Elk 5 miles from truck...

[Gunflint]

I like the orange sleds, they are a Paris brand model 960. Google ski pulk or pulk ski...something like that. They sell the sleds, poles, waist straps, shoulder straps etc....

A sled with the poles is much easier to control up and down our little BWCA hills.

 

[hank4elk]

5 miles is sorta close here in NM at times ,lol.

I had gone from 8-10 mi area from road/camp to hunt,to 5 as my distance limit.
I could go farther in old days and carry incredably heavy packs,but recover an animal,myself?
One Sierra trip 20 mi into the wilderness and 3 day recovery of a buck changed that.
Then again I have lucked out the last few years and slide them onto a trailer or into the truck.

I have a deer drag harness that works good with a quarter or so .I have drug them on plastic. Climbing rope and pulleys are a great help.
I was thinking of a sled now. NM has lots of nice smooth grasslands(sort of) but there are places our rock piles,lava flows that will make some folks cry just walking around them.

How do those sleds hold up on something besides a frozen lake smooth snow? REAL Rocks & ice?

 

[Nameless Range]

I used to have this thing called an Elk Ambulance, which was an 8 X 8 sheet of thick plastic that rolled up. It worked well as long as you weren't side-hilling. It worked better as a sled being pulled behind a 4-wheeler. I think you are going to be using your backpack or critters for anything requiring side-hilling, and you will be glad you did.

Part of me says wrap that bastard in a tarp, bust out your tow-strap, hit the gym in the off-season, and get pullin - but that part of me would be full of chit.

 

[RobG]

Having contributed to 1/2 the horse power in this photo, I can attest the uphill / 2-man pull scenario wasn't much fun. The constant side twisting torsion on one's torso made this get old quickly. I was happy to put a portion of that deer on my back after 200 yards. Flat ground, downhill, or as Ratfink suggested a longer stick in front of two guys, even just one person pulling may have been a better sled scenario.

I'm surprise it was tough on a slight uphill with two people. This fall I pulled out my son's doe on a stubble field that had an incline - way harder than snow. I bet that whole mule deer weighed about the same as a boned out elk.. When you boned out the deer you obviously lost a lot of that weight. Was it still hard to pull it uphill when boned out?

I mentioned before that the "ultimate" solution is one of those sleds used for cross country skiing with a waist belt. They hold on sidehills and you have a solid connection to the sled with the bars and also a wastebelt. It felt great on slight uphills. I had no problems on a downhill section, but wouldn't want to be tied tight to it on a steep hill... guess they all have issues.

$519 in the link I gave and I have no idea if that model is very good. Been wanting to pick up a used one ever since I borrowed one in 2010.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

Lots of good ideas here. I'm not sure i'd recommend how I do it, but it's my way, and i'll tell you.

I've hunted the high country of Colorado since the 50's. With my dad until he passed in the 80's, and alone ever since. I'm 73 now, and still doing it the same way. I'm a still hunter, so hunting with someone doesn't work. I know this from hunting with my dad, but he was my dad. I've had better success alone.

So, getting the meat out is the lousy part of the hunt. I tried a sled once, and it was was harder dragging it. Plus, it wanted to run me over all the time. It was impossible in blow down which I always hunt in.

Kind of a big build up for a simple method most of us use. I recommend the best, most comfortable frame pack you can buy. I then always bone out all the meat. A full rear quarter is way to bulky to carry well. Plus, why carry bones. I also don't give a lick about antlers, so I never carry those out either. If a warden wants to see them, he can hike back with me the kill site to see them. They never wanted to. I'll take what I can the first day. I also never shoot an elk past noon. That way I have 1/2 of the day to get it boned out, and hung up, and of course haul out the first load, or two. I don't like a heavy pack in the dark. Depending on the weather I might leave the meat in a creek in plastic bags . If it's cool I hang it up. I'm not rushed. How long it takes is how long it takes. Even if it's two days. I move slower now, but I get it done.

I've never bothered anybody to help me. I figure getting the meat out is part of the hunt. When I can't do it any longer i'll switch to hunting muley's. It's not that i'm worried about showing my spots to someone else. I just feel I should do it myself, but that's me. I can understand a NR hunter has limited time to get it done. Do what you have to do, but if you can do it all yourself. It's very rewarding.

 

[Big Sky Dreamin]

I like the orange sleds, they are a Paris brand model 960. Google ski pulk or pulk ski...something like that. They sell the sleds, poles, waist straps, shoulder straps etc....

A sled with the poles is much easier to control up and down our little BWCA hills.

I have this same sled in black. I think I picked it up at Home Depot or Menards. The Ace hardware store across the from me has it in orange, so it may be available in multiple colors on the Ace website too.

 

[Dan O]

This is the only game cart I've seen (never used) that I think could work on side hills.
http://www.neetkart.com/
Be forewarned, they aren't cheap.

I had one built this year on a similar design. I used it to carry out 2 cows this fall. I was able to put a whole cow on it and myself and a partner wheeled each out. The game trail on a steep side hill is no issue. I used ratchet straps to hold the animal so It would shift around.
Also it has a hand brake used on bicycles and works well when going down hill or if you need to stop it on a slope to rest.
Dan

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I killed my bull 4+ miles into the backcountry this fall, and dealt with some pretty good snow getting it out. I used the same sled Gerald showed above (in orange). We drilled extra holes along the edge and used P-cord to tie the meat in. I did have to shuttle the meat about a mile in my pack (the bull died on the backside of a pretty steep ridge from the trailhead). I pretty easily pulled out 2 boned quarters with the head on my back, once I was on a decent trail with good snow.

You should probably look at investing in a beacon or a satellite communicator (like the delormes).

 

[Big Fin]

You need : 1 truck, 1 rack, 3 llamas, 4 chains...

Forgot to say, from me you will be less than $200 for one very hard days work (One day rental of 3 llamas /1 rack)

Squirrel, you rent llamas? I've been looking into that. If so, send me a PM with details.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

You're wrong Randy. I ran out of money first.

 

[NM_ElkNut]

5 miles is sorta close here in NM at times ,lol.

I had gone from 8-10 mi area from road/camp to hunt,to 5 as my distance limit.
I could go farther in old days and carry incredably heavy packs,but recover an animal,myself?
One Sierra trip 20 mi into the wilderness and 3 day recovery of a buck changed that.
Then again I have lucked out the last few years and slide them onto a trailer or into the truck.

I have a deer drag harness that works good with a quarter or so .I have drug them on plastic. Climbing rope and pulleys are a great help.
I was thinking of a sled now. NM has lots of nice smooth grasslands(sort of) but there are places our rock piles,lava flows that will make some folks cry just walking around them.

How do those sleds hold up on something besides a frozen lake smooth snow? REAL Rocks & ice?

I have been using the small Jet Sled for years. I have holes drilled in the rim for tying off cargo, and tow ropes with handles front and back. A lot of the places I hunt are the big burns in the Jemez, usually late season with snow.

The first few years after the burn you have blown down spruce trunks with mostly broken off 1" branches sticking up like spikes. The first time I tried it, I got to the top of a hill and pushed the loaded sled off the edge. It would usually go 50 feet off bouncing off/over/through the blow-down/ branch spike pile before it got hung up. I'd go untangle it and push if off for the next ride. It works great as long as gravity was with you. I thought I would damage it beyond repair doing that, and was OK with that as long as it lasted one trip. That was 10-12 years ago and I'm still using the same one. I drag it across rocks, sticks, gravel roads and it just keeps going. The underside is pretty scarred up, and it probably does not slide as smooth, but it is holding up just fine.

 

[BrowningBLR]

I wish I knew of a place in Colorado that was 5 miles from a trail head or road.

There are 3.. sometimes 5 or 6 bulls hiding in EVERY aspen cluster!!

 

[Muley_Stalker]

I can show you a spot that's a wilderness area that starts 1/4 mile from a main road. Go in another 1/4mile, and you'll find elk that live there year around. It's the last place you'd ever look. It's a spot that only myself and my gunsmith use. As far as I know anyway.

My point being elk are where you find them. Look everywhere. Scout. Scout. Scout.

 

[----]

Have you considered not shooting the elk?

 

[hank4elk]

I have been using the small Jet Sled for years. I have holes drilled in the rim for tying off cargo, and tow ropes with handles front and back. A lot of the places I hunt are the big burns in the Jemez, usually late season with snow.

The first few years after the burn you have blown down spruce trunks with mostly broken off 1" branches sticking up like spikes. The first time I tried it, I got to the top of a hill and pushed the loaded sled off the edge. It would usually go 50 feet off bouncing off/over/through the blow-down/ branch spike pile before it got hung up. I'd go untangle it and push if off for the next ride. It works great as long as gravity was with you. I thought I would damage it beyond repair doing that, and was OK with that as long as it lasted one trip. That was 10-12 years ago and I'm still using the same one. I drag it across rocks, sticks, gravel roads and it just keeps going. The underside is pretty scarred up, and it probably does not slide as smooth, but it is holding up just fine.

Thanks.Talked to a guy this morn who brought out a cow in 15 on one.Said it worked great for the most part,til they hit a hill.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

Have you considered not shooting the elk?

Of course. I never have. Neither has my gunsmith. I was just talking about where you can find them.

 

[JoeSchmo]

Have you considered not shooting the elk?

Absolutely not!

I wasn't complaining about getting them out... just trying to see if anyone a heck of a lot smarter than me has found an easier way to get them off the hill.

"have you considered not shooting the elk" .... You're crazy!!!

 

[JoeSchmo]

I can show you a spot that's a wilderness area that starts 1/4 mile from a main road. Go in another 1/4mile, and you'll find elk that live there year around. It's the last place you'd ever look. It's a spot that only myself and my gunsmith use. As far as I know anyway.

My point being elk are where you find them. Look everywhere. Scout. Scout. Scout.

I like hunting where no one else goes. I don't mind long pack outs... I also like shooting elk close to the truck too. I don't discriminate where I shoot elk. I wasn't complaining about shooting elk back in the forest, just wondering if someone one here, whom is smarter than me (doesn't take much), has found a more efficient way to get these buggers into the truck.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

I like hunting where no one else goes. I don't mind long pack outs... I also like shooting elk close to the truck too. I don't discriminate where I shoot elk. I wasn't complaining about shooting elk back in the forest, just wondering if someone one here, whom is smarter than me (doesn't take much), has found a more efficient way to get these buggers into the truck.

I was responding to dinkshooter in that post.

Personally, I don't like the hunt to be too easy. I enjoy the challenge of needing all 9 days to get an elk. Probably why I never shot an elk in the spot I described above. I still go into the area sometimes, but I go past the elk, and hike in a few miles to find muley's.

I do enjoy sneaking in a few times of the year to just watch the elk. You can learn a lot by just watching them.

 

[Tradewind]

Lots of good ideas here. I'm not sure i'd recommend how I do it, but it's my way, and i'll tell you.

I've hunted the high country of Colorado since the 50's. With my dad until he passed in the 80's, and alone ever since. I'm 73 now, and still doing it the same way. I'm a still hunter, so hunting with someone doesn't work. I know this from hunting with my dad, but he was my dad. I've had better success alone.

So, getting the meat out is the lousy part of the hunt. I tried a sled once, and it was was harder dragging it. Plus, it wanted to run me over all the time. It was impossible in blow down which I always hunt in.

Kind of a big build up for a simple method most of us use. I recommend the best, most comfortable frame pack you can buy. I then always bone out all the meat. A full rear quarter is way to bulky to carry well. Plus, why carry bones. I also don't give a lick about antlers, so I never carry those out either. If a warden wants to see them, he can hike back with me the kill site to see them. They never wanted to. I'll take what I can the first day. I also never shoot an elk past noon. That way I have 1/2 of the day to get it boned out, and hung up, and of course haul out the first load, or two. I don't like a heavy pack in the dark. Depending on the weather I might leave the meat in a creek in plastic bags . If it's cool I hang it up. I'm not rushed. How long it takes is how long it takes. Even if it's two days. I move slower now, but I get it done.

I've never bothered anybody to help me. I figure getting the meat out is part of the hunt. When I can't do it any longer i'll switch to hunting muley's. It's not that i'm worried about showing my spots to someone else. I just feel I should do it myself, but that's me. I can understand a NR hunter has limited time to get it done. Do what you have to do, but if you can do it all yourself. It's very rewarding.

Amen to that. Cept I keep the horns. Got my 1st one this fall 5 1/2 miles from the truck Probably because it was steep, thick and a tough haul. Took me two days to get it out. But great reason to be away from work