Well, I'm not too sure what terrain you are hunting in, but when I say "quater and pack out" I'm talking vertical territory in Montana and we hike in on average five miles before we hunt, no ATV's or vehicles allowed. I can tell you if you've never hunted this way you will not pack out a mature muley buck for 5 miles up and down. Once you quater and/or bone out you reduce the weight three-fold or more. This is the standard procedure out there, and you do it in one trip, not 4 or 5.