Walking out at night

[mad_angler]

Didn't read through all the answers but it seems like a big part of the discomfort is the fact that your body is already in a tough position before the walk out started....

I think you are right.

In the morning, I am fresh and warm. I am not concerned about walking through the dark to get to my morning spots.

In the evening, I am already cold and tired. I do not know if I have enough left in the tank for an hours-long hike over deadfalls in the rain/snow.

I do not have good puffy pants. Those seem like they would be a great help. I'll have some next year...

 

[Ralphie]

Good points... let me work myself through this... Let's consider my hunt last week. Let's say I killed one right when I was going to leave on the night in question. Now, I have an elk on the ground, it is still dropping heavy, wet snow, and I am already slightly hypothermic. How would I handle that?

First, I would realize that I am in for a long night. I would probably do some jumping jacks to warm up a bit. I would build a simple shelter and start a fire. I would drink some hot liquid to warm my core. Then, I would get to work on the elk. I would use the warmth of the elk to keep my hands warm. The work of breaking it down would probably keep me warm.

If I was warm enough, I would break it all down and hang it from an improvised meat pole.
If I was too cold, I would gut it and break open the hips to cool the meat down.

In either case, I would probably leave the meat in the woods. I would hike back to camp and sleep. I would come back in the morning with an empty pack to starting hauling the meat out.

Once the meat is hanging, I personally would not haul a lot of meat in the dark especially if bushwacking. It is going to take me several days to move the meat alone. I don't see a real difference between it hanging at the kill site or hanging at camp.

I don’t know what your experience level with breaking down elk but with some practice you can get an elk ready to overnight, especially in snow, pretty quick. If it really was urgent gut it and leave it or gutless quarter and leave it. If you aren’t worried about the cape it goes really fast. Leave the skinning, deboning, cutting off lower legs for daylight. Removed quarters with hide on, back straps and tenderloins out will over night very nicely in those conditions. If worried about neck meat you could skin that area a little.
We aren’t talking hours or even one hour.

Adjust as needed if saving the cape. Don’t get into too big of hurry and cut or hurt yourself. You were already going to be walking in the dark what is 30 minutes later in the dark? If working the elk doesnt warm you up…you may be cold blooded.

All that said I’ve killed multiple elk and deer because I left my spot and slowly hunted the last of shooting light on my way back.

 

[Bobrobheimer]

I think you are right.

In the morning, I am fresh and warm. I am not concerned about walking through the dark to get to my morning spots.

In the evening, I am already cold and tired. I do not know if I have enough left in the tank for an hours-long hike over deadfalls in the rain/snow.

I do not have good puffy pants. Those seem like they would be a great help. I'll have some next year...

This might be a little off topic but if it’s a matter of worrying you don’t have enough in the tank it could be helpful to do a death hike challenge goal type of event for yourself where you push what you think are the limits. That way you may find that your limits are further than you think and you have plenty left in the tank. We have done a few of these over the years and have dramatically expanded our perceived limits. You’ll probably do some night hiking along the way too!