You call the shot - Yes/No
- Thread starter cnelk
- Start date
JohnFitzgerald
New member
- Mar 31, 2014
- 1,108
This one was going to be easy until you mentioned 5 miles from the truck, 80 degree temp, and being alone. Tough call Brad and it really makes you think.
How about one more option, do we have a creek nearby?
How about one more option, do we have a creek nearby?
JohnFitzgerald
New member
- Mar 31, 2014
- 1,108
At 60 yards, you might end up tracking him for a ways and 80 degrees is really hot. Then 5 miles out is a very long pack. If I passed, I would spend the next 5 days cussing myself out. Tough call....really tough. I would probably never put myself in that situation. Hunt within your means of getting an elk out. But for this scenario, yes I would pass.
huntography
New member
- Dec 29, 2012
- 201
Yes!
After the recovery, quarter, debone, hang bags in tree in the shade, pack out tenderloins & backstraps.
At truck, get reinforcements and a horse if possible.
R
Sent from my Realtree LifeProof iPhone 5 using Tapatalk
After the recovery, quarter, debone, hang bags in tree in the shade, pack out tenderloins & backstraps.
At truck, get reinforcements and a horse if possible.
R
Sent from my Realtree LifeProof iPhone 5 using Tapatalk
The shot distance I have no problem with but that heat issue Although if I was alone and forcast was for that high I probably wouldn\'t have hiked the five miles to tell you the truth all things go into a planned out day. That being said I have been known to travel farther than I thought after chasing bugles :shock: I really can\'t say until at that moment if there is a slight breeze even haning it in the shade of those trees would hopefully make it last that long thats a tough one brad.
Billy Goat
Member
- Sep 5, 2017
- 332
agreed that the heat and being solo is a dealkiller.
frankly, if I think about those factors in advance.... I\'m not 5 miles from the truck on opening morning.
to pack it out solo, it\'d be a minimum of 3 or 4 trips to pack it out, with each of those being a 10 mile round trip (assuming the bull drops in his tracks). I guess if I\'m on a mesa, or if I can DRIVE part of that 5 miles, then that changes the game, but I\'ve rarely found that to be true.
next steps:
1. take great pictures of bull, quietly
2. curse myself for being so far from the pickup
3. mark location on map/gps
4. turn around
5. hunt my way back towards truck
frankly, if I think about those factors in advance.... I\'m not 5 miles from the truck on opening morning.
to pack it out solo, it\'d be a minimum of 3 or 4 trips to pack it out, with each of those being a 10 mile round trip (assuming the bull drops in his tracks). I guess if I\'m on a mesa, or if I can DRIVE part of that 5 miles, then that changes the game, but I\'ve rarely found that to be true.
next steps:
1. take great pictures of bull, quietly
2. curse myself for being so far from the pickup
3. mark location on map/gps
4. turn around
5. hunt my way back towards truck
Well, if I was out there on the opener I must have every intention of hunting so of course I\'d shoot. I\'ve been in a very similar situation. I got the elk out and ate the whole thing but I will admit it didn\'t taste as good as it would have if it hadn\'t been hanging in a shady 75 degrees all day though most people wouldn\'t and didn\'t notice the slightly \"off\" taste.
I\'m shooting. It will be 11:30-12:00 before I had it broke down and hung. Thats giving 30 minutes before tracking and an hour to get it broke down. I should be able to find shade in a position that will be shaded for the rest of the day with the sun overhead or starting past directly overhead. One foot in front of the other after that. Its going to be a long night but at least it will be cooler than the first trip packing out at noon.
Good to see all of the answers.
Many put their personal thoughts into it and thats what matters.
Im shooting.
I carry 2 game bags in my daypack so like Terry said, after he is broke down and hung up
It wont be perfect, but a hind quarter and a front quarter can fit in one bag.
Then Im carrying meat.
That meat wont have a game bag on it. Your first round trip trip will be the hottest.
That shade in the background looks pretty dense. I think its enough to keep the meat safe. Especially if there is a breeze
Maybe you\'ll get lucky and an afternoon shower will come thru and cool things down.
Approx Timeframe:
Since you hiked 5 miles in the morning hunt [~3hours], the terrain probably isnt too bad. Your trip out shouldnt take any longer.
So now its 3pm.
You fuel up at the truck, get any needed gear and head back approx 3:30pm
You arrive at the elk no later than 630pm.
By the time you get your 2nd pack ready for travel it will be 7ish.
Now its decision time...
You know its going be dark when you get to the truck.
Do you prepare the remaining meat for retrieval the next morning or are you doing an \'all-niter\'?
Me?
Im letting the meat hang over night. Its fine right there.
No sense risking anything hiking 20 miles in the dark
I head back to the truck.
You see the truck at ~10pm
I going to rest up and start early.
But thats just me.
Many put their personal thoughts into it and thats what matters.
Im shooting.
I carry 2 game bags in my daypack so like Terry said, after he is broke down and hung up
It wont be perfect, but a hind quarter and a front quarter can fit in one bag.
Then Im carrying meat.
That meat wont have a game bag on it. Your first round trip trip will be the hottest.
That shade in the background looks pretty dense. I think its enough to keep the meat safe. Especially if there is a breeze
Maybe you\'ll get lucky and an afternoon shower will come thru and cool things down.
Approx Timeframe:
Since you hiked 5 miles in the morning hunt [~3hours], the terrain probably isnt too bad. Your trip out shouldnt take any longer.
So now its 3pm.
You fuel up at the truck, get any needed gear and head back approx 3:30pm
You arrive at the elk no later than 630pm.
By the time you get your 2nd pack ready for travel it will be 7ish.
Now its decision time...
You know its going be dark when you get to the truck.
Do you prepare the remaining meat for retrieval the next morning or are you doing an \'all-niter\'?
Me?
Im letting the meat hang over night. Its fine right there.
No sense risking anything hiking 20 miles in the dark
I head back to the truck.
You see the truck at ~10pm
I going to rest up and start early.
But thats just me.
Tenderfoot
New member
- May 8, 2014
- 86
Yes
I am young and tenacious. I came this far in to find and kill an elk! A couple days of hard, hard work is nothing compared to an entire year trying to get the taste of tag soup out of my mouth. :mg:
I am young and tenacious. I came this far in to find and kill an elk! A couple days of hard, hard work is nothing compared to an entire year trying to get the taste of tag soup out of my mouth. :mg:
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
I would probably try to close the gap. It\'s a little out of my comfortable range as a finger/instinctive shooter 
As far as the temps, I know it would still be good hung in the shade for a couple days. And it would take a couple of long days, but I\'d hump it out of there.
As far as the temps, I know it would still be good hung in the shade for a couple days. And it would take a couple of long days, but I\'d hump it out of there.
Stringunner
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 146
\"Still Hunter\" said:
+1
If I\'m hunting there, I\'m prepared to get the meat out. I\'m shooting.
elky McElkerson
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 2,038
Yes!
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