Pack Frames: How much weight do you carry?

[Tony k]

Packing game out of the backcountry is pretty new to me. I've only been doing it since I moved to Oregon five years ago. Back in South Dakota we usually were able to drive up to the animal and load it in the pick up, or simply gut it and drag it out a shot distance.

My question is, how much of the animal do you guys actually pack at one time? I get impatient and try to pack probably too much. I want to get the animal out as quick as possible because I don't want other animals messing with my food.

A couple examples:
Last year I shot a small mulie buck just inside a wilderness area. It was about a 2 mile pack out as the crow flies. All downhill in pretty steep terrain, losing a total of roughly 2000 feet over the course of the 2 miles. I quartered the deer and packed the whole thing out in one trip. By "whole thing" I mean everything but the ribcage, spine, hide, forelimbs and guts. I also had a daypack and my rifle. One of the buckles on my frame pack cracked but I was able to repair it with 550 cord.

Yesterday I shot an average sized cow elk. It was about three and a half miles back to the pickup over rolling terrain and crossing one good sized ravine. It was getting later in the day and I hate leaving animals out overnight (dang coyotes and magpies!). My third and final pack out was two fore quarters and one hind quarter. It was very heavy. In fact, in order to put the loaded pack on I had to sit on the ground and buckle it around my waist and chest, roll on to my side, then my chest, then work my way in to a power squat. I was eventually able to stand up and walk the whole way out. I am very tired today.

In other instances where I had further to go, or more uphill, I've carried a lot less at one time. Say a single quarter for an uphill five mile pack out.

My question is: How much do you guys carry at one time on your frame pack for a particular circumstance?

 

[Ifishsum]

I haven't had to pack one out completely by myself, but for an elk we typically get it out in 4-5 loads; one each for hindquarters, one each for a front quarter and a backstrap and a fifth for the head/horns and maybe a bag of rib/neck meat. Tenderloins always come down to camp immediately, and sometimes other parts depending on room in the hunting pack. It is almost always a downhill pack for us in our hunting area but those are some pretty hefty loads. As tiring as it is we would all rather do fewer trips with more weight and accept that we'll need to take it easy the next day. Never had to quarter and pack a deer but there have been a couple of times that we probably should have.

Having left a number of carcasses overnight I understand the worry about carnivores getting to our meat but it hasn't ever happened. Some basic precautions we always take are moving the quarters some distance from the kill site if possible, and covering with branches or bagging the quarters to keep the birds off.

 

[Tony k]

I'm scavenger paranoid because a few years ago I lost most of a deer to coyotes that I left overnight. Packed out the head, backstraps, and one hindquarter. Got lazy. Went back the next morning to get the rest and it was half eaten and scattered bones. Now I quarter and bag everything and move it away from the carcass right away.

Another thing I do is urinate all around my bagged meat, especially if there's no trees to hang the meat in. Not on it of course, but in about a 20 foot diameter circle around it. A friend of mine who's father is a retired game warden recommended it. Last year I had to leave part of an elk out overnight (8 mile pack out one way, friends were not able to walk all the way to the kill site). When I got there the next morning, I saw a couple coyotes were running away from the carcass, but they hadn't touched my bagged quarters sitting about 50 yards away.

Maybe I just need some new hunting partners. One's without newborn babies...

 

[brainwake]

You could spend a little more time and bone in out the field instead of carrying quarters around.

 

[WTBguns10kOK]

Bone it out in the field. I have hunted similar over distances and elevation changes. Even with a sled you still want it boned out. Obviously if you have trees you need to hang the meat so the coyotes can't get it. Again, much easier to bag and hang when boned out. Peace of mind achieved.

IMO, you're carrying far too much weight in the scenario where you described all you needed to do to get upright with the pack on. The pounding you are putting on your knees alone is tremendous with that kind of weight going downhill. I prefer 50 lbs. or under per pack or so, but I guess I prefer to do more walking than straining, many people will carry far more.

 

[Tony k]

There were no trees for miles where I shot that elk this weekend, but yes, if there were, I'd have taken advantage of them.

I posed the same question to fiends at work today. A couple of them have decades of experience packing game. The main response I got was: "Why the heck didn't you call me? I woulda helped you pack it out."

The general consensus was to only carry one quarter plus a few neck/flank pieces at a time regardless of distance.

They all recommended boning it out if at all possible.

Thanks for the advise everyone. Next year I'll work on my patience...longer distances are easier on my body than heavy weight.

 

[X-Rap]

If your third trip was two fronts and a hind what were the first two?
Depending on how far and how much help I will quarter or bone and bag the animal and then head for camp with my gear and a bone in hind that is bagged over my shoulder, drop off the gun and pick up the pack and get the other hind and loins next and the rest on the final trip. If there is help or a head to pack you will need more or less trips but get the best meats out first and leave the head for last, it's for lookin at not for eatin.

 

[Tony k]

First trip was rifle and day pack plus tenderloins, backstraps, neck meat, flank meat, etc. Dropped off hunting gear and grabbed pack frame. Second trip was one rear quarter. That was too easy. By the time I was on my third trip out there, I hadn't heard back from my friend who said he would help. Therefore, I decided to haul the three remaining quarters at once.

The original plan was to pace myself, thinking that my friend would come out to help. He was cutting firewood in an area with no cell coverage and didn't return my call until well after dark.

Lessons learned. First, I'll try to stick with one quarter at a time. I can do that all day, for multiple days if need be. Second, I'll ask more than one person to help. If at least one person shows up, we should be able to get the meat out in one long day without overloading ourselves. If two friends show up, it would be even easier.

A few weeks before the season opened, I had one guy at work offer to help me with his horses. I thought that was too much to ask of someone, so I told him no thank you. If I draw the same tag next year, I think I'll take him up on the offer. If I draw a tag in an area with trees, I'll just hang the meat and pack it out over more than one day.

 

[OYE]

Packing elk

Surely if our friends help us backpack an elk out we should let them have what they pack out and reimburse them for fuel. After all it's asking quite a bit to drop whatever one is doing to go pack a too heavy backpack 3,4,5 miles or more, just for funsies.

Of course our friends with horses have to drop whatever they are doing, hook up a horsetrailer, get horses up, check, tighten, and or replace horseshoes, load horses, feed horses, load saddles, blankets and feed and maybe some overnight gear up. Fill up with fuel, drive an hour or two, or 3 or 4, or 5 or 6, as the case may be. Maybe even chain up a time or two as well. Water horses, brush down horses, saddle horses up, ride or walk the horses in an hour or two or three, or maybe more. Check horses feet. Manty meat up or load meat in panniers, go back to trailhead, unload horses, unsaddle horses, water horses, feed horses, dry off and brush down horses, check horses feet, load horses. Drive back the 1 or 2 or 3 or more hours back, maybe fill up with gas again, maybe chain up a time or two ( and hopefully not get stuck on either trip and have to call a wrecker in, that may not be able to get there because of the heavy snow, so maybe have to leave truck and trailer for the winter, and take horses out and beg someone to come and haul them back )( we know of a few instances of this very thing happening).
Unload horses, check, tighten horseshoes, unload camping gear.

So surely we should reimburse our friend with horses for his fuel consumed to and fro, and with at least half the elk, the best half, of course.

Doesn't leave a lot left does it ? OYE

 

[brainwake]

Good point Oye! That is why hunting buddies are like family.

 

[X-Rap]

If I'm home and my buddies call i'm all theirs, don't care about the time or the weather. I've found them to be the same way even extending to my dad when I'm away.

 

[Tony k]

Surely if our friends help us backpack an elk out we should let them have what they pack out and reimburse them for fuel. After all it's asking quite a bit to drop whatever one is doing to go pack a too heavy backpack 3,4,5 miles or more, just for funsies.

Of course our friends with horses have to drop whatever they are doing, hook up a horsetrailer, get horses up, check, tighten, and or replace horseshoes, load horses, feed horses, load saddles, blankets and feed and maybe some overnight gear up. Fill up with fuel, drive an hour or two, or 3 or 4, or 5 or 6, as the case may be. Maybe even chain up a time or two as well. Water horses, brush down horses, saddle horses up, ride or walk the horses in an hour or two or three, or maybe more. Check horses feet. Manty meat up or load meat in panniers, go back to trailhead, unload horses, unsaddle horses, water horses, feed horses, dry off and brush down horses, check horses feet, load horses. Drive back the 1 or 2 or 3 or more hours back, maybe fill up with gas again, maybe chain up a time or two ( and hopefully not get stuck on either trip and have to call a wrecker in, that may not be able to get there because of the heavy snow, so maybe have to leave truck and trailer for the winter, and take horses out and beg someone to come and haul them back )( we know of a few instances of this very thing happening).
Unload horses, check, tighten horseshoes, unload camping gear.

So surely we should reimburse our friend with horses for his fuel consumed to and fro, and with at least half the elk, the best half, of course.

Doesn't leave a lot left does it ? OYE

I was on Nature Conservancy Land. So on top of all the regular horse stuff, you also have to put your horse on certified weed free hay for four days prior to taking them out there. Indeed, it is WAY too much to ask even the best of friends.

With regard to "payment" for helping to pack out meat, the custom around here is to simply return the favor or "pay it forward" to another hunter that needs help packing game out. It is a lot to ask someone to drop everything to help, so if someone did it for you and you never returned the favor or helped anyone else, everyone in your social circle would hear about it. When you really needed the help you'd be SOL.

I can think of ten guys and at least two gals that would have been willing to help me, but that's a dozen people I'd have to be willing to help at the drop of a hat at some later date. Not that I wouldn't, but I want to keep my social obligations to a minimum.

 

[typhun]

what types of packs do you use?

I'm looking to get a new pack that i can use for backpacking and then also using for hauling out meat. What do you all use or recommend?

 

[OYE]

I can think of ten guys and at least two gals that would have been willing to help me

Personally I would have invited the two gals to help, but that's just me.

With regard to "payment" for helping to pack out meat, the custom around here is to simply return the favor or "pay it forward" to another hunter that needs help packing game out.

It's interesting to hear the various customs throughout the land. In our neck of the woods, it's considered "COMMON COURTESY" to share the meat with whoever helps pack it out and if they have to drive a ways to at least reimburse the fuel costs.

But it does raise an interesting question. Do "I" have any friends (or relatives) that would come and help pack out an elk if "I" made it clear that I would not share the meat they packed out or reimburse them in any way for the trip ? I don't know whether I would have enough "guts" to ask that one. ...........Maybe if I explained it was "customary" in other parts of the country.................hmmmmmm.............
Hmmmm..... Think I may ask them though over the holidays as kind of a loyalty test......................
.................................hmmmmmmm.....................................................

On second thought it might not be the best conversation starter. But since I'm the guy with the packhorses the question is probably "Moot".

But I can speak, for my part, if any of my circle of friends or relatives expected me to show up under the same conditions ( horses or not ). The answer would be " NO". But being in rural Idaho, we think differently here.
OYE

 

[bad_aim_billy]

How much do you guys carry at one time on your frame pack for a particular circumstance?

I like to keep it to about 35 lbs of boned-out meat for distances longer than 2 miles. Saves the knees and back. I would never consider horses--totally unnecessary and a waste of time, imo...

 

[H&Hhunter]

For a big mature cow elk my standard loading for a pack out is as follows;

I can get one out in three loads with a good pack frame. A boned out rear hindquarter and a full length back strap is one load. Ditto on the second load. The third load are both boned out front shoulders and any extras like useable boned out rib meat.

A big bull will take 4 to 5 loads depending on terrain.

When using horses I use a saddle pannier. I can get one full boned out bull elk or one full quartered cow out in a single load. If you have access to good mountain horses they are one of the most incredible tools for high country hunting that you can possibly use. With that in mind they need to be healthy, well mannered and experienced back country horses or mules. There is nothing more miserable or dangerous than poorly mannered or green horses in the back country.

 

[Tony k]

It's interesting to hear the various customs throughout the land. In our neck of the woods, it's considered "COMMON COURTESY" to share the meat with whoever helps pack it out and if they have to drive a ways to at least reimburse the fuel costs.

But it does raise an interesting question. Do "I" have any friends (or relatives) that would come and help pack out an elk if "I" made it clear that I would not share the meat they packed out or reimburse them in any way for the trip ? I don't know whether I would have enough "guts" to ask that one. ...........Maybe if I explained it was "customary" in other parts of the country.................hmmmmmm.............
Hmmmm..... Think I may ask them though over the holidays as kind of a loyalty test......................
.................................hmmmmmmm.....................................................

On second thought it might not be the best conversation starter. But since I'm the guy with the packhorses the question is probably "Moot".

But I can speak, for my part, if any of my circle of friends or relatives expected me to show up under the same conditions ( horses or not ). The answer would be " NO". But being in rural Idaho, we think differently here.http://images.thehighroad.org/smilies/smile.gif
OYE

I probably overstated it. I would offer some gesture of gratitude for the help, be it helping with gas, giving some of the meat, etc. But I would still be obliged to help them or someone else in return. And I live in Wallowa County, Oregon. We are more like Riggins, Idaho than Portland or the "West Side."