MODULE 14 - PACKING YOUR ELK

I’ll never forget the first time I strapped an elk quarter onto my pack frame. Perhaps even more memorable was when I sat down to rest on a log just a few minutes later. I was barely old enough to hunt, and the weight of the pack, propelled by the momentum of my descent, pulled me over backwards. There I was, trapped like a turtle on its back, with the weight of the pack holding me firmly to the ground. I eventually got my arms out of the shoulder straps and wiggled free, but the sheer weight of the load made an impression on me for sure!

I smiled several seasons back as I watched my then 12-year-old son, Isaac, trip and fall face-first with his own heavy load of elk meat and antlers. OK, I did subdue the smile until I confirmed that he wasn’t hurt, but it brought back many memories of heavy loads.

Over the past 30 years, I have packed – or helped pack – somewhere in the vicinity of +/-100 elk out on my back. Those packs have ranged in weight from a single front shoulder, all the way up to three boned-out quarters plus the miscellaneous meat (neck, brisket, rib, backstrap, and tenderloin). None of the loads have been easy. By the time you finish quartering the elk and put the heavy load onto your shoulders, the adrenaline from the hunt has worn off, and you are left with just your off-season conditioning and sheer will to carry you back to the trailhead.

Hopefully, you don’t have to go too far. And hopefully, you have someone there (or several someones there) to help out. But that isn’t always the case. It’s important to know your limitations before you pull the trigger, and to have a game plan in place for how you plan to get the elk back to your truck.

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