How many trips for a solo pack-out
- Thread starter sbrville
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tjones
Guest
No sleds, carts, or bone in here. An average bull is 4 trips. This trip staying upright was a chore.
I have brought them out about every way possible, but anymore it seems small pieces is the norm, which as I'm pushing hard on 60 hurts.
I have brought them out about every way possible, but anymore it seems small pieces is the norm, which as I'm pushing hard on 60 hurts.
Salmonchaser
Well-known member
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- Nov 12, 2019
- Messages
- 2,433
That son is a pretty good load
Not sure exactly what you are trying to prove here? The data from the Wyoming study that you yourself posted backs me up - in that yes, i shot an average old cow elk with an average weight for an old cow elk. So now you post a link to an article about how elusive older cow elk are? How surprising that animals get good at avoiding hunters the older and smarter they get. Also, I'm not a butcher by trade but I do in fact take great pride in my butchering skills. Read my first post, I took what rib meat i could, neck meat, heart and liver. Those are things many hunters leave and I'm still right in the average weight range from the table you posted.140lb - 180lb, for a 5 year old, assuming you field butcher at the level of a professional butcher. Assuming hunters keep only the required portions your average 5 year old cow taken is going to be in the 140-160 range. I bet the average hunter packs out 100-120lbs of meat off a cow.
"Oldham did have data on cow harvests though. The data looked at late season private property hunts in Middle Park from 2004 through 2014. During that time period fully 50 percent of the cows taken were five years old or younger "
Elusive game: Cow elk become more elusive as they age
Fall is in the air in Middle Park and throughout Grand County hunters of various stripes are getting up very early, slipping on camo or blaze orange, and trekkingwww.skyhinews.com
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Deleted member 18333
Guest
So far every one of you is doing this wrong. I packed this bull out in 1 trip, including the antlers.
Took my wife three trips to get the rest of him.
Buzz, don't tell her that the legs break at the knee. I told her that was impossible, otherwise they would break under their own weight.
Took my wife three trips to get the rest of him.
Buzz, don't tell her that the legs break at the knee. I told her that was impossible, otherwise they would break under their own weight.
BuzzH
Well-known member
Most never make it to become old enough to get good at avoiding hunters. Plus, its the luck of the draw since cows are typically not solitary animals...any cow works for most people killing one for meat. Purely bad luck when you're the elk standing on the edge of a large herd when a hunter shows up...nothing to do with getting good at avoiding hunters.
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Deleted member 28227
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That you shot an outlier, and that you yourself are an outlier in terms of your salvage/attention to detail/ etc.
"Listen person who hasn't killed an elk, Nick is a season hunter who knows what he's doing and that cow was huge. Aspire to do that through a job butchering, and you might get lucky with a big animal, but this is more what you should expect."
^ That coupled with a bug up my ass about people grossly exaggerating about how much weight they are toting around. So... 500lb elk... you have a scale... nope... cool bro.
(Also distances shot, buy dudes who don't own range finders)
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Don't want to the be the lead or the last.....
BuzzH
Well-known member
Get in the middle and stay there...don't draw attention to yourself.
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tjones
Guest
Can't wait for the thread about what a big dry doe weighs.
BuzzH
Well-known member
About the same as a cow elk...
When I was 20, most of my friends were 21-23. This tactic worked very well with bouncers.
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Deleted member 28227
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tjones
Guest
An interesting experiment would be have a guy pick up a loaded pack and guess the weight, then pick up his wife and guess the weight. With witnesses of course.
180 and 110, of course.
klwinter921
Member
like most have said or will say there are lots of factors (fitness, distance, etc.) for me and my 50+ year old body, 3 trips with no bones is very doable. I hope you get a chance to answer this question for yourself!
BigHornRam
Well-known member
Can't add much to this other than loins and back straps come out in first load. We got hungry woofs and bears around here.
Thanks for the "pro" tip.
I came back the next day for the meat since I shot and quartered her late. Was in a hurry that night and joints were rock hard in the AM, so wasn't gonna get them cut. Really didn't matter with the sled, but would have been a big deal if I had to carry them.
Brian in Montana
Well-known member
I've never solo packed a big bull. Several cows took me 2 trips with heavy loads. I'd say most bulls would take at least 3 completely boned out and maybe one more for gear and head/cape. They're big.
