Stupid question .....but I don`t know
 

Having never hunted anything bigger than whitetail, how in the heck do you guys get big game out of the woods? I mean I see pictures of moose, elk, bear and such that you harvest and just wonder what your next move is after the picture taking is over.

RE: Stupid question .....but I don`t know
 

Lots ot times the only alternative is to cut it up, put it in meat bags, and pack it out. If it is a really big animal, or a long ways from camp hopefully you have horses. If not, break out the packframe and get ready for several trips.

RE: Stupid question .....but I don`t know
 

I shot my moose about 70 yds off an old logging road. We were able to get the truck back in there. I tied 3/4 inch rope around the antlers, ran the rope through a pulley attached to a tree, and then to the pickup. We were able to get him out to the road. We then had to use a come-along to get him on the trailer...Its not an easy job no matter how its done.

RE: Stupid question .....but I don`t know
 

Well, last year, my small group was lucky enough to down a 6x5, and 2 cows as a herd went by. We were just sitting there discussing our next move, when they came running by. They all fell within 50 yards of each other.

So what did we do? We gutted them(you don't have to do this, but since we knew some would hang overnight, we did it), and quartered them up. You strip the tenderloins, backstraps and then whatever else you like on em. On an elk, there is a lot of meat on the ribs, neck, etc. You put these in a game bag. Now the hard part. We killed them at a little over 9,000 ft., our camp is at 7,300 ft - 2 mile trip one way along a pretty winding trail. Not too steep, but ugly enough in spots. There were 3 of us. So for the rest of that day, and the following morning, we packed quarters out. We all put our rope together, and hung what we couldn't bring out that first day. Yes, that equals 4 trips up and down the mountain to our camp. Plus, someone has to carry a double load, as the bag of backstraps, etc. has to come down too. There is no road access up to the top of the mountain. Needless to say, we rested the following day before going for our deer.

Now, if we would have had horses, it would have been a simple chore, but since we don't, we were the mules. We hunt(rifle) around an area that has a lot of outfitters, and they all use horses. I highly recommend them, especially at altitude.

This year, I am going archery, so will be hunting a bit different.

My suggestion, is get a good frame pack as it makes all the difference in the world. Or, get a nice mountain horse or mule.

RE: Stupid question .....but I don`t know
 

I have hunted elk in the mountains and used packhorses to haul out meat,but have been hunting elk on a friends ranch for the last five years.We use a front end loader to haul animals back to the yard and then hang them from the baleforks to skin them.Myself and my partner killed two big bull moose this year on a lakeshore and were able to drive the truck to within 10' of one bull and 100' of the other.Normally we use quads to haul moose out.

RE: Stupid question .....but I don`t know
 

The only elk I ever shot was pulled out to a old logging road by a atv, then it was loaded into the bed of a truck.

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
P.S. Only Chuck Adams can sit at home and see deer so get into the woods. =;^)

RE: Stupid question .....but I don`t know
 

WHEN WE GO BEAR HUNTING OR ELK HUNTING WE DON'T USE MULES OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN MAN POWER TO BACK OUT OUR KILLS, SLOW AND LONG JOB BUT WELL WORHT IT AT THE END OF THE DAY.

RE: Stupid question .....but I don`t know
 

I've lucked out most of my hunting career. I only had to pack out one deer on foot. Of course it had to be a 300+lbs mulie. I almost had to pack out my first bull elk by foot unitl I talked a friend into using his horse. Everything else, we've been able to get a truck or ATV to the animal.

BM

...Rocky Mountain High...

RE: Stupid question .....but I don`t know
 

Most times have carried out whole carcass. (Deer & Pigs)But can only handle up to about 70-80KG max.
Shot two big Red stags two years ago. Gutted and with head off were 90KG and 97KG Carried the smaller to a clearing 400 metres away and two of us managed to hang it in a tree. Second one, two of us dragged 100 metres to a small clearing. Picked them up with a helicoptor the following day.
On smaller animals I make a backpack out of the carcass by cutting the hocks on the front legs, but leaving the sinews attached.
Then threading the front hock through a hole cut in the hocks of the back legs. The carcass then sits on your back like a pack. Would do for most of your smaller deer species, and also an Elk Spike.
In rougher terrain I only take the trophy (Head, Skin etc.) and the best cuts, I bone out into a backpack. (Back steaks and Hind quarters.) Sometimes pack out the hindquarter whole, slung over shoulders.
Always lots of hard work. Only very occasionally have I had the luxury of a vehicle or Motorbike close at hand.

We have a saying that goes
..."After the hunt, comes the grunt"....

Retreiving your game is the physically hardest part of the hunt.
Don't agree with some hunters who shoot more than they can carry, and leave them to rot.

SOUTHERN MAN.
"GO HARD OR STAY HOME"

RE: Stupid question .....but I don`t know
 

Some we carry , use atv's where we can or 4x4's ,even used horses a few times . Just depends on where we are and what we have .When we were younger we carried everything .