Can you move?

[huntingaddiction]

Alright, this year, I have two backcountry-ish hunts planned.  One is for elk and the other is for deer and both are in Idaho.  The reason I say ish, is because I have no problem packing out to move to the next spot and go back in to the back country.  How easy do you find it to pack up get to the vehicle and move while you are in the backcountry?

[Stein]

It’s the main reason I switched from backpack trips to day hunting out of the truck. 

I hunt a bunch of new areas and want the ability to quickly move.


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[huntingaddiction]

Yea but when you get 5 plus miles back and you get in elk, do you really want to come out every night?

[Stein]

Yeah, I take loads back to the truck.  Even if I shoot one at last light I would rather get a load out, good sleep and eat and then back in early for load 2 instead of just coming out with load 1.

If I had a reliable area more than 5 miles in I would look at it differently.  I have had several experiences where I was a day in, didn't see squat, picked up camp, hiked a day out and then moved.  I burned 2 days on a 6 day hunt walking through an area with no elk.  Day hunting I can get in quick, size the area up and then either stay or get out, relocated and hunting that evening in the new place.

Two different strategies for two different kinds of hunts, it really depends on where you hunt and how you want to hunt.

[huntingaddiction]

The first hunt will be packing in mid day, hunt evening and next morning.  If we don't see anything back out and too the next spot mid day.  I do plan on carrying 3 days worth of food because frankly it only adds about 5 pounds from what I need for overnight stay anyways.  Pretty much run a 40 pound pack most of the trip.

[j_h_nimrod]

My day packdoes not weigh much less than my overnight pack. I like the option to camp where I am at if I get something late I do not need to get out to have a comfy night. I like camping at the truck, but if I don’t need to then 

[yakimanoob]

I mostly follow that pattern (day hunt from the truck and move around to lots of different spots).  I'll throw some overnight backcountry trips in here and there. 

The major exception is of course the high hunt.  No way I'm dropping 3k+' vertical back to the truck every night and back up in the morning.  It's the price you pay to avoid (or lessen) the company.

[huntingaddiction]

I mostly follow that pattern (day hunt from the truck and move around to lots of different spots).  I'll throw some overnight backcountry trips in here and there. 

The major except is of course the high hunt.  No way I'm dropping 3k+' vertical back to the truck every night and back up in the morning.  It's the price you pay to avoid (or lessen) the company.

That's what I am facing this year.  One of the spots is 2000 feet in elevation to the top and potentially another 1000 feet down the other side.  Might as well pack in and stay a few nights if the elk are there.

[Jingles]

Hauling out the meat one trip at a time is time consuming  and more energy burning to the hike. While in UT learned that haul it out in several short stints verses longer trips even after dark it gets it out and into refrigeration quicker and less chance of critters getting to it before it is all out. Fill your pack, can actually pack out smaller loads, activate a glow stick, if near dark, and move the first load 400 to 500 yards towards your vehicle. set that load down cover with a tarp/ clothes and activate another glow stick, Return to the main meat pile and repeat until it is all moved forward then repeat the entire process until all meat is back to vehicle. The glow sticks provide a visible locater instead of stumbling around in the dark guessing where you left your treasure. and several smaller shorter trips is easier, less tiring and can actually be more refreshing when totally completed because you aren't busting your butt hauling out 100 pound packs 3 to 5 miles.

[huntingaddiction]

Hauling out the meat one trip at a time is time consuming  and more energy burning to the hike. While in UT learned that haul it out in several short stints verses longer trips even after dark it gets it out and into refrigeration quicker and less chance of critters getting to it before it is all out. Fill your pack, can actually pack out smaller loads, activate a glow stick, if near dark, and move the first load 400 to 500 yards towards your vehicle. set that load down cover with a tarp/ clothes and activate another glow stick, Return to the main meat pile and repeat until it is all moved forward then repeat the entire process until all meat is back to vehicle. The glow sticks provide a visible locater instead of stumbling around in the dark guessing where you left your treasure. and several smaller shorter trips is easier, less tiring and can actually be more refreshing when totally completed because you aren't busting your butt hauling out 100 pound packs 3 to 5 miles.

That's great advice.  I was thinking of this already.  Probably get it to trail, then ridge, then truck.

[Shawn Ryan]

Hauling out the meat one trip at a time is time consuming  and more energy burning to the hike. While in UT learned that haul it out in several short stints verses longer trips even after dark it gets it out and into refrigeration quicker and less chance of critters getting to it before it is all out. Fill your pack, can actually pack out smaller loads, activate a glow stick, if near dark, and move the first load 400 to 500 yards towards your vehicle. set that load down cover with a tarp/ clothes and activate another glow stick, Return to the main meat pile and repeat until it is all moved forward then repeat the entire process until all meat is back to vehicle. The glow sticks provide a visible locater instead of stumbling around in the dark guessing where you left your treasure. and several smaller shorter trips is easier, less tiring and can actually be more refreshing when totally completed because you aren't busting your butt hauling out 100 pound packs 3 to 5 miles.

That's great advice.  I was thinking of this already.  Probably get it to trail, then ridge, then truck.

I'll politely suggest an alternative.  Since all the meat makes the entire trip, instead of moving portions a short distance, dropping it, and repeating, just carry the each "portion" all the way out, then go back and get another portion of the meat and haul it all the way out. Each portion gets carried for the exact same amount of miles, either way. By dropping each portion a short distance, you expend the extra energy of unloading that portion and reloading it every time you make a drop.  Instead, load it once at the kill site and unload it once at the truck. Don't load and unload a portion several times.

[b0bbyg]

Guess the one difference in approaches is how long the meat sits without some human presence in the area, if you are worried about something getting to the meat the shorter trips might work better, otherwise I like the idea of less loading and unloading.

[j_h_nimrod]

Hauling out the meat one trip at a time is time consuming  and more energy burning to the hike. While in UT learned that haul it out in several short stints verses longer trips even after dark it gets it out and into refrigeration quicker and less chance of critters getting to it before it is all out. Fill your pack, can actually pack out smaller loads, activate a glow stick, if near dark, and move the first load 400 to 500 yards towards your vehicle. set that load down cover with a tarp/ clothes and activate another glow stick, Return to the main meat pile and repeat until it is all moved forward then repeat the entire process until all meat is back to vehicle. The glow sticks provide a visible locater instead of stumbling around in the dark guessing where you left your treasure. and several smaller shorter trips is easier, less tiring and can actually be more refreshing when totally completed because you aren't busting your butt hauling out 100 pound packs 3 to 5 miles.

That's great advice.  I was thinking of this already.  Probably get it to trail, then ridge, then truck.

I'll politely suggest an alternative.  Since all the meat makes the entire trip, instead of moving portions a short distance, dropping it, and repeating, just carry the each "portion" all the way out, then go back and get another portion of the meat and haul it all the way out. Each portion gets carried for the exact same amount of miles, either way. By dropping each portion a short distance, you expend the extra energy of unloading that portion and reloading it every time you make a drop.  Instead, load it once at the kill site and unload it once at the truck. Don't load and unload a portion several times.

There is a physical as well as mental component to Jingles approach. Small “easily digestible” portions help mentally and 10 reps of 10 are much easier than 1 rep of 100. If you are orienteering/off trail it is even more helpful, traveling a 1 mile trail twice in an hour helps smooth out the difficult portions vs. traveling a 10 mile trail twice in in 2 days, it keeps the difficult areas/turns, etc. in mind.

That said, I usually push through on one trip but I have hopscotched it in the past and there is a lot to be said for the method. You also become an expert at loading your pack 

[idaho guy]

Hauling out the meat one trip at a time is time consuming  and more energy burning to the hike. While in UT learned that haul it out in several short stints verses longer trips even after dark it gets it out and into refrigeration quicker and less chance of critters getting to it before it is all out. Fill your pack, can actually pack out smaller loads, activate a glow stick, if near dark, and move the first load 400 to 500 yards towards your vehicle. set that load down cover with a tarp/ clothes and activate another glow stick, Return to the main meat pile and repeat until it is all moved forward then repeat the entire process until all meat is back to vehicle. The glow sticks provide a visible locater instead of stumbling around in the dark guessing where you left your treasure. and several smaller shorter trips is easier, less tiring and can actually be more refreshing when totally completed because you aren't busting your butt hauling out 100 pound packs 3 to 5 miles.

That's great advice.  I was thinking of this already.  Probably get it to trail, then ridge, then truck.

I'll politely suggest an alternative.  Since all the meat makes the entire trip, instead of moving portions a short distance, dropping it, and repeating, just carry the each "portion" all the way out, then go back and get another portion of the meat and haul it all the way out. Each portion gets carried for the exact same amount of miles, either way. By dropping each portion a short distance, you expend the extra energy of unloading that portion and reloading it every time you make a drop.  Instead, load it once at the kill site and unload it once at the truck. Don't load and unload a portion several times.       

X2 you might mentally feel better making lots of short trips? I don’t know but loading and unloading is a lot of wasted time it’s all the way out and in for me. Plus I might have service at the truck and can call a buddy to join in the misery   

[Shawn Ryan]

As to the OP's original question, I move fairly often in the back country. Sometimes, its just to bivy-out in another basin for a night or two. Sometimes (last year) pack up, drive to another trail head, in search of greener pastures, but mostly just pack to another basin.  If I can do the packing at night, I do that to avoid missing precious hunting days. Doesn't always work out that way.