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How far out will you kill an elk by yourself?

How far out will I do it?? Not sure?? I've have packed a nice 5x5 out from 11 miles.. many between 8 and 10 miles...cows and bulls... Boned out and on my back of course. As one reply said... You need to know your body and be in the right mindset, it can be pretty dangerous coming down steeps and over deadfall... You need nutrition and stamina! It will take a couple of days... especially if you're 5'8 and a buck forty!
 
How far out will I do it?? Not sure?? I've have packed a nice 5x5 out from 11 miles.. many between 8 and 10 miles...cows and bulls... Boned out and on my back of course. As one reply said... You need to know your body and be in the right mindset, it can be pretty dangerous coming down steeps and over deadfall... You need nutrition and stamina! It will take a couple of days... especially if you're 5'8 and a buck forty!
When people say this I always wonder how that's possible. 11 miles is 3-4 trips. If you are packed in, which I assume you were, being 11 miles back, that's another trip assuming my camp is 50ish pounds. If you're day hunting your pack is probably 25ish pounds. Boned out plus the head is 200-240 pounds (raghorn) so add another 25-50 pounds for camp or day camp. So you're talking 55 miles for 3 trips and 66 miles for 4 trips. 33-44 of those miles with 85-100 pounds on your back. I'm not calling anybody a liar because the human body can do awesome things, but I just don't see the logistics of it…

I'd love to hear more about it (weight per load, number of trips, camp as well?). Oh and why you'd shoot a 5 point 11 miles from the road! 😂
 
We debone the elk where it drops and backpack it out. We don't even gut it out. Do one side then roll it over. You can ever get the tender loins out. Put the meat in gallon ziplock bags and backpack it to a creek to cool. When all the meat is in the creek start shutting it to the next creek or to your vehicle. Then return and cape out the head and cut off the horns. Hopefully this will help some hunters enjoy the best eating meat on our planet. Good luck hunting and let the air out your favorite game.
Isn't that how we all do it?
 
When people say this I always wonder how that's possible. 11 miles is 3-4 trips. If you are packed in, which I assume you were, being 11 miles back, that's another trip assuming my camp is 50ish pounds. If you're day hunting your pack is probably 25ish pounds. Boned out plus the head is 200-240 pounds (raghorn) so add another 25-50 pounds for camp or day camp. So you're talking 55 miles for 3 trips and 66 miles for 4 trips. 33-44 of those miles with 85-100 pounds on your back. I'm not calling anybody a liar because the human body can do awesome things, but I just don't see the logistics of it…

I'd love to hear more about it (weight per load, number of trips, camp as well?). Oh and why you'd shoot a 5 point 11 miles from the road! 😂
I have done loads over 100 lbs each...
and I am in my sixties. It hurts...
 
I have done loads over 100 lbs each...
and I am in my sixties. It hurts...
Yep, been there done that. Are you saying you've done it 3-4 times and 11 miles each time for a total of 55-66 miles with 30-40 miles being with 100 pounds? If you have, you sir are a beast and part llama.
 
Oh no. At my age there is no way I would want to do that...

I try to plan and keep it under 2 miles.
Exactly! I've done it a few times as well and I honestly think it's a bad idea for long term knee and hip health. I try not to do it anymore. But sometimes the thought of one more trip makes me toss an extra quarter in the pack!
 
Exactly! I've done it a few times as well and I honestly think it's a bad idea for long term knee and hip health. I try not to do it anymore. But sometimes the thought of one more trip makes me toss an extra quarter in the pack!
Yeah, me too.
I killed a big muley early a.m. one day this past season and then killed a butterball elk at last light the same day. What a brutal day. Never again will I do that.

It literally took 9-10 days to fully recover.
 
I killed a bull in the Tillamook Forest at the bottom of a canyon. It was 800 yards up hill to the truck and there was roughly 700 ft in elevation change. Underbrush and downed timber everywhere.
I'd probably tear my muscle trying to climb over some of that downed timber now.
 
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