Terrain You Are Willing to Hike on While Hunting

[Small Lady]

Just how difficult of terrain are you willing to walk in on while hunting?

Speaking for myself, nothing extreme, because if I shoot something, I now have to make several trips out, carrying a heavy weight. Sure I know how to quarter a deer, moose, whatever, but that's the easy part. A small deer isn't so bad, say 30 or 40 or so lbs a quarter. But a moose can easily be 90 to 140 lbs a quarter, times 4 trips, I want the terrain to be reasonable. Honestly I was shocked by comments from another thread, where some say they hunt terrible terrain. Do you walk in on terrain so tough, you fall down regularly?
If so, what's the plan to hike out the meat?
Maybe I am missing something.
Thanks.

 

[Handymike]

My drone will handle 200 lbs. per trip so 3 trips with the deer and 1 trip for me.
My hunting partner is bigger so we either quarter him or he walks out.
Mike

 

[Reelamin]

I will hike some rough country, and I just do not do the super dangerous stuff anymore. I have some vertigo all the time, and straight drops scare me the last 5 years. If we have two of us to pack out a deer I'll hike in 5-10 miles and spend some days. If just me I try to limit it to a couple miles for deer.
I bone out the meat and cape the skull if I have time. (Saves about 7lbs not packing skull/jaw bone out) If I have to pack it much more than a few hundred yards I bone it out.
I am still able to go pretty much where I want and I know I will fall down. Luckily I am still agile enough to roll, and move to minimize impact and not smash my bow/rifle.
This years buck was in stupid steep terrain, with blow downs for about a half mile. The steep where you have to step sideways because your foot from heel forward wont bend enough to touch the ground. I got into it without major falls just some stumbles and falling backwards against the hill on my butt. I boned out as well as I could, and did not have the time to cape the skull. Split the meat up about equally with half and skull cape on pack. I would take the pack down about 50-100yds, then go get the bag and rifle leaving the pack. I fell forward and did the turtle a few times each until I got out of the blow downs . Packed out 70lbs of meat and 20lbs of skull/cape. All told from hiking in 3/4 mile after spotting it, shooting, boning, and getting out to the truck little over five hours.

 

[Rick Richard]

I am much older now so I can pack out….tenderloins and/or back straps. Guide does the rest.

 

[Small Lady]

My drone will handle 200 lbs. per trip so 3 trips with the deer and 1 trip for me.
My hunting partner is bigger so we either quarter him or he walks out.
Mike

Impressive!
What drone do you have?

 

[sp6x6]

Im sure a lot of it depends where you live, bear recovery.Wilderness is right out my back door. Go sheep or goat hunt,muleys are running with goats almost where im at

 

[Barehandlineman11]

I like the nastiest crap i can find. Took 3 of us last year 36 straight hours get a small 5 point bull out. Wasnt more then 4 miles to camp. Snow was nuts deep tho. Frank church is rough

 

[Barehandlineman11]

My drone will handle 200 lbs. per trip so 3 trips with the deer and 1 trip for me.
My hunting partner is bigger so we either quarter him or he walks out.
Mike

Seriously what drone i been debating this a while

 

[comfisherman]

Just how difficult of terrain are you willing to walk in on while hunting?

Depends on the critter at the end....

Knew a guy who died on Denali, most my friends didn't understand the desire to crawl that high up..... unless there was a bull over 75 inches...

 

[lamiglas]

Following

 

[crashlanding]

I stopped hunting the really steep stuff about 5 years ago when I put my daughter and myself in jeopardy on some canyon walls down by gateway in search of a ghost. I'll still go where I believe the animals to be but with a little more discretion

 

[lancetkenyon]

Typical elk hunting terrain. Take 2 steps forward and slide 1 step back.

This is the top of a 3 mile 4000' climb my nephew and I did last year.

I don't mind the steep so much, unless there is snow. That slipping kills my knees with weight in the pack.

Up and down is typical. Up means more breaks to catch your breath and keep the legs from burning.

Even miles of rolling hills suck with a lot of weight.

Then there is antelope...6 miles from the truck on this one. I don't think there was much more than 50' of elevation change though...

 

[sp6x6]

Some ridges we run,son

 

[snox801]

I do some pretty strap and nasty stuff. Now keep in mind I do enjoy a nice easy hunt from time to time. At home everything is easy so my Co and Texas trips can be a bit harder. Plus am in need of challenges still.