Packing out a whitetail

Lowg08 said:
I’ve used a kuiu 2300. Would have been better with a better game bag. I just upgraded to a Kifaru maniml. I refuse to drag a deer. My son wanted to try some YouTube thing this past year. He made it 50 yards.
Click to expand...
Yeah I'm not carrying a deer on my back like that.
 
One thing to note about packing out whitetails in the East, conservation officers/game wardens might do a double take on you. I shot two does a few years back on public land and packed them out in one haul (Kifaru 44mag) in Missouri. A game warden was at the parking spot and was a little befuddled because it was the first time he saw someone quarter and pack out a deer there. I showed him pictures on my phone of the deer so he didn't make me dig through the game bags to show evidence of sex. Just make sure you look at whatever the regs say for retaining evidence of sex.
 
I stopped dragging after the first time I drug a deer a mile out of public land. Now we pack everything out, and thankfully usually there are a few of us to split the load of a bone in quarters. The past one I packed out with all my saddle gear, rear quarter, front quarter, loose meat bag, and head/cape was pushing 100 lbs. There was no way I was packing that buck out in one trip on my own. That one made my 80 lb training hikes feel easy.

A great pack will give you the ability to carry weight out. It's up to you on how much weight you are comfortable carrying as it all starts to suck when you get close to 100 lbs. Granted some are better then others when you start going north of even 50 lbs. The EXO K4 is my preference, but I also need the pack / bag for backpacking trips.

IMG_8976.jpeg
 
Might as well post what it looks like to pack one out in a frameless cheap backpack. Like I said, I got a Kifaru frame and maniml for this year. I was able to fit all of the boned out meat in the pack. I’ll never drag out another deer in public land. It’s gotta be processed at some point, if I do it at home, then I need to deal with disposal of the carcass as well.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9468.jpeg
    IMG_9468.jpeg
    922.1 KB · Views: 43
I have packed out a few mule deer with a kifaru 44 mag and a few whitetail with a MR sawtooth 45. The sawtooth does fine on smaller deer deboned but it would be a stretch to get a mature deboned buck out in one trip, especially if there is any elevation change in there. It just doesn't carry weight the same way the kifaru does.
I do typically put meat in the bag and in a contractor bag for the hike out. Take it out of the contractor bag once it gets to the truck so it doesn't go bad.
 
Southernfried said:
Yall are lucky, we have to drag the whole deer out in TN....
Click to expand...
Every state has to have at least one dumb law. Maryland’s game laws are pretty good and seasons are generous. It’s the laws not related to hunting and fishing that suck. We also could’ve had the opportunity to start an Elk program like every state around us, but that got turned down.
 
I generally gut and hoist the entire deer to my shoulders. Dragging is harder than carrying. I don't mind getting blood on me. I do have a pair of 5mm accessory cord loops that i wrap around the front and rear legs to use as handles. If I couldn't have a vehicle within 1/2mile of my stand, i'd be quarters for sure
 
I've never seen anyone pack out a deer. I'm not sure what the regulations are but I sure will check before I do it.
 
Drenalin said:
No we don't...this is snipped from the hunting regs. There may be certain management areas where it's required, but that is not a statewide regulation.

View attachment 907351
Click to expand...
Wow, wonder if that changed when we went to the online deal with tagging a deer in? But how do we now get around the "Evidence of species or sex of big game animals and antlered status (if applicable) must not be destroyed and remain with the animal while afield." I mean their nut sack isnt attached to their backstraps lol, course it was just a few years ago and a .223 was illegal here. My have times have changed, and thanks ! Guess I could leave it attached to one quarter.....thanks again!
 
Southernfried said:
Wow, wonder if that changed when we went to the online deal with tagging a deer in? But how do we now get around the "Evidence of species or sex of big game animals and antlered status (if applicable) must not be destroyed and remain with the animal while afield." I mean their nut sack isnt attached to their backstraps lol, course it was just a few years ago and a .223 was illegal here. My have times have changed, and thanks ! Guess I could leave it attached to one quarter.....thanks again!
Click to expand...
Yep, skin the nuts and leave them on the rear quarters.
 
Dave Thomas said:
Thanks guys. I've never packed out an animal before. I've been hunting private land for a while now and just load them on my 4 wheeler. When I hunted public land in the past I've either drug them out or used a game cart. I may start to hunt some public in late season when our hunting lease slows down and starts to pick up in a different part of the state. I'm getting too old to drag deer very far on my own. I've never used a true hunting pack before, just a regular backpack like we all used back in school to carry books. Didn't know about load shelves on packs.
Click to expand...
Another thing to consider is to quarter the deer and drag the quarters in the game bags. This works great on snow covered ground. I did this last year when the deer was only about 100 yards from the truck.
 
If I’m still hunting or ground hunting I use my MR Pintler. If I’m saddle hunting I bring my Beartooth 80. The meat shelf handles the deer and the pack covers whatever else I’m hauling around. I err on the large side with packs. In reality I could get by with just the Beartooth 80. No big to just synch it down if mostly empty.
 
An average whitetail where? Big difference between south Texas and Illinois… I’ve done both, and many others, and the answer is definitely different depending on your answer. Lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
State / Outfitter for multiple deer?
Replies
1
Views
185
Rich M
R
lyle_destroys
Mock Scrapes and Lure?
2
Replies
22
Views
805
K9kodi
K
M
The “mobile hunting” push, vs. the lack of LW/packable whitetail clothing and equipment?
4 5 6
Replies
110
Views
4K
Twitch2146
Twitch2146
OKCOhunter
New to Whitetail Hunting in OK
Replies
10
Views
428
displacedtexan
displacedtexan
TheArdentOutdoorsman
Kifaru - Packing antlers/skull
Replies
5
Views
302
DeepMauka
D

Latest posts

Featured Video

Latest Articles

Back
Top