Well elk are big animals but I don't know if I would compare them to clydesdales. A typical clydesdale adult male weight average froms 1700 to 2000 pounds and some go up to 2200 pounds. An adult bull elk on the other hand averages between 600 to 800 pounds. I have heard of some going up to a 1000 pounds but they are very rare. A lot of women and kids can't pull 55# let alone 60# or more. With a good cut on contact broadhead, a 40 pound bow shooting a 400 grain arrow will kill an elk all day long. Of course as stated before the shots have to be 25 yards and under. I do agree with using a team effort to pack a elk out. The weather in September is mostly warm and you need to get the meat taken care off as soon as possiable. It might take a day or two to pack a elk out to camp or the truck. Then I would head to the nearest town to a freezer. We also keep the frame packs and game cart back in camp. I have both a day pack and a fanny pack, I can use both together or seperate. If I think I will be overnight away from camp then I will use both. If I am only hunting a mile or so from camp I will use just the fanny pack. I do carry water a purifier so that helps in weight and in a long haul provided water is close by. As far as packing a elk out, I debone it. Why pack out the heavy bones? Their are good books with photos that can teach you the how-to's. Read the books before hand and photo copy the instructions with pics, then carry the photocopies with you in your pack with your maps. That way you'll have a step by step guide with you as you debone your elk. Its realy not hard and after you do one you will be able to do many. The weather in september is not cold enough (most of the time) to need insulated boots. But if they do ok in warmer weather too and let you feet breath and they are comfy and broken in I would bring them along. I myself have bowhunted in many pars of Nike's, Rebok's and other types of very comfy tennis shoe's. I do have a good pair of insulated boots at the ready in camp in needed. Also going back to staying overnight out of camp, if you get into some elk and are close but it just gets dark. And say you are aways from your camp, you might be better off just backing off and staying the night on the mountain with the elk. If that seems scary look at it this way, in early september is doesn't get dark until around 9:00. Lets say you are 3 or 4 miles away from your camp, fourwheeler, or even truck/camper. I don't care how fast you can walk, it takes almost 1/4 to 1/3 longer to walk the same miles in the dark. Well I should say it will take longer if you care about not killing youself in the dark. (ie in addition to a flashlight also have a head lamp with extra batteries with you at all times) Anyway back to my point you are 3 or more miles away, its like 9:00 or later and its going to take you until 12:00 or so to get to where you need to be. If you want to have a chance at the elk in the morning you want to be ready in place well before daylight. Sunup is say like 6:30. Well it will be a short night of sleep in camp and you'll need to be up by no later than 3:30 in the morning. At times like this I think well I can stay here and make a spike camp in the dark and try to get some good sleep. Or spend most of my night walking to and from in the dark with no chance of sleep at all. Hmm for me its a easy choice to stay if prepared. I might not have a sleeping bag with me but I'll make do for a night. A bonus of this is the elk are very active at night and will talk a lot! That will help me have a good fix on them come daylight! I do hope elkcrazy8 will chirp in on this! He backpacks in on his elk hunts and has many good ideas in this area. Good luck and keep it comming....Jason