Hypothetical Situation

[Fish4Fun]

I'd stash a cart before the season and take the trail

This is exactly what we do in our camp, we have 2 or 3 carts 2 miles in and then if needed they are already in the area. Works pretty slick the many times we have got animals down.

[206dawgfan]

Go your meat and move.  You have business to take care of.  We go to the woods to harvest, harvesting as much as possible is what we should do.  If there is a risk of spoilage take the quickest route out.

[jackelope]

2 miles is like a 45 minute walk. How much time would you really be saving by bushwhacking?

[10thmountainarcher]

Most likely you will blast out the herd once you get yours on the ground. Then you have the quartering out and loading packs. This takes time and if its morning, you're starting your pack out late am or noon. If you get your elk down in the late afternoon, you're packing out in the dark. Either way, any hunter you run into aren't likely to find any elk in the area you've already scored in. My  Good Luck, I hope you get to find out!

Thanks.  Me too.  It's a good spot and I've gone in both ways...the cross country way is a lot of log hopping, but it isn't too bad.  I've got elk on camera consistently every day so, hopefully they play along.

Log hopping with an elk on your back would not be easy. I'd be willing to bet that walking the trail would be a quicker route than cutting throw some windfalls. You could always time yourself without meat on your back to see. Walking a trail with meat wouldn't be much difference then without. Shortcut through the windfalls is a different story.

[Jpmiller]

Assuming you aren't walking the trail shouting out about your successes I would say getting that animal out quicker and easier is the way to go.

Even if it is quicker I guarantee it is easier to use the trail and when facing the very tiring prospect of getting an elk out easy is better. Easy and quick is best. I am never upset when I see someone hauling out game and it's possible you might get a volunteer to help.

[elkfins]

Maybe you'll get lucky and the elk you arrow will run straight for the truck.

Wait... that never happens.
Hiking a well made path with a heavy load on your back will be much faster and easier than bush wacking.

[Old Man Yager]

I don't mind the extra walking, and if it's I. The road it might be a lot easier than beating brush with a pack on.

[pd]

The other guys have pretty well covered this.  I have many painful experiences.  Let me set you straight: The "short cut" is almost never the "fastest way."  Stretch your legs/widen your gait, and take the flat, developed road.  Much faster and safer.

[csaaphill]

yeah getting game out along a trail is usually easier.

[UBA]

I hunt a spot where cross country is 1500 vertical feet up a steep ridge, the trail is an old spur road about three miles. The trail is usually easier on the body but might take a bit longer. I choose trail every time. Once the meat is deboned and cooled a bit longer won't matter much.

[Okanagan]

Ditto the trail.  Unknown shortcuts often ain't.   

Just reread your original post.  If you KNOW the shortcut is easy going with a pack full of meat, take it!

Re long round trips packing meat:  Another option is to leapfrog packs of meat in short stages rather than make long carries full or empty.  Boned out meat in sack sizes that will slip inside your pack bag make this easy.  That gives you short hauls of heavy weight with short returns empty to rest.  You never leave your meat for long so there is less chance of a bear claiming it, and you arrive at your rig with all of your meat without facing a long round trip to get more.  Stages for me range from 50 yards on miserable steep ground to 1/3 of a mile on easy going. 

Another pack attachment option is to tie a loop on the top corners of a meat sack or quarter and slip the loops over the top corner extensions of a frame pack.  Easy on and easy off without any more tying and untying, etc.