I don't think the entire area is a no shoot zone, more likely its that spot. Generally where I hunt there is plenty of places that are good, fine, ok, meh, not great, ummmmm, oh thats not going to happen. That could all be in a 5 mile hike.
Back to the original post:
Solo hunting is a different gig and until you've pulled a huge bull out of some he!! hole it's hard to appreciate the suffering. Realistically a huge bull is 300 lbs of meat off the bone plus cape and antlers. Cow and small bull will be around 200. Cape and antlers could easily be another 75. If you are not going to pull the cape on a monster bull that's you're call but it's hard to pass that up. I sold last years cape to help cover the other taxidermy costs. I've left many capes on the mountain. Anyway, back to the weight........ here's the rub, in order to pull 300 lbs of meat out and then the rack and cape..... what are you capable of. This where we have to be brutally honest with ourselves and cut through all the ego bs and chest beating. There really isn't that many people capable of packing out an elk in 1 day 4 miles back solo. Do the math...... day 3 your'e already bit ragged out.... shoot the bull at first light, gutless/gut, skin, cut, tag, bag, 4 hours, first load out, noon. 8 miles. Second load, 16 miles. Third load, 24 miles. To pull a monster off the hill with 375lbs of elk in 3 hauls is 125lbs each haul and 12 hours of hiking at 2 mph average. Realistically its a 2 day pack out and 4 trips at 16 miles each day at 90 lbs per pack. I think a small bull and cow is doable in 1 return trip with a pack out at 100 lbs on the first out and return...... if you are capable in that particular terrain.