Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Elk Pack Out...What’s your hauler?

I'm using the stone glacier 5900, I've been very happy with it, so far it's hauled out a couple bulls and some mule deer. before that I had kifaru and exo mountain, both great packs/companies, the SG just fits my needs better.

I appreciate all who are posting what pack haulers your using... I’m unfortunately having to consider running a new set up if I can’t get my alpz squared away in a few months. I’m writing down and doing the google on each one you guys have posted...Fricken Llamas are expensive. Grin 😎

Seems to work for me.

Maybe these kids will learn before their knees give out, eh?

Too many trips in too rough country, too many miles wading the rivers of Montana, cost me the knees. You are right and there is no getting them back...

I hear goats are cheaper!

Guy down the street from me has Llamas or Alpaca, hell if I know the difference. But I am envois I keep hoping one of these days he'll say hey if you ever need help packing out!

Pack frames and/or cart. Nothing special. One elk bull by pack horse.

I built a game cart some years ago, but have only used it on one elk, and several deer. It works well, if the country is amenable to its use, and two guys are on it, one on each end. We used to plan to drag them out whole when I was younger, and we somehow got that done. I can't figure out how we did it now. The last several years (with one exception, where the cow was shot above a road, and I was able to get a rope around her neck and drag her fairly easily across the bunny-hill-sloped snow to the truck), it's been the gutless method in the field, two guys, 2-3 trips apiece to get the hide and meat to the ATV, then sewing the quarters and odds and ends into the hide and dragging the whole package behind the ATV to the truck.

My brother, with whom I nearly always hunt elk, uses a frame pack very similar to the OP's and was purchased from Cabelas, and I use a sturdy day pack that will hold an elk hind quarter in the main pocket, which I also secure to the top of the pack. I've thought about getting a frame pack, but the day pack works well enough. It is an Alps Outdoors, but I don't recall the model.

Getting elk out seems more intimidating that it used to. I'd love to have pack animals eventually. We'll see.

All depends on where it falls. I've used a game cart a few times in fairly level ground to get it to a logging road where we could get a vehicle in. I've packed out on an Alaskan II frame backpack from Cabela's through some pretty rough country. Used a backhoe, skid steer, tractor, bale bed on a pickup, ATV, UTV and of course pack horses. If have to say the mechanical ways are the easiest for me. If I do have to pack one out now I'll call some friends and my kids. Many hands make light work if you can get them.

If no snow and on my back 1st load backstraps go into a plastic bag and into my day pack. Then I have a Bull Pac for the rest. If there is snow on the ground and the terrain allows it I bring in a plastic sled and slid it out. I have a deer drag harness that I hook it to and go

I use a Kifaru Longhunter Guide, G2:

Yes, goats are cheaper now and a lot easier to find. I tried goats before I got llamas and they worked fine but for my purposes, the llamas were better. I never packed any meat on the goats, though.
Forget the alpacas. They're too small to do anything. They're just for growing hair to make your soft underwear.

Goats are definitely cheaper. For the seven I bought last year, they varied from $35 to $175 initial purchase price. Of course I have a lot more than that in them now. I think I was spending $8 a day bottle feeding and am around $200 per month in hay and grain at 10 months old. I don't have any significant pasture and will cut the grain down further by hunting season. Started at 6-9 pounds each and 4 of the 7 are over 150 right now (maybe even 160ish), 1 isn't far back, 1 has never really caught up to the others after a rough birth (one of quads and his three brothers died at birth) and is only 120 or so. I'll get real weights this March at the vets instead of using heart girth tape measurements. Also, spent about $600 on a livestock hauling rack for the back of my truck. Makes it super easy to load them up and head up into some neighboring BLM for weekly hikes. Several will load themselves when they know it's time. Also am in close to a grand on packs for the goats, and those are just their starter packs. Still need some tarp shelters and lines for camp, but will figure that out this summer.

For goat saddles, a guy with any woodworking skills can make them easily. Just buy 1 commercial one and duplicate it. As long as you don't sell them, there's no patent infringement, if they're even patented. You might need to buy rigging, though, if you don't have a heavy duty sewing machine.

Goats, llamas, mules, whatever. God made animals for our use so use them. They can make life a lot easier and a LOT more fun.

Kifaru Reckoning

Sorry. I just couldn’t resist.

Last 3 bulls were hauled out solo with an Eberlestock Mainframe. Love that thing, fits like a glove and hauls a serious load. I have a couple "Batwings" on it and use it for a day pack and have it with me when I need it. Before that an old Moose Freighter Frame - got about 25 years out of that one before it started falling apart.

Stone Glacier for me. I've had Mystery Ranch and Kifaru too, also very good. Not sure how many 100+ lb loads it's hauled, but more than a handful; these three from last fall.

Yes, a 30+ year old Sierra pack frame, but without the shelf. That and about 15 feet of line. Took the bag off and left it in the wilderness with it's first use. Done well from moose to pronghorn. Haven't nailed a buffalo yet.

Also serves as an excellent shooting rest.