• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Packing out deer (backpack) question

ATubbsBowhunting

ATubbsBowhunting

Active Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2020
Messages
125
Location
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
For you guys that pack out deer. Would a cheaper internal frame pack be stout enough to pack out a deer or would an expensive internal frame/external frame pack be required? Looking to pack some out this year and get away from dragging and deer carting them but don’t want to spend much on a pack. Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Depends on what you’re packing. I cut the meat off the bones and pack that out.

I use a MR pop up 18 and it’s more than up to the task, could probably get away with a lot less pack than that.
 
We're big fans of the MR Popups, (we have three), but you can definitely get it done with the military pack.
 
I’ll probably be buying a really good pack for next year (planning a couple of western hunts) but definitely looking to go as cheap as possible this year for a stand alone pack for packing deer out. I have a good hunting day pack that I carry all of my hunting stuff in but I’m wanting to have a pack in the truck for going back and getting the deer out but won’t be using it for a hunting pack at all. I appreciate all of yalls input. The whole packing out this is pretty foreign to us alabama guys but there seems to be too many advantages with it to not utilize it. It will for sure allow me to hunt areas I would normally avoid because of getting deer out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Walmart has a few 80L backpacks. I bought one last year for $24 and it is pretty sturdy. Not as good as a $200 back pack but much more affordable. The model I bought is no longer available but here are some similar.
www.walmart.com

backpacks for adults 80L

www.walmart.com
 
ATubbsBowhunting said:
Are they sturdy enough to haul deer?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
The one I bought is plenty sturdy. I'm pretty sure it would hold 80 lbs OK. If you are deboning deer it should be half that or less. Even with legs about the same.
 
This is close to the one I bought only it has molle loops. Mine is ACU camo and has one large compartment and 2 side compartments.
 
I’ve spent so much money this year I don’t want to buy game bags. Do you guys all run expensive game bags or does anyone stuff some hefty bags full?
 
When I deboned my deer last year, I stuffed it all into 5 plastic grocery bags stuffed to bulging then placed it in the refrigerator until I could wash it and segregate it into freezer bags. You'll get some blood leakage but ehh. It is hard to keep the meat really clean while outdoors anyway.
 
3 things I’m worried about:
You should skin the whole thing, right? You don’t want hair everywhere.
The bulk of meat with bones in it has to be huge I don’t think I have the fridge space.
I’ve heard taking meat off before rigor makes it tough and it’s best to hang the deer, let it tense up, then relax. If you cut it all up it should bundle up like a ball, right?
 
RainingBlades said:
3 things I’m worried about:
You should skin the whole thing, right? You don’t want hair everywhere.
The bulk of meat with bones in it has to be huge I don’t think I have the fridge space.
I’ve heard taking meat off before rigor makes it tough and it’s best to hang the deer, let it tense up, then relax. If you cut it all up it should bundle up like a ball, right?
Click to expand...
I was going to answer about skinning but I only done that while it is hanging from a tree. Maybe hang it in a tree to cut it up?
I did not have the fridge space but I wanted to separate it into freezer bags for convenient cooking sizes so the bones had to go.
It was hot last year so I butchered the day after, early morning, to avoid flies and the meat did not ball up. There was some rigor.
 

Old video but Warren shows how to do it as well as anyone.

I prefer leaving the quarters in a cooler of ice until I'm ready to put it up. Just leave the drain cracked open a bit and add ice as necessary. I didn't like the rind loss on the meat after a few days of drying out in the fridge.
 
Last edited:
Are you going to use the pack every hunt or go back and get it if you get one down?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top