Well, you can hunt elk on public land without a guide West of the Mississippi in CO, AK, OR, WA, ID, CA, UT, WY, MT, NM, AZ and probably a couple more. East of the Mississippi they have elk in AR, MI, KY, VA, PA, WI and probably a few more.

You can hunt moose in ME, NH, VT east of the Mississippi and CO, WY, MT, ID, UT and WA west of the Mississippi without a guide on public land. Bottom line you can hunt both in a number of places without a guide on public land. Being able to get the tags, especially for moose, is another story entirely.

Here's a question for you, have you gone to the websites for the game depts. for the states and looked the info up? Every state has the legal species and the regulations online, readily available if you try to look for it. The fact that you used a computer to post this topic shows you can answer most of your own questions.

Being realistic, I could never get an Elk out. I can barely get a deer out. For this reason alone, I'd never hunt an elk without a guide.

Why? Is your level of physical conditioning that bad? Unless you're handicapped you can correct that.

So explain to us all, how your getting a moose or elk out of the woods, without 4 guys and an ATV.

I hunt alone.

Quarter it in place, hang whatever you cannot carry on your first trip, then go back as many times as necessary, hopefully with some buddies that you can round up. Even alone, it can be done by someone who isn't physically impaired. Elk hunting certainly requires a few extra skills that deer hunting generally does not, but it is definitely still doable alone.

It's not happening. Not in my case, at my age, and my bad back. If I do it, I'll have a guide to do the heavy work.

I also hunt alone. What I do is start with the animal on its side, ungutted. If it is a bull, I cut the head off to get it out of the way. Then I take off the front and back legs and set them aside. You don't even need a saw for this, just cut through the socket on the back leg and simple slice the front leg off along the ribs. I leave evidence of sex on both back legs since CO requires evidence of sex.

Then I skin out the rest of the side and bone out the neck, the back strap, the flank and the ribs. When that side is done I flip the carcass over (this is why I take the head off because antlers make this hard) and do the same procedure on the other side. When I am done I can reach inside and get the tenderloins, heart and liver.

At this point I skin out the legs and bone them as well. I always carry at least 6 game bags and a packframe with me when I hunt. An elk, boned out, makes about 4 loads of about 60 lbs each. Since I have the packframe with me, the first load goes out when I head to the truck. If the law says I need to bring out antlers, I cut them off with a small folding saw and just bring them out with a small amount of skull.

By the way, I'm 50 years old, have had 15 broken bones, blown out an ankle, pulled 4 muscles in my back and I can manage this. I've never allowed the word "can't" to be in my vocabulary. Like I said, unless you're handicapped you can improve your level of physical conditioning. I run 5 miles a day and lift weights 3 times a week. Additionally, I carry a back brace, a knee brace and an ankle brace in my truck so when I hurt, I can address the issue.

Lead, follow or get out of the way!

You obviously have the experience to do this. I have never done it before. And my handicapped back, I could not haul out 60 lbs.

And your leaving the trophy behind !!!

How do you figure I'm leaving the trophy behind? If I want to mount it I can always cape it in the field and just bring out the antlers and cape. That's all the taxidermist needs. They don't need the whole head. Take a few pics of it before skinning, maybe a few measurements like eye to nose distance and neck circumference and the taxidermist can do the rest.

Besides, these days I'm interested in the meat. Antlers no longer hold any special place for me. I've got a rafter in the garage full of racks from deer, elk and pronghorn. And if you can't handle 60 lbs, then make the loads lighter. 60 lbs works for me, make your loads 30 lbs and make a few more trips. Bottom line, if you can walk in and hunt alone, you can get the game out alone. You simply adapt and overcome. Never quit!

+1 FLAGS!!! I'm 66 and helped backpack out 2 bulls and 2 cows in Wyoming last month, along with a few deer and antelope, and I also have a ruptured disk in my lower back that happened back in 1986. If you want to hunt elk, you can get it done. Granted, a few helpers shortens the task after one is down, but you carry out what you can and make as many trips as necessary. I can't carry more than about 40# out at a time so the rest gets hung up in the shade like you mentioned and eventually all is at the truck in coolers and ready to haul home or to a processor.