Depends on if you plan on shooting something or not. I'm almost always over 80lbs with elk, unless there is 4-5 people.How many guys honestly tip 80 lbs on a regular basis with their packs? I usually don't break 70 on a 10 day backpacking trip, and that's with 3 liters of water in a bladder! I think the pack would be just fine for elk hunting. You're gonna need multiple trips to pack out an elk, no matter what. Same thing with a big mule deer if you're solo in the backcountry., or at least that's how I see it.