Packing heads

[timberland]

I've see at least 3 or 4 different ways guys have attached heads and antlers to their packs, all that seem awkward for one reason or another. What has worked for you? It does look cool with the antlers sticking 5' above your backpack but I couldn't see myself walking through any kind of timber like that.

[Swede]

I feel like Minnie Pearl did when she was talking about kissing, discussing this subject, but no one else has said anything. I think for packing out a big bull rack, Indian Summer's approach is the easiest and most comfortable over a long haul. With a smaller bull, where you cannot fit between the beams, turn the head around on a pack. For a short pack out in open country you have more flexibility, but I would be anxious not to get shot, if I had the antlers sticking up like some show, if here was a rifle or muzzle loader hunter within many mines of me.

[Swamp Buck]

Funny I was just thinking about how we NEED a new thread discussing the right and wrong way to pack a bull.

Personally, there is no right or wrong, only that you DO!

[Lark Bunting]

I feel like Minnie Pearl did when she was talking about kissing, discussing this subject, but no one else has said anything. I think for packing out a big bull rack, Indian Summer's approach is the easiest and most comfortable over a long haul. With a smaller bull, where you cannot fit between the beams, turn the head around on a pack. For a short pack out in open country you have more flexibility, but I would be anxious not to get shot, if I had the antlers sticking up like some show, if here was a rifle or muzzle loader hunter within many mines of me.

I bought some cheap (closeout) orange vests from Wally World to tie around anything I'm packing out of the woods. We also wore them while moving around during muzzy season last year.

Of course, I haven't ever killed a big game animal and haven't needed them yet, but it came up in our Hunter's Safety course so I figured I'd do whatever I could to protect ourselves if the opportunity arises.

[Wyo67]

[/quote] I bought some cheap (closeout) orange vests from Wally World to tie around anything I'm packing out of the woods.[/quote]

+1 - I even do that during archery season.

[Indian Summer]

You already have what you need without carrying another vest. Everyone should have a roll of fluorescent orange flagging tape to mark where they left their downed elk. It is also a first aid device and can be used to apply pressure to stop bleeding or to attach a splint. Simply hang strands of flagging tape from the rack and you'll be fine.

As with any load you pack it's best to keep the weight tight to your body and not too high as to change your center of balance. Swede is right that you can't always fit the main beams around your shoulders. Some guys just have wider shoulders too. But usually you can. Every rack is a little different. It doesn't have to come all the way around in front of me. You can see in the one pic where the beams aren't that far forward. Holding on to the main beams is a great way to help navigate them through cover and just to keep the weight from swinging around. In a narrow spot I can grab the beam and turn sideways a little and work my way through. The last thing I want is anything sticking 3 or 4 feet out in any direction. I've killed my share of smaller bulls and never had a problem with my method. It came about through trial and um .... suffering. lol

In these pictures I am loaded down to the MAX. if I had less on my pack the rack would have been lower and it would have been even easier. The less you have lashed on the easier it is to position the head the way you need to.

[Indian Summer]

One more, the one from the other thread..... but if I can I prefer the method at the bottom!

[WapitiTalk1]

Did you ask that pony which direction "he" preferred the tines on that rack mister? Well, did you

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[Indian Summer]

LMAO.....

I could tell you a few stories where the answer was no thanks & their actions spoke louder than words! I had one nearly kill himself. Actually we made it all the way to the truck. I tied him to the trailer. Unlashed one side of the rack and that's when things went downhill.... FAST!

The head was unskinned and he looked back over his shoulder and saw this elk, or whatever he thought it was, looking at him from on top of his back. The bucking started and wouldn't stop. Since the head was still lashed to one side it flopped to that side and hit the ground. Ropes everywhere! He kept up the bucking and got the ropes around his back ankles and they started to tighten up. He just kicked harder and put a tine in one side of his ankle and out the other side. That's when the bleeding started. Eventually the ropes became so tight they pulled his hind legs up underneath him toward the saddle.... which forced him to sloooooowly sit down on his rear. When he did he drove the brow tines about 8 inches right into his hams and on the inside of his thighs. Now he was really bleeding like a stuck pig. I talked him into calming down and started cutting ropes. Got everything free, got him in the trailer, and "hauled ass" (no pun intended) back to the ranch calling the vet on my way.

That mule cost me $1000 when I bought him. During the year following that incident he developed and infection and cost me a grand in vet bills. A year later he developed squamous cell carcinoma.... cancer, and had a big tumor between his legs. Most outfitters would call it good and have put him down. But that mule was a good friend and that wasn't going to happen. I hauled him to Missoula where the serious vet clinic is and had surgery done.... another grand. It went well but of course the prognosis was that it could come back any time. It never did and he packed many a bull after that. All's well that ends well I guess. I'm looking at that skull right now.... the entire nose section is missing. It was pulverized on the spot and fell off when I skinned the bull.

Yee haw! lol

I have a few more tales like that one.

[Triplebhunters]

That's how I did mine>>>>>>>>>
I used rope, and think we want to use a netting of some sort and a ratchet strap.

[BFlatlander]

Funny I was just thinking about how we NEED a new thread discussing the right and wrong way to pack a bull.

Personally, there is no right or wrong, only that you DO!

Sounds like a good dilemma to be in. Hope I'm scratching my head this fall wondering how I'm going to get a rack out of the woods.

[slim9300]

Indian Summer's way works great in typical situations where it's thick to semi-thick. The downfall for me is that I cannot sit down with a good bull unless I have a raised log. Considering my partner and I take our elk out in halves and normally have about 120-130 lbs. on our backs, this BLOWS when I have to carry it this way.

When it's open to semi-open I honestly prefer the way it's pictured in my avatar. It looks really odd and cumbersome but it's not. It's so nice to sit at will. I like to stop and sit a lot. I like it so much that I have GPSed a route out of our basin (took many years to figure one out) that hits openings or creeks all the way out and keeps us 100% out of the thick stuff. This allows me to swap the antlers around and be much more comfortable.

Here's my partner doing it the 'traditional' way and trying to get some 'rest' standing up with 120+ lbs. Trust me, he's hurting pretty bad since this is about the 3 mile mark and we're almost to the top of the mountain with 3 to go.

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[Trumkin the Dwarf]

Antlers out over the front shoulders. It gives ya levers to torque the head forward, and thus tighter to your back.

[timberland]

Geez Trumkin- other than the sweat it looks like you had a professional photographer with you. You shoulda made him carry something

[Trumkin the Dwarf]

Geez Trumkin- other than the sweat it looks like you had a professional photographer with you. You shoulda made him carry something

Actually, not far off in your assumption. My brother was there, and for a while was shooting to be a professional photographer (until he sorta sidestepped into a custom tobacco pipe making venture). Anyways, we had 4 guys to pack the elk out, and it was only about a mile (maybe mile and a half) to the truck so my brother got to turn it into a little photo project.

[Indian Summer]

Antlers out over the front shoulders. It gives ya levers to torque the head forward, and thus tighter to your back.

Yep that's my style. I think it really just comes down to the basics of packing. Keep your load tight and low. it has less leverage to work against you and doesn't effect your center of balance.

I'll give you one thing slim9300... you're right about the sitting. But for the most part the hills have enough boulders or downed trees to find a spot that works. Plus you can tilt the beams upward and it's not as bad as it looks when you are actually carrying it. To each his own I suppose but I've tried it both ways & just looking at those pics of racks protruding 4 feet in the air makes my back hurt! Plus all I can think of is some happy go lucky gun hunter seeing that rack skylining and me ending up in the crosshairs. Not a concern in bow season though.

Malachi your brother isn't that great of a photographer... he's just lucky to have such good subject matter to take pics of since you are so photogenic dude!

What's the draw weight on that bow anyway?

[Trumkin the Dwarf]

Malachi your brother isn't that great of a photographer... he's just lucky to have such good subject matter to take pics of since you are so photogenic dude!

What's the draw weight on that bow anyway?

Me good looking? HA!

The bow is 68 lbs at my 32" draw. I absolutely love it.