Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting The worst mistake on your elk hunt?

Hunting buddy and I got 2 cows and a bull down on top of a mountain. We could see my truck through the binocs - barely. According to the maps it was 3 miles away on a straight line, somewhat further as we had to walk it.

Took out what we could the 1st day, straps and filets, hung the rest, then spent the next three days packing out what was left, bone out. Thankfully it was below freezing at night and the meat stayed cold.

I'll never forget picking up my pack the second day. It was the heaviest load and after laughing at my buddy trying to get up I immediately did a face plant in the snow. Redistributed the weight but was still barely able to walk with the weight. Took a few steps, figured I was making about 1 foot with each step, and already my legs were screaming "Enough!" Then the stupid engineer in me went to work - 3 miles times 5280 feet per mile, only about 15,840 more steps to go. Damn near killed us both.

Never again.