Are we being realistic?
- Thread starter JEandAsGuide
- Start date
Hilltop
Veteran member
With the number of people you have it will be very possible to pull off the pack out. I don't think you are being unrealistic at all especially since you are hunting in October. However, I believe you would enjoy the hunt more if you had a pack animal to help. They really aren't hard to care for and they make it possible for you to push yourselves wherever you need to go to harvest instead of restricting yourselves because your worried about the pack out. In your shoes I would rent the mule/horse. Good luck and enjoy that hunt!
No and No. My knowledge of the unit is limited to my own research which includes talking to people who are familiar/hunted the unit. I have yet to make calls to the warden and biologist but that will hopefully happen in the next couple days since I will be off work. This is a unit we can hunt at least every other year and we have to start somewhere. I am not committed to one area and I want to be mobile which is why I was leaning towards going in without stock. I just know there could be a very good chance we could end up that far back and am wondering if 5 of us could get it done.
My brother and I dropped two full sized cows in the bottom of a very bad hole in NE OR early one morning, when I was in my 20's. We had a party of 5. Only 4 agreed to pack a quarter out the first afternoon, 4 mi one way, with most up hill, 8 mi total. The next morning only two of us answered the bell, my brother and I each took two quarters in one trip that day. Mid-Nov, so meat care was more about how long we had to let it thaw to process at home than worries about spoilage. My point is yes you can do it, but make sure you know the capabilities of the entire team, it is as much mental as physical. Knowing what I know, and being older, I'd either have a packer on call or check into Llamas. I don't care to care for horses, and have zero experience with Llamas, but have heard from others they are very easy to care for in the back country. If you know for sure all of your team has the attitude, equipment and capability to do the packs you describe, no reason not to give it a go.
Any grizz in the area?
A deboned elk is going to be 200-225 lbs...and if I am humping it on my back that far I would debone it no question. A 100 lbs is all one guy needs and more comfortable with 80 lbs. 5 guys should easily carry an elk out one trip, cape, antlers, the whole 9yrds. Just take the time to cool your meat before packing, and you will be fine.
I think you will be into elk before you reach the 3 mile marker. I would be more concerned about getting hurt that far inn, than packing out an elk. One guy with a brake could end your hunt.
I'd also be willing to bet where you find elk, you wont find many deer. So the deer hunters will either be eating a tag or hunting a different area than the elk hunters.
I think you will be fine, but would line up some stock just incase.
A deboned elk is going to be 200-225 lbs...and if I am humping it on my back that far I would debone it no question. A 100 lbs is all one guy needs and more comfortable with 80 lbs. 5 guys should easily carry an elk out one trip, cape, antlers, the whole 9yrds. Just take the time to cool your meat before packing, and you will be fine.
I think you will be into elk before you reach the 3 mile marker. I would be more concerned about getting hurt that far inn, than packing out an elk. One guy with a brake could end your hunt.
I'd also be willing to bet where you find elk, you wont find many deer. So the deer hunters will either be eating a tag or hunting a different area than the elk hunters.
I think you will be fine, but would line up some stock just incase.
buckbull
Veteran member
- Jun 20, 2011
- 2,167
- 1,353
From one flatlander to another, you going to wish you had a packer lined up. 14 day backcountry hunt is going to be hard enough even without packing out animals. Packing out Elk on day 11 of a 14 day hunt sounds like pure hell to me. I'm pretty beat up after a 6 days in the backcountry. Line up a packer or stock as plan B. Remember, you don't have to use them.
Elkoholic307
Banned
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
I have one and it works fairly well. Rocky terrain and draws/deep cut are a problem. The single wheel ones work good too, but carry less weight than the 2 wheel variety. I use my 2 wheeler more for hauling goose decoys out in the fields I hunt. I also use it for part of my blind.
I don't think we can use a cart. I spoke to the warden the other day he said the state does not consider the area we are going to be a wilderness area but the Forest Service does. We can still hunt it as NR's but it is horse and foot traffic only.
laxwyo
Very Active Member
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
mntnguide
Very Active Member
From what ive gathered from my years living in the wilderness areas....Nothing mechanized or that has any sort of gear and provides someone a "mechanical" advantage. bikes, wheelbarrows, chainsaws, etc...
^ this
Wilderness isn't a non motorized area but a non mechanized area essentially. No wheels chainsaws and other things I'm sure
laxwyo
Very Active Member
mntnguide
Very Active Member
aren't the cams on a bow a mechanical advantage? ..there is definitely grey area, which is why there is always controversy around the true wilderness law. .i just would never bring something like that up to much, cause if the antis get ahold of it, I'm sure they will find a judge who believes in their cause and push it
libidilatimmy
Veteran member
Yeah, but I wouldn't be giving the politicians any ideas.
There's definitely some things left to interpretation in the law now day's since the law is about 50 yrs old.
laxwyo
Very Active Member
We're actually lucky that some of the wilderness lovers are pushing for mountain bikes in wilderness. Heard this recently.
I do not hunt wilderness but I have nothing against keeping some areas as close to pristine as possible. However, I don't see the big deal using a game cart
I do not hunt wilderness but I have nothing against keeping some areas as close to pristine as possible. However, I don't see the big deal using a game cart