Tom22 Report post Posted March 15, 2021 I am about to adventure into the Elk woods for the first time. I am going with a friend and we are both predominantly whitetail hunters from down south so packouts usually arent that bad to non existent. I was just curious if anyone would be interested in telling some horror stories about packouts or packouts that turned out to be ideal. What to do what not to do and how far you'd ethically shoot an elk knowing you were going to have to pack the animal out. Looking forward to hearing some of your experiences and hoping to learn something from hunters that have been in this situation before. Thanks ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yotebuster Report post Posted March 15, 2021 Depends on the weather and how much help I have. Cool enough for the meat to keep and I’ve got horses? 10-15 miles wouldn’t be an issue. 75 during the day and 50 at night and I’m by myself? A couple miles is gonna be tough to do without spoilage. My brother and I shot two bulls out of the same herd about 10 years back in MT. It was 40 during the day and 20 at night. We got them both out but it took us 3 days. We were about 5 miles in. Prob won’t do that again. One elk yes. Two no. Edited to add a pic. That made my back hurt just thinking about that day which made me nostalgic so I had to dig up a pic. We 1,2,3’d them. Seemed like a good idea at the time. 10 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HuntHike61 Report post Posted March 15, 2021 I've packed elk out whole quarters or boned out on back for up to 4 miles. Hurts on a young man, deadly on an old dude. I've also used a game cart to assist part way where there was a decent trail or closed road available. Snow can also be a big help if you are down hill and can drag or sled. Most of my elk have been in Wyoming where the temperature is less of an issue. Late hunts in AZ usually the same. Many AZ hunt units allow vehicle access of some sort "off road" solely for the purpose of retrieving an elk. Here is a pic of my son soooo pleased to be packing Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wish2hunt Report post Posted March 15, 2021 Depends on how far he runs after the shot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancetkenyon Report post Posted March 15, 2021 I have packed out a couple that were 2+ miles. Sucks. Bad. Quite a few that were between 1-2 miles. Sucks. Bad. I have packed out a few that were within a mile. Sucks. But not as bad. I have driven right to a couple. This is the way to do it! 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
creed Report post Posted March 15, 2021 Except for one hind quarter which my bro in law packed I packed a bull out solo in unit 23 near Gordon Canyon. The east side of the canyon I shot him out of had nearly 2 feet of snow drifts. I only had a half mile to pack to a road but it seemed it was all uphill. Took me a couple of hours the afternoon I shot him and the next morning. Never again Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZAV8ER Report post Posted March 15, 2021 Done several 3+ mile pack outs. Breakdown was filleting shoulders off rib cage, carving hams off the pelvis and running knife along top of spine and down the ribs to fillet out backstrap. Skin and saw off the boney ends of the legs. On a good cargo pack lay a ham cross ways on the bottom of the cargo platform and lay a shoulder above it on the pack frame. Meat was wrapped in cloth elk bags and lashed to the frame. I would leave the bone in to expose less meat to the air and it made for a load that I could lash down & did not just slump to bottom of pack. It would take at least two loads to do, but still have your camp gear if you backpacked in. Having convenient terrain/trail for pack out made my trips easier to do. Older and wiser now and would arrange a packer to drop me off and come back and pack out or just arrange a pack out ahead of time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost85 Report post Posted March 15, 2021 you'd be hard pressed to find a spot in AZ elk country 5 miles from a road. i've packed a LOT of bulls and they are rarely over a mile it seems. The terrain does seem to make more difference than the distance. Possibly my worst pack out was a coues buck. my buddy left about half of his gear with me to go put a stalk on a buck. I ended up finding one in the opposite direction so i loaded up his gear and mine and went and shot the buck. Got caught in a nasty downpour that absolutely soaked me to the bone and my gear, clothes and pack turned into a giant sponge. the packout was probably about 2 miles but had to cross several fences and canyons. I weighed my pack when i finally got him back to the house it was around 130lbs. One of the worst elk packouts was shot across a canyon, only 500 yards from the road. the canyon was not one we could cross, especially with heavy packs. had to loop back around and come in from above him. it was only about a mile and a half but took us the rest of that evening and half of the next day to get him out. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
452b264 Report post Posted March 15, 2021 Ive done 3 miles +/- and it takes 4/5 trips when your alone, if your not in really good shape dont hike into places that you dont what to have to pack out the animal. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomharveyb Report post Posted March 15, 2021 I have a capstan winch. I have to pack it (17lbs) to the elk. Gas powered. Winch 600 ft, move winch, 600 more ft., etc. it can drag a whole elk anywhere you could walk, and up some canyons you couldn’t. Slow, but life saving for an old guy. Around $1k 3 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alpinebullwinkle Report post Posted March 15, 2021 About 40 years ago I shot my second bull elk 5-1/2 miles from the road in the Blue Wilderness with my brother. It was a 14 mile walk through and I stupidly shot him about half way. Luckily it was mostly all down hill to the truck. Took my brother and I three days to get him out. Each morning it was 2 beers to get up the hill, and 5 beers each to get down with the meat. Back in those days my brother and I were both missing the deuce of diamonds. Learned our lesson on that pack job. On another bull of mine I watched my brother carry both hind quarters for over two miles before he broke down. When he was young he was stronger than Mr. Ed. I was always the front quarters guy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yotebuster Report post Posted March 15, 2021 45 minutes ago, Alpinebullwinkle said: About 40 years ago I shot my second bull elk 5-1/2 miles from the road in the Blue Wilderness with my brother. It was a 14 mile walk through and I stupidly shot him about half way. Luckily it was mostly all down hill to the truck. Took my brother and I three days to get him out. Each morning it was 2 beers to get up the hill, and 5 beers each to get down with the meat. Back in those days my brother and I were both missing the deuce of diamonds. Learned our lesson on that pack job. On another bull of mine I watched my brother carry both hind quarters for over two miles before he broke down. When he was young he was stronger than Mr. Ed. I was always the front quarters guy! It’s good to be the front quarters guy! Except when you’re hunting moose or Buffalo! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted March 15, 2021 as far as you have to. what are you gonna do, leave it behind if you dont like where its at 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sneaker Report post Posted March 15, 2021 Boning out is the only way to go. Terrain and weather make a big difference on how difficult it will be and what your body, and the meat, can take. If you aren’t in great shape and it’s warm I would want to stay within 1/2 mile for sure. Usually takes 4 trips for a single guy if you are carrying a lot and the head out. 3 if you are total beast mode and doing over 100lb per. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edge Report post Posted March 15, 2021 Me and my sherpas are always looking for the next load, in or out. Just call us at. 'Haul-N-Oats' Inc. 10 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
