How far away?

[Tradewind]

You guys crack me up. “I enjoy the hike”.. yeah, me too for maybe the first half mile while my hips feel mostly normal.

come visit

 

[The Hedgehog]

 

[hank4elk]

Have not packed one out in years. Last one was a bull ,solo a few miles in. Took me 3 days to get all of it in truck, boned out.
My last 6 elk have been shot within truck range,2 on public lands...one cow landed in the road.
This lil gal last year fell about 600 yards from the pinion she was hung in.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

My friend killed his first elk (a cow) 3 miles from the truck, at about an hour before dark. We got it packed out in two trips, bone in. Long night but was a great time. Helped that it was relativiely flat too.

A couple years ago I packed out a mature cow solo, on two trips. Only a third of a mile to the truck but the second load was both hind quarters, bone in, in my Metcalf. I feel like that was pushing the limits of my pack. Whats the most elk you guys have packed out in one go?

 

[BuzzH]

I've packed the fronts, straps, loins, and drug both hinds on several...out in one trip. Sucks to do, but for various reasons I have done it.

I've packed a few cows, boned, in one trip...also sucks to do.

Carried 2 bone in hinds and a bone in front off a spike in one trip too...guy I was hunting with managed to pack one front and the back straps. Pretty nice of him, since it was his elk.

Lots of times I've packed a half, some boned out, some not.

I'm getting old, I would rather make an extra trip than pack more weight in exchange for one less trip. I really don't mind the packing part of it, never have.

Most I've taken out in one trip is 2...on a plastic sheet my Dad's neighbor, who used to work at a plastic molding company made. Slicker than chit, literally, and worked awesome.

 

[BuzzH]

Used the same thing on a whole cow moose as well...worked great again. All about the right conditions.

 

[T Bone]

Great thread!

I've been directed by the wife to make sure we get a cow or calf this year. The mature bull from last year was a bit gamey.

 

[WyoDoug]

This is the way I like it LOL. Around 1992 or so, I was hunting Meeker area in Colorado and was just about to level my camper when a herd of cows came by and didn't seem too worried about me. I got my rifle out and had to search for my bullets and somehow all that didn't scare them off. I shot a cow off Strawberry Creek outside of Meeker less than 200 yards of where we camped at. Shocked the hell out of everyone when they got there and I already had one hanging. Happens that I got there on while season was in full swing. Never seem to be that lucky if I scout a day or two before hand which I usually like to do. Man I like luck like that. Congrats. I have never seen that kind of lucky shot since.

 

[mtmuley]

I've had an easy one or two. B tag. 12 gauge shotgun. Neighbors hayfield. mtmuley

 

[mtmuley]

And not as easy. This one was 7/10ths of a mile from the truck.1700 vertical feet. mtmuley

 

[WyoDoug]

LOL love all the close shots. I got a story and it is really a true story of when I shot my very first elk. We were hunting Little Hills which is Colorado deer area 22. My family has always been almost exclusively deer hunters. I had been going with my dad since I was able to walk pretty much. When I reached my teens I was seeing these dark brown deer with huge massive antlers. At the time I didn't know what elk were. My dad thought I was telling fables of some type. When I turned 16 I bought not only my very first real deer license, but also an elk license which back then residents could get fairly easy over the counter. My dad chewed me out and told me I would never see an elk there and it was a waste of money. I don't remember what it was back then, but I think the license was maybe 20 buck or so?

Anyways, I was walking down a finger on a deer drive we did back then and stumbled upon a 4x5 bull bedded on the side of a draw. I took my careful aim with my Winchester 30-30 I had back then and hit the bull elk right in the shoulder as he stood up. He went about 150 yards and died right smack in the middle of the road. My dad gave me a pat on the back and said he would never tell me I can't buy anything again. I also got my doe deer shortly after. That was good memories. My only regrets is my family was not much on pictures, so no pictures of that trip. Took all of us to lift that bull up into the back of my uncle's vehicle back then. We didn't quarter nothing like I do today.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Great stories here!
Matt

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

I’ve had one cow tag , my shot was 274 and it was longer than the pull to the nearest logging road , we hooked up several ropes and pulled it out whole , how far isn’t as much of a concern in Oregon with
Roosevelt’s

 

[MT.PERCHMAN]

For a great tasting Cow ...guess my limit would be about five miles or so . Some of my Elk were close and some just a little to far !! Lol

MT.PERCHMAN

 

[Western Traveler1]

LOL love all the close shots. I got a story and it is really a true story of when I shot my very first elk. We were hunting Little Hills which is Colorado deer area 22. My family has always been almost exclusively deer hunters. I had been going with my dad since I was able to walk pretty much. When I reached my teens I was seeing these dark brown deer with huge massive antlers. At the time I didn't know what elk were. My dad thought I was telling fables of some type. When I turned 16 I bought not only my very first real deer license, but also an elk license which back then residents could get fairly easy over the counter. My dad chewed me out and told me I would never see an elk there and it was a waste of money.

I think 22 would be even easier today to drop one on/near a road. I wouldn’t mind another 3rd season deer tag there...

 

[WyoDoug]

I think 22 would be even easier today to drop one on/near a road. I wouldn’t mind another 3rd season deer tag there...

Yup. It's roaded about every half acre now. Last time I tried to go in there they were running so many cattle it was impossible to hunt.

EDIT: I want to add, there are a LOT of deer in that area and north which I think is area 11 between Meeker and Rifle. I never went long without tagging on on deer between those areas and 22. If you go to the BLM office in Meeker, the field near that building usually has a couple dozen deer.

 

[mtmuley]

I remember when I was young and I killed a forkhorn muley a loooong way up one of the West side Bitterroot drainages. I'm thinking at least 4 miles, probly more. Lost a lot of blood and damn near some teeth in a fall after killing the little buck. Good thing my bud Steve was with me or I might still be laying up there. Sure was fun though. No magnums, no rangefinders, no wonder bullets. Core-Lokts and go hunting. I probly wouldn't kill a forky back there these days but when young, distance don't matter. mtmuley

 

[WesternRookie]

Assuming the weather isn’t a prohibitive factor, i.e. the meat is going to spoil and you are packing meat and not meat + camp.

Assuming a solo packout.

Boned out
5 hours 1 way would probably be my absolute max. You can get a cow elk boned out in in 2 trips. So 15 hours of packing. On a relatively mellow/flat trail/logging road 8-10 miles.

Bone in
3 hours from the truck, assuming it takes 3 trips to get the cow out.

I think 3-4 is a reasonable limit.

Are there any states where you have to take the bones?

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Are there any states where you have to take the bones?

Not for elk. Caribou and moose in some Alaskan units.

 

[FlatlandHunter]

I got my 2nd elk ever last fall with my muzzleloader. It was a 30 yard shot and my camp was 7.19 miles in, verified by GPS track function, from the trail head. I was solo and got all the meat out in about 34 hours in 3 trips. I figure it was about 7 miles to where I shot the cow since it was back towards the trailhead .6 miles then up the mountain a ways. I ended up really sick after the last load because I ran my body into the ground getting her out. Next time I will bone the elk out and see how I feel between trips. I should have eaten more and put some electrolyte mixes in my water. Had a hiker congratulate me on my success and ask if I needed something to drink, I must have looked pretty bad on the last trip.