las -
I have to admit to a certain amount of jealousy regarding you guys that live in AK and get to hunt moose - at least until I think about the pack out. An elk is enough for me. Somehow I keep managing to shoot them when I'm alone and have to pack them out by myself. Gets harder every year.
Really enjoyed your descriptions and can empathize with a multi-mile pack on elk. Some years ago my hunting buddy and I took three elk down on a mountain top. No horses, ATVs or even a game cart. We could see my truck three miles away and 1,000 feet down. Thank God for cold temps that year. We hung the meat, packed out the straps and filets and spent three additional days hiking back up to the top and boning and packing out the meat. Lesson learned, we won't be doing that again! The average pack for my last six elk is 390 yards, the longest being 1100 yards last year and the shortest, in 2007, being 0 yards (i.e. drive up and lift into the truck bed).
No wonder I find antelope hunting more and more appealing. $34 each for WY does, up to 4 tags, easy packs even without a cart, generally good weather and oh, so tasty!
