Mule Deer - One Trip Pack Out - By the Numbers

Great Buck Congrads !
Now this information is Priceless and thanks for sharing it . I have a Special Deer tag here in Montana and I can see already I'm in trouble . I should be around 5,000 to 7,500 ft. My work out this summer should have been tougher .
I will just take my time, that Open Heart Surgery set me back a bit .

Thanks again for taking the time to put this altogether for us to read !!

MT.PERCHMAN
 
1. Great story?

2. Are you an engineer?

3. What does your summer work out regimen look like?

Thanks

1... Story, more just some info for anyone who is playing their own trip.
2. Nope.
3. Apparently not a good enough one lol, honestly nothing special gym couple times a week, runs with the dog a couple times a week. Honestly, hunting is something that I like to do, but I don't train all year for 2 or 3 weeks of hunting, I try to play in the mountains all year round. I mt bike, hike, waterski, resort and backcountry ski... etc. I'm not sure I could maintain motivation to go to the gym week after week for years if my only goal was to go chase elk.
 
Unbelievable write up/ bag dump. It gives a ton of insights in to what to expect and where you will have to have weight versus where you might be able to shed some.
 
Good read indeed, do you know how much packaged meat you ended up with?
 
Dude, no idea how I missed this but great post and followups. Love the effort

I did 100+ twice this year and realized it's just not for me. 80 yes.... 90 maybe... 100 no thanks. I just don't have the strength no matter how much I train.
 
Actually dual kickers

I got busy, rushed and basically did a terrible job on the euro... but whatever
View attachment 118181
This was a great write-up. I made the mistake of deciding to leave the bone in on all 4 qtrs to save time last Saturday....its only 3 miles, I said...I train for this, I said. 120lbs the scale said.....you should've boned it my 53 year old body said....:oops: Nice work! you did it the smart way. when I look at that rack my first thought is a mature aged deer with the blading....shows how much I don't know. Great buck. Great hunt!
 
A 2 year old buck ;)

Quite similar to the whitetail trip I just made except that other than a few 200’ canyon rims, mine was completely flat. I hunted 4.1miles in. I took two days of food, no stove, and my pack and gun came out to 63.9lbs. That includes 3L of water. I was planning three to four days, but was only able to do two, and the second one was one where I really needed to be home. I saw three does that evening, but no bucks, and very little fresh sign. I opted to call it a good day outdoors and head home that night. Due to flat land and only 65lbs on my back, the 4.1mile track back to the truck took roughly 1:20minutes.

Had I had a shot on the does, I’d have killed one, quartered it, hung it, taken camp halfway back to the truck and spent the night. In the morning I’d have hunted the same area I did the day before, and either shot a buck, and packed both back to the truck and returned for camp only 2miles from the truck, or, not seeing a buck, I’d have simply taken the doe plus camp to the truck. On our whitetails, you’re looking at 35-70lbs of meat depending on sex and age, so with a 64lb pack, I could take a young doe and everything else in one trip. With a somewhat mature buck, I would be making two trips. With a young doe and a decent buck, I could make a meat trip and a camp/head/cape trip.
 
Nice thread. You have me curious. How old are you?

Circling in on 32... got into hunting a bit late in the game in 2012 when I was 24.

Generally speaking my posts tend to be geared towards the first timers/ people just getting into western hunting... I'm aware they often come across as pedantic or self-evident to our more experienced members, if so that particular post wasn't directed to someone with your level of experience. I'm just sharing things I have learned that I wished I had known sooner or sharing in an attempt to help people avoid mistakes I made.
 
I didn't take anything that way. You're doing a good job. I was just curious about your age. I figured you were young by the pack out weight. A hell of a load.
 
Dude, no idea how I missed this but great post and followups. Love the effort

I did 100+ twice this year and realized it's just not for me. 80 yes.... 90 maybe... 100 no thanks. I just don't have the strength no matter how much I train.

It’s kinda surprising how 100lbs seems to be an almost universal limit. 45lbs, I don’t even know is there. 65lbs feels heavy, but doesn’t slow me down. 85lbs is a beat down. I did 13.6miles with 85lbs on my first day this year. It took me almost 12hrs, and wrecked me for the rest of the week. I did 100lbs for 4.3 miles a few years ago. It took me 5.5hrs and I felt like it destroyed me. I made the exact same trip a few weeks ago with 65lbs and it took me 1hr 20minutes and I felt just fine.
 

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