How far away?

[Addicting]

The bigger question is how far do you want to hike with that RUM?

 

[RockyMtnMT]

How far away from a retrieval area (and I don't mean 4 wheelers) would you kill a cow elk? How far would you pack one that was quartered up and pack it to the truck? Boned out even? This is kinda like a poll, kinda. mtmuley

Out of the back end of chippie creek!

 

[Irrelevant]

I've done 5 miles with a partner, once (one load each). That's definitely too far for me solo. Probably 2 depending on the terrain.

 

[WyoDoug]

Yes. My first elk ever was a cow 4 miles into a roadless area. She died on extremely steep ground with 3” of fresh snow that melted over night and turned the badlands type terrain to gumbo the next morning.

I quartered her and left her overnight in the snow and pounded gatorades all night as I knew that with only a daypack she would be 4 trips to get her out.

I returned the next day early and started packing her out. 4 trips, 25-30 miles, and 12 hours later she was in the pickup.

I will try and post a pic when I get back home but that was my last time I hunted elk with only a day pack. But man those steaks were good knowing she was killed within 20 minutes of my home and took so much work to retrieve her.

LOL I learned a hard, hard lesson hunting elk off Gore Creek in Colorado about carrying only day packs even though I came back to base camp every night. I now carry much bigger packs and have it packed for an overnight venture.

 

[mtmuley]

Out of the back end of chippie creek!

It's a long way out of there alone. Two or three guys, easy. mtmuley

 

[mtmuley]

I've

The bigger question is how far do you want to hike with that RUM?

I've packed this RUM a long, long way before Addicting. Contrary to popular belief, a guy can pack a big magnum and hunt the tough country. 26 inch barrel and all. And believe it or don't, but I hardly ever sling it. mtmuley

 

[madtom]

The beauty of late season cows is the cold temp and snow. I don’t worry about distance when I know the meat will be fine and I can use the jet sled to retrieve. My cow last winter was idiotically far off the road, but I quartered and bagged her and came back the next day to sled the meat out in one trip.

 

[Nick_CO]

Last cow I shot was 1.5 miles one way, all of which was off trail but thankfully downhill. The first trip I took way too much and was practically dead after having to go over and around so much downfall. My wife met me for the second trip and between the two of us we got the rest out. There is such a big difference between on-trail and off-trail travel when packing out.

 

[gouch]

The most I ever packed a cow was less than 1/4 mile. Unfortunately most of that was up one of those hills that you have to use your arms to pull yourself up more than using your legs to push yourself up and for every two feet you go up you slide back down one. You never heard so much griping from a hunting partner. Said he was so sore he could hardly move the two remaining days of the hunt. Don't know what he was complaining about, I felt fine sitting there by the fire for two days.

 

[HSi-ESi]

I would pack a cow as far as I would pack a bull.

 

[ccc23454]

Cow try to limit to 1 mile, hell if I can't find one closer than that I didn't do good enough scouting. Bulls well that's interesting I tend to have to ask myself is he worth it once I find one. I say no a lot but have said yes few times and my knees remember them all. Longest 7miles with 1 buddy, longest solo 4 miles, and it sucked but that's kind of why I do it....lol

 

[mtmuley]

So if you have a limit on how far you would pack a cow, why? This is kinda like a poll. mtmuley

 

[ida homer]

So if you have a limit on how far you would pack a cow, why? This is kinda like a poll. mtmuley

Because the more time your packing cow quarters the less time your glassing for good bulls!

And drinking banquets.

 

[Walkathon]

So if you have a limit on how far you would pack a cow, why? This is kinda like a poll. mtmuley

Because I've only had type 4 and type 7 Wyoming cow tags. No bull tags.

 

[Hem]

Cant say. I'm a bull guy. Only shot one cow and took up an offer from a neighbor who wanted some work for his horses.
Good thing...by the time the ponies were saddled and rode 2 miles in I watched the boys dismount and mount a few times the last two miles...dispatching rattlesnakes along the way.

 

[mtmuley]

I like killing bulls too. And killing elk. And eating them. I've done the 5 mile plus pack, 4 plus mile solo two trip, and the yard kill. Killed two cows with a 12 gauge shotgun and tractor retrieval. (landscape eaters) Interesting info. mtmuley

 

[Pagosa]

I base my hunting distance on if there is enough snow for a sled and not too deep for a horse. About two miles is as far as I have ever packed an elk or sledded a elk. Further with horses. Closer to the truck the better.

 

[375H&H]

Yes. My first elk ever was a cow 4 miles into a roadless area. She died on extremely steep ground with 3” of fresh snow that melted over night and turned the badlands type terrain to gumbo the next morning.

I quartered her and left her overnight in the snow and pounded gatorades all night as I knew that with only a daypack she would be 4 trips to get her out.

I returned the next day early and started packing her out. 4 trips, 25-30 miles, and 12 hours later she was in the pickup.

I will try and post a pic when I get back home but that was my last time I hunted elk with only a day pack. But man those steaks were good knowing she was killed within 20 minutes of my home and took so much work to retrieve her.

Nothing like a September snow for hunting. Man I look young!

 

[rtraverdavis]

I like antlers a whole bunch. But I like eating elk more. Hence the fact that I’d go to the same lengths for a cow as a bull. Maybe not. We’ll see in a couple months.

 

[WyoDoug]

I am a meat hunter first before trophies, so I would pack a cow out same as a bull. A cow is a hell of a lot lighter than a big bull and easier to carry. With a cow, I can carry a hindquarter in my pack and one over my shoulder and make fewer trips.