Packing out an elk

[805Bowhunter]

I've done dozens of elk and this is still not accurate for me. Each hind quarter is about 7-10 minutes (cutting, rolling it around, holding it up, all included). Front shoulders are about the same. Rib roll takes about 10 minutes per side. Backstrap takes about 5-10 minutes per side. Tenderloin takes about the same. Brisket and neck take 3-7 minutes. Jaw bone takes ******* 5 hours some times (jk...but like 15 minutes). Heart can take up to 15 minutes.

How bad is that dang jawbone sometimes!?

 

[johnw]

Pretty much what everyone else is saying, it always takes me 5 trips. Head always being the last trip. De-boning for me depends on how long and difficult the pack out is (steepness and deadfall).

 

[OFFHNTN]

Don't forget the first trip OUT will be a lot of your normal pack and what's in it for a day of hunting (rain gear, food, water, etc), gun/bow, binoc's, camera, etc etc. I know for me I can add some meat, but once I get back to camp I get rid of all the unneeded stuff before I can really start packing. It's at least 4 strips in my opinon, sometimes 5 depending on terrain and distance.

 

[Vaultman]

I get your logic but this is illegal most (all?) places. Please don't give out illegal advice to new (elk) hunters. Trophy is the last thing out of the woods. If you're that paranoid stuff it under a tree or cover it up with pine boughs....

Both states I have hunted in, Oregon & Washington, have no such law. I know a lot of folks do head last, I have come up on other peoples kill in the woods multiple times, and wonder why the head is still there when it is part of the proof it is a legal animal (sometimes there are point minimums or maximums, or antler-less). And yes, if meat was going to spoil in the heat, it would come out first. (I almost always hunt starting the last weekend in October).

So yes, as TC says... CHECK YOUR REGS.

 

[New2elk]

Heading to CO on my first trip as well with 2 buddies. Going to be a lot of work but hopefully will pack out 3.

 

[Bearshirt]

The bull I got last year took 5 trips. I had 4 game bags and we had to bone front shoulders since only one would fit in a bag. So we split up trimmed meat and fronts for first load. The first load sucked hard since bull slid down under a log ass first. Long story short I shot him at 730 pm and we got first load 3 miles back to truck at 830am. It was a long night, we ran out water. Next loads were hinds and we had another person help with head. When I got home I weighed the back hams, one was 79 and the other was 80 pounds. I weighed the bones and they were both 10 pounds from back hams.

This year Im taking a come along and leaving it in the truck. It will be worth extra trip to get it if bull is wedged under a log jam. It was a nightmare pulling on that damn bull all night to have him slide back under the log. I have ways taken head out last but hang it high in a tree. Im there for meat

 

[cnelk]

Heading to CO on my first trip as well with 2 buddies. Going to be a lot of work but hopefully will pack out 3.

16 years ago, we killed 3 elk in one morning archery hunting. 2 bulls/1 cow - 4 miles deep. That was a chore.
And we've doubled up on archery elk several times at the same calling setup.

Hell, I've killed 2 elk by myself in 20 mins with my bow.

I like to say, 'One at time... and stack em up'

I hope you pack out 3!

 

[Jmac]

I was solo in utah with a cow tag. 2.5 miles in. First load was loose meat and weapon back to camp. Went back for front that night. Got a message out to friends they met me the next morning, I took front and they had a game cart that worked actually pretty well with the 2 hinds. If not for them I would probably been at 5 total trips.

 

[JLH208]

4 if you can, I’d rather suffer a little more if it saves a trip. I prefer to shuttle all meat down to a trail, that way it’s easier the next day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jimss]

Make sure to watch youtube videos on how to bone meat. Boning out your elk will likely save you 2 trips! It's crazy not to bone out the front legs because you are mostly carrying bone! You'll be amazed at how much lighter the hind quarters will be without bones. The loads are also are a lot less bulky with all the bones attached.

It really doesn't take long to completely bone an elk....especially the gutless method.

Having a frame with load lifters, comfy belt, etc that is designed for 100 lb loads will save you sore back, legs, and likely a trip or 2! When I switched over to Kifaru I could haul more weight a lot more comfortably than any other frame I have used. I would highly recommend Kifaru or Stone Glacier!

If you are super steep slopes it also helps having trekking poles. You'll be more stable plus you'll be amazed at how much easier it is to traverse steep, rocky terrain with extreme loads. It's a lot easier and safer! There is a trick to using trekking poles.....there may be a few tips you can pick up on youtube videos?

If you get a monster bull the antlers and cape can be a grueling load by itself!

 

[JordanH]

The head is the LEAST important part of the elk.......440" or 240".......get the meat first.

Packing elk meat SUKS. No way around it.....it is heavy. Do not kill yourself trying to take out too much at a time.....you risk not being able to physically get the rest in subsequent trips. Get it cut up and cooling asap, get it hung or laid on logs in a cool spot......and pack out reasonable loads until it is done. 3 trips solo is psychotic in my opinion......5 trips is reasonable. I am also fat, weak, and old.

 

[mtbowhunter]

I think that it definitely depends on the person, as others have said. That being said I have the mindset that I would rather do more miles and more trips over less miles and extremely heavy packs. If the temperature allows, take your time and enjoy the experience. It is going to be a memory that lasts a lifetime!

 

[Smithb9841]

Thanks for all the input guys you all
Have more experience than me. I was thinking I could get one out in 3 trips but I don’t think that will happen after hearing from
Everyone. (Unless it’s maybe a small
Spike) I’d rather do less trips with more weights than more trips with less weight but I guess ill See how I do if I get lucky enough to get an elk down.

anyway the pack I have is a Kifaru so I invested in a pack that can help
Handle the weight a bit better. And I wasn’t planning on getting trekking poles but after reading more I defiantly think I’ll pick up a pair just in case it’s worth the $ for the peace of mind and won’t take up much room in my
Pack. And if I don’t like them I can prob resale on here haha

 

[muddydogs]

Boning out your elk will likely save you 2 trips! It's crazy not to bone out the front legs because you are mostly carrying bone! You'll be amazed at how much lighter the hind quarters will be without bones. The loads are also are a lot less bulky with all the bones attached.

Not really, a front bone weights less then 8 pounds and there's a heck of a lot more meat in the front then 8 pounds so your not even close to mostly carrying bone. An elk hind bone weights 10 to 12 pounds each, not hardly noticeable with a big bull hind weighting 70 ish pounds. Sure boning an elk saves probably 40 pounds at most and 40 pounds is 40 pounds but if your just taking one hind at a time the extra 10ish pounds isn't really noticeable.

I would rather have the meat on the bone for better cooling while hanging so thats my preferred method also if its hot I would rather get the meat out and cooled then wasting time worrying about 10 to 20 extra pounds of bone per pack load.

 

[cnelk]

Here’s A good thread since now we’re talking about bone weight. https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/pack-elk-out-bone-in-or-out.88658/

 

[muddydogs]

Another thing to be aware of is a lot of processors at least around my parts won't take boned meat and most don't even really want to take quartered game but do. They give some song and dance about needing to be able to hang the meat in the cooler and don't seem to be whiling to hang meat bags.

Just something to be aware of and check into if your planning on taking the meat to a shop before heading home.

 

[JordanH]

Poles are a good idea. My most recent pack out was last fall helping another hunter who had already packed out most of the meat. We cut up the neck and remaining back strap and put it in my bag..... I am not sure how much weight but it was all I could do to get the straps on my shoulders. On the way to the trail across the grass choked creek bottom I stepped into a hole I could not see and suddenly I was a turtle on my back. I was able to get on to my knees but I could not find solid enough ground to get myself up on my feet by myself.....so luckily another friend helped me up. Poles might have given me the leverage I was lacking to recover my feet solo. A heavy load affects your balance, really everything, so be careful and be realistic.

 

[5MilesBack]

On the way to the trail across the grass choked creek bottom I stepped into a hole I could not see and suddenly I was a turtle on my back. I was able to get on to my knees but I could not find solid enough ground to get myself up on my feet by myself.....

That's how I put my pack on after I've loaded it with heavy weight. I put it on the ground vertically, sit down, strap it on, and then roll over onto my hands and knees, and then stand up with it on and tighten everything down as needed. Lighter loads are easy. Even at home with two 45lb weight plates, I can lift it up, put one arm through, and sling it onto my back. But heavy meat loads, I'm turtling.

 

[Bearshirt]

Im always amazed at the dudes in hunting videos who carry a back ham and front shoulder in one trip (from a big bull). Im not weak but bloody hell that looks rough. The most I have ever carried was 135 pounds (it was both front shoulders with head and hide) for around 3 miles, mostly all down but steep down. It was rough and I was hoping a bear would eat me before it was over. The bull I got last year we ended up with 240 pounds of boned out meat. I strip them down good though. I dont like leaving anything for the bears . He was the biggest bull I have gotten yet and a nice 6x6.

Cnelk you must be one of those dudes thats a packing animal to take out that many elk at once. Im sore just thinking about it.

If your by a crick the meat can last a long time so no need to hurry if your by your self. Put the game bags in a construction grade garbage bag and dunk it in the crick with a tarp over it to keep the sun off. It will last a week or more easy and be so cold it will hurt your hands to cut it up. Skin the head and hang it high in a tree. You would have plenty of time.

If your in blow down country make a plan to get an animal out from under a log. A 7-800 pound animal is hard to move with two guys when under a log that can t be moved let alone by your self. And only way out form under it is pulling up the mountain (he was in a log pile so there was no way to drag him out easy with out some leverage.). In a 36 hour window of time we slept 2 hours and hiked 32k worth of steps(or it was the other way around I cant remember lol) Its not usually that bad though this was an extreme case with him being stuck. Its just something I have never thought to encounter and have moved elk before. This one was a pia though.

 

[Poser]

I’m not interested in more than 4 trips, so it’s 4 trips for technical terrain and 2 trips if there is a trail that reasonable.

Head? I don’t do mounts so skull cap is all that’s coming out and we’ve had to split those in two before to get through the technical terrain.