What's the longest distance you would hike for an elk?

[buffybr]

Two miles in the mountains is a long way to pack an elk out on your back, especially if you hunt solo like most of my hunts have been. I know I hunted a lot farther in when I had horses at home and I knew that I could get them to pack out anything that I shot.

My last 4 elk plus one other bull were all shot about 300 yards above my house. I was able to drag the gutted cow out in one piece, the bulls I had to cut in half.

I remember one antelope hunt that I put the gutted buck on my pack frame and carried him out 4 miles. When I got back to my car there was another buck about the size as the one that I had shot, standing not 200 yards from my car.

I haven't had horses for about 20 years, but I do have several varieties of wheeled carriers that I have used to carry out deer and antelope. Even with one of them, carrying out a bull elk, by myself, would take 4 trips.

 

[2rocky]

What I love about this question is that it really highlights the guys who have and have not packed an elk (or a portion of an elk) on their back. Down hill and flat 1.7 miles with a truly large bodied elk was enough that I was totally knackered on one trip. I will admit I was not in the shape I was years previous and I felt it.

There is also the difference between the guy who shows up fresh to pack an elk out and the guy who has been logging 6-10 miles a day at high elevation for 3 or more days. Post kill adrenaline only gets you so far...

Word to the Rookie elk hunters. If you plan to kill an elk more than 3 miles from the road, have a packout plan with either 2+ other buddies or someone with 2 horses. FWIW, Cam Hanes had a packer on call in the Eagle Cap when he was "banzai hunting" there. Secondly antlers. skull and cape are a horribly hard load to balance in a pack and weigh a lot...

I've led my saddle horse with sawn quarters 6 miles back to camp. And I think the longest pack back with pack horses was 10 miles. To me roadless elk hunting means horses, period.

 

[Don Fischer]

Look at your smart phone. It’ll tell you how far you walked.

Ha. Don't have one and would'nt know how to use it if I did!

 

[Ben Long]

Interesting how this question can be answered differently. How far would you walk in PURSUIT OF an elk v. how far would you PACK OUT an elk? I know I walk in pursuit of elk far longer than I could ever pack one.

 

[Bigjay73]

I can walk 100 yds through Kroger to get a steak so...........

 

[Bigjay73]

I find it hilarious that we associate our manliness with how far we'll walk in to kill am animal. My heroes are the guys that kill elk every year ½ mile from the truck, they're smarter than 99% of us

 

[hank4elk]

3 miles solo was enough for me. I keep it close these days.

 

[DanWyo]

Whoever said terrain matters, that’s the answer for me. 2.5 miles off trail, downhill through deadfall took 8 hours for one trip.

 

[overbore]

Based on this thread and its responses, my hunt will go one of two ways:

1. I'm going to be completely alone back there and balls deep in Elk

OR

2. My e-scouting plan is complete crap and I'm going to suffer needlessly

knowing my luck, its #2

you an me both, but I,m ready,,,

 

[duckhunter10]

3-5

 

[witski65]

The bull I shot this year was 3.7 miles from the truck. Solo pack out took two days and covered 37 miles total.