Thoughts on Packing your Deer Out

[Guest oneshot]

How do you do it???

I'll bone the deer out, laying the meat on a rock to cool and semi-dry, cut the skull plate out in a "V"shape, lay the meat in an extra shamag/extra t-shirt, tie the shamag to out side of pack with horns tied up-side down (so I'm not a target) and walk off the mountain... Get home fast and clean boned meat, placing in zip-lock bags and freezing.... I wish I could hang the deer for a few days.... If I'm going to get the buck mounted, any good taxidermy shop can get hides for 75.00-125.00 and I don't have to worry about hide care or the weight while getting off the hills.

[sherman]

We (my hunting buddies & I ) do it old school we pack out the deer - the guts. It is back breaking but it seems just as easy as boneing one out on the ground. Get back to camp and skin it out and let it hang for a few days if it is cool if it is hot my reloading building has a ac unit on it so we can hang it in the cool.

[Antmo23]

I usually just field dress then carry it out whole. But last year, I carried out my cousins buck all quartered up and that was WAY better. Might start doing that from now on. As for aging, I'll hang it if it's cool enough, or age it in the refrigerator. Usually 3 days.

[ready2hunt]

If I am back in far I field dress and then carry it back to my vehicle. I keep my heads intact with the skin to show the family and for pics later. I just think it looks better and don't want to gross my little girls out. I always bring coolers with dry ice and bone out, dry and ziplock all my meat before I even hit the road. I actually really like doing it that way so when I get home everything is just ready to be placed in the freezer and I am in no hurry as I know the meat will be fine on the drive home. I have never paid for a butcher for any animal.

 

I do keep some steaks from freezing though. Fresh meat always tastes the best.

[azslim]

I carry a boning knife and pillow cases, 4 for deer and 6 for elk, need king size for bulls. When you are done you can wash them up or throw them away and send the wife out yard saleing again.

 

If you aren't going to eat it no need to pack it a few miles.

 

I use frozen 16 oz water bottles for my meat cooler, lay down a layer, stack in meat and stick others where they will fit, this way the meat isn't soaking in water. A case is more than enough.

[ccran]

Gut, skin, quarter, and get to packing. Once back at camp I pack it in a large ice chest with whatever ice I have and haul but home. Once there I keep it in the spare beer fridge for 4-5 days then bone it out on the kitchen table (Wife really enjoys that). Then freezer paper or vacuum seal it. I have never paid to have an animal processed, just feel that butchering is part of the hunt, and I know what I'm getting and eating. Good luck this year to all of you.

[wildwoody]

the alaskin way. don't got quarter and bone and cape the head. slice behind the last rib reach in and pull out the tenders. only reason to gut it is if you want the heart and liver. you then can bone out if you want. give it a try youll love it and you won't get so bloody. thanks and happy killing

[POB]

A friend gave me a fairly large refrigerator he didn't need any more. I can hang all of my coues in there at 35 to 40 degrees for 3 or 4 days no problem. The rest of the year it holds beer.

[buffhunter]

I just gut my whitetail and pack em out whole. When I get home or to camp I skin em and hang them in the fridge for at least a week usually more.....

[Flatlander]

Well I guess I am a sally cause there ain't no way in heck I am packing out a whole or even gutted coues deer from the places where we find those little buggers. I skin, quarter and bone them. I leave the hide on the head and let my taxi take care of that, cause I hate doing it. I can't remember the last animal that we were able to pack out whole.

[buffhunter]

Lol I'm just always soooooo pumped up after I kill one the adrenaline rush just takes over..... oh and a month or two before the season a put 70 to 80#s of weights in my pack frame and hike around....

[JLW]

How do you do it???

I'll bone the deer out, laying the meat on a rock to cool and semi-dry, cut the skull plate out in a "V"shape, lay the meat in an extra shamag/extra t-shirt, tie the shamag to out side of pack with horns tied up-side down (so I'm not a target) and walk off the mountain... Get home fast and clean boned meat, placing in zip-lock bags and freezing.... I wish I could hang the deer for a few days.... If I'm going to get the buck mounted, any good taxidermy shop can get hides for 75.00-125.00 and I don't have to worry about hide care or the weight while getting off the hills.

try 3 days in a cooler with dry ice (not touching the meat) and the drain open to drain off any blood or liquids.

 

James

[Antmo23]

Lol I'm just always soooooo pumped up after I kill one the adrenaline rush just takes over..... oh and a month or two before the season a put 70 to 80#s of weights in my pack frame and hike around....

 

I don't know about 70-80 lbs, but I put about 50 lbs in my pack and walk bleachers.

 

 

I hate every moment of it.

[GotBowAz]

I put a 53 lb block in my backpack and hit the tredmill at a 15% grade 3 times a week about 3 months before any hunt but Im not carrying any critter out whole.

 

Gutless method, skin, bone the meat and stuff in pillow cases. If time is permitted I like to let it hang high in the shade for a day then pack it out. I do this with all my critter including elk. To me its more important to get the meat cooled down as quick as possible as can hide hold heat for a long time.

 

Im with Flatlander when it comes to the head. I let my taxidermist take care of that but for me id be more afraid of screwing up the cape trying to do it myself so i will the the pro's take care of it.

 

GBA

[ready2hunt]

I put 100lbs on my back, run the iron man while fining a cure for the common cold. And yes my horse if bigger than yours.

 

Jk

 

Hats off to the bleachers...I am so clumsy I would probably eat it on the first one.