Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Can you pack out 1/2 of an elk yourself?

Just got back from my cow hunt, 3 trips all in. Not much left for the ravens and yotes but some hooves and guts. First load was in dry bags stuffed into my Eberlestock, all the trimmings, neck meat and backstraps, etc. next two loads were the quarters, bone in, on my Cache Hauler. Downhill all the way, just under 3/4 mile.

3/4 of mile downhill is a dream pack.......congratulations on your elk

Thanks, I wish they were all like that! I had a guy with me earlier in the week, on his first ever elk hunt. Took him up the same draw and he killed his cow. I got him to help pack it out, thought he was in a dream and wants to come back. If he does I'll be sure to take him into some canyon bottoms!

Hunting is to drinking as packing out is to the hangover. If I ever hunt elk I'll have a plan for packing it out that doesn't involve me being a beast of burden with my bum joints.

5 trips for me:

1. I carry out the head and tenderloins when I go to the truck to get my frame and bags.
2. 1 hind leg.
3. Other hind leg
4. Both fronts.
5. Loose meat.

I thought I might have a couple decent pics of my pack, but these are the best I can manage:

My best pack job was about 10 years ago. I hiked up a trail for about 2 miles, then climbed a steep side hill where I shot a medium sized bull in 6" of new snow. I skinned & quartered it then took the head with me as I went to camp for my pack frame. While I was there, 2 guys saw the antlers and stopped to talk. One had a cow tag and wanted to know if I'd seen any. I invited him to go back up with me as I'd seen cows nearby.
We got to where I needed to climb the hill and he went on up the trail. I skidded the quarters down to the trail to start packing. As I got down the 2d time, the other guy was there with 2 horses. He wanted to know if he could 'borrow' my elk. The horses were both colts that had never packed and he wanted them to get some experience. I pondered it deeply for 1.3 seconds & said ok.
It was a good open flat place for a rodeo if one happened but both horses stood just fine while we loaded them. He even brought panniers. It only took about 45 min to get the elk to camp.