Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: snohohunter on May 13, 2008, 07:42:20 AM

Title: Packing out a bear
Post by: snohohunter on May 13, 2008, 07:42:20 AM: I have yet to shoot a bear, as I haven't focused too much on it...but I'm going to put in the time this year.

Question to all the seasoned bear hunters....since I've heard the meat goes bad quick (true?), especially with the heat in August/Sep, how do you pack it out quickly and save the meat?

I enjoy a good hike, so if I'm a couple miles in, how do you get it out without having to make a couple trips? Do you skin it and quarter it, pack it out whole, etc? How does everyone deal with it?

Thanks
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: boneaddict on May 13, 2008, 08:20:15 AM: (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fbearhunter.jpg&hash=d97a4c976f53b274a85f79d0930ebf0ac361725e)
Its harder than it looks!
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: snohohunter on May 13, 2008, 08:30:02 AM: I was waiting for a pic like that - LOL
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Snowman on May 13, 2008, 09:28:52 AM: If your a couple miles back or so. You want to skin and half cut or quartered, depending on what you prefer to pack. The key is to get the meat to cool down quickly. If you have to leave some to come back, find a good cool spot to put it.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Alchase on May 13, 2008, 01:05:14 PM: Awesome pic Bone, add it to the book, LOL.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: boneaddict on May 13, 2008, 01:24:58 PM: It would be in there with a couple stories about the gentleman.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: billythekidrock on May 13, 2008, 04:31:02 PM: If possible toss it in a creek or stream, but definately keep it in the shade.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Sideswipe on May 13, 2008, 06:50:51 PM: Whoa! Where's my Aleve???
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: snohohunter on May 13, 2008, 06:59:55 PM: What was the weight of that bear...looks like a killer on the back!! How far did you all have to hike that thing out?
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Hunting Cowboy on May 13, 2008, 08:24:10 PM: Sorry, something weird just happened to my post......Anyway, here's a couple of pictures. The first is my brothers first bear. (He'd probably kill me if he saw this) He packed it out whole. The second is of my bear that was taken in the same area just two weeks before. We packed that one out in two halves and the cape.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: 50CalJim on May 13, 2008, 08:34:01 PM: Did Kens Bear have any milk on its chin. :tung: :tung: :tung:.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Hunting Cowboy on May 13, 2008, 08:40:41 PM: :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle: Ken's bear was 100 pounder. But in his defense, It's hard to judge them if you don't have a lot of time to look carefully. He didn't have a long look at it. Believe it or not, according to the tooth results, that was a 3-1/2 yaer old. The one One I shot two weeks prior was 8-1/2.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Bearhunter on May 13, 2008, 08:43:29 PM: Mike I remeber those pictures, you are going to have to get back into bear hunting again, not that you were ever out of it but I mean hardcore, you were going every waking opportunity, lets do some bear hunting come August.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Hunting Cowboy on May 13, 2008, 08:52:30 PM: Sound good to me James, I'm ready! I've Got my fingers crossed for you to fill that spring tag this weekend! Good luck.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: actionshooter on May 13, 2008, 08:54:14 PM: The 2nd pic looks like he's waiving goodbye :)
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: 50CalJim on May 13, 2008, 08:55:24 PM: I know what ya mean on judging bear Mike.Heck my Dad had a yard full of Hounds while growing up & we shot a lot of them & I still get fooled by them sometimes. :hunter:
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Bearhunter on May 13, 2008, 09:12:19 PM: Ive got a picture that would make your brothers bear look good, but I doubt I would ever show it, dont know of two many that have seen it, to embarising :chuckle:
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: saylean on May 13, 2008, 09:33:03 PM: Have ya seen my first?! I've taken dumps bigger than that bear... ;)

Still...she was my first. I wouldnt have changed it. Taxidermist said a game warden brought in a bear just before my first one that was even smaller, so I didnt feel so bad.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: LongTatLaw on May 13, 2008, 09:39:09 PM: What yall dont know...is that pic of the old guy with the bear on his back was bone...lol he had his buddy take it back in the 30's...when he was still young :P

Im no expert packer but my meat pack was well under 100$ and it has made easy work of several animals in the last year.

No easy way, gut and hump!!

I hope ya find one that takes 5 trips buddy!
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Rufous on May 13, 2008, 10:07:34 PM: I break the animal into pieces, meaning all four legs come off and then I take the back straps and some chest and neck meat. I have been able to pack out all of those pieces in one load on 3 bears and a number of deer that way. It is not easy, especially if you have some steep country to navigate which it seems I usually do but it can be done in one trip depending on the size of the animal and the pack you are using. Some animal will certainly require multiple trips (just the 4 legs of my biggest bear weighed 120# so that was definately not a one trip bear) or better yet have a hunting buddy along to help. I use a Badlands 2200 pack and love it. It has a great design for packing meat. Good luck, Rufous.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Abolt338 on May 14, 2008, 10:20:13 PM: When they're 150lbs or less, we do this:

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi145.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr209%2FHereDuckyDucky%2FRysCrowBear.jpg&hash=b0f547d3b97b68659cb397952306d5c1fa07700e)

I tie their front feet to their hind feet and wrap the whole thing over one shoulder. It makes pretty good balance, and looks dang cool for pictures :).

If they're bigger, we'll either get a pole and go old school with a person on each end, or we'll skin, quarter, and pack.

Rule #1, if it's gonna be hot, don't shoot a bear you can't get out quickly. In August, I won't pull the trigger on a bear past 8:00am unless he's sitting in my truck.

Rule #2, gut it out and cool the meat ASAP.

Rule #3, if it's gonna be hot, don't shoot a bear you can't get out quickly!!!

RW
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Sideswipe on May 20, 2008, 10:06:32 AM: That's it! Between the education & entertainment on this forum I don't have time for Dish TV-droppi'n it.

Hey Bone, if Longtatlaw is right & that is your picture & you claim to be 37....my 96 yr old dad said that at the horse auction if a critter looked old for his age that "he musta been rode hard & put away wet". I didn't think that applied to bear hunters though.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2008, 10:31:17 AM: Hornseeker and I did one straight up the mountian like that picture. Tough haul. Ugliest damn chocolate bear I have ever shot. We were thirtier and hell. SHould have seen the look on the female desk clerk when we walked in with blood all over us to get something to drink as we were in Very much need. She probably thought were had been in a shooting.

I was in on another kill and I was just there to watch and play with the hounds, again, another trip I was trying to hook up with Hornseeker and his Dad, but ran into some of his friends instead. The guy shot the bear and I kind of had to laugh. They were all standing around kind of wondering what was next and I just reached down threw it over my shoulder and headed for the truck. Wouldn't wantthe hnter to think he shot a small bear or anything. I'm betting about 80 pounds.
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: Alchase on May 20, 2008, 12:22:37 PM: Bone, what kind of gun is that in the pic? Looks like an old Savage Model 170 pump? .35 rem. maybe?
Title: Re: Packing out a bear
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2008, 12:26:09 PM: I'll have to ask Booner.