# Those who pack their critters out instead of dragging them...



## ripplerider (Sep 4, 2016)

Do you use meat bags or garbage bags? Can you pop the hip joints without dulling/gapping your knife blade? I'd like to hear from yall especially what kind of packs you use. Do you completely de-bone or just quarter? etc. etc.


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## Buckman18 (Sep 4, 2016)

We use either an empty feed sack or plastic grocery bags. We totally de-bone the animal for the pack out. If we are camping way back in yonder somewhere, we hang it high near where we camp and don't skin it out until we leave. We usually aren't camping way back until Nov/Dec, so the temperature is usually cold enough to hang the animal. However, there has been a couple years where it's been rather balmy (2001 and last yr) and we put the game in a creek to keep them cold. 

For bow season, we may walk a long way in to hunt but we save the backcountry camping for the rut. We generally tie a near empty backpack to our climbers (1 extra flashlight, drinks/food for the day, fold out saw, GPS, and several plastic Ingles bags). I've noticed lots of visitors stuffing their packs with lots of useless survival junk and it really just adds weight and takes up pack room if you do get lucky. Trust me, less is more. 

For the day trips I use one of the $35-$40 packs you get at Wally World with the straps that go around your abdomen. The plastic bags keeps most of the blood out. For later season backcountry hunting, I have a framed  pack similar to what the AT hikers use.


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## CornStalker (Sep 4, 2016)

We normally just quarter and put into plastic bags and into our packs. I purchased some Allen game bags this season to try out. The plastic bags work if it's a short distance but they retain heat more than cotton so you're more likely to ruin the meat--especially during bow season.


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## Tio Hey Seuss (Sep 4, 2016)

Quartering with just a knife is pretty easy and shouldn't bugger it up too much but I would recommend carrying a small sharpener for touch ups in the field. Check YouTube for a video of the gutless method if you haven't already.

For bags the cotton ones are the way to go. Plastic bags retain more heat and moisture which are you two main concerns with spoiling. Heat and moisture breed bacteria. If it's real warm then it's better to bone out your quarters since bone is an insulator and can cause spoilage from the inside. Of course it lightens the load too.

For backpacks it's really just personal preference. Different brands fit different body types better. Just make sure you get something with a sturdy hip belt since that's where you want the weight. Look into internal vs external frame packs. I like external frames for pack outs but they're generally more bulky and harder to move quietly through the woods with. You generally get what you pay for with packs too. Don't expect a cheap one to last long or be comfortable.


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## jbogg (Sep 4, 2016)

Hey Ripple!  I have packed out several deer on day hunts, but this will be the first year I do a back country hunt and pack in enough gear to spend 3 - 4 nights in the woods.  My gear budget was tight, but I found a fairly inexpensive external frame with meat shelf and pack for a little over $100 online.  It's the ALPS Commander.  The frame and pack can be ordered separately, with the frame with hip belt and straps costing around $70.  You can spend a whole lot more, but this seems to be a good value without breaking the bank.  Don't be confused by the ALPS Commander Extreme with is their more expensive internal frame.  That will be my next pack when I upgrade.  You can check them both out on YouTube.


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## ripplerider (Sep 5, 2016)

Yeah I've been looking at that Alps packframe for awhile now. It seems to be the best balance between value and quality out there. Where did you find it for $70? Its a hundred most sites I've visited. Seems like it would be hard to walk quietly with though with that upper frame sticking up like it does. I hunt on the ground and cover a good bit of ground usually. The heat retention of garbage bags has me worried, regardless of what you believe about global warming the weather gets hotter and hotter during deer season and I'm not gonna kill something I cant get out before it spoils. Game bags seem like they'd be awful messy though. I'm gonna try to round up some feed sacks a lot of them seem to be plastic nowadays too though. Been watching a few Youtube videos on field butchering I almost always butcher my own game at home just have to get used to doing it on the ground (most probably on a steep slope too.) Seems like a sheet of Tyvek would be handy to work on.


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## jbogg (Sep 5, 2016)

Here is my ALPS Commander with my Millimium Treeseat attached with the strap system.  I removed the top bar on the frame which reduces the overall height of the pack by 4 - 5" without compromising the integrity of the frame.  If you are busting through a bunch of laurel thickets you could get hung up, but I have done a ton of scouting with this on my back all summer without many snags.

Also, I reversed the pack and the strap system.  Typically the pack which you can't see in my photo is installed over the strap system and one would need to remove the pack to access the straps.  I like to have the ability to easily strap my Treeseat or other items to the outside of my pack.  I see the frame and strap system advertised all the time online for around $70, but for $40 more I was able to get the whole system including pack so it was a no brainer compared to what most of the others cost.  The one negative is after using this pack 2 - 3 times per week for several months with a 50lb load as part of my conditioning plan I have seen a little excessive wear on the back of the Hipbelt where the bottom of the shoulder strap rubs when carrying a lot of weight.  I emailed a photo to ALPS and they are sending a new belt at no charge.  I don't think you would be disappointed with the pack.


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## jbogg (Sep 5, 2016)

Also,  these reusable synthetic game bags were on sale on camofire last week for dirt cheap.  I get there daily sale emailed to me.  They have some incredible bargains.


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## bowbuck (Sep 5, 2016)

A cheap alternative is cotton pillow cases. You can pick them up at a dollar store cheap.  I use a badlands pack that has a built in meat shelf. It wasn't cheap but mine has been in service 14 yrs without issue. A warm bath with soapy water in the tub keeps it in good shape. 

If the quarters are allowed to hang from a limb or forked tree for a short time before going into bags you will not have a ton of blood running. Early season this may be a little different due to time restraints due to temp but on a Nov/Dec hunt it works well. 

With the badlands pack or similar products you are buying a pack that will last decades with proper care and if it tears up most good companies fix them cheap or free.  My grandpa always said a poor man could only afford the best.


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## robert carter (Sep 6, 2016)

I use garbage bags and bone out all the meat except shoulders on the spot. I carry two knives both really sharp. One a fixed blade in my pack and the other a case two blade trapper a folder. I seldom have to use the fixed blade as the trapper is an excellent knife and holds an edge. Its in my pocket everywhere I go.RC


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## ripplerider (Sep 7, 2016)

I generally carry 2 knives anytime I hunt, a  fixed blade and a pocket knife. This year my pocket knife is a Spyderco, I have several different fixed blades i tote depending on my mood. None of them are real big I cant stand a long gawky blade. I'm not real good at field sharpening I need to be sitting down really concentrating to get one razor sharp. I strop the blade on my pants if it's not too bloody.
     Jbogg that is the setup I want I dont want a bag with it though plan on using an old kayaking dry bag I have. I didnt know you could take the top bar off, I like that. Just have to budget for it now I spent more money than I meant to on my recent trip to Wyoming.


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## tree cutter 08 (Sep 7, 2016)

Something in adding to my pack this year is a small set of blocks and some rope. Think I'm going to try hanging them like I do here at my shed. Its aggravating smometimes on the ground, especially steep ground.


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## Doug B. (Sep 7, 2016)

I carry blocks and a rope in my pack and it works great. It's easy to hang them with it and a lot easier on me to skin them.


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## ripplerider (Sep 7, 2016)

I've got a micropulley and a couple of carabiners I carry but I havent used them yet. Sure would be easier for me to process one hanging than on the ground. Tree cutter do you use a groundsheet?


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## tree cutter 08 (Sep 7, 2016)

No but that would be a plus. Its aggregating especially trying to cape one out laying on the ground. I usually will cut the skin along the backbone to the tail, bone out the ham and shoulder and back strap and flip. Getting the neck roast is tough while caping out. You will get a neater job with one hanging. Usually wind up with more chunks for stew meat or grinder when on the ground.


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## Minister of Meat (Sep 10, 2016)

The Alps is such a good deal.  Got some friends who haul elk with them out West.  Best bang for your buck.  As far as knives, you can't beat a Havalon for the detail work and then a stout Buck/Gerber for joints.  No saw needed if you know your joints and are patient.  There are tons of great videos on Youtube detailing the gutless method which is perfect for breaking a critter down on the ground--even if you want to cut down the belly instead of the back.  Cons to boning out the meat:  you lose the culinary benefits of bone in roasts.  Pros to boning it out:  rapid heat dissipation which is crucial in the back country, easier to shape in your pack, you drop tons of weight.  For hunters on a budget, go with king size 100% cotton pillow cases from Goodwill.  If no budget, then you can't beat synthetic game bags.  Avoid the cheese cloth mesh because it just stretches too much, exposing your meat to flies and loss of moisture wicking.  I would advise against using plastic.  Will plastic work?  Absolutely.  But if you're hiking far or if it's hot, it's so important that your meat be able to breath, which plastic does not allow.  Otherwise, you're asking for it to spoil.  I think it's important that we do everything we possibly can to ensure the quality of the meat.  If your concern is blood in your bag, go with my four-year-old daughter's favorite phrase:  "suck it up, buttercup."  We're hunters.  Our currency is blood.  Best of luck!  I've linked one of my favorite vids on skinning/processing a bear.


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## ripplerider (Sep 12, 2016)

Good video. I personally am not gonna attempt to skin the head in the field so I would just skin up to the jaw, cut through the neck meat, and pop the neck vertebra leaving the head attached to the skin right? I am also going to gut anything I kill unless it's just really really cold that day. On the blood issue I'm not worried about it getting on my pack just dont want it running down the backs of my legs. If it's cool enough to hang the quarters up for a little while I dont think that will be a problem.


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## Minister of Meat (Sep 12, 2016)

Aw, c'mon.  A little leg blood will make you hike faster in bear country!  Yeah, you're spot on with hanging and the head.  If it's cool, it's a really good idea to hang the meat until it becomes cool to the touch and forms a pellicle.  Even if it's cold outside, hot meat piled onto hot meat and then stuffed into a pack can spoil.  Regarding the head, right at the back of the skull  where the spine attaches is sometimes called the "universal joint" among field dressers and a little patience and knife work will pop it free.  And I've never met a joint that a removable scalpel blade knife couldn't free up.  Ball and socket are easy, but fishing between vertebra takes a little patience.  The wrists are easy, too.  All this stuff is universal, too--any ungulate, pig, or bear.  Several guys on this forum helped me out with knowledge and reading this thread, every dude on here seems to know his stuff.


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## The Cohutta Strutter (Nov 17, 2016)

You can do "good enough" with just a good sized framed pack, garbage bags, hatchet and knife. You can make pretty quick work of it with hatchet and knife for taking off the quarters and head, removing back straps and neck meat if you like. This is all without gutting and minimal skinning. This will help you save time so you can get on out with it.


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## Killer Kyle (Nov 18, 2016)

For me, I just carry a plastic contractor bag and mesh bags both. Mesh laundry bags run you about 94 cents at Walmart and are washable and reusable. I have not had to use my mesh bags yet. I like to put the meat in a contractor bag and set it in a creek (there seems to always be a creek near virtually every spot I hunt.) Set the meat in the bag, put it in the creek for a half hour, and your meat is now instantly cooled and you don't get a drop of blood on the pack. In regards to meat spoilage, you can call your buddy/buddies, wait for them to get there (my "help" comes from Cumming and is a solid two hour drive from some of my spots.) You can go down and meet them or have them hike in, meet you, you can begin a two or four hour drag with a fitted animal killing yourself in the heat and getting dirt and leaves in the cavity. Or you can shoot it, spend an hour or a hour and a half quartering, cool it in the creek for a half hour or hour, hike out cold meat without a drop of blood in the pack, and be home. It is just so much more efficient to pack animals out. Give the creek idea a try. You won't regret it. Shoulders and hips require virtually no effort to remove. Knee and elbow joints can be trickier. Watch YouTube videos on how to pop them. But for me the trickiest of all seems to be the vertebrae. That is the one I always have trouble with. Don't ask me why. I don't know. Inexperience I guess. One thing to remember is that if you are going to deer hunt a highly pressured area like Lake Russell, I'm going to carry a blaze orange silk panel with me. I strap a Buck's head on the outside of my pack. I will have my orange hat, vest, and will drape the panel around his head to serve as a better signal in hopes I don't get gunned down by some idiot. Also, a lot of people like the gutless (outside in) method. That is kind of how I start, but I want to take home ribs for trim meat from bear and deer, and to cook from hogs. And I ALWAYS want the inner loins. If you plan to keep that good stuff, you're going to be dealing with guts. The guts don't bother me anyway. I figure I have made it this far as a hunter, trapper, and fisherman, and I have been dealing with guts all these years. Why stoo now? They aren't any nastier than the blood soaked meat, so I deal with them. Using the outside in method, and getting my inner loins last allows me to just push the guts aside and cut out the inner loins. This way, I never have to split a pelvic bone, cut around and tie off an anus. It eliminates the need for a hatchet, or "butt out" type tool, thus lightening the load.


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## 1eyefishing (Aug 19, 2018)

To the top!
Good stuff.
I want more...
In fact, I'll be willing to pm my phone number to anyone of you who feel you might could use an extra hand hauling out. I would love the experience. At 60, I'm not as strong or as nimble or as fit as I once was, but if I could get a good lesson in the in-the-field bone-out, it would be worth dinner or breakfast for the entire crew on me.
I'm planning on hunting the first couple weeks of bow season and the early gun hunt on Chattahoochee WMA based in the Choestoe/Town Creek School Road area. If the logistics makes sense I will drop everything and head your way. I also have my eyes on the Blue Ridge WMA  PW hunt and Cohutta.
Planning on being on my lease in Upson County for the last week of October and the first couple weeks of November.
Looking forward to a fun season this year!
Good luck to all...


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## Ghost G (Aug 20, 2018)

This will be my first year hunting bear.  I'm really excited!  For Deer and Hog I use cloth bags or old pillow cases to allow the meat to cool.  I used to carry block and rope but now go lighter and use the gutless method on the ground. (Gonna try Kyle's method for the loins this year.) It's easy to pop the hip joints on the hind quarters.  I use an Eberlestock X2 pack.  Great investment.  It's small enough to be able to stalk with and can handle a load when called on.  I debone if the distance is long in order to cool the meat and to lighten the load.  Another benefit of packing out is leaving the mess behind.  Nature will clean it up so fast many times it's hard to find a trace the next trip back in the woods.


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## Tio Hey Seuss (Aug 20, 2018)

jbogg said:


> Also,  these reusable synthetic game bags were on sale on camofire last week for dirt cheap.  I get there daily sale emailed to me.  They have some incredible bargains.


Hey jbogg! Do you still like the black ovis bags? Been thinking about trying them.

Also, has anyone tried any of the spray products designed for meat care? I think it's a citric acid spray. Any solutions for keeping yellow jackets at bay? I read somewhere crushed pepper helps but can't remember if it


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## jbogg (Aug 20, 2018)

Tio Hey Seuss said:


> Hey jbogg! Do you still like the black ovis bags? Been thinking about trying them.
> 
> Also, has anyone tried any of the spray products designed for meat care? I think it's a citric acid spray. Any solutions for keeping yellow jackets at bay? I read somewhere crushed pepper helps but can't remember if it



The black Ovis bags work fine and clean up is easy by tossing them in the wash. Are you and your boys going in deep on the rifle hunt again?  I was on the next Ridge over last fall and heard you shoot your bear on the first morning.


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## tree cutter 08 (Aug 20, 2018)

Don't think the yellow jackets will be a problem this year. They drowned from all the rain is all I can figure.


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## Tio Hey Seuss (Aug 20, 2018)

jbogg said:


> The black Ovis bags work fine and clean up is easy by tossing them in the wash. Are you and your boys going in deep on the rifle hunt again?  I was on the next Ridge over last fall and heard you shoot your bear on the first morning.


Sweet, I'll add them to my list. We're going deep for the beginning and probably working our way out by mid week to set up a family campsite. My wife is coming up for the end and she's gonna be 7 months pregnant so I'll have to hunt close to the road with her!


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## Bowhunter77 (Aug 21, 2018)

I thought about putting one in a barrel and rolling it. I’m actually serious it crossed my mind. But then just call up friends you don’t like or need anymore and ask them to go bear hunting.


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## ripplerider (Aug 23, 2018)

Yeah one big benefit of this rainy year has been the absence of yellowjackets. I havent got into a single nest and have only seen a couple flying around. I hate yellowjackets!


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## Pig Predator (Aug 23, 2018)

1eyefishing said:


> To the top!
> Good stuff.
> I want more...
> In fact, I'll be willing to pm my phone number to anyone of you who feel you might could use an extra hand hauling out. I would love the experience. At 60, I'm not as strong or as nimble or as fit as I once was, but if I could get a good lesson in the in-the-field bone-out, it would be worth dinner or breakfast for the entire crew on me.
> ...



I'll be hunting 20 minutes north of you if you ever need help. I have block and tackle set up and am familiar with the area. I live in Union County and pretty much grew up here.


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## georgia_home (Aug 23, 2018)

good bump!

this will be my first year hunting high / hilly country out west. got a muley tag.

thinking it'll be wise to invest in decent bags and focus on front and rear along with the back straps and loins mostly. maybe the other stuff depending on the distance and temp.

the roads are sparse in the mountains, and any walk looks to be measured in miles. a friend is talking about horses, but not sure how that'll work out.


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## twincedargap (Aug 23, 2018)

I guess 1eyefishing has a good idea. What’s the best way to share our contact info if another forum member needs help with a bear? I’m not local but have a cabin a few miles from Vogel SP, and will be up heavily during the season. I’m mostly hunting CNF, Chestatee, and Chatt WMA’s,  if anyone needed help, my skillset is bloodbath trailing and dragging. Pls feel free to PM if you want to share contact info in the event you may need help this seaso.


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## 1eyefishing (Aug 24, 2018)

twincedargap said:


> I guess 1eyefishing has a good idea. What’s the best way to share our contact info if another forum member needs help with a bear? I’m not local but have a cabin a few miles from Vogel SP, and will be up heavily during the season. I’m mostly hunting CNF, Chestatee, and Chatt WMA’s,  if anyone needed help, my skillset is bloodbath trailing and dragging. Pls feel free to PM if you want to share contact info in the event you may need help this seaso.



PM coming...


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## devolve (Aug 25, 2018)

I have done many backcountry deer hunts. I carry a waterproof cylinder shaped backpack. I’ve had it for 15+ years. It is a waterfowl hunting back pack. I put a large trash bag in it. When I kill I do the gutless method. I set the bag up against a tree and line the inside with the trash bag. Drop the boned meat in as I cut them off. Tie bag off and sinch down the pack lid and off I go.


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## Hillbilly stalker (Aug 25, 2018)

This is what I use for hogs, it. Would work for bear also. It's a canvas laundry bad made with shoulder straps. It's made by "Tide" and found near the laundry section at China mart or big lots. It rolls up about the size of a small coffee can. When I roll it up, I fold 5 garbage bags and 2 pair of gloves inside it and throw it in my haversack or pack. I've toted out several 200 lb. boned out hogs in it. It's pretty big, I'm 6'5, 325 lbs and it fits me fine. Might need to reinforce the straps if you carried a real heavy load. Their about $7 when you can find them.


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## fiddlinduke (Sep 7, 2018)

I bought an Allen Rock Canyon for this year, hopefully I'll get to use it! Home Depot has them for around $75 online


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## Rabun (Sep 10, 2018)

fiddlinduke said:


> I bought an Allen Rock Canyon for this year, hopefully I'll get to use it! Home Depot has them for around $75 online



Is it just the frame or does it come with a pack as well?


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## ripplerider (Sep 12, 2018)

Since I started this thread I've bought a Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone pack with one big central compartment that many reviews claimed will carry a heavy load with no problems. I've yet to try it out on a bear, deer or hog but I've backpacked with it a few times and I feel like it will do the job well. It's a little bigger pack than I'm used to carrying every hunt but it has compression straps so it will cinch down  to a reasonable size for squeezing through the mountain laurel thickets and other obstacles. I'm carrying thrift store pillow cases for meat sacks. I can't bow hunt anymore so I guess I'll have to wait for muzzleloader season to try my system out. I've been real busy this year but it's about time to hunt.


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## duke13 (Sep 13, 2018)

Rabun said:


> Is it just the frame or does it come with a pack as well?


It is just a frame with a bag.  Heres a amazon link

https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Canyon...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B01N5OC0NE


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## gtmcwhorter (Sep 13, 2018)

I’m 32 years old and I’ve never even field dressed a deer (in my defense I’ve only ever shot one deer). I do much more waterfowl hunting than deer and we clean those birds immediately after a hunt. I grew up with a dad who didn’t hunt and I picked it up in college after having some buddies who hunted and no one ever showed me how to field dress much less pack one out but after reading this I think I’ll study up on you tube and plan to pack out whatever I shoot on my quota hunt this year.


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## Rabun (Sep 13, 2018)

duke13 said:


> It is just a frame with a bag.  Heres a amazon link
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Canyon...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B01N5OC0NE



Thanks...looks like it will work very well.  I got this as gift a few years ago...haven't packed any game out yet but it works great lugging climber stand, chain saw, mineral blocks, whatever you want to strap to it.  Well made and very comfortable.  Same idea as what you got, but probably not as reasonably priced.

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/64392?page=hunters-carryall-pack


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## twincedargap (Sep 13, 2018)

Rabun - I agree.   I use the LL BEAN pack to carry my climber with backpack strapped to the climber at the same time.  The LL BEAN pack is very comfortable even w/a huge load attached.  I have not used it for a bear. 



Rabun said:


> Thanks...looks like it will work very well.  I got this as gift a few years ago...haven't packed any game out yet but it works great lugging climber stand, chain saw, mineral blocks, whatever you want to strap to it.  Well made and very comfortable.  Same idea as what you got, but probably not as reasonably priced.
> 
> https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/64392?page=hunters-carryall-pack


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## Rabun (Sep 13, 2018)

gtmcwhorter said:


> I’m 32 years old and I’ve never even field dressed a deer (in my defense I’ve only ever shot one deer). I do much more waterfowl hunting than deer and we clean those birds immediately after a hunt. I grew up with a dad who didn’t hunt and I picked it up in college after having some buddies who hunted and no one ever showed me how to field dress much less pack one out but after reading this I think I’ll study up on you tube and plan to pack out whatever I shoot on my quota hunt this year.



Make sure that it's ok to field butcher your deer on the quota hunt...I remember being on a hunt some time ago on West Point WMA and they didn't even want you to gut the deer.  It was indicated at the check in station, but I missed the posted special instruction.  It was a late season primitive weapons hunt doe only and I believe they were checking to see if they were impregnated.  I killed one and brought it back gutted...almost had to go back with a bucket and bring the guts back.


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## Staygold (Sep 13, 2018)

I've got an older surplus rucksack I have thought about using in combo with my millennium tree seat.


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## jbogg (Sep 13, 2018)

I Purchased one of those plastic game sleds online and cut it in half to a more packable size. While it will not carry a entire deer or bear, it will certainly handle all four quarters, or the head and hide of a bear strapped to it. The photo shows it  attached to my ALPS  commander pack with the included strap system. This sled only weighs about 2 pounds and I’m thinking it will come in very handy at some point. Anything to keep from making two roundtrips up the mountain.


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## tree cutter 08 (Sep 13, 2018)

Pretty slick jbogg! Would like to have had that setup last year. I think I got a purple sled i could make work. If no success you could just ride that rig back to the truck!


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## strothershwacker (Sep 13, 2018)

Very cool Jbogg! I've got the same pack. I been hiking round with 70lbs of dumbell in it. Now if I could just get a bear on the ground I think the pack will work.


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## Tio Hey Seuss (Sep 14, 2018)

ClovisSports said:


> ALICE pack works well.


If you wanna go the military surplus route I'd pick the marpat ilbe pack over alice. They're a little more expensive but they carry heavy loads much better. They were designed by Arcteryx and while heavy for a pack they're pretty much bomb proff.


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