I admire the "brawn andgumption" of many here who take the approach of "I am the horse" and all I need is time (and Ibprophen?)to get the job done.
In the past I hadwished some of the folks in my camp would demonstrate a similar attitude of “work hard and get it done” when it came to simply setting up camp(s) [main and spike] versus wanting to “show up late and leave early” and stick someone else with the work. [:'(]
And that was working on level ground where they didn'tevenhave to carry stuff very far at alland still some would want to whimp out; heaven forbid they shot an elk and were left to their own devices to get it out on their own.
Got a good bunch now though.
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Just a few questions for the folks who actually have done it DYI hunting elk at elevation:
(1) Where do you draw your line in terms of:
-- (a) distance from truck/truck access point,
-- (b) vertical from/to truck,
-- (c) forecast temperature conditions for the necessary time after your shot [:'(]
before you will pass on taking a shot due to the ethical pressure of carcass/meat preservation and care? [and then move back closer to the road]
[I know the “screw it, I’ll shoot it, and worry about whether it makes it out okay later; let the chips fall where they may; no one will ever know but me” attitude would
never occur in our fine Internet gang here, as the ethics bar is
always oh-so-high!]
(2) Do you ever hunt with more than one elk tag per man? [8D]
[i.e. more elk down = more elk to pack out?]
(3) What do you do in that early season when the temps hit the 70’s…. 4 days? Dang…. "green" meat? We’ve had to trim off "green" meat during the “in camp” butchering/packaging/freezing session on the last batch of meat taken out on the tail end of just a 2 day pack session (took six elk out and it was warmish [October]).[
]
[Once you've smelled green elk meat you will never forget it [:'(].
Also, all the other meat you smell afterwards, even if it is fine, tends to smell spoiled("This cut of elk is fine! No it isn't can't you smell that?"). We've even went down the road to a neighboring camp to pull in someone elsefor an "unbiased opinion"(and clean nostrils) to serve as atie-breaker.]
(4) What % of the average cross section of John Q. Public hunters (newbies included) do you think are capable/willing to do the “brawn and gumption” approach you use, even with attitude and bravado aside, i.e. physically and long term pain tolerance-wise…. capable?
(5) What % do you think the hunters in #4 above EVER try to approximate the packing challenge (weight and distance) before leaving home…. just to see if they can even come close to accomplishing it or not?
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Again, I admire the "brawn andgumption" of those here who have actually done it.
Just trying to reconcile the abandoned game bagged quarters hanging in trees that I have seen rotting when we went back in on our last trip to fetch out the spike camp, versus the “it’s no big deal…. just do it” that is obviously accomplished by some….
Perhaps it is a case of the Marines…. the proud, the few…. we're just looking for a few good men….
and then on the other hand….
Let's see, 3 elk, 1 hide, 3 heads.... let's just say 12 quarters (to be on the light side
)....
Two guys, one trip per day, that is six days (12/2=6).... yikes. I guess I'd have them "earned" at that point.