Solo Pack Out Question

[dtrkyman]

I just scouted a tough to get to spot, thought it was going to be less than 3 miles in there, wound up 4.1 miles, it will be warm on that Mesa, even with the whole pack out being downhill I wrote off that spot for now!

 

[Hoot]

I have always had the good fortune of packout buddies, even though we tend to harvest solo.

I cherish the times I get to drop what I’m doing and go help a buddy with his harvest.

This year is the only time I did not have access to help.

I used the leap frog approach, 1/4 mile to the creek, 5 trips, called horses for the additional 5 miles

 

[kroppr77]

First camp at 6.5? So that really means you’re hunting 5-9 miles in. Personally I think that’s a poor idea solo. You’re gonna hike past plenty of elk country in 6.5 miles. I’d focus on being more mobile and hunting the herds, not being in a specific camp.
Say you shoot a bull 8 miles in, that’s 16 miles a load, X4, 64 miles in a couple of days.
Being solo I’d hunt a drainage every day or two. That’s a lot better than claiming a spot 6.5 miles in and riding on that.

 

[mad_angler]

It seems to me that time is the only factor. If the weather is good and you have multiple days, it is doable. Just break it into as many loads as you need and keep plugging away. If you have 2-4 days and the weather allows, it seems possible.

If it is warm or you are time crunched, it seems much harder and perhaps impossible...

 

[velvet muley]

Checking back in to see if you ended up killing one and how far you had to pack it if you did?

 

[BigLou]

thanks for asking Velvet Muley...I got skunked on my solo hunt so the Misogi Challenge will have to wait until next season...but I havnt stopped training for it! My weekly rucks are up to 85lbs and just under 5 miles...

I did kill a nice bull in New Mexico late in September but it was a very short packout and I had two buddies with me...

 

[velvet muley]

Nice, 1 out of 2 is still good. It'll be here before we know it.

 

[pattimusprime22]

oh boy, what a Misogi it would've been. next year!

 

[HairyScandinavian]

2 trips for the elk.

Front, hind, and meat bag.

Second trip front, hind ,and head.

You, sir, are a freaking animal.

 

[Wagondriver]

My first BIG bull was 5.5 miles and 2700 vertical from the trailhead. One trip out with two guys and a girl, one more trip by myself two days later. No lost meat. Deboned, and trimmed, 289 pounds of meat.
You've got to be a beast if you can do that in 4 trips.

 

[StanB]

4 trips if you're in great shape. 5 if you want that hide....

 

[mad_angler]

That’s why you leave the antlers for last

In Alaska, that is the law. The head can not come out until all the meat is out...

 

[Zackmesser]

I usually pair the loose meat with front shoulders bc the hind quarter is pretty damn heavy

 

[highcountrymuley]

Just getting a mature bull quartered solo is tough! I have killed a few medium sized cows solo in November. Fine and dandy. A few miles each way in snow is fun. A large cow I was lucky to have help!
Some smaller bulls in September 5 miles in (all downhill on packout) with my brother we got out in one trip minus the head. The damn head and half of camp was the most painful... i was already busted from long time scouting/hunting 5 miles in backpacking in wilderness.
You should focus on killing a raghorn on a solo trip like that! A big bull solo would wipe me out just getting quartered.
Good luck. And those saying they don't bone out quarters are insane. Contributing to spoilage/ heat retention and carrying more weight.
The Kelty Cache hauler is a good bare bones pack but I would prob have a backup in the car just in case.

 

[ndbuck09]

Got this bull solo this past September. He's a mature 6 point for my area. 280 lbs between the meat and caped out head for perspective. Cutting this thing up solo was a 6 hour ordeal...made a lot harder because his butt was sliding into the creek constantly, which made it really difficult when it came to trying to flip him by myself. I know for sure many folks would have taken shortcuts on cutting this one up if they were solo due to the difficulty. I was 3.5-4 miles to the truck one way, downhill to the truck after a 450 ft steep (on all fours for portions) climb out of the hole he died in. It took me 6 hrs to get him all quartered, 22 hrs of moving everything and 8 hours sleeping for a 36 hr turnaround in all. I leap frogged the meat with two different points along my route out based on the terrain. Basically, this allowed me to do each quarter seperate for my steep climb, then combine misc meat with a front quarter to cut a trip for the rest of the packout. I'm a fan of leapfrogging because you have more time walking unloaded which helps you recover and imo keeps your body fresher. Very key to be fast on your turnarounds/reloading your pack though or else you can end up with a lot of lost time.

I made sure to push within my limits so I didn't bonk myself on the moving meat part and after many elk packouts, I've learned it's just best to get good sleep once you get the animal cut up, so I only hiked stuff out until 10pm and picked it back up in the morning of the second day. I was fortunate to have killed at 8 am so I was working with a lot of daylight the first day.

All in all, I've done some solo packouts and I've found it best to not approach it with your head cut off...your real time and your memories are much more enjoyable when you're working within yourself and not grinding all night or trying to go super fast.