hauling out elk

D-Bone · Sep 29, 2003

Last year I was hunting the North Slope in Utah and shot a bull a good mile from the road. Well another hunter came over shortly after to check things out and offered to let me use his deer cart. Well, this was the coolest thing ever. I went back the next morning and with the help of my wife, I was able to haul out the elk in under 2 hours with this cart. I was sold on it, and picked one up at Smith & Edwards for this year. It is a military style gurney with bicycle tires and a good solid frame. Picked it up for $85 and would recommend it to anyone that hates dragging like me. The year before last, I had to drag out a five point nearly 2 miles with the help of a buddy and it took us about 12 hours. I wish I would have had this cool gurney. Just wanted to know what everyone else uses to haul out their elk, except for the obvious..horses.

Safe hunting and good luck to all....4 days and counting!!

D-Bone

dutch · Sep 30, 2003

I have thought of getting one of these so when my horses are out of commission I at least have something. How are they going up hills? Hard to push/pull? what about getting around in brush, rocks, etc. Let me know.

bowboy · Sep 30, 2003

I use a backpack frame. I've hauled out quite a few elk and deer from the wilderness, usually about 6 miles in. I don't think one of those carts would have worked, too much dead fall, deep canyons and creeks to cart them out on one of those. If that works for you in your area, that is great but I would definately recommend a pack frame. Alot easier in my mind, and less gear to worry about. Either way it's alot of work, but always seems worth it in the end.

NV4x4 · Sep 30, 2003

I am just getting ready to buy a pack frame for my elk trip this year. I was looking at those carts but I think where I go it would be too hard to get through the trees and dead falls.

chambero · Sep 30, 2003

Carts and any other type of mechanism with a wheel are illegal in any designated wilderness area. I was about to buy one before I accidently found this out.

sage_mule · Sep 30, 2003

I'm in an area that has lots of brush and downfall also. I don't think I could use a cart. I just quarter and debone the elk. One trip each for the hindquarters; one trip for both the front shoulders and small amount of scrap meat; and one trip for the bulk of the scrap meat (neck meat, rib meat, backstraps, ect.).

Total about 4 or 5 trips. Sometimes have to make two trips for the scrap meat.

Modi · Sep 30, 2003

Thanks to the Uinta National Forest ban on game retreival using anything mechanical, I would say cut it up and pack it out!

fletch · Sep 30, 2003

The pack frame and some effort is my method. Whatever method, if it works and makes it easier Im for it. Last year my brother killed an elk about 300 yards from a gated logging road. We quartered it packed it down to the logging road. Then we rode our mtn bikes in with a kiddie trailer and peddled it out 2 miles in two trips! it was a 6 pt so a decent sized animal. I was amazed at how easy the bike trailer made it. but doesnt work in all situations.

NV4x4 · Sep 30, 2003

What kind of pack frame does everyone use? I'm currently looking for one and looking for suggestions.

tallelkman · Sep 30, 2003

If you say you can't have anything wheeled in a wilderness area that means bikes would be ban. Using one of these pull carts is not ban in any part of Utah. The Uintia national forest ban is only agianst motorized vehicles, not push carts.

nmtaxi · Sep 30, 2003

NV4X4,
I've been researching packs for quite a while for an alakan moose hunt next year, and the best external frame pack I can find are the bull-pacs. http://www.bullpacs.com/ Everybody I know that uses them, say they are by far the best pack frames they've ever used. For an internal frame, I don't think you can beat a Badlands.

Dan

TheKnack · Sep 30, 2003

My God you mean you dragged a (whole) 5-point bull 2-miles!
I feel for you. Ouch.
No wonder why it took 12 hours.
Packframe or horses if you have the $ is the only way where I hunt as well.
Did use a plastic sheet snow sled one year in deep snow and it worked surprisingly well.
Best,
Jerry

HGHCOUNTRY · Oct 1, 2003

The bullpac is a great pac frame. I use a north face internal frame pack my self, but have several friends who swear by the bull pac.
-Hghcountry

BrianID · Oct 2, 2003

If you have enough snow a sled is great. When you get to a hill just jump on for a ride. LOL

nripepi · Oct 2, 2003

bikes are banned in wilderness areas. in most national forests this should be a go.

SoreFeet · Oct 9, 2003

I've used sleds when it's dry out too. makes it a much easier drag. And for the cost of a $5 sled, I don't care if it's ruined when I'm done ;>)

BUL_KRZY · Oct 12, 2003

LAST EDITED ON Oct-12-03 AT 08:44AM (MST)[p]TheKnack basically said what I was thinking! I can't belive you drug a 5 pt bull.. talk about torture! My hunting partner and I keep two frame packs in the truck ready to go, they have meat bags on them and plenty of good cord to tie up with .

Case in point... last Saturday I took a spike bull about 1.5 miles from the truck, but through some rough country, deadfall, rocks..etc. I took the bull at 6PM, it's dark at 7:30. We had the bull fully caped out,cut-up, boned out by 7:30. We carry some essentials in our day packs for the first trip back to the truck. We make each front shoulder into a "suit case" and carry them out to the truck along with the head on the first trip out, carrying as much scrap meat (including backstraps, loins, etc) in ziploc backs in our day packs. We leave everything at the truck, grab the pack frames and go in for the hind quarters, remaining meat, and the hide. Now this last trip is a death march usually, but we've taken even some large bulls out this way (two trips). We had this whole bull to the truck by 9:30PM that night. 3.5 hours from kill to out. Granted we then had to get everything hung back at camp to cool out. Leave all the carcass stuff in the woods for the crows and coyotes. ( we did shoot a coyote not 20 feet from this gut pile the next night!)

Other methods we've used is a two wheeled tree cart on old logging roads to get elk out, but I think the standard game cart is a better method.The tree cart was somewhat obnoxious to balance.

lefty · Oct 12, 2003

I have a cart and it's no good for steep hills, downfalls, etc. However,I hunt an area four miles up a closed road, and use a combo of cart and backpack to get meat out. We backpack the meat down to the road, and then tie the packs onto the cart for the trip back to the gate. It still can take more than one trip, but it's a lot easier than packing out the whole way.

I have a suggestion for an inexpensive packboard, not as good as most commercially made boards, but still not bad. It weighs about five pounds. If you can find a copy of Outdoor Life/October 1994, check out page 116, The Sportsmans Packboard. It shows how to make the pack. Our group uses them and they aren't bad.

NV4x4 · Oct 13, 2003

A good tip someone gave me with pack frames is to use the black rubber bungee cords instead of rope or cord. The quarters usually stick to the bungee and it keeps constant pressure on whatever your hauling so it doesn't shift climbing over and under things.

AntlerKing · Oct 13, 2003

Horse all the way, I shot my spike by 2:30pm on friday and was back in camp with him by 5:30pm. A horse is the only way to pack out an elk.

ironhead · Oct 15, 2003

I use the cabelas alaskan pack frame with four six foot tie down straps. two up and down and two across the frame and there is absolutely 0 load shift . Ironhead

Idahoelk · Oct 15, 2003

A horse is great IF you have one if not a good packframe does a great job. It might take a few trips but will be great memories in the off season.

Azhunter22 · Oct 15, 2003

Speaking of a deer cart this year my brother got his cow elk about 3/4 of a mile of of the road and i was the person that ended up draggin it most of the way back to the road. My brother is to short and couldnt get any leverage to pull it so me being the tallest of my 2 brothers i had to drag it, with a little help from them, fun times that was. LOL. >>>>>Justin

Wallow · Oct 15, 2003

I agree that the preferred method to pack out elk is on a horse but when you have to get down and dirty I would recommend the Bullpac. Both my brother and I use them and they are light weight and can pack a load. I packed out a 340 bull head, cape and all on my bullpac about 4-5 miles for a buddy that shot it in a hole. The pac weighed well over 100 lbs and I was a sore puppy for a few days but never could have done it without the bullpac. They have a lifetime warranty I believe. I will post a picture later.

Wallow