When still hunting do you carry.....

[scout1]

When 'still hunting' do you carry your meat care gear with you. I'm speaking of 2-4 cotton meatbags, gamesaw, extra rags, extra water... that sort or thing. Or do you wait until you have a animal down and then go back to the truck for this stuff.

When I'm hunting Elk I'm usually not all that far from my truck, 1-2 miles. But anytime hunting Elk calls for the need to bring the animal out in quarters.

[Pete McMiller]

No, I don't.  Like you I am usually within a couple of miles or maybe an hour from camp so going back to get bags, pack frames and extra guys is not that big a deal.  On one occasion I quartered a bull in the evening and left him up on the mountain overnight and came back in the morning with more guys.  

I do carry everything I need to butcher a bull including rope to hang the quarters, extra knife, sharpening stone, etc. just in case I am in a position that I need to leave the animal for the night.  Sometimes I also carry a bottle (16 oz. I think is the size)of Liquid Game Bag - works great if the flies are bad.

[Stumpkiller]

Water, yes.  An organ bag for the heart and liver.  I also carry a travel size pack of wet-wipes (post gutting clean up & TP).  

But then I don't elk hunt and I'll be dragging the whitetail out with me.

[Missouri Sherpa]

Depends on how far I am going to be from camp.  If I am hunting within a half mile of base camp I leave the butchering stuff in camp.  Usually I will have everything I need in my backpack or at the very least in the saddle bags on my horse.  I pack 2 sharp knives, a sharpener, some parachute cord, mesh or linen meat bags and some plastic trash bags to keep my panniers or pack from getting bloody.  I like to get the hide off as soon as possible even if I am going to have to ride back to camp to get a packhorse.  Always pack plenty of water.

[LKH]

I carry meatbags, knife, and that's about it.  I carry a few wet ones, but they have another purpose.  Blue Nitrile gloves pretty well keep my hands clean.   One buck knife and a very small diamond sharpener is all I've ever needed to take a critter apart.

[joe ashton]

No I don't.. I am within a mile or two of the truck. I do carry all safety related stuff and food and h2o.

[snag]

I do as LKH does. I want to take care of the meat asap. During bow season the temps can be up near 90 deg.! Get it in game bags and hung in the shade or a creek...and start hauling!

[wingnut]

I always carry my meat sacks and processing stuff with me in may Bison Gear pack.  That way the elk gets processed and hung on the first trip and I can use the Bison Gear pack to haul a first load out and switch to my extenal frame meat pack.

3-4 miles and 1800 vertical feet is a long way to go for meat sacks.

Mike

[Shawn Leonard]

I don't even carry a knife, but most of my hunting is done within 15 minutes of my house. I go home and get my guttin clothes on and my knives and whatever else I may need. I have to carry all my clothes in to my stands, due to a medical problem that makes me sweat profusely, so not much room for anything else but my calls and binos and I have the biggest pack Bison Gear makes. Shawn

[jhg]

I carry everything I need. Plans change, sometimes the hunt takes me pretty deep, and I want that first trip out to count.

 On warmer days the elk needs to be taken care of and cooled, it needs to be in game bags, hung, or in the shade, protected from flies.

J-

[tpanic41]

I carry 2 large cotton pillow cases. They don't take up much room in my pack, and they easily strap to my day pack. I don't want to waste a trip to camp or the truck empty handed. The rest is stashed-hung in the shade for the next trip. 2 miles is about as far as I get on a day hunt. If I'm backpacked in I do it the same way.
Kevin

[Whip]

Everything I need is with me all the time when i'm hunting elk. In addition to the knives and bags I also carry a piece of lightweight nylon tarp to use as a ground cloth. Really helps keep the meat clean.
The key is to have the right pack. Carrying everything you need is very easy to do if you're set up for it.  A lot better than wasting a couple of hours going back to camp or the truck.  I want to spend all the time and energy that I have to dealing with the meat, not chasing after gear.

[LONGSTYKES]

I carry Knife, saw, organ bags. Everything else is in another pack, all ready to go in my vehicle or camp. I carry a pack with a lot of other gear,extra cloths ( I layer, in MT your weather can change in a minute ), water and other essentials. Works for me. Shoot straight

[Fisher Cat]

Over the years, I've found I'm alot more successful when I'm totally unprepared - John

[Elkchaser]

Ditto Whip and others. If I'm way back in someplace and get something right at dark or if temperature is high, I want to get started on processing immediately.

And the right pack, Whip is ?????- of course, the Eberlestock X2 I bought from you. I love that pack. Carries everything I need and carries it well.

[longbowray]

I carry it all when hunting , you never know if you going to drop off into , last elk was 3 mile from camp and I walk out of camp , hunting in remote place , pack out what you can to change to a pack frame , and all way have a nuff stuff to stay out for a night are two , az can be rough to hunt

[straitera]

Usually carry the least amount of extras I can into the woods. 2 miles is a long way to hike for a lightweight gamebag. Driving the truck close to the target is a big plus.

[Mack_S]

I carry it all with me when out as well.  I go by the philosiphy that it's better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.  Besides, it not that much extra weight to hump around out in the field.