Packing out a Whitetail

[Kenai_dtracker]

We can break a deer down in Maine, but I'm a sucker for old school dragging!

 

[Macintosh]

If I can get a whole 160" class mountain muley out solo 6 miles in one load (deboned of course)...then you East coast fellas can 1 trip a buck a couple miles.

Only thing worse than having #120 on your back is having to turnaround at the truck and get the other half 3500 feet above you LOL.

well...often yes, but plenty of places that's not a fair characterization. The one thing that's worse is having to do nearly every inch of that alternating between spruce blowdowns and 4 inches of snow on top of wet leaves, plus cross a big swamp. It truly isnt an east/west thing, Adirondacks being a good example with oodles of places where it's quite easy to wind up following a track 5 or 10 miles from the nearest road, easily a couple thousand feet of relief in some areas that plenty of people hunt, and lots of water which always seems to be in the way of wherever you want to go. Mostly less steep than a lot of terrain in the west for sure, but it's a mistake to think it's always a comparative walk in the park. Pain comes in many shapes and sizes. Photo just for illustration of what is realy very typical terrain.

 

[ianpadron]

well...often yes, but plenty of places that's not a fair characterization. The one thing that's worse is having to do nearly every inch of that alternating between spruce blowdowns and 4 inches of snow on top of wet leaves, plus cross a big swamp. It truly isnt an east/west thing, Adirondacks being a good example with oodles of places where it's quite easy to wind up following a track 5 or 10 miles from the nearest road, easily a couple thousand feet of relief in some areas that plenty of people hunt, and lots of water which always seems to be in the way of wherever you want to go. Mostly less steep than a lot of terrain in the west for sure, but it's a mistake to think it's always a comparative walk in the park. Pain comes in many shapes and sizes. Photo just for illustration of what is realy very typical terrain.View attachment 531245

Can I come hunt that with ya? Looks like ,30-30 country.

I grew up in Wisconsin, I'd take a cedar swamp creek bottom over snow covered deadfall on a 30 degree slope 7 days of the week!

 

[Macintosh]

Can I come hunt that with ya? Looks like ,30-30 country.

I grew up in Wisconsin, I'd take a cedar swamp creek bottom over snow covered deadfall on a 30 degree slope 7 days of the week!

Heck yeah, come on out and bring your mud boots, we got both of the above sometimes at the same time. 30-30, 30-06, 45-70, whatever it takes!

 

[Rufus]

Just quarter it and pack it out. It’s not that bad. This is a Kifaru frame with. Stryker xl bag. Everything worked/fit great.

Hey RS3579. Curious on the Blaze Orange pocket on your pack. Can you tell me what brand it is or where you found it. Looking to add some more orange to my pack for rifle hunting. Thanks. -Rufus

 

[timekiller13]

I’ve packed a bunch out. Unless you live somewhere that the deer get really big, shouldn’t have any issue packing a whole deer out that has been quartered.

Where I live our average doe weighs about 100lbs and average buck is 150lbs. I packed a nice 10pt buck out a few years ago in the mtns. One way 2.25 miles, all my gear plus the meat/cape/rack was 144lbs. It wasn’t fun. But that one was an anomaly. Most of my pack outs are about a mile and less than 75lbs with gear/meat. If I’m hunting from the ground then I can leave about 15lbs if gear at home (saddle platform, sticks and such).

I use a stone glacier r3 5900 now. I have used a Kuiu 1850 and 6000 ultra before as well.

 

[RS3579]

Hey RS3579. Curious on the Blaze Orange pocket on your pack. Can you tell me what brand it is or where you found it. Looking to add some more orange to my pack for rifle hunting. Thanks. -Rufus

@pods8 (Rugged Stitching) made it for me. He did an excellent job. It’s a copy of a Kifaru organizer. I recently purchased a Kifaru grab-it in blaze orange also for the safety reason.

 

[Rufus]

@pods8 (Rugged Stitching) made it for me. He did an excellent job. It’s a copy of a Kifaru organizer. I recently purchased a Kifaru grab-it in blaze orange also for the safety reason.

Thanks for the reply. I have a Blaze Orange grab-it also. I like your idea better. Would like to put it up high like a lid on my ma deuce or my reckoning. Thanks. -Rufus

 

[manitou1]

I hunt from 1-1.5 miles in when I go back East to hunt whitetails. If it is cool I completely bone it out on a lightweight tarp and pack it in my meat hauling pack. If warmer, I use the gutless method. Both, just like I do out West here. WAY easier than dragging!

 

[Hayduke541]

This is the last deer I packed out whole (small blacktail buck). If it's legal just use the gutless method and bring out quarters. Only a mile I wouldn't debone because the quarters are easier to hang and keep clean. One guy should only need 2 trips for a decent buck and you might manage it one.

 

[ljaq516]

Only whitetail I have packed out. Had help from my brother tho. If we de-boned the meat I could have fit it in one pack.
View attachment 527922

Are you using an Eberlestock F1 with batwings in this pic? Been seriously considering this for my whitetail saddle setup. Then I figure I can configure it for big game hunts if needed. How are you liking it?


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[Bigboone1988]

Are you using an Eberlestock F1 with batwings in this pic? Been seriously considering this for my whitetail saddle setup. Then I figure I can configure it for big game hunts if needed. How are you liking it?


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I was good for tree stand hunting but I sold it after packing that buck and an antelope out. Very uncomfortable over 40 lbs. I switched to an exo…much better.

 

[ljaq516]

I was good for tree stand hunting but I sold it after packing that buck and an antelope out. Very uncomfortable over 40 lbs. I switched to an exo…much better.

Been going back and forth with buy once cry on on the premium brands like SG, Exo, Kifaru. Or go middle of the road Eb. But I been reading the same thing you mentioned about the F1 being uncomfortable over 40 lbs. thanks for the insight.


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[doc holiday13]

Not exactly on a pack, but packing out a whitetail..

that's how I take my deer out of the woods dragging its actually harder than carry at the shoulder

 

[Randle]

Wow, Patton my back hurts just looking at that picture.

 

[ChrisAU]

I've packed a couple. The last one was brutal. Private land but lots of deep water crossing, boats and waders required. Dragging would just be dumb from where I'm hunting. Its an absolute fantastic place to hunt because no one has ever wanted to do the work to get in there.

 

[BoilerBowHunter]

I was actually going to start a thread similar to this. Glad I found it. I have only packed out one smaller buck. Needed two trips using a pop up 28. I’ve got a Kifaru Stryker XL setup now that should handle weight much better and offer more options to pack more meat at once. Having said that, getting an entire deer out at once sounds like a real chore unless you take the time to de-bone it. I was hoping to get some insight on how to do it one trip, but it seems like the only way to do it is to embrace the suck. Was thinking maybe de-boning two legs while leaving two as full quarters may be an option? I process my own deer, but de-boning in the field seems like it could be a PITA and take quite a bit of time. Maybe I just need to get more efficient…

 

[*zap*]

I use a sheet of house wrap around 8'x8' that I put some grommets around the perimeter and some cord to wrap it up. It is nice to have that as a place to work and then wrap up the parts and pieces in it and put it in the pack or strap to the frame. Packed out all 4 quarters and straps from mature kansas doe's a few times in one trip. Bucks take two trips. Hardest part is getting the pack on. Wish I was younger. I hunt public land 95%+ of the time....

Beats draggin or a deer cart hands down.

 

[Wrench]

The way the buck is wrapped around the tree should explain the situation.

 

[Wrench]

My wife's first buck filled a 22mag to capacity.