Mule Deer - One Trip Pack Out - By the Numbers

AvidIndoorsman

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Managed to find a little buck to take home with me after a week hunting the high country. I didn't manage to find a monster, as I was hoping, but I did take the time to note some specifics about weights and times and hopefully this info will be helpful to others hoping to find big hank.

At no point was I trying to beat a STRAVA record with times, just giving specifics for people interested in how long it takes an average person/intermediate experienced hunter to do stuff.
(All weights are given using a luggage scale, not manufacture's published weights)

I hunted for a week 6 days total with a break in the middle. This first weekend was really rainy. When it's really wet you want more space in your shelter than less. I have a MSR Hubba Hubba, I use it with just a ground cloth and poles, it weights 2.9lbs in that mode. I weathered 3 thunder storms the first weekend, with fairly high winds. Elevation 11,400'
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It's nice to be able to spread your stuff in a dry space. I think the lightest weight commercial option, something like SG Sky Air, tent + vestibule + GL (21oz) would really suck if you had a solid day or two of bad weather, you would have barley enough room for your stuff, you wouldn't be able to sit up, you definitely couldn't sit indian style and eat dinner while the weather raged around you... etc.
I've put two people and a dog in this tent... it works best for just 1 person. If I was to upgrade it would be to Hilleberg, Akto or something that could really handle high winds well.

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Deer, probably 2 1/2 years old ~12,500ft about 4.5 miles from the trailhead. I walked up on the buck at 7:54am, started butchering at 8:10.
By 10:23am, I had boned out the entire animal (gutless method), skinned out the head and removed the lower jaw and loaded my pack for the hike out.
I kept all the required portions, 4 quarters + back straps + tender loins, as well as all the neck meat + ribs meat/rib roll, I did not take the heart/liver/tongue.
Butchering time was 2hr 13min
Total weight of boned out meat was 54.6lbs

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Pack out was around 4.5 miles, around 3500' elevation loss.
Got to the car at 1:15pm
Pack out took 3hr 7min
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Pack with full camp + rifle + entire deer, does not include binos+rangefinder, clothes, stuff in pockets (knife, sunscreen, 10rds of ammo, lighter, pen, head lamp)
Total weight 100.1lbs
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Misc stuff, binos + boots + clothes on back + stuff in pockets
12.6lbs

Specific weights:
Sleep system: bag+ pad + pilllow+ dry sack 3.5lbs
Rifle: 10.1lbs

I had 2 1/2 days worth of food + 1L of water in my bladder at the time I took the final weight.

Would be happy to give further info if it is of interest to anyone.

Hope this helps someone pack for their trip.
 
This place is so interesting. So many different personalities. Never would I think to record and share data like that from a hunt. Cool and very useful post—thanks for sharing wllm. Congratulations on your buck.
 
This place is so interesting. So many different personalities. Never would I think to record and share data like that from a hunt. Cool and very useful post—thanks for sharing wllm. Congratulations on your buck.

I know, right? wllm has me feeling like I'm not putting near enough thought into my process. He also has me dying to know what's in his pack, other than 54.6 lbs of the good stuff and a sleep system. I feel like he's pretty dialed in for a guy that needs more time in the gym and at his high school track.
 
Great post and full of useful information.

It is amazing how many hunters tell you about packing out 150 pounds of boned out meat from an average sized mule deer. They have never weighed anything. We are lucky to get 50 pounds of cut and wrapped boneless meat from a California mule deer and sometimes it might be 40 pounds.
 
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