How many trips for a solo pack-out

[npaden]

3 trips is doable if you have good terrain, a good pack, and you don't have much in your pack to start with when you knock it down. They are going to be some pretty heavy packs but not stupid heavy.

4 trips is more likely if you have a decent amount of stuff in your pack to start with and you have some fairly difficult terrain features to deal with on your way out.

5 trips would generally include a pretty heavy pack or even a camp that needs packed out along with the elk. Maybe a full cape job as well. If you are hauling 5 loads of just elk then you are hauling some pretty light loads.

In my experience 4 trips is the most common, or actually 2 trips splitting it with a friend.

 

[WapitiBob]

Separate the hind at the end of the femur, takes 12” off the “normal” hind qtr length and nothing but tendons holding the joint together.

 

[rjthehunter]

Unless you're close to the truck, I see no reason why you wouldn't debone it. Unless you have a group of 3 or more people and the walk isn't that bad, I'd rather take less trips. With what was figured, 60lbs is almost a trip...

 

[ashersdad]

I'm usually at 4 trips if I have a camp to pack out or 3 without. That's with the skull capped as well. As others have mentioned, a buddy or two can make a world of difference. Especially if it's a long/steep packout. Either way, it's a great sense of accomplishment getting that last load of prime meat to the vehicle. Good luck!!

 

[bailey68]

By yourself id plan on 4 trips with a good pack and some good boots.

 

[Steelhead]

Usually 4 for me but if you eff up and shoot a big one then you gotta take a cape too so maybe 5

 

[The Hedgehog]

I would say 4 is a safe bet if you're a strong backpacker. 3 if you are not bringing any bones or the cape. I did 2 trips once, but never again - doubt I could do it in 3 nowadays.

 

[Tradewind]

. I’ve done some in as few as three loads and one was six. Total distance, time of day, your toughness/stupidity. Lots of factors

Exactly

 

[Sytes]

Never elk hunted before but Im looking to try it this fall. Ive been reading and watching videos on the quartering and the pack out. If I go out there alone, how many trips will it take to haul the meat out? guessing one per leg and another or two for other meat and head? more/less? I have butchered a lot of deer cattle and hogs, and worked in a small butcher shop for a couple summers so not worried about breaking one down, just don't want to get in over my head on the pack out and loose any meat. Thanks all. SB

Wheel in a game cart as comfortably far as able... park it off the trail some 50 yards, lock it - tree.

Pack a game roll up sled if hiking a trail a good distance from there. They're great on trails and old roads... Not so over deadfall. They're light enough if considering the time spent packing out w/o a sled.

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If taking a MTN cycle, buy a kid cart that attaches to the rear axle. Cycle in as far as base camp or as comfortably possible, lock it - tree.

Solo, this has saved me countless hours, if not hours, a day +, depending on distance. Still a PITA though hell-of-a lot less of one with ability to cut off repeat pack on back treks.

With a cart or cycle / kid cart, the pack gets a free ride off your back w/ or w/o game - it's a win either way, the roll up sled is a good way to route to the game cart or cycle... Or still much better sledding out a whoop load more per trip then on your back. Cuts it at least in half.

 

[NVnooby]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sage advice above!

My opinion:
4 with a camp.

My advice for the first time you're solo is to make sure you have at least 30% more time per mile than you think you need before you take the shot. Also, snow makes everything except meat care more difficult/time consuming. Maybe it's just me, but I always envision things taking less time than they do! Call it moronic optimism? I think the gallons of broth you can make from the bones make every extra pound worth it.

Can't stress enough what others have already said elsewhere on this forum: one extra, lighter trip may cost you a few more hours, but if it saves you from even the smallest injury it'll be worth it.

 

[jhudson1]

Last year I hauled a large cow out of the bad lands wsa in northern Nevada. It was the muzzleloader season and took 3 trips of boned meat and wasn't what I would call pleasant. As many have said previously, try to plan for anything that will be a detriment to the meat. I was lucky and the wind was blowing hard that day or I might have wasted some meat.

 

[jhudson1]

I didn't mention the next mornings trip to retrieve some gear.

 

[Bugle 'Em In]

For me personally, it'll be 3-4 loads depending on how wore out I am from the season grind and distance from vehicle.
Trip 1 is my pack / gear & boned out fronts. *Important to have a quality pack so your initial trip back to the truck isn't wasted, pack it heavy!
Trip 2 is hind & cut meat
Trip 3 is hind & rest of cut meat & antlers
*Trip 4 if I choose that route is cut meat & antlers instead of packing that out with hind qtrs. The older I get, 4 loads is fitting me better.

 

[LCH]

I've done a cow in 2. That kinda sucked. Not too terribly steep but lots of deadfall=no fun.

The last one I killed, I had help and we did it in 3 trips (so 1/6th of an elk in the backpack each time). That one didn't even seem like work.

 

[Salmonchaser]

I’ve done it 42 or 44 times on my tag, did four extra this fall for friends. God knows how many in total. Last time I did a bull in two trips was 30 years ago, I was 35. Dumb.
Most of my elk are killed in the same canyon. Last 1/2 to 3/4 mile you gain about 1200 feet. I’m very content to take it out in four trips working by myself. If the “kids” come in to help that’s fine, still do four loads hope the youngsters can keep up on the trail.

 

[WildWill]

Unless you're close to the truck, I see no reason why you wouldn't debone it. Unless you have a group of 3 or more people and the walk isn't that bad, I'd rather take less trips. With what was figured, 60lbs is almost a trip...

I prefer to keep the bones in especially if the weather is cooperating or the trucks close. Bones add a lot of flavor and expand the variety of dishes one can make bone in shoulder roast, game stock, osso bucco, bone marrow, Etc. I agree with leaving anything that's going to end up in your trashcan on the mountain but I also believe in using as much of the animals I kill as possible.

 

[Slm864]

Some others have already said it, but a good pack goes a long way in determining how many trips you can haul your meat out in. Nothing will make you regret a heavy load more than a cheap ass pack that doesn’t fit properly. I learned that the hard way on my first ever pack out. Had a $40 freighter pack with basically no padding and was miserable for days after. I feel you can make less trips with more weight if your gear allows for it as well as the terrain.

 

[Rzrbck918]

From my very limited experience, the only advice I can give is don't overload yourself. More trips is almost always going to be a better outcome and experience.

 

[Trial153]

Three is pushing it for me unless its a cow. Four is my number

 

[Nick_CO]

Off trail matters! Years ago I shot a cow elk only about 1.5 miles from the truck, but it was all off trail with lots of deadfall and obstacles. Three trips turned into about 8 miles of off trail travel through nasty terrain with a heavy pack. Cannot imagine doing that in 2 trips, that's over 100 lbs per trip and I'm not putting my body through that. Maybe, just maybe if it was all on trail I would try two trips but 60-70 pounds constantly climbing over log jams in the dark is bad enough.