Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Anybody pack an elk out by themselves?

Of the last 8 or 10 bulls I have shot at least half been hauled out by myself. Most people I talk with think I'm nuts (they could be right) but it really is not that big of a deal if you know what your doing and have the proper equipment to do the job with you. Kind of made me curious how many others go elk hunting solo?

I've done a few, but I really prefer to have help.

Help is always nice, but if I can't find somebody to go -then I just do it myself. I could always drive to town and call for help, but by the time I do that, wait for assistance, I can usually have it out on my own.

You need a sturdy frame pack and the patience to make several trips. Or you can rent a horse...

I do it every year... if you're going to be dumb you'd better be tough.

I've done it and its hard work but is the difference from filling a tag or eating tag soap. Most my friends won't shoot an elk any further then a mile from the truck but they don't harvest many elk either. My dad's about the only person who will help with the pack out, but he taught me how to hunt, so the pain is kinda his fault. 😠

I have done it several times. Many of the areas I hunt are behind gated roads, so I usually get things packed down to the road and then cart it out. Its a chore but one I don't mind doing - leaving in the AM to find a nice spike so I'm hoping to be doing it again in the next couple of days:)

Amen.......short memory helps also.

I do. Had help this year but we both tagged out at the same time around four miles in so the selfish bastard wouldn't help me pack my elk.

I have multiple times. Furthest was 7 miles from the truck. This year was only a mile. I would rather pack solo then cut one up solo. They are just a pita to butcher in the steep stuff by yourself a lot of times.

After cleaning one on my own Monday I can share that sentiment.

I packed out solo Monday. Luckily I was only about a mile from my truck. I packed out 1 quarter on the first trip and the remaining 3 on my second trip, 1 on my back and 2 in the jet sled.

Yo Meatstick!

So I, me, dad, only "help with the pack out" uh? You musta forgot I killed one of them two elk that "we" packed out last week.

Ok, you packed out half of mine too, but only cuz' you're harder headed than I am....

BTW - you're the only one I know tough enough to hunt elk with me and then kill one before I can...

If I'm by myself, I hunt a little closer to the truck. But, several elk and two moose have been "boned-out" for packing. It makes the job a lot easier! memtb

A few, but fortunately for me the ones that I have had to do alone were only a mile or two.
Thank god I've had help on the ones that were in the middle of nowhere.

So you feel better, I hunt moose solo at times. But my limit is one mile from a trail or where I can get a wheeler in.

The only time I"ve harvested solo I was lucky, I managed to get the wheeler right there, but if not, it was only about half mile or less to a trail.

Frankly just making a moose small by yourself and getting it loaded and 12 or so miles back home at a snails pace, took a number of hours, along about 7pm to 4am, and I slept well that morning then until 9am...

I've done elk on my own but never shot one... but it takes time and stupidity.

The longest day of my life though was half a bull caribou about 6 miles as the crow flies in AK over some interesting terrain... and dumb enough to watch my buddy shoot one almost back to camp, where we dumped the packs and then had to deal with that one... and still go another half mile... for some reason that load was almost unbearable at the end of the day. Likely due to the fever I had at the time.

Boned out would make it even better, but illegal where we hunt in AK.

Kind of like child birth...

All but a handful of elk i've shot, i've had to pack out solo.

Every time I shoot one I swear I'm done with them, then a month later I'm making plans to go again.

It aint that bad..in hindsight.

Well---I did it again by myself this year, don't know how I do it but I figure if I kill em I got to pack em. I'll turn 70 in a couple of months and each year while cutting up my elk I say" next year I'm going to leave the elk alone and just hunt mule deer" but I can't seem to break the cycle, been doing it for so long.
The pain has just stopped and I'm looking at the regs for next years hunt already! I told my son I wish to die packing an elk quarter. He replied "that would be a horrible waste of meat" -- guess he's serious 'bout hunting!
God,Family, country and hunting!----- I think that's the correct order
Good Hunting
Lj

Centershot: I have done so many times and helped others do so even more times than that.
Of recent we have befriended a very competent horse wrangler and he brings in horses and pack trains our Elk out.
He does this for a VERY reasonable off the books cash rate!
He even transports said game to a regional butcher for us so we have the option to stay in our remote camp and enjoy more Deer Hunting in that area or we just "woods loaf" and enjoy the wildness.
I have also helped pack out Moose, Bear and Mt. Goats - the hard work was/is part of the Hunt - but horses sure add to my enjoyment anymore.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I've done a few. That's when I said 'this is stupid' and set myself up with a string of pack llamas. Life is good.