azpackhorse Report post Posted May 24, 2005 Mr. Quimby, I was taught how to pack animals out that way by my brother-n-laws when I was young. I grew up in Oregon and the blacktails I hunted were a little larger than our Coues but I think that for the most part they just enjoyed watching the young "kid" struggle with an animal on his back that, at the time, weighed darn near as much as I did. In 2001 my closest friend, myself, and his father packed 3 bull elk out of the Gila wilderness area on our backs in 3 days and yes it makes Coues seem like a walk in the park. Now they have horses and live in Vernon so the last couple of years we did not have to worry about where we downed an animal. Ernesto, on my 2002 archery elk hunt I lost 15lbs through the hunt. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to lose 15 more pounds this year! I have always been a big guy so through out my life have been expected to be the pack horse( actually that is where my azpackhorse came from) a knickname I was given by my friends but as I age and my knees get older and more tired I am more than willing to pass the pack horse name on to the younger generation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted May 24, 2005 i do the same thing bret does, my best times is about 4 miles back to the truck in 25 mins. but seriously i really do just throw them over my shoulder and go. i dont know who has it worse, me or dad. he has to carry my gun back and binos along with his stuff also. it is pretty sunny to see the old man with all that tied around h is big ole gut! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az4life Report post Posted May 24, 2005 Last hunt, my hunting partner and I dropped 2 bucks about 3 miles back in a canyon over a mountain etc..... 1st trip we took his out (he carried it on his back w/o a pack) and I carried rifles scopes, binos, jackets etc, and as much gear as I could. 2 hours later we got back up the mountain and I threw mine on my shoulders and he carried a rifle and the rest of the gear. Anyway I was able to carry mine out in the same time, and with the same # of rest breaks (4 or 5 I think). He is a power company lineman and does lots of phys labor, and I have an office job. I compare my "in shape" rating to how well he did and I came out alright. I may have to try the Billrquimby method though, since the over the scariest part of the "over the shoulders carry" is worrying about falling and puncturing your own lung with an antler! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted May 25, 2005 One thing I forgot to mention: We used to cut off a whitetail's tail as a matter of course when we carried them the way I described. That way we didn't wave white flags precisely behind our heads. Back a hundred years ago when I was Bret's age, though, I used to simply stick a deer under each arm to balance the load and dance (the samba was my favorite but I also tried the tango a few times) all the way back to my truck. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
