Solo Pack Out Question

[IdahoElk]

Assuming you can actually do it without dying, are you gonna have time to do 13 miles 4 times before it all spoils?

That would take me at least 2.5, probably more like 3 days. That's a long time for meat to hang in September.

Nobody ever brings up the fact that all that meat sitting at your truck while you make more trips is spoiling. When hunting solo and having to pack it all out by myself my hike in limit is 1-2 miles for this very reason.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Nobody ever brings up the fact that all that meat sitting at your truck while you make more trips is spoiling. When hunting solo and having to pack it all out by myself my hike in limit is 1-2 miles for this very reason.

not necessarily true. my truck has ~400# of ice in coolers just sitting there ready to go, that meat is fine for a few days with zero attention once it gets there. getting through the 2 day drive home means 1 top off with dry ice and a couple of stops to drain out blood/condensation.

however, that does not change the fact that a solo elk, in wam weather, is a major time/distance problem. Everyone has a unique limit in that situation, hopefully they know what it is before they take a shot.

 

[Maverick1]

What frame pack do you use?

Kelty Cache Hauler.

 

[mike.adams.467]

2 trips for the elk. Front, hind, and meat bag. Second trip front, hind ,and head. Third trip camp

Few guys are going to pack half an elk 6.5 miles, twice.

 

[dreadi]

Bone it out and maybe you'll get down to three round trips.

 

[cnelk]

Some perspective in real weights.

Last year’s bull - head and one hind quarter = 95lbs
( I weighed it)

 

[TripleJ]

I have packed out a lot of elk solo, but never that far. I've been able to get a bull out in 3 trips a couple times, but that was boned out smaller bulls. I also had a big bull that was 5 heavy loads boned out. I think to pack a bull out that far solo, you will have to get lucky with the weather to not lose meat. In warm weather, you are not going to be able to get it all packed out before spoilage sets in. Packing 80-100+ lbs 6-1/2 miles one time is hard, but not really a big deal. Making 4 or 5 heavy trips for that distance over the course of several days and not hitting a physical wall will be an enormous task.

 

[velvet muley]

45 miles round trip packing an elk out solo is crazy, even if its cold out. I see there is people on here saying we are being negative or a downer but that is not true. We are just trying to help you make a good decision, if you have never packed out an elk there is no way of knowing how rough it can be. Not to mention the meat spoilage.

If you are dead set on it though have at it and I wish you the best.