Sitka Gear Optifade Cover

game sled, roll-up/packable type any good?

Khunter

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western Colorado
Anybody use and have feedback on this sort of option? On dry ground for elk. I like the more minimalist aspect of it rolling up, being light weight.

Pondering an option for hauling elk meat a mile or two in September, so likely dry ground in the mountains.

The sad truth is my bird like legs and lack of serious muscle mass overall is just not very good at carrying elk at on my back. Added to that is medical issues this summer having me not wanting to want to embrace the suck of hauling heavy loads on my back this year.

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My buddy and me packed out his bull last fall with him using one of those and me a more conventional sport sled he owns. Was a little over 3.5 miles back to the truck. Sleds worked great on snowy patches of a long closed logging road. Terrible on the sections without snow, which was most of it.

We admittedly went a little wild and got the entire bull out in one go, but it wasn’t at all a pleasant experience. We both agreed that we’d have likely preferred a cheap game cart for those exact conditions. Or, more time to bring it out on our backs in multiple trips.

Long story long, your back is still gonna hurt fighting that drag resistance unless there’s snow on the entire route.
 
My buddy and me packed out his bull last fall with him using one of those and me a more conventional sport sled he owns. Was a little over 3.5 miles back to the truck. Sleds worked great on snowy patches of a long closed logging road. Terrible on the sections without snow, which was most of it.

We admittedly went a little wild and got the entire bull out in one go, but it wasn’t at all a pleasant experience. We both agreed that we’d have likely preferred a cheap game cart for those exact conditions. Or, more time to bring it out on our backs in multiple trips.

Long story long, your back is still gonna hurt fighting that drag resistance unless there’s snow on the entire route.
Specific to this product? You review two different products above. Did you put half a bull elk on this product and half on the other product and are saying this product was not great on dry ground with two elk quarters plus extra meat? Looking for specifics. Thx.
 
Specifically that product, yes. And sucked to use on dry ground, yes.

He pulled the two front quarters, cut off at knee and bone in with the sled you’re considering (we ran out of bone-out time).

I pulled the rest of the bull (bone out) in a sled/burley combination thing we rigged up with crap from our trucks. The sled acted as a ballast to keep that trailer thing from hopping all over the place.

Both systems were fantastic in the snowy patches, but we didn’t have a lot of that last year. Sounds like those ideal conditions aren’t your intention either.

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I just ordered 2 of the Amazon versions only this to go with the winch we are planning on loads moose into them and pulling them in with the winch see how it goes in a month
 
Packed out two bulls last fall in a otter sled, absolutely sucked on dry ground. I did others in moderate snow and much easier. Anything that breaks up the friction such as wet grass, snow etc really helps. Going over logs is another really problem. I've trained horses to drag sleds so it should really help.
 
The problem that I see with a sled of some type is that any kind of sidehill would make for a very tough drag. Almost have to follow the fall line of the hillside and that could get you into problems real quick. Flat ground, old roadbeds I can see it working especially with snow on the ground.
 
Specifically that product, yes. And sucked to use on dry ground, yes.

He pulled the two front quarters, cut off at knee and bone in with the sled you’re considering (we ran out of bone-out time).

I pulled the rest of the bull (bone out) in a sled/burley combination thing we rigged up with crap from our trucks. The sled acted as a ballast to keep that trailer thing from hopping all over the place.

Both systems were fantastic in the snowy patches, but we didn’t have a lot of that last year. Sounds like those ideal conditions aren’t your intention either.

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thanks!
 
I packed my entire bison out quarter at a time using a pelican sled on dry ground. The trick is get the narrow version and re-enforce/route pull rope around entire rim of sled to spread out weight. It's hard on sled bottom on dry ground but same sled even with its holes has packed out several elk since and is still going good. Fyi $5 bomgaars end of winter clearance
 
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I don’t know man, a mile or two sounds like a long way to go for an elk! 😉 don’t work so hard!

Biggest issue with tarps and stuff in the mountains is off camber slopes. If they start rolling it gets bad fast. And sage brush can be an absolute bear.

I know a guy that has done one trip haul out with a fancy little one wheeled cart but I think you told him he was dumb and to just do more trips with lighter loads.
 
I'll let you know how the work. Cost $55 as is. Gotta add pack clips and pvc to the tow straps. Weight will be similar, 3-3.5lbs, but they pull from the waistbelt on a pack, and 60lbs payload is very doable.
 

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I’ve used something similar for white tails and antelope. I think it’s branded the “dead sled”. It’s efficient for animals that size when you’re solo but even that type of weight is tough on bare ground. We decided to try it for a 350lb bear last year. Took three of us just to get it moving and had to stop every 200yds to catch our breath. Tore all of the lashing loops and wore a hole through it in just under a mile.

All that to say, it’ll probably work ok if you keep the weight around 100lbs. Not sure it’s really worth it🤷‍♂️
 
I’ve used something similar for white tails and antelope. I think it’s branded the “dead sled”. It’s efficient for animals that size when you’re solo but even that type of weight is tough on bare ground. We decided to try it for a 350lb bear last year. Took three of us just to get it moving and had to stop every 200yds to catch our breath. Tore all of the lashing loops and wore a hole through it in just under a mile.

All that to say, it’ll probably work ok if you keep the weight around 100lbs. Not sure it’s really worth it🤷‍♂️
thanks. i was thinking keeping weight under a hundred pounds. make 2-3 trips. boned out elk.
 
My Dad's neighbor worked at a plastic shop designing shop and made us a couple versions of what you're looking for.

The right conditions it's as slick as pulling a greased string out of a cats ass.

A cow and a calf quartered that a friend of mine and I shot out of rjthehunters alfalfa field on Lima peak.

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