OT: Price for Help

[dreamunelk]

last year I came back to elk camp and there was a note on the tent asking for help packing an elk out.  I did not know the guy but, figured someone in our camp did or it was one of the guys I had talked to during the seasons.  So I load up my pack board and head out.  Got to the spot where he parked and my hunting buddies rigs where there.  Between us we got the elk out in one trip.  Turned out the guy's partner couldn't come that day so he took off by him self.  He new people like use were camped up there.  Lost an afternoon and morning of hunting because I was a little on the sore side.  Have to admit we had a lot of fun packing out that elk.  A bunch of forty somethings complaining and picking on each other.

Did not even think of asking him for anything.  However, A couple of days later we returned to camp and found a thank you card and enough good beer to satisfy our nightly indulgence for a few days.  I thought it was a good deal.  That and I am confident that he would return the favor.

I would like to think that most hunters are like our group.  So as others suggest go hunting and get to know some other camps.  Explain your story.  As much as we fight with each other and complain deep down we are sportsmen.  And we help each other when we can.

My suggestion is have it boned and ready to go.

[HoofsandWings]

Why don't you just take along another hunting partner in addition to the one you have already? That's what i would do if i was in your situation. You have a chance to help someone learn elk hunting in return for their help with packing. Im curious why this solution dosen't interest you. It's won't cost you anything.

I presume you think I know anyone else who elk hunts.
The answer is no. My circle of friends do not hunt.

[elk247]

Why don't you just take along another hunting partner in addition to the one you have already? That's what i would do if i was in your situation. You have a chance to help someone learn elk hunting in return for their help with packing. Im curious why this solution dosen't interest you. It's won't cost you anything.

I presume you think I know anyone else who elk hunts.
The answer is no.

Sorry, i posted earlier in the thread. There is a young man that had a classifed ad on here looking for this exact situation. He might be your guy.

[elk247]

Try this one. http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,122726.0.html

[sakoshooter]

A quarter of the elk would be good.

By the way, what the heck does "OT" in your title mean?

OT=Off Topic

Hi Bobcat,
A quarter if I shoot the elk, but if my hunting partner gets one, he is not about to part with an elk quarter.
That is the reason for the post.
He will need a substitute for me to help haul his elk out.

Sounds like your partner might want to plan on packing out his own elk without complaining if he's not willing to compliment anyone that helps.
I've helped out lots of folks over the years while hunting from packing/draggin, cutting firewood to pulling them out of the ditch when stuck. I've never asked for a dime but to be honest - it bothers me when they don't even offer even a 'Thank You'.

You guys read these posts too fast!
Let us keep it simple here. There is me and my partner. If either one of us shoots an elk, the other is expected to help in packing it out.
Problem.
If it is my elk or his elk, I am unable to help pack out the elk.
Therefore I was asking what the going rate is for a stranger to do the packing in place of me.

Does that help in understanding the situation?

It helps us to understand the question but not the situation. Helping your partner is a good thing if you can. Problem is you can't due to no fault of your own. You are not RESPONSIBLE for him and his elk. What if you could not go hunt at all? Would he expect you to arrange for someone to pack your half of his elk meanwhile you were home or in the hospital? Sounds to me like this year you should be responsible solely for any elk you may kill and he should be responsible for any elk he might kill. If he expects help he needs to help make those arrangements and for the compensation of the helper or do it himself. 

Very confusing post.

[HoofsandWings]

Why don't you just take along another hunting partner in addition to the one you have already? That's what i would do if i was in your situation. You have a chance to help someone learn elk hunting in return for their help with packing. Im curious why this solution dosen't interest you. It's won't cost you anything.

I presume you think I know anyone else who elk hunts.
The answer is no.

Sorry, i posted earlier in the thread. There is a young man that had a classifed ad on here looking for this exact situation. He might be your guy.

There are over a thousand hunters in the area where we hunt. About 10 campsites per mile.
Now that I know the going rate, I can walk down the road and ask for help.

[CoryTDF]

 I like to see dead stuff I would help for free. but that is just me. I have helped pack out many animals that i did not shoot and did not know the person who shot it. Sometimes they offer me stuff sometimes not but i'm happy to help either way. Some day i'm going to need help and I hope to find a guy willing to return the favor.

If your partner wont share his elk he should pay. It's not your fault you got hurt.

[brush hunter]

Why don't you just take along another hunting partner in addition to the one you have already? That's what i would do if i was in your situation. You have a chance to help someone learn elk hunting in return for their help with packing. Im curious why this solution dosen't interest you. It's won't cost you anything.

I presume you think I know anyone else who elk hunts.
The answer is no. My circle of friends do not hunt.

You need a new circle of friends! that being said. If you were to walk into my camp and offer to pay to have your elk packed out, I would personally take it as an insult and throw you outta camp.
If on the other hand if you came in to my )and pretty much anyone here's) camp and ask for help packing your kill out, you would get all the help you need.
If after the pack out was done offering that said case of beer, 1/4 of the kill, or an invite to breakfast or dinner at your camp.
As hunters we help each other in the woods. I have helped several hunters pack out, some that I knew, some that I never met before the day they ask.

Personally  if I knew up front that I couldn't pack it out myself I just wouldn't shoot something unless it was very close to camp.
Now for the big question...Why don't you get your hernia fixed now? If you do it now you'll be recovered by November.

[HoofsandWings]

brush hunter says
...Why don't you get your hernia fixed now? If you do it now you'll be recovered by November.

I wish I could get it fixed, but the doctor told me chances of success were a lot less than 50 50.
There are other options I plan to take up, but that could take a year.

Also, I wish you were around when some years ago, I got lost in a blinding snow storm. I finally came across a road and after about 30 minutes of walking in the dark, a truck came by. The driver said he knew the road my truck was parked on, but he said it would cost me 20 bucks to drive me back to my truck.

[HoofsandWings]

Brush Hunter, Your avatar says Mount Saint Helens.
When hunting the brush west of the mountain, did you encounter one of those creeks where a lahar came down?
I have pictures of one. It was simply amazing and it ended just prior to a road and can not be seen unless you happen to hike along the base of the mountain.

[Kowsrule30]

I was helped one time packing out a big bull... I had fallen down with a 125# quarter on my back then busted my head open on a tree and was stuck under the quarter wedged in a tree bleeding out of my skull for 30 minutes till these two guys found me..... They then helped me up and patch my head up by the time my Dad caught up.... Then they hiked back out and drove their truck as close as possible.... 7 1/2 miles close....     We got the bull out by 11 pm that night and they took us back to camp by midnight.... We shared a beer and went our seperate ways... Ran into town to store the meat and dropped them off a nice bottle of whiskey and a case of beer the next night... They never asked for a thing.... We never even exchanged names.... They just helped....

[usmc74]

Years ago (93) I was hunting elk with my buddy.  Unknown to me, I had a triple hernia from work.  I knew it hurt, but I was hunting elk.
I ended up shooting a big bull.  We went out and got another buddy, my 2 buddies hauled out the whole thing.  By the time I had it gutted, I could barely carry out my bow.
I had it repaired and was hunting the next year again.

BTW, we split the elk by 3rds

[billythekidrock]

Shooter gets half and packers split the other half.

[elk247]

Years ago (93) I was hunting elk with my buddy.  Unknown to me, I had a triple hernia from work.  I knew it hurt, but I was hunting elk.
I ended up shooting a big bull.  We went out and got another buddy, my 2 buddies hauled out the whole thing.  By the time I had it gutted, I could barely carry out my bow.
I had it repaired and was hunting the next year again.

BTW, we split the elk by 3rds

Very generous. Btw, DUDE SWEET BULL!!! I screwed up about 5 yrs. ago and played a padless pick up football game on turkey day. Blew out my knee about 10 hours before late season. I hunted with a cane in my left hand and a bow in my right. Needless to say, tag soup that year. Hernia's suck too, i got my one and only on the second day of king crab 2010. That was a miserable 3 weeks!

[brush hunter]

brush hunter says
...Why don't you get your hernia fixed now? If you do it now you'll be recovered by November.

I wish I could get it fixed, but the doctor told me chances of success were a lot less than 50 50.
There are other options I plan to take up, but that could take a year.

Also, I wish you were around when some years ago, I got lost in a blinding snow storm. I finally came across a road and after about 30 minutes of walking in the dark, a truck came by. The driver said he knew the road my truck was parked on, but he said it would cost me 20 bucks to drive me back to my truck.

I have given several hunters rides back to their trucks or camp. I would never ask for payment.