Pack out question...

[cohochemist]

Friday (13th) is the last day of muzzy season.  I am solo on this hunt, brother and father in law will be off to chase mule deer for the firearm opener on Saturday.  If I can tag out with my muzzy elk Friday evening, how much of the animal do I need to have packed out before Saturday deer opener?   The temps are predicted to be perfect for overnight hanging in the woods if I have to come back in the morning to finish to pack out. I just want to stay above board with the law.   Do I just go into woods Sat. AM with no gun (even in car), and my punched tag?  Is there something obvious in the regs. I am not finding? 
thanks

[Colville]

Nothing illegal in packing game out of a hunt after the season is over. The correctly punched tag is a very big deal. Note, read the regs on where the tag is supposed to be! I wouldn't carry a gun back to hump meat because it's heavy and pointless, but it wouldn't be illegal. Use your phone to take a couple pictures with time stamp of the kill and your punched tag, technology is great.

[boneaddict]

Dip yourself in orange paint, especially if you tie antlers to the head of your pack.

[bracer40]

Dip yourself in orange paint, especially if you tie antlers to the head of your pack.

For your safety pack in an extra orange vest to wrap around any antlers!

[longashes]

Does the tag stay with the first load out, or pulled to attach with the second? Regs appear to say tag stays with carcass or larger portion?

[Sabotloader]

Does the tag stay with the first load out, or pulled to attach with the second? Regs appear to say tag stays with carcass or larger portion?

I would suggest punching the tag information at the site - attach it to the first load out and leave it attached.  If a Game Warden were to come along and check the first piece out he would be looking for a tag.  Were it not there you might meet him on the next trip out - waiting.  At that point he would probably ask why the first load was not tagged.

just my thoughts

[jagermiester]

With this weather you can take your time packing so make sure and enjoy yourself if you kill an Elk Friday evening. Tag your animal and leave it in the largest portion. Leave evidence of sex and have fun. Nothing illegal about it.

[nwmein199]

Does the tag stay with the first load out, or pulled to attach with the second? Regs appear to say tag stays with carcass or larger portion?

The tag stays with the majority of the meat. Our camp will pack out the head and backstraps etc. on the first trip and leave the tag with the majority of the meat....all 4 quarters, necks, ribs that are still in the woods. Our second trip we will be grabbing at least 2 quarters along with the tag.

I look at the elk as 6 parts - head, 4 quarters, everything else. The tag stays where ever 4 of the 6 parts are; either woods or camp.

The game warden stops by our elk camp every year (not a bad thing, kind of friends now!) and the same thing happens every time. He sees a new elk head sitting in camp, asks for the tag, we say it is with the majority of the meat. He asks when the majority will be back to camp and he comes back to check the tag.

My buddy did get his hand slapped by the warden one year for having the elk head in camp with the tag attached and the rest of the elk was still in the woods.

[reelamin]

By the WA law you are required to pack out all 4 quarters, Back Straps, and tenderloins.   Tag stays with the majority of the meat...even when it is home in your freezer.  If the majority of meat and tag are not in your possession then you need to have a note included as to who what where and why.   

You can make multiple trips over a couple days, but don't push it by showing up a day or two later.   Evidence of sex must be naturally attached to one large portion of the meat.  Leave it attached to a quarter if packing bone out, and attached to large rear ham if packing meat only.  If you take the neck meat and all the "flank steak" pieces you will gain about another four pounds of meat.  I do'nt take rib strips but to each his own.   In Idaho you better take rib strips as your required to take all the meat.  Small pieces are great for burger just don't let them dry out.   

Personally unless I'm having a shoulder mount done I'm not wasting any energy packing any more bone than I have to.  Taking antlers with skull cap and all the meat out the first trip.   Super easy to just leap frog the loads 3-400 yards.  Yes, it may be dark or early morning when your done, but the effort is the same and the job is done. 

Good luck!

[Bob33]

By the WA law you are required to pack out all 4 quarters, Back Straps, and tenderloins.   Tag stays with the majority of the meat...even when it is home in your freezer.  If the majority of meat and tag are not in your possession then you need to have a note included as to who what where and why.   

You can make multiple trips over a couple days, but don't push it by showing up a day or two later.   Evidence of sex must be naturally attached to one large portion of the meat.  Leave it attached to a quarter if packing bone out, and attached to large rear ham if packing meat only.  If you take the neck meat and all the "flank steak" pieces you will gain about another four pounds of meat.  I do'nt take rib strips but to each his own.   In Idaho you better take rib strips as your required to take all the meat.  Small pieces are great for burger just don't let them dry out.   

Personally unless I'm having a shoulder mount done I'm not wasting any energy packing any more bone than I have to.  Taking antlers with skull cap and all the meat out the first trip.   Super easy to just leap frog the loads 3-400 yards.  Yes, it may be dark or early morning when your done, but the effort is the same and the job is done. 

Good luck!

While I agree with the sentiment, there is nothing in Washington law which explicitly states which portions of a big game animal must be taken. The standard is "recklessly wasting" edible portions.

http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=77.15.170

[cohochemist]

Thanks for the information. Obviously I do not and would not ever waste an animal. It is one of the highest sins in my book.  I am still relatively new to hunting in Washington, but have hunted all my life in Nebraska, was just looking for clarification.  I did try to plan ahead so I wouldn't be in this situation, picked up a game cart and hunted closer to logging roads this evening without going too deep.  But, as fortune would have it, this whole exercise was a bit cart before the horse. Back home, safe and sound tonight with a big bowl of tag soup...   I did draw a multi-season this year, so maybe in a couple weeks give it another go!

take care, shoot straight
matt