, boned out is the only way to go.

 

[HunterHawk]

I was a newbie a few years ago and the first pack out we each carried a quarter out and when we got back to the truck we felt like we got out butt kicked and knew we didn't want to make a bunch of trips so we boned out the last two quarters and got that and the rest of the elk on the next pack out it was crazy how much those bones weighed! We put them in our packs..

 

[trdhunter]

I have the same pack and had the best luck just putting meat inside my pack, rather than compressing to the outside. Meat goes in game bag, then contractor bag, then pack. Keeps meat clean and easy to compress.

 

[orelkaddict]

I also carry extra compression straps in my pack to wrap around meat bags at various levels to make certain I don't get a bowling ball effect in the bottom of the pack. Like others have said, lay your pack flat to load it and cinch compression straps. When its all boned out I can usually get an elk out in 3 packs total. And thank god elk season is almost here!!!!

 

[roadrunner]

Get the loadshelf attachment and keep the meat out in what circulating air there is as much as you can when packing it out and use the bag as a compression panel.

 

[realunlucky]

Get the loadshelf attachment and keep the meat out in what circulating air there is as much as you can when packing it out and use the bag as a compression panel.

How could air circulate? Your back on one large surface area and the bag on the other? Minimal at best

 

[trdhunter]

Agree. I just let it air before and after I pack. You can also cool in creek, snow, or any other way if thats your worry. The time spent in pack should not hurt anything.

 

[roadrunner]

How could air circulate? Your back on one large surface area and the bag on the other? Minimal at best

You're right, minimal at best. But minimal is better than none, no?

 

[Archerm]

Just let the meat cool the before you pack it in the meat bags. Once cooled you will be good to go for the trek out.