Meat packing

[5MilesBack]

In my world, 100lbs is a 100lbs......dead or alive.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Sure I can pick up and carry 100lb, as noted I could walk a few miles around the neighborhood and do it. I wouldn't be opposed to a couple mile packout at 7k elevation with a mellow grade with 100lb if I needed to. But that same load at 11k with some grade (its embarrassing how little it takes sometimes) just frys my legs out fast where as 75lb I can continue to move at a steadier pace. I learned the hard way to know my limits up there, my legs last longer. Maybe I'll get stronger to handle 100lb up there but I'm not there currently. Grade and altitude affect my load choices.

 

[Tejasbow]

What does a decent bull head weigh?

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Full head probably 25-50 for as the antler weight climbs I'd guess. Large bull sheds can go 25-30lb. Capping it saves weight. Cape adds weight, elk hide is rather heavy.

 

[307]

In that case I've packed 140-190# loads.


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You would think a couple of the regular posters here hang out with a blue ox and cut down entire forests with a single swing with some of the b.s. they claim.

 

[Daniel_M]

You would think a couple of the regular posters here hang out with a blue ox and cut down entire forests with a single swing with some of the b.s. they claim.

It's the internets, everything is true.

 

[Beendare]

I would agree with the OP's premise....some of these load weights we hear about are exaggerated.

I don't pack 100#+ loads anymore...but in my younger days we did. I'm convinced it caused irreparable harm to my hips, knees and ankles. We had a couple loads where we took the loaded pack directly to the butcher and weighed them...one in particular at the butcher shop in Springerville was 128# and 134# scale verified. Those were uphill packs over rough terrain- no trail- but only 1.5 miles or so.

I'm a pretty big guy so 80#'s plus on my back is like some of you smaller guys packing 150#....hard to compare. My one buddy is 5'10 180 and I've seen him with 130# loads uphill over rough terrain.... and its impressive.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Last year my Bull weighed in a 278 at the butcher. That included skull and horns, no lower jaw. Quartered with legs cut at the joints and trim meat. I did 3 loads and one was significantly lighter. I could barely get the pack on and stand up with the 2 big loads. I had to set it on a stump and back my way into it. I'm 6 feet 190 and bench press 345lbs and consider myself pretty strong. These 125-150 pound loads crack me up. I imagine there are some people that can do it, but few that actually say they are doing it are truly doing it.

Also, dead vs live weight is a real thing. Ask a horse packer.

 

[5MilesBack]

Sure I can pick up and carry 100lb, as noted I could walk a few miles around the neighborhood and do it. I wouldn't be opposed to a couple mile packout at 7k elevation with a mellow grade with 100lb if I needed to. But that same load at 11k with some grade (its embarrassing how little it takes sometimes) just frys my legs out fast where as 75lb I can continue to move at a steadier pace. I learned the hard way to know my limits up there, my legs last longer. Maybe I'll get stronger to handle 100lb up there but I'm not there currently. Grade and altitude affect my load choices.

Some guys seem to think it's an impossible task. I'm just saying that it's more than possible to carry 100lb loads out of the mountains. Maybe not for the 5'6" 140lb hunters I seem to run into these days, but for a lot of guys.......yes, it's very possible.

 

[Will_m]

Last year my Bull weighed in a 278 at the butcher. That included skull and horns, no lower jaw. Quartered with legs cut at the joints and trim meat. I did 3 loads and one was significantly lighter. I could barely get the pack on and stand up with the 2 big loads. I had to set it on a stump and back my way into it. I'm 6 feet 190 and bench press 345lbs and consider myself pretty strong. These 125-150 pound loads crack me up. I imagine there are some people that can do it, but few that actually say they are doing it are truly doing it.

Also, dead vs live weight is a real thing. Ask a horse packer.

What do you squat though? A bench has no bearing on meat packing. Without turning this into a lifting discussion, I would think a heavy 1rm on the squats wouldn't even directly transfer to longevity under load.

A smart man would get some llamas.

But I agree with your suspicions about these 125-150 pound loads being packed out. I am very suspicious. Flat ground? Doable. Elevation? Punishing.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I put bench in there because most people understand that weight. Not s lot of guys know deadlift weights. Yes you're right that a strong deadlift and squat would help with the back and leg muscles. Usually if you're benching 315+ everything else falls in like too.

 

[IdahoElk]

About 60lbs for me,where I hunt it's steep,nasty and not a good place to fall and blow a knee out,that and I'm getting old!

 

[ElkNut1]

I think there is a lot more to packing loads of elk meat off the mountain than some realize? It's not all about how strong you are, yes it helps,but it's more about how mentally tough you are, guys it's a freaking grind out there! That's why we push ourselves the entire year through rigorous workouts not just a month before the season opener. You'd best be tough all around to punish yourself & not really care! I strive to be one of those guys, I will do anything it takes to get out one big load no matter the time it takes or how much it hurts, you just do it. Heck ya you take a lot of rests, you run out of water, your muscles ache, you are flat exhausted at times with your heart wanting to beat out of your chest with 75+ deg temps at times but you push on, it seems like you'll never get to your destination, at times you cover 50-60 yards & rest because of steepness. It doesn't matter, it's what's between the ears that pulls you through. I may not explain it well but I know what it feels like! Like I say, elk hunters are good suffere's!

Please don't ball everyone up into one category because you think some are liars! Because some don't have the nuts to put themselves through this & enjoy it doesn't mean all hunters are that way! Your gains can only be expected to what you're willing to put into your prep! So many folks these days want to perform at their highest levels with a minimum amount of effort on their part, packing elk off the mountain will give you an attitude adjustment! I'm not the strongest nor the toughest but I am determined & hard headed! (grin)

ElkNut/Paul

 

[Slim Jim]

Elknut has it right, mental toughness is what it takes. Of course most of us train all year to be physically fit but you better learn to be comfortable being REALLY uncomfortable


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[Northernpiker]

I drag 190 lbs of meat out plus another 30-40 lbs in my backpack. The 190 is my dead ass dragging. Haven't had the problem of packing an elk out yet...hopefully someday.

 

[cnelk]

I've lost count how many elk I've packed off mountains but I can tell you this, I've packed 2 moose out of the woods and it is not even close to the packing of elk.
I would much rather pack 2 elk two miles than one moose 1/4 mile.

It ain't a game out there.

There are 3 types of guys:
Some that make it happen
Some watch what happen
Some that wonder what happened

 

[justinspicher]

I carried a complete fox, no pack from my neighbors driveway all the way to my house last year, in the snow. Not a single problem. Covered at least 30yds.

In all seriousness, I think I'd rather make several lighter trips than one heavy one.

What do you guys (that pack out in one load) see as a benefit of it?

 

[spaniel]

I think anyone talking about having packed 100lb out needs to qualify how far and what type of terrain. I shot an elk 10 miles from the truck back in the Bob Marshall, and there was a 2500ft climb in between. I had 70-80lb in the pack on the first trip out, and it was one of the toughest things I've ever done. Conversely I shot one in the Missouri Breaks and it was 1.5 miles from the truck, with a few hundred feet climb. The 85F temps made it rough, but I did have a 100lb pack coming out on that one, not as bad.

Unless your hike is short, I don't care a lot about dead lift and squat numbers. Your cardio conditioning is going to mean a hell of a lot more.

 

[toddb]

Every year we have 2-3 young people in our group. We sometimes all meet up and eat lunch in a meadow on top of rock looking out on a meadow. One of them always ends up with a 3-4 pound rock in their pack while they take a nap or a leak. Gets discovered usually if we get an animal down , or back in camp that night or sometimes not till lunch the next day. Laughs all around when kids finally discover extra weight carried around.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Some guys seem to think it's an impossible task. I'm just saying that it's more than possible to carry 100lb loads out of the mountains. Maybe not for the 5'6" 140lb hunters I seem to run into these days, but for a lot of guys.......yes, it's very possible.

It's possible for sure one just needs the legs for it, mine happen to burn up fast after about 80lb currently so I try to keep full load pack and all to 70-75max so I can go steady state.