How many trips

Hawkeye said:
I don't know why guys get so bent out of shape if others do things differently them them. I am not offended by anything that Marley or anyone else posted in this thread. Live and let live!

Hawkeye
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I’m not offended especially after finding out the OP is an adult onset hunter. Totally makes sense now.

If you want to go through life purposefully wasting meat that’s your deal. If there’s a heaven and hell I’m sure that will get you a straight ticket to hell.

Jesus doesn’t have time to hear your reasoning for such.
 
SS! said:
I’m not offended especially after finding out the OP is an adult onset hunter. Totally makes sense now.

If you want to go through life purposefully wasting meat that’s your deal. If there’s a heaven and hell I’m sure that will get you a straight ticket to hell.

Jesus doesn’t have time to hear your reasoning for such.
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Oh brother! did you hear my eyes hit the back of my head from where you live?
 
For years I never would have investigated a kill to determine a heart or lung shot but I didn’t kill much back then either due to buck fever. I missed ALOT ? It was once I started hunting cow elk that I began paying attention. But I’ve experienced and or witnessed it all with the many opportunities I’ve had from hunting, being a spotter in my “free guide life” or just being a packer for friends and or family.

I’ve seen more than a few animals get away from shoulder shots. I’ve seen perfect lung/heart shots where surprisingly they’ve ran quite a distance before expiring. Yet I’ve also seen heart and lung shots where they have died where they stood. Including shoulder shots that have left them to die near where they stood.
Regardless to the many different scenarios that I’ve seen transpire, one thing is for certain. Mistakes happen (unintended shot placement) and the more confidence you have in your weapon, the more animals you will kill.
 
Hawkeye said:
This thread has been an interesting read. I grew up primarily hunting deer and we shot them in the shoulder and dragged them out whole. When we killed elk, we would quarter them up with a saw. For the last 10 years, I have used the gutless method on all of the animals I have killed, including two mature bull elk with my bow. We always take the quarters, backstraps and tenderloins. Depending on the animal, we may take neck meat. We never take the heart or liver.

As far as I am concerned, we are complying with the law and respecting the animal. If other guys want to pack out rib meat and the heart and liver, more power to them. If I were hunting in Alaska or another state that required me to do more, I would know the rules and comply.

I don't know why guys get so bent out of shape if others do things differently them them. I am not offended by anything that Marley or anyone else posted in this thread. Live and let live!

Hawkeye
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I'm offended that they say 72 lb of meat comes off a 4 year old buck I didn't think it'd would be that high. YES I take the shanks and neck.
 
BillyBoB said:
For years I never would have investigated a kill to determine a heart or lung shot but I didn’t kill much back then either due to buck fever. I missed ALOT ? It was once I started hunting cow elk that I began paying attention. But I’ve experienced and or witnessed it all with the many opportunities I’ve had from hunting, being a spotter in my “free guide life” or just being a packer for friends and or family.

I’ve seen more than a few animals get away from shoulder shots. I’ve seen perfect lung/heart shots where surprisingly they’ve ran quite a distance before expiring. Yet I’ve also seen heart and lung shots where they have died where they stood. Including shoulder shots that have left them to die near where they stood.
Regardless to the many different scenarios that I’ve seen transpire, one thing is for certain. Mistakes happen (unintended shot placement) and the more confidence you have in your weapon, the more animals you will kill.
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Dear billybob,
Stop being rational.

Sincerely,
SS!
 
marley said:
Oh brother! did you hear my eyes hit the back of my head from where you live?
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No but you might want to get that checked. I feel you have an eye problem. Not being able to see blood to trail, not seeing how much meat you’re leaving, eyes hitting back of head. ???
 
I have packed out early season high country bucks in one load (5 to 8 miles, mostly downhill). Deboned quarters, backstraps, t.loins, heart (if not shot up), ribs (usually lose about a third of one side due to shot damage), shanks and head with cape (on 2 bucks that went to taxi and one more cape I skinned off the head). First buck I mounted I didn't feel comfy skinning cape off skull so I brought it down still attached. I later weighed it at 27#. The next year it was really hot and getting hotter so I did not skin that cape off skull either. Year 3 it was a nice mature buck but didn't plan to mount , so i skinned it out to practice and sell cape to taxi. Ended up sitting in freezer 3 or 4 years till freezer died and trash! I carried that damn thing 8 Mike's! I always have to make second trip for camp. After getting meat down and in cooler I am always spent. Tried to haul ass and get camp down after first high country buck but got caught in hellacious thunderstorm at 11 k ft so I stayed one more night.
 
This was a couple years ago. Full boned out deer, and camp. Did it in one trip. Camp was 4.3 miles deep. The deer was 1 mile deeper from camp on the back side of a ridge.
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mtmuley said:
This is fun. Really separating the badasses from the rest. mtmuley
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You ain’t kidding!

I need to up my game with this next story to join the club.

Back in the day we accidentally realized the 300 RUM could kill a deer just by missing it at close range. The deer would tip over from “bullet miss shock syndrome.” No blood trail, no meat wasted, no worrying….except how to pack out all that meat in less than one trip!

I cannot explain the “less than one trip” but we did it! I want to say it involved a lemon berry ignite and a flatty….but it was way before those days.
 
BLooDTRaCKeR said:
You ain’t kidding!

I need to up my game with this next story to join the club.

Back in the day we accidentally realized the 300 RUM could kill a deer just by missing it at close range. The deer would tip over from “bullet miss shock syndrome.” No blood trail, no meat wasted, no worrying….except how to pack out all that meat in less than one trip!

I cannot explain the “less than one trip” but we did it! I want to say it involved a lemon berry ignite and a flatty….but it was way before those days.
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Like this?
1C396F81-AFE8-4DA5-A33A-8AD0CF6149D7.jpeg
 
It depends on my mood, terrain, and distance. I can do a deer in one trip, but I prefer not to. This year, I was 2.4 miles from my truck. It was super steep and rocky. I was gearing up for one trip when another hunter walked up to me and offered to help me get him off the mountain. There are guardian angels out there. ?
 
dillonhoyt said:
It depends on my mood, terrain, and distance. I can do a deer in one trip, but I prefer not to. This year, I was 2.4 miles from my truck. It was super steep and rocky. I was gearing up for one trip when another hunter walked up to me and offered to help me get him off the mountain. There are guardian angels out there. ?
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I have helped others a few times and received help a few other times. It sure is nice when it happens.
 
BLooDTRaCKeR said:
Back in the day we accidentally realized the 300 RUM could kill a deer just by missing it at close range. The deer would tip over from “bullet miss shock syndrome.” No blood trail, no meat wasted, no worrying….except how to pack out all that meat in less than one trip!
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I'm gonna start using the TV shot like some of these guys. Less to pack and dramatic as He'll. mtmuley
 
In reality for me it depends on the situation. 2 trips for deer by my self most of the time unless it's way the hell back in somewhere then I'll bone it out and do it in one. For elk 3 trips without a cape by myself 4 for a big bull with a cape. I hunt allot so my season is long and I don't try to kill my self when I know I have allot of packing out to do every year
 
Very cool Marley she joined you on your sheep hunt.

I'm likely in the minority but I purposely married a women that doesn't like to do the stuff I like to do (shed hunting/hunting). I enjoy our seperate hobbies.
 
SS! said:
Very cool Marley she joined you on your sheep hunt.

I'm likely in the minority but I purposely married a women that doesn't like to do the stuff I like to do (shed hunting/hunting). I enjoy our seperate hobbies.
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I'm the same way. That was the only hunt she has ever been on. She just wanted to experience the back country of Alaska. She loved it other than when the sheep hit the ground. She cried for the sheep and then cried because she was happy for me.
 
My wife is a little different (as they all are).

She gets mad if we don't fill tags!!!

She doesn't go out of her way to hunt but will most certainly fill her tag when she has one. Deer, elk, mtn goat, antelope have all been filled by her.

She packs her share of the meat too and never wants any left in the field over night. Because of this, we've had some long pack-outs and late night with multiple trips when she shoots an elk.

Even though we have (some) freezers full of meat, she was a little disappointed that the grandsons and I didn't fill my cow tag that I was mentoring them on. Gramps could have killed 4 different times but I really wanted one of them to shoot. Season ended, tag went unfilled.

Sorry, TMI.

Zeke
 
Bookhead said:
And most people that think they have 100 pounds of meat usually have about 40 ?
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Took a coworker on an elk hunt a few years back. He took a run of the mill Gen tag 6 point. Deboned and skull capped the bull. We each took half, with him carrying the antlers. 3/4 mile all downhill pack. I took off with my half and told him we'd meet at the truck. I had time for a nap at the truck before I saw him come out the trees tying flagging on trees. Grabbed my pack and went back up he said he left half of what he had been packing about half way back up the hill. When I got to it he had dropped both the front and rear quarters. All he had in his pack was a backstrap, tenderloin and antlers.

We have not hunted since.
 
mulecreek said:
Took a coworker on an elk hunt a few years back. He took a run of the mill Gen tag 6 point. Deboned and skull capped the bull. We each took half, with him carrying the antlers. 3/4 mile all downhill pack. I took off with my half and told him we'd meet at the truck. I had time for a nap at the truck before I saw him come out the trees tying flagging on trees. Grabbed my pack and went back up he said he left half of what he had been packing about half way back up the hill. When I got to it he had dropped both the front and rear quarters. All he had in his pack was a backstrap, tenderloin and antlers.

We have not hunted since.
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Way too familiar.
 
mulecreek said:
Took a coworker on an elk hunt a few years back. He took a run of the mill Gen tag 6 point. Deboned and skull capped the bull. We each took half, with him carrying the antlers. 3/4 mile all downhill pack. I took off with my half and told him we'd meet at the truck. I had time for a nap at the truck before I saw him come out the trees tying flagging on trees. Grabbed my pack and went back up he said he left half of what he had been packing about half way back up the hill. When I got to it he had dropped both the front and rear quarters. All he had in his pack was a backstrap, tenderloin and antlers.

We have not hunted since.
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I’ve taken a couple forum members moose hunting up here in AK. Have a very similar story. On the plus side I found out I can pack out someone else's moose solo :D
 
mulecreek said:
Took a coworker on an elk hunt a few years back. He took a run of the mill Gen tag 6 point. Deboned and skull capped the bull. We each took half, with him carrying the antlers. 3/4 mile all downhill pack. I took off with my half and told him we'd meet at the truck. I had time for a nap at the truck before I saw him come out the trees tying flagging on trees. Grabbed my pack and went back up he said he left half of what he had been packing about half way back up the hill. When I got to it he had dropped both the front and rear quarters. All he had in his pack was a backstrap, tenderloin and antlers.

We have not hunted since.
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So he had the front and rear quarters, the tender loins and back straps plus the horns. So that would leave you packing out the cape and the neck meat and maybe some other scraps of meat.
Half?
 
notdonhunting said:
So he had the front and rear quarters, the tender loins and back straps plus the horns. So that would leave you packing out the cape and the neck meat and maybe some other scraps of meat.
Half?
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I think when he said “both” he meant both the front shoulder and the hind quarter.
 
mulecreek said:
Took a coworker on an elk hunt a few years back. He took a run of the mill Gen tag 6 point. Deboned and skull capped the bull. We each took half, with him carrying the antlers. 3/4 mile all downhill pack. I took off with my half and told him we'd meet at the truck. I had time for a nap at the truck before I saw him come out the trees tying flagging on trees. Grabbed my pack and went back up he said he left half of what he had been packing about half way back up the hill. When I got to it he had dropped both the front and rear quarters. All he had in his pack was a backstrap, tenderloin and antlers.

We have not hunted since.
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Was it @DoubleDropMuley ? ??
 
SS! said:
Was it @DoubleDropMuley ? ??
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Haha @SS! it wasn’t me, only packed out 1/2 of elk deboned once with you know who, bout killed my azzzzzz, ?, with that sun beating down on ya sucks. Now philosophy is hunt smarter not harder, I’ll walk back to camp and let the horses enjoy the the thrill of a dead critter on their back. But what I’d really like is a tag around the house so I can just back the truck up to it, so much better ?
 
Hawkeye said:
I don't know why guys get so bent out of shape if others do things differently them them. I am not offended by anything that Marley or anyone else posted in this thread. Live and let live!

Hawkeye
Click to expand...
I agree, this thread went sideways for sure. Lots of good info though. I like 2 trips for deer personally. 120 lbs is no fun in rough terrain, too old for that. Neck, rib meat and heart would definitely add another 15 lbs or so I'd say. Shoulder shots are nice and so are lungs/heart. Sometimes I take the rib and neck meat and sometimes I don't, usually depends on circumstances.

Can't beat a smoked neck roast or rib roll, two of my favorite things on a deer.
 
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JB1975 said:
Mule deer aren't the best eating anyways. Pack out as much as you want to as long as it's legal. Good on Marley for being honest.
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I don't know about that. Every big rutty mule deer buck I have eaten has been superb, better than elk and whitetails to my pallet at least. Maybe I am in the minority.
 
Friend and I once got out 2 elk in one trip. The only time I never broke down and packed an elk out. Late AZ Muzzy hunt and we both shot elk right at sunset. Not sure how close to the dirt road we were but I guess 1/2 to 1 mile. By the time we walked up to the elk it was dark and I told my friend to go back to the truck and get our packs as I started breaking down the bulls. Thinking this was going to be the shortest pack out ever. His reply was hell no, I can drive to these bulls. So we gutted the bulls (a first). And walked back to the truck. I walked in front of the truck as he drove to spot boulders in the tall weeds and direct him to the bulls. Tied a rope to them one at a time and drug them to the nearest tree. Tied the rope from the bull up over the cab to the tree and worked the bull into the bed as he backed up. Went to second bull and repeated. That was the easy part. The dirt road was a boulder field that took about 3 hours to get back to a decent dirt road. Got to camp, hung up the bulls around 4am.
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i reread the OP and an average of 60# including the head and cape is a bit disappointing of a figure especially the claim of shooting mature deer.
i shot a skinny dink fork horn and got 40# of meat…just saying that’s a lot of waste. burger meat is burger meat.
 
Rie bread said:
i reread the OP and an average of 60# including the head and cape is a bit disappointing of a figure especially the claim of shooting mature deer.
i shot a skinny dink fork horn and got 40# of meat…just saying that’s a lot of waste. burger meat is burger meat.
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That was 60 lbs PLUS head and cape.
 
SS! said:
No meat @marley you sure got the site worked up over this one! 150+ posts ?
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That’s because it’s February.. we still have a good two months before the “I drew a tag, not looking for any honey holes” posts start and at least 5 months before any horn porn starts showing up! Gotta talk about something in the meantime ?
 
Couple of things.

1. Once I grudge shot a deer that had an ungutted hanging weight of 69 lbs.

2. Making multiple trips is no problem when you hunt from the road.

3. You don’t have to make multiple trips when you shoot an ungutted 69lb 2 point from the truck
 
berrysblaster said:
Couple of things.

1. Once I grudge shot a deer that had an ungutted hanging weight of 69 lbs.

2. Making multiple trips is no problem when you hunt from the road.

3. You don’t have to make multiple trips when you shoot an ungutted 69lb 2 point from the truck
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Suitcase buck, grab a front leg and a back leg and walk out with it.
 
December 31, 2020 - my son's muzzy buck. He made a great 80 yard shot tight behind the shoulder. dropped him in his tracks. No blood trail unless you count the streak in the snow when he slid down the hill. No wasted meat either.

kyle deer.jpg


We boned him out, divided the meat and packed him out in one trip between the two of us about 6 miles including our camps (it was well below zero so we had a lot of gear to keep warm). The pack out sucked!!!

kyle pack.jpg


January 1, 2021 - driving home from his hunt I bagged this whitetail. No shot but ruined all the meat. Buck went about 20' after the hit. Nasty blood trial!

1.jpg


Packed him out 10' in one trip. Was a piece of cake!!

4.jpg


3.jpg


2.jpg


Was still a Happy New Year for me even though I totaled out my 08 F250 since I got to spend a few days in the outdoors with my son. However my wife told me to go ahead and buy a new F150 Raptor so it all turned out good!
 
Deer, sheep, antelope are great because it is always one load even if camp is included. I hate elk/moose because I hate going back for multiple trips.
 
Pinlard said:
Deer, sheep, antelope are great because it is always one load even if camp is included. I hate elk/moose because I hate going back for multiple trips.
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Antelope yes and some deer. But if you can pack out a good ram and camp you are better than most. This ram’s horns, cape, very little meat and gear was enough for me. Friend and kids split up the rest.
E837991F-7860-4F84-BC74-E8070CA1B65F.jpeg
 

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