packing an elk out

[bnsafe]

ok, another stupid question but us flatlander newbies don't always know, I just saw paul post that they have packed out numerous elk in a badlands 2200 pack. this pack looked like a daypack with no storage compartment. obviously I was wrong, so how do you guys pack out your elk, frame pack, frame pack with large storage bag, etc, and do you strap the antlers on or how do you do that. im not asking the question quite right but you kinda get the drift. thanks.
for the record I have a framepack and a large compartment bag, I was gonna put the meat in bags, then in plastic bags, then in the comp bag and go instead of taking the bag of my frame. is that a mistake.

[treestanding]

Great question!
I have yet to pack out an elk, but that's all going to change this year
I would like to hear from people with firsthand experience. I have made a lot of assumtions on how we would do it, but would love to get more info.

[ElkNut1]

Click on the ElkNut Forums name above, you will see me with close to a 100# load of meat, antlers & my all day gear + water in an X2, this is exactly what a 2200 can do! There is a flexible seat on both these packs outside the pack that will contain loads away from your inside pouches & bags! Here's another view where you can see the seat & straps!

ElkNut1

[Swede]

I use a Cabela's Alaska pack frame with the sack. I would not recommend them, but they are cheap. They are not very adjustable, but must fit someone.

[elkflunky]

Working several years in a meat packing plant, first thing I wouldn't do is put the meat in plastic bags. I have packed out elk, deer and bear and my experience is to bone the meat out, put it in game bags and put it in your pack. I don't even gut the animal until the very end. The only reason to partly gut it is to pull the inside tenderloins out. A small tarp comes in handy to keep the dirt off the meat but the hide can also be used for that. Main thing is to keep the meat as clean as possible, keep the flys off from it, and let the air get to it so it can cool as best as it can. People panic at temperatures sometimes and it is important to let it cool and keep it somewhat cool but they neglect other factors for the care of the meat. It cracks me up to see people with big slabs of a carcass tied to their pack, bones and all. That is a ton of extra weight. The last elk I packed out I was boning it out as two others were doing all they could to keep up. Their job was to put the meat in game bags and into the pack fram frame. I love packing animals out and teaching others how to prepare everything.

[wideangle]

Like Sweede we use a Cabela's Alaska Pack Frame. It does fit me well. We usually bone our elk kills before packing out.

[dotman]

I use caribou game bags and put boneless meat in a gen1 Kifaru hanging meat bag or a silnylon sack. I also take contractor garbage bags if I may need to submurge the meat in water. This year Kifaru released a gen2 that is half the price of the old gen1 hanging meat bag. I don't see why this couldn't be used on non Kifaru packs, especially frames to protect the meat and keep up high.

The key is to try and keep meat up high in your pack and not let it ball up in the bottom.

Prior to doing the above I just put the meat in game bags and used straps to strap in on, usually required multiple readjustments.

[elkmtngear]

Like Swede and wideangle I use the Cabela's Alaskan Frame. I pack my spike camp in with it by cramming my Day Pack, and the other gear crams into dry bags, and it all lashes to the Frame.

I like hunting with just the day pack....but that means I have to make a trip back to spike camp to get the frame when we get a bull down.

[cnelk]

Use what you afford to pack out meat.
I would recommend some sort of daypack at least to take some meat out in your first trip

I have the same Alaskan frame pack, another old pack frame only, and another internal frame pack.
The all suck when hauling meat. Some just suck more

Last year I used a Kifaru to pack meat. It was prob the nicest pack I ever used.

[RockChucker30]

There are a lot of ways to pack meat, and a lot of it will depend on the conditions when you kill plus your distance from the truck.

Last year my killsite was a little over 3.5 miles from the trailhead so I boned it out, and it was relatively warm despite the rain so I got it out that day instead of taking my time.

I used the caribou gear carnivore bags which worked great and a Kifaru Timberline 1 which worked ok at best. It was murder with more than 70 lbs.

Since then I've done a lot of pack testing and if I had to pick a reasonably priced frame pack to haul meat it'd be the Kelty Cache Hauler. It beats the Cabelas Alaska Outfitter Frame by a wide margin. It's one of the two most comfortable big load packs I've tried.

[ctdad]

Rockchucker, what was the other?

[Bowhunter]

I have the Cabelas Alaskan pack and have tried to get it adjusted to fit. I feel like I have a stiff board strapped to my back and it kills my hip. I used a Badlands 2200 last year and like it so much better. I have been walking 3 miles 3 times a week with 60lbs and plan to step up the weight 10lbs in July and 10 more in August. Practicing whith the weight and on some hills made last year much more bearable. The only thing worse than packing meat is NOT packing meat.

[bnsafe]

thanks guys, I had the Alaskan frame also til the dog got ahold of it, got a alps commander now. think I will just put the meat in game bags, then plastic const bags so I don't get blood all over the inside of my bag, then put it in the large comp bag. my other choice is to take the bag off and just use the frame but its a pain to get the bag off so wont be doing that. more straps is a must for me now.

[elkflunky]

Big mistake to put it in plastic bags unless you use them to submerge the meat in water to cool like dotman said but what do I know.

[Migolito]

I Bivy hunt, so, my camp/gear and animal all need to be packed out. My bivy hunting pack is a Badlands 2200. I pack in my camp with it, empty it out, and then hunt with it on with minimal stuff inside. When I down an animal I bone out the meat, pack maybe 50 lbs on/in the pack and hang the rest (or, if a steam is nearby I'll submerge the rest of the meat. I carry two heavy duty plastic contractor type garbage bags for submerging. Anything I hang goes into my homemade Alaska type game bags. When I get the meat back to the truck I switch out and use my packframe to get the rest of the meat/camp. I never try to carry 100lbs of anything.

BTW, there's no such thing as the "best" pack. Each maker configures and makes thier packs differently, so, even though a Badlands 2200 fits my body well, it may not fits yours the same. If your pack shopping, try them on and put weight in them when you do.

[dotman]

Big mistake to put it in plastic bags unless you use them to submerge the meat in water to cool like dotman said but what do I know.

X2, if anything put your gear in the garbage bags and rinse out your pack bag when done.

[elkmtngear]

Big mistake to put it in plastic bags unless you use them to submerge the meat in water to cool like dotman said but what do I know.

X2, if anything put your gear in the garbage bags and rinse out your pack bag when done.

X3 !

[CrazyElkHunter]

We are old school. Been using freighter frames for over 35 years. The 3rd picture, my friend did not want to make a 4th trip and threw a front shoulder on top of the head and cape of my 2012 bull. His name is Merle, we now call him 'Mule"'

[bnsafe]

holy cow that's a load. so no plastic bags even if your just carrying it out then putting the meat in a cooler. I was thinking throwing it in the plastic bag right before I headed out, just the load im carrying, then dumping it when I got to the truck. that's gonna make a mess out of my bag I would think

[cnelk]

I killed a cow once when I was by myself.
I used all my game bags for the quarters to hang in a tree.

To carry the loose meat out, I opened up my foil survival blanket and put the backstraps, loins, and neck meat in that and wrapped it up and packed it out that way in my day pack.
I had a 3 mile hike out that took about an hour, and the meat was fine

If I had much further, I would have just dunked the package in a small stream on the way out

[bnsafe]

that's what I was thinkin, just put it in bag long enuf for trip out. don't wanna ruin my bag.

[elkflunky]

You do what you have to do with what you have sometimes but I would not put meat in a plastic bag to pack out unless I absolutely had to. If you are not careful with what bags you use some are actually treated. I have packed many critters out and never ruined a pack. Everyone has their own style so whatever works for you.

[Bowhunter]

I put my elk in game bags and strapped it to my Badlands 2200 last year. I got blood all over it. i went down to the stream and rinsed it well that night. I then deboned the meat and put it in the cooler the next morning. I also took my Badlands to the stream with a little soap and washed it by hand. All of the blood came out probably because I didn't let it dry on the night before. I hung my pack up in the dry Colorado air and some sunlight. It was dry in no time. I hope to repeat that this year

[CrazyElkHunter]

I made a heavy canvas bag to fit on the pack frame. Now all I do is drop the 1/4 bags of boned out meat inside. To keep the blood from ruining the pack bag, we do put the 1/4 bags of meat inside plastic garbage bags for the pack out only. We remove the meat as soon as we get to camp. We usually bone everything out if possible, and meat cools down faster once off the bone. My hunting buddy from Texas has had a similar bag on his frame for several years, used the plastic bags, and we never lost any meat. Last year we did carry out 1/4s instead of boning due to it being a very hot morning, only to make packing faster. Meat was at the processor's by 3:00 that afternoon. I have never lost 1 ounce of elk meat from poor handling. I did loose part of a hind 1/4 to a bear once over 25 years ago. I made a poor shot, it started raining and the bear found him 1st.

Somebody say MMMM-Elk Burger! I shot this bull on August 25th last year.

[Buglemaster]

My cabelas Alaskan pack has worked for me on several occasions. Mabe not the most comfortable pack but it will do the job. Also have a 2200 badlands, but haven't got to load it up (yet) I generally hunt with the 2200 on my back & will take out the first load in it when it happens. That Alaskan will hold more than I can carry. Sept ever gonna get here?

[CrazyElkHunter]

These are some of the homemade heavy 1/4 bags I make along with the chili powder I use to detour meat bees and flies while your working on the elk. I end up making several every year for friends. They are large, strong, washable and only cost about $5.00 each to make. Material is from painters drop cloth that I buy at Lowes, and small nylon rope attached for a tie off.. Chili powder is under a dollar each at WalMart.

[cnelk]

My cabelas Alaskan pack has worked for me on several occasions. Mabe not the most comfortable pack but it will do the job. That Alaskan will hold more than I can carry. Sept ever gonna get here?

Some good info right there...

Below are a couple pics of my Alaskan pack in action with 110# of moose head / cape and antlers, and 1/2 deboned bull elk

[Z Barebow]

This pic is my final trip on 2009 packout.

I am like one of the posters above. I don't think there is a one pack solution for every situation. (Backpack/hunt/packout meat).

My backpack/hunting pack is a Kifaru Siwash. Big enough to haul ~ 8 days of stuff, compacts down and rides low for hunting. It will carry my first load of meat out. Once at the truck, I grab the frame.

This is boned out front shoulder, hind and rack.

[aron]

The problem with putting warm meat in a plastic garbage bag is that condensation/moisture will form and thats what will cause bacteria to grow and spoil the meat. The plastic bags won't allow the meat to cool as quick as a game bag would which allows the meat to breathe. Like dotman said, use the plastic bags for your gear unless submerging in water to cool the meat.

Isn't a little blood good on the packs anyways?

[elkflunky]

Amen Aron! I am totally with you on this one and not to mention some plastic bags are treated. I don't want to eat the chemicals from the plastic bags if they are treated. Just saying be careful on what plastics bags you do use if you do. The meat WILL spoil much quicker in plastic bags. Everyone has their style but I wouldn't advise using them if you didn't have to.

[flyinhunter]

The best backpack I've ever used was a Mule

[Migolito]

The best backpack I've ever used was a Mule

And you can eat them in an emergency

[flyinhunter]

The best backpack I've ever used was a Mule

And you can eat them in an emergency

Back in the old days we had a guy around by the name of Annson Eddy. He would take a pack mule into the Thorofare in the fall and hunt and trap all winter. Half way (or whatever) through he would shoot the mule and eat it all winter. Then in the spring time he would stash his pelts and snowshoe out. He'd hang out in town till the pass opened and buy a new mule and head in to grab his pelts then turn around and come out. Then start the process all over again. He was a pretty interesting character.

[welka]

A mule can get anywhere a human can. I would use one any chance you get!

[cnelk]

A mule can get anywhere a human can.

Only if they want to

[six]

My first year bow hunting elk my hunting partner shot a bull. We found it, lost it in the dark, then found it again the next morning. We quartered it, put it in plastic bags not knowing any better. When we got to the processor in town (Laura's Corner) the meat cutter was upset. He politely told us not to use plastic and gave us some used game bags that he had washed. He said if we would have put the meat in the bags warm it probably would have spoiled.

We always figured a little blood on your pack was kinda like a status symbol between those that know how to hunt and those that don't.