"I used my horses for some 20 years to hunt deer, elk, moose, and bighorn sheep in the Montana backcountry. It was some of the best hunting that I ever had."

I would agree that, for the experienced horseman and horses, they can make for a great trip.

Silvertip-I've looked into sombrero. I have my own horses, but my main hangup is hauling their feed. Sombrero requires 25 of hay daily. If I pack in for six to seven days, I'm looking at 175 lbs of hay per horse plus a little grain. They allow a maximum of 200 lbs of weight per horse. That doesn't leave me much weight for my personal gear-hence my dilemma. I'm leaning now to just hiking in and having a packer on standby should I get something down.

It seems like horses are one of those "love-hates" of elk hunting. You'd love to have one when you're faced with making as many as five round-trips packing one out on your back. But you hate that they're not as low-maintenance as your boots are.

Lately, I've found that much of the terrain we hunt elk over is, in many spots, so rugged I think we'd be asking for trouble with a horse. I know a lot of guys who hunt in bear country, and they generally leave someone with the horses at all times. That seems like a nuisance to be limited that way.

I think my vote would be an outfitter standing by to pack an elk out, but if you're physically able, packing one out on your back should still be an option. You'll want to have good boots anyway, and it's never a bad thing to have a good pack frame around camp.

Thanks Homer-You pretty well summed up the conclusion I've come too. Appreciate all the replies guys!!

Have you ever considered a motorized game carrier? I have packed out elk that were quartered / boned out in one trip 4 different years now. Check out www.ascendercarrier.com. Good luck hunting!