Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Helping pack out a stranger's elk

We were having a discussion about this on another thread. I didn't want to sidetrack that one so I started a new thread to continue that discussion and get others' take on this.

rost495 posted this:



Followed by this:



Personally I don't agree, but how about it, for those that have packed out elk on their backs, do y'all think it's being lazy and greedy if you don't stop and spend half a day to help a stranger pack his elk out?

Not a friend or hunting buddy, a stranger. Just curious.

I'd help a guy with a load if I were on my way out already. Reality isn't though, as I get older and my kids do too, I have less and less time to hunt so my time in the field is pretty limited. Having said that, not sure I'd give up a whole day to help someone else out as described.

I've had a stranger help me and my son once. We were hunting in Yaak, Montana. (This is when I lived in Bigfork, Montana.) We had just come off the hill down to the logging road, when this fella came upon us. He asked if we needed any help. I said no, we can get it. There was a hind quarter left up there about 1/4 mile. Heck we were about 2 miles to the truck. This fella insisted on helping, so we went back up to get that last quarter. Heck of a nice guy.
When we made it out to my truck. I asked the fella, where is his truck? as I did not see any other. It was not far from us. I gave that guy a ride to his truck. When we arrived to his truck. I wrote him a note, (Gift of meat) to him for helping. I gave him the meat he hauled out. He didn't want to take it. But, I insisted.
I never saw that guy again. Heck,I don't remember his name. That was a long time ago. Say, about twenty-five years.

Yep, there are some good people still out there.

Even within our hunting party the first guy with an elk on the ground can't necessarily count on others to stop hunting to help him carry. Time afield is too valuable. Instead, guys will swing by his kill site on return trips to camp and carry as they are able. That generally extends to other hunters too. I think everyone is willing to pitch in it's just that no one is willing to drop everything to do it.

Many years go a young man (who still hunts with us today) asked me if he could join our group and offered to pack elk in return for an initiation to elk hunting. It's a good way for a novice to get a foot in the door.

edited to add - I did have a situation once where I had a bull down on a sunny slope partway down a canyon on a warm day. That one needed to be moved as quickly as possible and I had to make it clear to our guys that this particular one needed immediate help. I would do the same for a stranger if I knew that was his situation.

I usually elk hunt with two or three others. The shooter has the primary responsibility to get the animal out, while others continue hunting. Weather and other unforeseen events will some times allow others to help out. Once your tag is filled however, you are required to help others, until the last hunter is done. Two years ago we had two young guys tag out on the first day. They spent the rest of the week packing meat, and we're happy to do it. We all filled out and they packed parts of every elk.

Just last year, we had two real nice young men carry out two elk quarters for the wife and I. About 25 years ago, I helped an older(probably well into his 70's) gentleman recover a moose.... far too far from his truck. I'm glad that I was younger and tougher back then. That was a workout! memtb

I've told this before here. I'd shot a bull up on a steep hillside in snow. The pack job involved getting it down to the creek where there was a good trail and then about 3/4 of mile out. It wasn't a terrible job.
After dressing it, I took out the antlers on my 1st trip out to get my pack frame. When we got to the pickup, a couple guys stopped by to see the antlers. I told them what I was going to do to get the rest out.
Later, I got the quarters down to the creek by skidding them down in the snow. I got down with the last of it and found one of the guys standing there with 2 horses. He asked if he could 'borrow' my elk. The horses were 2 colts that had never packed meat and he wanted to get them some experience. I went deep into thought for 1.5 seconds and said 'OK!!'. It was a big clear area just right for a rodeo should one occur. However, he held the horses heads while I loaded the panniers. No problems at all. We were back to the pickup in less than 1/2 hour. I was more than glad to help him with his training dilemma.

On the other side, I've never had the occasion to help a stranger with a complete pack job but several times I've helped strangers load elk or hang them in trees. I figure it all comes around sooner or later.

Excellent stories of the kindness of strangers and consistent with what I've seen and done in the backcountry.

But my question to those who've been helped by strangers is, if they hadn't offered their help would you have considered them lazy and greedy?

I was confronted with this situation in 1991 and it worked out very well near Rifle, CO. I helped a hunter pack a portion of his elk out. The next day, the same fellow happened to be out in the field; I think he was going to accompany someone else in his hunting party. He came across me with a downed bull and helped pack out.

I have done this a few times in Colorado over the years, helping older hunters get their meat down off the mountain. It never bothered me, as I hunt for a lot of reasons that don't require me to kill something on every outing. I was rewarded once when another hunter helped me get a load down, a chore that took all afternoon.

Now that I am in my 70s, my assistance is pretty much confined to carrying incidentals, and usually only if I am already headed in the same direction. It just depends on whether I can be really useful and not just one more thing to complicate the operation.

No, I would never consider them lazy or greedy. No expectations.
I just do the best I can and live the consequences of my decisions.
I don't even expect those who say they will come out and help me load my game. People have their own lives to live, and don't wait for a call from me or a knock on the door. That would be dumb.

Edit to add....I have offered and been taken up on my offer to help a stranger pack game out. But as someone else already mentioned, if there's folks already helping them, I might be considered more a hindrance than a help, being an old bird and all. So I take it into consideration before asking. I've helped carry out gear and guns while others did the hauling.

Thought I'd weigh in on this one.

One of the best lessons my dad taught my brother and I was exactly this-- We were hunting in deep snow (near zero temp, 8-12" of snow), it was challenging to even get to the spot. We were late and the elk had already moved back up the mountain. We noticed an elderly man with bloody pants-- my dad being perpetually friendly-- he asked the old man if he had any luck.

The man replied that he shot a bull at first light. It was down in a gulley. My dad didn't hesitate and said, "Let's go. My boys will help you get it out."

I was 13, my brother was 9. The old man was in his 70's and was hunting with his wife.

Off we went, my dad, us boys, and the old man. Between the 4 of us, we battled that bull (whole) sliding, pulling, and slipping all the way up to the road. His wife supervised us from the front seat, and she backed the truck up and met us on the road.

The old man asked my dad if could reward us. My dad said - that it wasn't necessary. The lesson was the reward, and he meant it. It actually was pretty common for my dad to tell anyone in need, "the boys will help" whether it was around the neighborhood or in the store parking lot, or in the woods.

Still the old man insisted on getting our address, and taking a picture of us with the bull.

A month or so went by, and a little package arrived in the mail. It was right after Christmas. As my brother and I opened it up, we discovered 2 beautiful necklaces- each had an ivory tooth on a pendant from that bull. In the box was also a picture of us with the bull.

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My father passed away this fall. The picture of us with that bull, was part of the slide show during my dad's memorial service. I thought of my dad and the lesson he shared with us. One reason of many, why he was such a great father.
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Packing out that bull many years ago, I never forgot the story, and I still help whenever I see a person in need.

It doesn't mean I haven't passed on helping a few people. My general rule is if they are kindred spirits, (not run of the mill azzhats) when I approach them I gauge the need and their attitude. Bad attitude, means I say congrats and wish them well. Good attitude means I ask more details including finding out their plan for getting the elk off the mountain. If they need help, and I'm capable, then I help.

Usually I end up helping. Did it this year on a guy with a buck- he was hunting solo.

And I too have been helped. Including this year. Landowner across the fence from the public land I was on, ferried some elk quarters up the ridge to the corner boundary. It saved me at least an hour.

I don't even carry my own elk on my back.
I have at times packed out other's elk.

This year I met a fellow that was hunting with his two teenagers. The one youngster had a bull tag,his sister didn't. I stopped them on the trail as they were back packing in and told them I would pack the boys elk out if he tagged one,but not the adults.

Another time a fellow with his boy killed a buck muley pretty far from the truck and talked to the local outfitter about packing it out.His fee was $300 and I doubt this guy could afford $100. I told them to show up at my camp at 5AM and they could walk my one mule in and pack out the deer.Charge as one bag of cookies for the mule. I was sitting in camp as they came out and the kid had grin on his face that went from ear to ear. Probably would not have been there otherwise.

My problem is guys want to hire me to pack their entire elk out. I try to explain that in CO that is illegal as I am not a registered outfitter and it is a big fine for me. About 1/2 don't believe me. I won't do it for nothing as that waste a whole day for me and I have considerable dollars tied up in stock,tack, and equipment to do it. However, f I am heading out for the day and have empty panniers,I will stop and pack some of it out for them.

Except for the people I am hunting with,in 50 years of hunting,I have never had anyone offer to help me.

Heck no.
I always try to remember that a typical hunter I meet likely has a lot more invested in his hunt than I do. Lots of them have waited for years, drove across the country, and so on.

Nope. I am the type of person that will help anyone,but don't expect it to me.

A couple years ago my partner and I were driving back to camp after dark when we spotted a herd of elk along the road in 6" of new snow. The next morning we sneaked in and shot 2 cows within 1/4 mile of the road. As I was driving through the sagebrush to get them, a couple young guys stopped on the road and followed me over to help us load them. Since we were both closer to 70 than 60, we were glad for the help although the work wasn't any big deal.

I don't expect help from anyone except members of my party. Nor would it occur to me to consider other people lazy and/or greedy for not offering to do so. I WOULD consider it selfish on my part to expect such help.

Looking back I can only think of one case where others helped me pack my elk out but that was in return for me helping to pack out one of theirs.

This year I hunted elk with Daughter #1, a rather petite lady, and later in the week with Dave, my long time hunting buddy who had stated last year he "couldn't do it any more" due to diabetes-related physical conditions. As a result we hunted only where we could pack it out ourselves (i.e. close to the road) or where we knew we could hire a pack service (i.e. Iles Mountain).

We knew where there were elk on public land but there was no point hunting it if we couldn't get the elk out. Other people have more important things to do than help pack out our elk. If we shoot it it is our problem.

Good Karma helping others. If it's early and I'm heading out - I'll make sure the hunter has things under control then hunt. I will help on the way back for sure.

I shoot them on the assumption that I have to get them out by myself.

I expect others to do the same.

Packed meat for other people lots of times. Never a stranger though.

Would I help a stranger pack out elk? ...no

Would I help a friend pack out anything? ...yes

11 times out of 10

Evidently my choice of words was raw. Its how I feel though. My apologies to you for that.

But I won't change what I do or how I tend to do it or how I think of others for not offering to help. 9 out of 10 times I"d personally turn it down. If not 10 out of 10, but I appreciate the common courtesy.

OTOH I don't doubt that you would offer me help and I'd certainly help you if in need.

I hate to simply get caught up in words.

Regards, Jeff

When you have horses, nobody thinks they're a 'stranger'. "How about packing this elk out for me, old buddy old pal"?

No apology necessary. It’s not your choice of words I take issue with, but what’s implicit in them.

Helping your fellow hunter or backcountry traveler when it’s truly needed is a given, no question about that. But I come at it from a different direction—personal responsibility. If you’re going to hunt big game in the backcountry (especially elk) it’s your responsibility to have a plan for how you’re going to recover it, and have the wherewithal to do it. If you don’t have both you risk wasting the meat and nobody wants to be that guy. You shouldn’t need help and I would never expect a complete stranger to drop what he’s doing and help me pack my elk out on his back. If someone wants to offer his help, that’s his choice and a great gift but I have no right to expect it. There are any number of good reasons a person could have for not offering that kind of help, and I don’t believe it’s my place to question his motives or label him lazy or greedy if he doesn’t make the offer.

Calling someone lazy means (to mean anyway) he’s shirking his duty. The way I see it, it’s not his duty to help pack out my animal. And I'd hate for any new elk hunters reading this to get the idea that other hunters should be willing to help them pack out their animal if they're successful. Because they need to rely on themselves, not the kindness of strangers.

To some really obnoxious ones,I have offered to pack in a skillet for them.

I was packing out a load of meat once and ran into an a-hole with two mules. He was on his way out, with no loads on the mules. He was a real piece of work, hauled in a couple dudes who he said were his "friends" but it was pretty clear he was being paid and my guess is, was not licensed.

I didn't ask for his help, but he made a really generous offer. It was about two miles out, and like I said he was headed out with two mules and no load. Said he'd "help me out" and "give me a great deal" and "only charge me $300." I guess he thought it wasn't possible to haul meat in a backpack because he was shocked when I turned down his generous offer.

My experience with this happened only once. I and another guy I didn't know each killed elk from the same heard. I shot and then heard him shoot. I gutted my elk. Then I went looking for him. I helped him and his young son get his out. Then when I was walking back to mine two young, much larger than me, guys came by and asked if I could use some help. I got out of their way and they literally dragged the whole elk to the road and loaded it for me!

I have helped but more often than not my offer has been declined because the hunter had it covered.

The best help I got in CO elk hunting was a guy who helped me haul a buck up a very steep grade and then he helped me drag it all the way down the hill to my truck while we had a nice conversation. He was hoping the buck would get past me and saw me shoot it the it kick and roll into the canyon.

Other than that occasion with the deer help has been from my group and rented horses. I have had group help more than a dozen times in the last several years some of that hauling wasn't too bad but some was areal pain in the back, legs and knees. I have taken a few UTV, car and jeep rides that were offered without any meat and I've given and offered a few as well.

Elk hunters are pretty self sufficient and most would prefer to hunt first and haul on the way out even in my own group, I don't blame them once a hunter knows what they are doing that should be OK.

Not an elk but ,I helped a young fellow drag a mature mulie out of the woods. His girlfriend passed me on the trail with two packs and two guns and I asked her if they need help. She said they got it but the look in her eye said otherwise. I went to see if the boyfriend wanted help, he also said no, but looked tired. I said" well I am headed the same way , I might as well grab a horn. When we arrived at the truck his girlfriend was all smiles. We took a minute breather and swung the beast in the back of the truck. He then had a relieved look in his eyes , said thanks and shook my hand.
Two weeks later I had an appointment for a haircut. As I was getting cut, the girlfriend appears from the back of the place where they do pedies and such and says " anything he wants is on me" and smiles then says" Do you believe he wanted me to drag and him carry the guns????"
They are no longer together and she moved out here a while ago..........
Funny to hear her perspective on their days hunt.......

I just thought of a slightly different twist on this! About 12 or so years ago, we were hunting deer in the Big Horns about 15 miles west of Buffalo. Earlier in the evening,while watching a clearing, we watched a father and his teenage son (elk hunting) pass by us. We saw no deer, but, watched a group of elk move into our opening. There were several bulls, one of which, was a real nice bull. At last shooting light, we saw the father/son duo approaching us. We got their attention(by flashing a light at them), they saw the elk and the boy got his first elk. Much nicer than anything that I'd ever taken. They had no lights, no camera, and no equipment for packing. We took the pictures, held lights and helped field dress. When we got the pictures processed, we sent them to the hunters (from Buffalo). We never got so much as a Thank You!!! memtb

I have helped a couple folks get their elk out, I have never been offered help.

No matter. Help those in need of help, especially your elders or those youngsters on their first kill.

Someday I hope to be old enough that men in their prime feel compelled to help.

I hunt with my dad and brother. Whoever shoots the bull, we all pack.

Several years ago I shot a really nice 5x5 bull miles behind a locked gate. Some guy on a motorcycle saw me on the road, still miles from the truck. He offered to carry my pack board to the truck and he wouldn't take any meat or money. He was excited to do it because he had never killed a bull or even been in on a pack out. He just wanted to know what it felt like.





P

A motorcycle behind a locked gate?

I have helped before.Just depends.

I actually had a guy tell me one time that his son was stalking an elk up ahead, and then went on to say if he shot it that there would be a "party of three packing it out"..the two of them and me.

He found out quickly that I wasnt willing to help.

You're just lazy. And greedy.

The A-hole with the mules that I mentioned came into our camp and told us not to burn a fire because it would scare the elk. He was camped nearby. It was kind of warm and we didn't need a fire but we lit one up anyway.

Then he proceeded to tell us to stay away from the area he'd be hunting. We had no desire to go there but if I hadn't tagged out the next day I would've. He also told us he'd been hunti,g that spot for the last 10 years during the muzzloader season, which was BS because we'd been hunting it for the last five and never seen him.

He shot a cow but didn't recover it. He and his party of four were skunked, our party went 2 for 2. That part was sweet but they left a bunch of trash and [bleep] piles with TP everywhere.

And we wonder why hunters get a bad reputation with others.

I hear you..I've met some real pieces of work in the hills.

I don't thinks it is lazy or greedy to not expend hunting time to help a stranger as there is not a "one size fits all" reason to help. I have encountered many pilgrims that hunt elk with no thought or plan of getting an elk out of the field.

If I am not actively hunting I will help if needed. There was one exception, though. While hunting out of a spike camp I was glassing the opposite side of a drainage and noticed what looked like a hunter struggling with a loaded pack. Earlier I had spotted a group of elk in the direction where the hunter was headed so I thought I could use his movement to my advantage and moved to a spot hoping he might kick some elk to me.

A couple of hours later he emerged into a small clearing and he was visibly hobbled and I hailed him down. He said he had put down a bull and while starting out with the second pack load he sprained his ankle. I made a makeshift crutch for him and took on his pack load and got him down to the trail head.

The hunter told me where the bull was and his spike camp and drove to the nearest hospital to check out his foot. I got the rest of the elk packed out but with nightfall coming on I decided to wait until first light to pack out his spike camp.

He returned to the trail head about midnight with his foot in a cast and said the ankle was fractured.

The next morning I found his camp and on the way down to the trail head I spotted some elk, made a brief stalk on them after they moved into a blow down. Jumped a 5x5 from his bed.

The hunter thanked me profusely and insisted on my address. Received a nice letter from the guy with a confirmation of a booked pheasant hunt for two hunters out of a lodge in South Dakota.

Almost the exact same story with us.

Just 3 of us packed far into our spike camp of many years the night before the opener.
Found an outfitters tent at our spot but nobody there.
We set up about 1/3 mile farther on.
Opening morning I shoot a bull but the trail is too muddy to bring in our game cart.
The 2nd day of the season the outfitter shows up with clients. (Still can't figure what outfitter misses opening day).
I offer the outfitter several hundred bucks to pack out my elk. He mutters and mumbles and says he's not sure and he's got to wait and see - weird reaction with 8 horses standing idle.
Meanwhile that day, elsewhere, his guide starts picking on the youngest member of my party - tells him they've had that spot for years (a lie), that we are camped in HIS prime hunting area, that we are too close to the trail. (it lit my fuse that he was picking on our young guy).

The elk were already gone by then. We wanted to get out and hunt elsewhere. They obviously wanted us gone. Instead of using their idle horses to fill their pockets with cash we spent the next few days humping the bull out to basecamp on our backs.
Ran into that guide fellow with his clients on the trail and he proudly proclaimed "We saw elk today". Days later when we got the bull out and left that sighting was as close as their entire camp had gotten.

It could have worked out much better for everyone but turned into a lose-lose. They could have made money, got rid of us, and had more area for their own clients. The only fun part was carrying a good set of antlers past their camp in front of their clients.

I never go expecting help from anyone, and if an elk goes down from my rifle or bow it is my problem. However, with that being said, I have not, nor will I walk away from good folks in need, and I have instilled that in my daughters. Twice my middle daughter has been along when this has happened hunting elk. I do have a conversation with them, and if they are an azz hat, I will carry on. If they are simply down to earth honest folks, I'll set aside my endeavors and spend generally what amounts to half a day with them.

My daughter and I jumped some elk but couldn't get a shot. When we came out we found a guy and his pregnant wife with a cow down out in the middle of a flat. His pickup was on the road and you could see it from where the cow was down. We walked over and learned that we had run those elk right to him. He was not about to let his wife touch one piece of that elk, (I'm sure it was their first kid). I asked if he wanted help and he declined. I basically said to him, look, we're all here, if you get the guts dumped out, whack her in half, we can have her in the back of the pickup in an hour or less. That is exactly what happened. The daughter and I grabbed the front and took off and he started with the hinds. Once we were at the pickup I went back and helped him finish with the hind, and after a thank you they were on their way.

The next was the most fulfilling for me as it made me realize how proud I am of my kid. I have always known that she has a heart of gold, but she proved it on a hunt two years ago. We both had cow tags but we're having trouble finding the skinheads. I put up a tree stand in the bottom for her to get into and see if something would come by. After dropping her off one afternoon I ran into two older guys one of which had a coveted either sex tag for the area. He had been putting in for years and finally got drawn. They couldn't find any bulls, but that was all I could find. He simply wanted to shoot a respectable six as it would be his biggest bull. After talking with them for some time and learning they were really good guys, I offered to take him along with me for what I had planned for an evening hunt. We all went in but didn't find the bulls till we were coming out and it was past shooting light. I had heard a shot from below, so I told them I would go get my daughter and see if she had killed, but I would stop by their camp and see what the plan was for the morning. Found my daughter sitting on the road in the dark playing on her phone, but it wasn't her that had shot. She asked why it took so long for me to come get her and I explained it to her. I told her that I planned to do. I told her I'd take her to the bottom in the morning or she could come along with us.

Even though she had seen elk where she was she elected to come along. The following morning it was my daughter who spotted the elk first. We found a respectable bull. It was not one that I would have shot in that area and I told the tag holder (Steve) that, but he told me he would be happy with it. I left my daughter and his pard on the hill to watch the show while Steve and I made the move. Steve killed the bull he was after that morning and while he and I got it ready my daughter and his pard moved the pickup to where we would come out and then brought the packs in to us. As the crow flies the distance was not great, about a mile, but it was straight up. We sent Steves pard with a front. My daughter got a front and Steves rifle. Steve took a hind, and I grabbed a hind and the loose meat. We had that bull in the back of the pickup by 11 am and I had a kid that was grinning from ear to ear. Steve was in his early seventies and his pard was pushing 80. Because they had packs that they had probably had since the sixties I sent them back in for the head with my pack. I told Steve to just drop it at my camp on his way out.

My kid killed her cow (first elk) that evening, and Steve offered to help bring it out the following morning. I turned him down simply because it was easy, 1/2 mile and flat. He offered me a quarter from the bull and I turned that down too, we had two cow tags. He insisted on my address so I finally relented, and I have never seen Steve again. However, shortly after returning from that trip two envelopes arrived from Steve, one for me, and one for her. Mine simply told me what a great kid I had and how much he appreciated all the help. Hers also held a thank you and a 75 dollar check. She looked at me, held up the check and said, "what's this for?, he didn't have to do that". I will have to say, that is probably far and away the most fulfilling hunt I have ever been on, and I didn't trip the trigger on anything!

As a side note, I killed a cow the following week with no one else around. Got her out, and into the pickup whole by myself, lmao, the 60 bucks on that otter sled was the best money I ever spent!

Long and short of it, this world is too full of self centeredness, stop and lend a hand to those in need and are deserving of it. Teach your kids to do the same. You never know when you might be in a situation where you get way more out of it than simply a critter on the ground. The rewards can be much greater!

Those are the ones I don't even talk to. If I could have gotten my phone camera in action a couple years ago, I'd have been sending a video to the Game Warden.

In our group, I'm the youngest, so my hunt can be overcome by events beyond my planning. That's Ok, it's time with my Dad and family that is precious, more so than getting a perfect hunt in.

We've helped others we have come across, been offered help, and have just gotten out of the way of some. Each situation is different, each group of hunters are different, and the response given by us is matched to the input received. Going in, we are going to offer to help, it's just our nature.

We generally have pack horses with us, I agree with the comment above, EVERYONE is your friend when they see the horses coming, and they are at the end of the trail. Some offer a price, some just expect that you will carry them out - "just because".

My last bull was shot just before dark on our last day. There were 4 of us and the 4th guy hunted close to camp because of bad blisters on his feet. that left 3 of us hunting together when I shot it. We sent one guy to get the pack frames and get rid of bows and daypacks. We had finished up quartering when I look and 4 headlights are coming. Hmmm. We had some friends in the same campground and 2 of them had volunteered to come and sure enough, the guy with the bad blisters was there too. That tells you something about a guys character when he volunteers to be the 6th guy and has some nasty blisters.

I wouldn't expect help from anyone and would expect a hunter has a plan on how to get it out. But that night I surely was grateful for the help I received as I was completely exhausted and my feet were in bad shape too. Our group will all help until the work is done. And you can darn well bet that should our friends need help, I will be the first to volunteer.

I generally hunt alone or with my wife. I don't expect help from anyone and would never ask unless I was injured between the time I got the animal down and when it came time to pack out.

However, I would help anyone who asked or looked like they needed it.

On one occasion my wife and I were having lunch on a Sunday afternoon in a tiny little wide spot in the road cafe. An older gentleman came in looking for a mechanic. He said he had a moose down 4 miles in, not too far off a 4 wheeler trail and his wheeler was broke. He had his bike on a trailer. Everyone assured him he'd not find a mechanic on Sunday. I offered to take my ATV in and get his moose. I even assured him I didn't want any meat. I just didn't want to see him lose his moose to spoilage(it was still warm out) or bears because his wheeler was down. It was early enough I could have had the bull out before sundown.

He flat refused. Said he could never accept that kind of charity. I said okay and we headed to our favorite spot.

I looked hard for a game warden to report it. No one in that situation would turn down help unless they had a sub legal bull down. I never did find a warden but I'm as certain as can be he had an illegal moose down and didn't want anyone finding out.

Not done anyone else's elk, but did put in half a day to engineer a moose recovery in Wyoming. Ended up loading it whole into his pickup.

Me and my buddy have helped more than a few fellow hunters haul out animals and fed more than a few too.....we've always kept our camp open to folks bc we've hunted alone far too many times and we both remember what that was like.

I've helped pack one strangers elk. Took a couple hours out of my limited hunting time but I was happy he got his bull and happy to help him get it out of the woods. Turned out he was a real nice fella. We loaded it whole into the back of his wifes Kia SUV!

If I'm ever in the position I could use a little help with an animal, I would hope a fellow hunter would lend a hand, but I certainly don't expect it.

A lot of people start a task with little or no thought as to how they are going to finish it. While I have helped people out under many different circumstances, there are limits.

Some years back my hunting buddy and I were turkey hunting in the mountains. As we headed home at dusk we stopped to see if a guy walking the road needed help. He said he was headed back to his truck. Because it was getting cold and dark and all he had was a short sleeve shirt, his shotgun and some shells, we offered to give him a lift. Turns out he was five miles from his truck and headed the wrong direction. He had no map, compass, water, flashlight, cell phone or any idea where he was and was fortunate my hunting buddy and I recognized the landmarks he described. We turned around and took the guy back to his truck.

Another time my hunting buddy and I were bone tired and sitting down to a hot dinner when someone knocked on my trailer door. Turns out to wo guys from California had knocked down a bull, then drove their truck 300 yards off the road down a slope with a 120 foot vertical drop where they promptly got stuck in a swampy area. All they wanted was for us to skip supper and tow their truck out - never mind that this was in a travel restricted area where driving that far off the road was illegal or that my truck would likely have gotten stuck as well. Instead we took the two guys and their dog to Craig and dropped them off at a bar.

Yet another time my wife and kids were fishing on Eleven Mile Reservoir west of Colorado Springs. Strong winds came up and the waves started getting high enough we decided to get off the lake while the getting was good. As we headed back to the docks we rescued a single woman and her young teenage daughter. They had been fishing close to shore in a blow-up raft designed more for a swimming pool than a lake. The winds started pushing them across the lake, a trip I'm not sure they would have survived. They had already lost their paddles and the waves were higher than the sides of the raft, which was pretty well swamped when we rescued them. The woman was trying to paddle with a shoe but the other shoes had been lost overboard. We got them to safety and I read the mother the riot act. Sharp hooks and small plastic inflatable rafts don't go well together and they didn't even have life vests. While I applaud the mother for trying to do something with her daughter, such poor planning could easily have killed both of them.

Three years ago I struggled with a bad hip to pack my elk out alone. While doing so I met a family that had been hunting the same area for years and were dragging an elk out whole on a EMT sled. They didn't offer me any help and none was expected or requested. Last year they were there again and had another elk down. My hunting partner and I had just gotten my elk back to the truck when we noticed they couldn't get their elk into the back of their truck. We could have left them to quarter it up as we had done but instead lent a hand.

As far as I'm concerned, the often heard phrase "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency [or obligation] on my part" remains as true as ever.

Not an elk but helped a solo hunter drag a deer out of a deep ravine in central SD one time. It was warm out and he didn't have a pack. We were only about a half mile from the truck but it was steep. It seemed the right thing to do at the time and I didn't regret the time spent doing it.

There are some really great stories here. I have offered to help people a couple times and have been turned down. I have been helped and offered help several times, also.

One time was after my boy got a huge cow elk down in NM. We had a hell of a pack out ahead of us and then a guy showed up that had access through private land below us. We had a short pack out with which he helped. The guy was kind of a mountain man/guide and had several kids. I gave him a bunch of meat and he was thankful for it.

I guess the thing that amazes me, is the lack of preparation by hunters. People go elk hunting (or even deer) with no packs, sleds etc. to get the meat out. I have packed every one of my elk on my back and would not even consider not being well-prepared for an elk hunt. There is never a reason that I can see for taking an elk (or deer) out whole, unless it is real close to a road.

I shot my deer Friday, not far at all from my truck, just a little draw to navigate down. I had just finished gutting it and preparing to roll onto my sled, when 2 young pheasant hunters showed up and offered to get it to my truck. I gratefully accepted, as my old legs were plum wore out from walking those hills and draws since daybreak. Yes I coulda done it, but figured the Lord provides the kindness of strangers, when you need it. I appreciated their kindness.

This weekend I had one of the most creepy encounters of my life involving one of those offers to help.

I was dragging out a deer Saturday night.
I had my LED headlamp on low power, it was a very dark night. From a good distance away I could see reflections of a truck parked next to mine. No lights.
This is remote prairie. The only reason this guy has for being there is if he is Fish and Game. Nobody else has reason to be parked at a strangers truck way out here in the dark.

I get within about 20 yards and he blasts me with his high beams. I drop my drag rope and walk up to my tailgate.

Conversation goes something like -

"Didja getcha one?"

I tell him the high beams on his truck work real good.

He says if I got something down he's available to help drag it out. Then he tells me his buddy got one across the creek tonight.

I tell him the only shots I heard were my own.

I don't put down my pack or rifle. Instead I walk a short distance back to where I had dropped my drag rope and pick it up again.

He follows me and without asking grabs a portion of the loop on my drag rope.

I tell him I've been dragging this deer for over an hour tonight. I'll take it across the finish line myself.

He bugs out pretty quick after that without saying much, if anything.




Something was very wrong about that encounter. I think my guardian angel was looking out for me that night.

Yes, that situation was creepy. The angel was on your shoulder.

Yet another good reason to carry a sidearm. I never leave home without it.

Something really wrong w/ that dude. Somebody was watching over you on that one.

I've helped pack a few out for others...both on my back and on my horses. I've stopped on the road quite a bit and helped old timers lift a critter into the back of their rig. I normally have no issue doing it.

I don't think it is greedy at all to not do so if one choses, for a variety of reasons and none of them are laziness. An elk can easily take a couple days to get out if you're doing things right. If a guy shoots an elk, it is his responsibility to get it out or have help back in town/camp. He shouldn't be hunting if he doesn't have the ability to do it himself.

I don't mind helping others, but if my hunting time is running short or if for whatever reason I don't have the time, I will NOT apologize for walking right on past.

And you Shouldn't feel like you need to apologize either.

Awesome Story thank you for sharing and condolences on your father.

I think you are right.

All these elk stories. I am jelly.

This, my thoughts precisely.

It has been my experience that if you do the right thing, even if it is an inconvenience at the time, you get rewarded later. Trust me on this one. It has happened too many times in my life to be pure coincidence.!

shootaswede:

Yep, that is the approach I try to follow too.

John the Swede (not to be shot please

It usually works both ways. I was in elk camp one year where there were just two camps- very remote spot; my buddy and I in one and two older gentlemen from Tucson. One worked at Kit peak observatory and the other taught at UofA. They were both 70s. They have a main trail that they manage to kill elk on by watching the bulls coming up a ridge and intercepting them. I had a horse in camp and I didn't even ask them, I just went and packed it back to camp.

They went with me to get my elk a couple days later - I guess they felt obligated.

I have packed a lot of stuff for people that needed help over the years.

A couple of years ago I killed a small 6x7 in an OTC unit and was by myself. I saw a guy on a horse that I had heard of but not met. I asked him if I could borrow a horse for a minute. I rode one to the bull and used it to pack the meat to the road. I tied him up for about 2 hours. It would have taken me all day.

Just Saturday I had a bull down and a bad knee. As my buddy walked to the truck to get game bags he ran into a couple of guys we had met the night before. They hauled him to his truck, back to the bull, waited while I finished quartering and hauled us and the bull to his truck. I hope I can repay the favor someday.

About 4-5 years ago I was archery hunting Colorado GMU 63. About mid morning I heard a series of bugles near where I was hunting and knew right away it was another hunter. I worked my way towards the sound and met a young guy in his mid 20's. I asked where he was camped and if he had seen anything. He stated he was just hunting for the day and was parked on the main road and had never archery hunted for elk. I told him where I was camped and then he asked if I had any hunting tips. My response was something like stay in the woods and keep on bugling.

About 1 PM that day a pickup pulled in where I was camped and this young guy gets out and says he had just shot a bull and wanted to know the best way to get his truck to the elk. I informed him that he could not get any closer than where he had parked his truck that morning but we could take my ATV along with some of my hunting partners and their ATV's.

We loaded up and went to where he had shot the elk and he says he has not found it yet' We track for about 150 yards and there is a nice 5X5 bull. We talk him through the gutting process and help here and there. Get the elk out in 1 trip on 3 ATV's and into the back of his pickup. At this point he says this was the only day he could hunt and he is home on leave from the Army and this is his first elk. Glad we could help. Tom

When ever I meet some one nice at the local watering hole. I tell them where I am camped, get the meat skinned and off the ground, leave spare clothes around to supply human scent to dissuade varmits. Come get me and my mules, I will get it out, and get to see new country! Very few have taken up my offer! Grinns.

I couldn't find you when I came off the mountain naked.

I have helped a stranger get his elk out before. End of my hunt, but I did get a tenderlion out of the deal. I had a couple guys help me get a buddies elk out after the buddy sprained his ankle. Neither of us got any meat as promised.

The problem is time to hunt is short so the afternoon or day a person helps a stranger can mean no time than to hunt. I have had people walk right past me before, and yeah any help would be nice, but it is my problem not their's. I pulled the trigger so it is my responsibility to get it out.

OT here... planned to hunt deer the other night... got a call, someone that knew I had a dog, called, shot a deer that morning, and could not find it. Of course I grabbed the dog, its fun watching him work a trail out.

No deer hunting for me, but we found the 10 point and had to shoot it again and then helped get it out of the creek.

They were elated for the help. I was glad to help.

I'm glad some folks do the same.

I should not force my way of life on others though. But I still feel my way follows the golden rule and when we need help, I can't recall anyone saying they could not come help.

I have always been quick to help people drag a deer out. I suspect if I lived in elk country I'd be willing to jump in and help out too. But if I ever get to hunt elk, it'll be a high dollar guided hunt. If I could help in a meaningful way without sacrificing too much time/money I probably would. Otherwise, I'm sure they'd understand given the circumstances that I'd pass on the opportunity with an apology.

That's 'cause everyone in 3 counties heard you were naked and bugged out.

I once was driving with the family up outside of the Peoples Republic of Boulder, CO when I saw a guy on the shoulder of a steep mountain road trying to shove a very large deer into his jeep. He had no chance, I went forward a bit, made a safe u turn and pulled in behind him to offer help. He immediately dropped the deer and came toward me almost as if he was trying to hide the deer.
I asked if he wanted any help, he laughed and said he was worried I was some boulder hippie stopped to assault him for killing some poor deer that had no chance you cruel bas----. He was excited to have my help and we got it in the jeep, he lugged it up a pretty steep hill for 2/3 of a mile before I got there. He was tired, but made a good shot with his bow and knew just where the public met the private for good hunting. I've never expected help unless I brought someone along who wanted to help. I'm more like most here, if you are in need, I'll probably help, if you're demanding or an azzhat, I'll pass on by. If I'm done, I'll drink scotch in camp lightly until you need my help carrying one out.

I don't think you're forcing your "way of life" on anybody. For something to be a "way of life" you have to do it fairly regularly. Or at least once. How many times have you helped pack out a stranger's elk on your back? That was the question.

If you can say "more than once" you can get away with calling it your way of life. If not, it's just a way of posting on the internet. And in the process calling others who think differently "greedy and lazy." How's that square with the golden rule?

This has been an interesting thread, lots of good stories. Most people help when they can, which is not surprising. Many also gave good reasons why they don't feel an obligation to help haul out a stranger's elk on their back, which is where I fall.

I've helped strangers drag deer out, and I've helped them trail lost animals. But that wasn't the question, and the question wasn't about hauling one out with pack animals or bringing out your dog to trail a deer.

Because hauling an elk out on your back is a different story. If you're 24, that's one thing but if you're 60 it's another. And it's not being greedy or lazy. As a matter of fact, calling a 60 year-old hunter who has the gumption to get back to where an elk has to be packed out on foot (and then pack one out) "lazy" is pretty funny.

If your hunting season is a month or two long, taking a day to help is not such a big deal. If it's 5-9 days like most are here, and you're halfway through, that's different. It's not being greedy or lazy.

If the other hunter needs the help through no fault of their own, or they're older and a young man can help out, by all means most would do that. If they're just clueless and unprepared, then they need to learn a hard lesson and they'll be no more worse for the wear.

All depends on the attitude of the person I happen upon.

Bumping up this thread as a reminder to do good in the woods, both to other hunters and to the animals.

If I see you out there and you need help, I'll do my best to share in the load/burden/reward of a successful hunt.

I read your post on helping pack out the old guy's elk and the ivories he sent you. Heart warming tale and needed during these difficult times. Thanks

Hey buddy, what are you doing in a couple weeks?

going in on foot. Wanna come? bring a pack......

You bowhunting? Big Jon is coming down to,my honey hole. We'll prolly kill 2 or 3.

Each.

first rifle. no ponies this year.

Off subject.

Thank you, Mr moderator.

4-wheeler then Don?

BOOM!

I can't decide which one....

I'd go with the small one, that big one won't get you "way back in."

You will lose some cooler space though.....

point taken.' Way back in', it is...

But I'll miss the roof if it rains.....

You are lucky you have a guy like me to explain all this to you.

Any more questions, fire away. Did you get that scent-loc jumpsuit I told you about?

I've helped a few people pack elk that I didn't know a few times. I was already on my way out, no good reason to not help out.

A few years back I killed a good 6 point in Montana and was going back the next day to pack it. So, we decided to glass some deer country from the road on the way in for the next days or later that evening deer hunt.

Sure as heck, I glass up 3 bulls. When I got to the place I was going to park and head back in to pack the last half of my bull, 2 guys and a younger kid pull up and ask if we'd seen any elk. I told them about the 3 bulls I'd glassed about 30 minutes earlier.

They were in a place that was difficult to describe, so I just offered to take the guy with the bull permit back to the spot and put him on the bull. So, I drove back and we put about an hour long stalk on them and peeked over the hill...bedded right where I'd left them at about 250 yards. The guy was shook up a bit as he'd never killed a bull as big as the one he was about to. I talked him through it, told him to take his time, squeeze the trigger. His shot was gold, which I saw through my binoculars...but the bull did manage to stand up from his bed after the first shot. I told him to shoot it one more time and he did, shots were about 3 inches apart, right where they needed to be.

The guy and his son were very grateful I showed them where the bull was. Normally I would have stayed and helped them quarter and pack that bull too, but had my own to deal with. He didn't seem to mind that I was leaving him and his son to deal with the bull he just shot. He asked me before I walked back, "Why did you tell me about this bull, and why did you help me?". It was sort of an unexpected question, but I just said, "Because you asked if I'd seen any elk, you had a tag, and I knew where a good bull was, the better question is why not help you out?". He replied that most people wouldn't do that...we shook hands I congratulated him on his success and took off to pack the rest of my bull.

Maybe he'll get a chance someday to help someone else out...who knows.

Anyway, here's the bull I helped a complete stranger take, his best bull and likely still is his best one...



Me with the guys elk:

You are a good man BuzzH ! Thank you for being so kind...I am sure you made his day and his sons !

Last year,I met two guys riding in just starting to hunt. I had already killed a cow and was packing it out.I told them go peek over the ridge about 300yards away.They did and sure enough they killed a cow right there.That was in ML season. In rifle season,there were four hunters back packing in plus two of one fellows kids.I told that guy I would pack the kids bull out if they got one.However, the one boy and his sister went to town and that day his father shot a really nice bull.
Since there were four guys to pack that bull out I went on my way, but the kid was sure disappointed when he got back that he went to town because his dad had told him he would get first shot at a bull should they see one.

I have packed several a youngster's animals out or lent them a mule to do it.If person is in a bind ,I don't mind helping, but as mentioned above, everyone is your friend if you are leading two pack mules.
Most NR's are not aware that a person without an outfitters license can not accept money to do this. I have sure had quite few hunters beg me though to pack their elk out for several hundred dollars.

Where I hunt the going rate for an outfitter to pack and elk out is $400

A shot at something close in could get a nice zinger off the roof.

Are you kidding? Don loves the skip shot. Tears up less fur.

call me Rick (Bankshot) O'Shay......

I friend and I helped get a guys 6pt out that took the rest of our hunting day. They had gotten stuck in an icy creek with their Bronco and their broke. We took a couple hours moving the elk and trying to get them unstuck. ~10 years later a buddy shot an elk and then sprained his ankle on one of the trips to get it out. Without hesitation some other hunters helped me get the rest of the elk out. Very appreciated.

BuzzH wow! That's one amazing story. I'd like to think I'm helpful but giving away the goods on a bull like that--- that's a whole 'nother level of heart of gold.

Good on you and if they guy was appreciative and thankful, I'd bet it was a great day for both of you.

The Curman's are always anxious to do things like this. It's quite annoying actually.

A lot of people find this surprising but I tend to look out for #1 until I accomplish my goal. Then I take care of myself.




Dave

Haha. I bet that's very true.




Clark

Great story Buzz!