Packing out caribou

[mcseal2]

How many pack loads do you figure for a mature caribou bull?

A couple buddies and I are going on a caribou hunt in Alaska next year. I was curious if we could get a bull back to camp in one trip between the 3 of us or if we would need to make a couple rounds. I've packed deer, elk, and moose but never a caribou. I did a little thinking on it and it looks like it might be really heavy loads if we try to make it in one round especially bone in. I really didn't think we should bone out the meat to reduce spoilage risk and make it easier to get airflow to it at camp. One of the guys is planning to buy a new pack and wanted my advice, I figured I'd better ask you all about this before recommending one.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Maverick940]

It depends on when you kill a bull, in terms of time of day. If you have all your daily hunting gear with you when you start packing, then it'll be two trips. If you're at the kill site with empty packs, then you should be able to do it in one trip. If there's three of you guys, then you should be able to do it in one trip, even with the bone-in law. Two trips would be easier, of course, but you should be able to do it in one.

 

[soggybtmboys]

Check the regs of the gmu you are hunting, some will allow boneless in the field, others will require to be on the bone until it comes out of the field. 3 guys 1 mature bull, if you aren't hiking with too much gear, could get it in one trip. It'll be heavy but doable.

My stepdaughter and I, did her's in 2 trips just the two of us, and she is tiny. 5'1" and 115 lbs. 2 of my buddies packed out one of their mature bulls in one trip and about killed themselves, especially traversing nasty tundra. 4 of us grabbed mine in one trip and was comfortable.

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[mooster]

Last year, Newfoundland decent sized bull, cleaned, bone in weight was 160 lb. total.

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks everyone, that's exactly what I was needing. I looked at the regs and we can bone out the meat if we want. Looks like I'll take my bigger pack, a Kifaru Nomad 2, and tell him to get a pretty good size one.

 

[OXN939]

Thanks everyone, that's exactly what I was needing. I looked at the regs and we can bone out the meat if we want. Looks like I'll take my bigger pack, a Kifaru Nomad 2, and tell him to get a pretty good size one.

Other thing to consider is that meat lasts way longer if you keep it on the bone in quarters. You've got probably a week if you do the citric acid trick and keep it at or below refrigeration temperature, whereas if you bone it out there's at least an order of magnitude more surface area for bacterial growth to start.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Average caribou bone-in weight is 120-lbs fresh off the carcass. Many end up being about 110, some reach 140lbs...but the latter is less than 1% of the ones we've harvested over 20 years. After 5 days there is usually a loss of 8-10% in meat weight.

All those experiences have taught me to take a viking sled with ya and drag it out in one trip...or stop shooting at one bull per event so the pack loads are easily split between partners. Those tussock heads are treacherous with heavy packs. The thought of having to return untold miles across the tundra and return with a load convinces me every time that a sled makes great sense!

 

[william schmaltz]

Two guys for one bull is no problem especially if you can bone it out.

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks everyone.

 

[Mustard Tiger]

Two guys for one bull will be fine - last fall my partner and I dropped bulls side by side and we took 3 trips, two to haul meat and the last one for cape/head...could have been done comfortably in two trips but the last glory lap was surreal. Deboned meat at the hanger and flew on Alaska Air with about 100 pounds each.

 

[Corey Paulsen (teamkabob)]

Take note from personal experience, take a rifle when going #2. Never know who’s coming into camp! Glad it was not a . 3 guys and one bull will be fine.


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[Bambistew]

I've weighed a bunch of bulls, bone in, maybe 7-8? All of them, I would consider "mature" bulls, and a couple were definitely bigger in body. The location you are hunting in the state also matters, although all my bulls come from the same general area. The mature bulls on the North Slope/NW AK are generally smaller in size than the mature bulls in the central AK/40 mile country. Mostly due to domestic reindeer genes intermixing in the early to mid 1900s.

I weighed a couple bulls shot in the winter, and they are 60-70% of an August/Sept bull. The rut takes it toll on them.

Measured weights are as follows, bone in. Most fall in the middle. he heavies were freak horse sized bulls, the lighter ones had tape worms and no fat... The weights were not taken at the same time (day) post kill. They lose water weight as they age... so there is also that variation. Bones are 4- 5lbs per quarter, ribs are usually 60-75% bone weight.
Fronts (ea) 20-26 lbs
hinds (ea) 32-40 lbs
back straps, tenderloins, neck trim (all) - 34-40lbs
ribs (all) 15lbs
skull/horns can be upwards of 20lbs , the cape is around 10lbs.
Total bone meat weight - 153 - 189+/-

2 guys, one bull, bone in... on a large mature bull is a full pack for each, but doable.

Last year 3 of us packed out 2 average sized bulls about 3 miles. I'm not going to lie... it was friggin miserable, and I live for misery it seems... The lightest pack had about 90lbs, heaviest had about 120lbs... of meat. Then toss in day gear, pack weight, etc. we left the racks and the capes.

Here are a few bulls we've packed out. The 3rd bull was a freak, and the heaviest of any we've ever packed (the high end of the weights above, he netted 100lbs of ground meat), most weighed in the middle of the range.

 

[Merc]

Did mine last season in 2 trips. First load was day gear a front quarter, inner and outer tenders. Second load was everything else (minus the cape as I was only euro'ing).

So with 3 guys y'all will be easy to get 1 out in a single trip. Put 2 on the ground and it'll be heavy but doable in one round depending on distance and what kinda shape y'all are in.

Pic is of the second load.

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[Labdad]

I always left the bones in. The meat was easier to handle. Rather than just blobs of meat. Most of my bou hunts were solo. 2 trips

 

[Wrench]

Location is important too. There's places it's all you can do to haul yourself out.

 

[Labdad]

Yep and a big reason guys get in trouble. Especially with moose.
2 miles from camp. 4 miles round trip.
10 heavy loads.
40 miles/20 loaded.
Even 1 mile from camp is too much for a lot of guys.
Or like my brother, swack 'em in water...

 

[Wrench]

I would not want to pack these 300 yards on that mushy crap.

 

[Wrench]

These guys about jumped into my truck.

 

[Wrench]

 

[Labdad]

I would not want to pack these 300 yards on that mushy crap.View attachment 96114

View attachment 96116

Yeah i think i would suffer with some of those bulls!