What Is Your Limit

Swede

New member
Mar 4, 2014
1,722
Every time I think about hunting a new area I am mindful of my limits for packing out a medium or large elk. I don\'t care how large the antlers are or how big the body, if I can\'t get all of the meat out, in warm weather by myself, I am not going to locate my tree stand out there.
If it is an uphill pack, 30%-40% slope all of the way, 1 mile or maybe 1 1/2 miles is enough. Slightly down hill, or on a good trail, four miles is doable on my own. I expect to be in good shape, but not super.
What do you perceive as your packing limits under these conditions or the ones you hunt?
 
Before I answer Swede, what do you do with meat once you have it back in camp?
 
My limit is about 6 beers. :)

Not sure of physical limit but my son and I have a goal by next season. A workout of 5 miles, 40lb pack, 35% incline, with 5 minute rest at 2.5 miles.
 
cnelk: I have always loaded it into my truck and hauled it into town and had it cut and wrapped. Remember 75% of my elk are killed in the evening. I never have had a problem with skinned and quartered elk. Sometimes I kill one in the evening and don\'t finish packing out until the next day, but 90% of the time it is all done within 8 hours.
 
The reason I ask is because if the meat is going to hang for a bit in camp, why not let it hang where you killed it?
Take as much as you can out within a day, or even two if the distance is greater.
I realize bears could be a problem, but the elk is dead, your season is over, you got nothing but time.
Another mile of distance shouldnt make a big difference especially if that\'s where the elk are ;)
 
cnelk, you make a great point. I may be overly concerned about getting the meat into a cooler. As we all know, weather is a factor, and shade can have value, but we have reasonable time if we do things right.
Also I may consider extending my packing distance, knowing you can make it to camp in time if I need help. :lol:
 
See what Swede is failing to state is that him and his son might come over to my little piece of heaven next year. That last statement he made was really directed at me!

I\'d help you pack out an animal anytime bud! And if you talk really nice to me, I might just call one in for you. :)

You better start to :train: cuz my piece of heaven is really my piece of hell yeah!
 
John, I\'m busted.
What can I say. PTL, I have you on speed dial. Maybe you can point out some good places for cell phone service too while you are at it. :D
 
I regularly hunt solo anywhere from 1 to 5 miles from camp. I always have a plan though. If I get 3-5 miles in, I\'ll hang it over a creek or put it in heavy duty garbage bags and submerge. I think otherwise meat would certainly spoil in warm weather. Know your area and have a plan for any and everything
 
\"cnelk\" said:
The reason I ask is because if the meat is going to hang for a bit in camp, why not let it hang where you killed it?
Take as much as you can out within a day, or even two if the distance is greater.
I realize bears could be a problem, but the elk is dead, your season is over, you got nothing but time.
Another mile of distance shouldnt make a big difference especially if that\'s where the elk are ;)

This is my routine. Hang in trees, preferably in dark timber where the sun doesn\'t shine much. Even at 75 degree daytime temps, those quarters/ meat bags are good for 3 days. Never experienced spoilage in over 15 years of doing this.

That being said, If I\'m in 3 miles...it\'s a difference of 2000 vertical feet or more to get back up to my camp. At my age, I\'m not going much further in than that...I can get it out in a couple days from that range.
 
The distance has gotten shorter over the years. I always hunted from a hunting cabin in the mountains. When I was young and in great shape I would go any distance it took from the cabin to make a kill. Up to 8-10 miles if needed. As I got older the distance got shorter. Then the cabin burned down, and it all changed. I\'m at a fork in the road of life right now. The left fork is elk hunting, the right fork is retiring. I\'ll need to take one of those forks before the draw is over this year.
 
Still Hunter go for the tag. We can hunt close to camp if we like. It is Still Hunting. :)
 

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