Solo pack outs?

[hunting1]

It would be 3-trips for me. Hang the meat in the shade and as long as it gets down in the 40's at night it will not spoil.

3-5 miles where I hunt elk is 1500-2500 vertical feet climb. It is doable, but not desirable. Good luck.

 

[hunting1]

Or shoot a raghorn so you can do it in 2-trips

 

[mtnbound]

If I need to move the meat to a better location for cooling then that’s what I do before I take the first load out. Typically I take the heaviest load first then each subsequent load is lighter. My last bull took me 16 hours to process and pack out solo.


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[doc holiday13]

Honestly I don't think i would have ever considered leap frogging; but depending on terrain, it could be beneficial. Push hard doing a 1 or 2 miles loop. Then you could take it easy for the rest of the packout

 

[OkiechasingElk]

Good info in here. I've mostly hunted solo, but usually have people I know in the area. This year I'll be all solo. I'm prepared (mentally and gear-wise) for the solo breakdown and pack out. Physically I'll never be prepared enough, but I can guarantee I'll endure and get it done regardless.

I'd plan to take the 1st load all the way out for sure, specifically so i can drop all unnecessary gear/bow/etc to minimize the remaining packout weights. But wouldn't be opposed to the leapfrog method if that makes more sense based on terrain, cooling needs, distance, time of day, etc. It'll all have to get done regardless.


Also I plan to go with the debone method as long as it makes sense. It'll make pack function and overall transported weight that much better. I think it'd be worth the extra 2 hours or so it'd take to complete in the field.

 

[butcherboy]

If it’s a fairly long distance then leapfrogging works well. I usually pack the first load of backstraps, tenderloins, neck and or rib meat
back to the truck then to camp. Come back the next day at first light then debone and start packing the rest. I also debone the meat in one big chunk and not individual muscle groups. That would be a nightmare!

 

[StupidLightweight]

Sorry, but this leapfrogging business is a waste of time and energy. Unless you carry two packs in, which is heavier and bulkier, you’re loading/unloading meat and shouldering/unshouldering your heavy pack potentially many more times than doing one load per trip. It’s not efficient.

The Golden Rules of Packouts:
1. Unless it’s short distance for photos, never drag game. You fight friction and gravity.
2. Use hiking poles with large loads.
3. Know your limits, and don’t be reckless. Don’t carry too much weight per trip, and do not kill a large animal too far from vehicular access.
4. Embrace the suck! Packouts are exhilarating. They test us mentally and physically, and in the end, give us a greater appreciation for the animal.

 

[Beendare]

I suppose leap frogging has the advantage of the meat not heating up in your backpack.

I don't do it.

I have done many solo pack outs and will this year- hunting solo. I bring a saw. In most areas a guy can build a small frame over a creek in the shade and that meat stays cold. Or the very bottom of a canyon- in the shade of course- a guy can use that night time cool air at high elevation and that meat cools right off.

Other areas you can find solid rock in the shade that retains the cold transferring it to the meat.

I typically cut some pine bows to cover it.

 

[DiabeticKripple]

up here theres grizzly everywhere an elk walks. so we have to pack the meat a few hundred yards from the carcass before doing the long trips in one shot. heaviest load first.

 

[252to208]

In "nasty" terrain, 800 yards is ~45 minutes. Certainly lots of variables, but that's getting in the < .5 mile per hour territory.
When packing out in such conditions, I tend to find it necessary to stop about every 45-60 minutes to rest and readjust heavy packs for comfort purposes.

What I don't understand is the time you are losing to unload, store, hike pack, load your pack back up and retread that same 800 yards. If you're loading your pack up with 70, 80, 100, 130+ lbs, its going to take some time to get that weight all situated. If you're doing this in increments of less than 800 yards, it just doesn't make any sense to me. I'd say that anything less than around 1.5 miles at .5 miles an hour, just knock it out.

I haven't really had trouble loading my packs I have a mystery ranch and a stone glacier both seem to load really easy the main reason we have done some short increments is if have hunted in the sawtooth region or frank church you'll know 400-500 yards could be a ton of elevation and get you to a finger ridge or down into a cooler draw where you can start making some faster progress.

 

[3325]

Leapfrog because at my age I like the frequent deloads. The more frequent on and off never seemed bothersome or time consuming to me. After knocking out a hard and heavy stretch, walking back empty for the next load makes me feel like I’m floating. Maybe it’s mental? But to me, seems like the difference between 50 pushups and 10 sets of five pushups.

 

[hunterjmj]

I have never leapfrogged loads. I bring out the back straps, any loose meat, antlers, etc. head on the first trip. Then haul out 1 quarter at a time. Typically, it's cold when I hunt so depending on how far the packout is I'll do a quarter/day. This way I can hunt for mule deer on the way in to pick up a quarter. Killed a few mule deer over the years doing this.

 

[180ls1]

Just make sure you don't "blow yourself up." Once you exceed your ability to recover it really hurts you.

 

[cnelk]

Never leap frogged. Pack it up and head to the truck. Unload and repeat until done.

The only time we moved moved meat away from the carcass and staged it was in Alaska

 

[nidahobrushswimmer]

How long does it take some of you guys to load/unload meat? Takes me maybe a couple minutes to have a rear quarter in the pack/strapped and moving. In the alder hellholes I seem to inevitably kill elk in I prefer to at least have a half way point to drop meat. To each their own though.

 

[Read1t48]

Leap frog for me. Why?

I mark spots with windy ridges, cool bottoms, creeks, or even culverts. Some of the culverts have water running though but the sides are dry. I can put the meat inside the culvert protecting it from predators and heat. The water cools the metal down but the metal is dry on the sides. And I don’t think predators like walking inside them.

Gutless for me and then I pop the guts to drive the predators to the carcass. In 2021 I had a cat sneak in on me after getting 1/2 a side done and scream at me from the brush.
I leapfrogged meat out of thick reprod and into a big opening.

Always solo. Did 27 miles in 2022 packing out over two days. Over 18 miles regularly and never lost meat to spoil. Cold spots is key. Leap frog for me.

 

[Read1t48]

How long does it take some of you guys to load/unload meat? Takes me maybe a couple minutes to have a rear quarter in the pack/strapped and moving. In the alder hellholes I seem to inevitably kill elk in I prefer to at least have a half way point to drop meat. To each their own though.

3-5 min

 

[mtnbound]

Sorry, but this leapfrogging business is a waste of time and energy. Unless you carry two packs in, which is heavier and bulkier, you’re loading/unloading meat and shouldering/unshouldering your heavy pack potentially many more times than doing one load per trip. It’s not efficient.

The Golden Rules of Packouts:
1. Unless it’s short distance for photos, never drag game. You fight friction and gravity.
2. Use hiking poles with large loads.
3. Know your limits, and don’t be reckless. Don’t carry too much weight per trip, and do not kill a large animal too far from vehicular access.
4. Embrace the suck! Packouts are exhilarating. They test us mentally and physically, and in the end, give us a greater appreciation for the animal.

The only time I have dragged game is during winter with the use of an ice fishing sled and that made it very easy. During late muzz season it’s always in the truck. The use of trekking poles makes a huge difference. I did not care for them at first but now they are one piece of gear that is always with me.


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[Ucsdryder]

This thread makes me not want to go elk hunting this year.

 

[*zap*]

A baby jogging stroller works pretty well in most spots around here for deer.