Planning a DIY moose hunt for 2010. Any advice on what would be the best backpack for the trip?
Something to carry my gear in, then Lord...willing meat and horns!!
chris <><
The best back pack for this job is a horse or 4 wheeler.
Think ya need to stop and consider what you are contemplating.
Not being a smart ass, just concerned.
I have a number of packs at Prairie Traditions that are designed exactly for that.
Take a look at the Badlands 2200 or 2800, or the Blacks Creek Western Series pack. My personal favorite is the Eberlestock Blue Widow. It is extremely well built and handles more of a load as I can possibly carry.
Prior to my Eberlestock I used an external frame pack. The Blue Widow is far more comfortable and allows me to carry larger loads far easier.
Hey Charlie, I thought you hated horses? :p Actually you make a good point. It's smart not to plan on packing in too far. A moose is a mountain of meat, and isn't something you are going to want to pack long distances even with the best of packs.
If you have read Mike Mittens book he talks about packing a moose for three miles. All by himself! Nine round trips if I remember correctly. I have no desire to even think about such a feat, and 99% of people could not physically do it.
Joe... I don't hate horses. They make great bear bait!! :D
Kifaru also makes a fine pack.
Alice pack/ruck. Nice metal frame for packing out meat. And you can pick one up without breaking the bank.
www.mysteryranch.com (http://www.mysteryranch.com)
Check out the "nice frame" and the "crew cab" bag.
QuoteOriginally posted by mmgrode:
Kifaru also makes a fine pack.
Very nice packs....But VERY expensive... :eek: :eek:
This Post is just a kick in the pants.
Onions....If ya want some kind of an idea on a PACK :scared: for your self :banghead:
Go pick up a 50# bag of something;Sugar:Corn or even salt, slip it in some of these mentioned packs. See which one feels best for YOU. Then add another 50# to that so you'll get a true idea what a MOOSE is all about.
How us old guys pack moose in B.C.
1. find moose( be prepaired, this can take a while)
2.Shoot moose
3.Make camp,clean moose,eat moose heart over open fire(the best part).Sleep like a log in the great outdoors.
4.Go to town with horns if you can carry them.
5.Show them around town and when you have a good crowd of young avid moose hunters tell them you will show them your secret moose hunting spot if they will help pack your moose.
6.Return to moose with 5 to 8 packers each carring a few of your favorite adult beverage.
7.Pack moose,I usually offer to pack the empty beverage cans. Works every time!!! Bob
Canadabowyer has it all figured out. :biglaugh:
Good suggestions so far. Another one to take a look at is the BullPac. It is an external frame and there are pack bags available for it from the same manufacturer. I use my Bison gear pack strapped to the frame. Don't forget game bags. Where are you planning to hunt? I had an Alaskan trip planned for this coming season, but life got in the way! LOL!! I have several resources stored on the laptop that I could send you...pm me if you are interested. Mike
I wouldn't plan on packing a Moose anymore than 1/2 mile, and that would be to a boat or ATV or Horse. The Moose I was lucky enough to shoot was packed about 4 or 5 hundred yards to the river and boat, we started to skin Quarter the moose at 7 AM and got the last load in the boat by 3:30 that afternoon. All hard work and I loved every minute of it.
I 2nd kifaru
You guys are cracking me up!! Esp. you...canadabowyer!!
Actually.... my plan was to have the three other guys I am going with pack my moose! They are all Mike Mitten size and stamania!
I would let them borrow my pack LOL!!!!!
Great suggestions by all! Thank-you very much.
chris <><
I have been using a MOOSE BAG and FREIGHTER FRAME from CAMPTRAIL for years.Just under 130.00CAN.I think that CABELA`S are selling it.GREAT PACK.
MAY THE SPIRIT OF FRED BEAR GUIDE OUR ARROWS.
Kelty Cache Hauler Freighter w/ Bag. Built like a tank, extremely comfortable and well made. Best bang for the buck I found.
I've also heard frame packs from Barney's Sports Chalet in Alaska are top of the line. Many guides swear by them for heavy loads. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.
I also have friend with packs from Barneys sports chalet and they swear by them, (if you can afford em). The Moose bag with freighter frame mentioned above will work well also. I have one and it works great.
How far are you packing in....the fun ends when it goes down.
Depending on the weather you may spoil all or most of the meat. These critters are big and that's good you will have help.
We took one a few years back and it was shot on the river bank with something other than a bow.....he then turned and ran (not a great shot). We picked up heis trail after about 1/2 hour to let him lay down. We found him 1.5 hours later. He had headed into the bush and wasn't coming out. He was in we figure about 3/4 of a mile near a small pond and buried up to his mid section in loon caca.
We sent one guy back to the boat for the come-along. We stayed 2 of us to get started.
With my machete we started cutting bows to get out to him so we wouldn't get sucked under.
Fred returned with the gear and the come along.
There was a small stream so we decided to just quarter him there and wash the meat in the stream and then hang it to dry a bit.
We couldn't winch him out...he was sucked in too far.
It was just below feezing but warming up so we worked as fast as we could. We made two poles to carry the quarters with after they were skinned (less weight).
We made one pack and when we returned a wolverine was on it and had urinated all over it.
The meat was ruined. we had taken the hind quarters and the back straps only. We had made a tristand and hung a coat on it and left some clothing around it for grizzlies.
Never thought a wolverine would ruin the meat. He got one between the lookers as he was growling us.
Anyway just thought I would share that.
If he would have gone down where we saw him..piece of cake, but he didn't and then it gets fun.
Hope your trip goes better but plan for the worst.
Jer Bear
I've had the camptrails pack that guyzer mentions for ~25 years & it works well for packing meat, very light and inexpensive. The Barneys packs are nice but neither. The camptrails has a shelf which helps keep the quaters from sliding down too far. Real big quarters are hard to get in the pack but you can strap them (in a meat bag) over the top of the bag, directly to the frame. Make sure you're fit, good rule of thumb is to limit yourself to moose 1 mile or less from the strip, river, etc. The amount of misery can vary depending on the size of the animal and how firm the ground is.
I would not use a backpack. . . I would use a belt holster. . . you know- one of those that hold a satellite phone so you can call a helicopter for assistance. :biglaugh:
I've done a fair amount of research into this question....
What kind of shape are you in and how are your knees?
My opinion you'll need two packs. One is a day pack or fanny to hunt out of and a second full frame pack to haul with. Internal frame packs are not strong enough to carry the kind of weight you're considering. Moose are big critters. Go look at a horse, cut it into six pieces and carry each piece around for a couple of miles. Then put it down, walk back those couple of miles without the load and do the whole thing again. Now do the circuit four more times. Two best options I could recommend is the Bullpack from Idaho and the Barney's pack frame from Alaska. Far and away the best option is the Barney's pack, due to the strength of the frame and the suspension. Barney's also offers a number of pack bags made of Kevlar, which is just about bomb-proof as a pack bag material.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p177/MikeOrton_2006/CIMG1191.jpg)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p177/MikeOrton_2006/IMG_0820.jpg)
Barring that advise above, I've got a Badlands 4500 that I'll make you a good deal on....
Well...if they are all like Mike...you have NOTHING to worry about...Hell..I wouldn't even bring a pack if I had 3 Mike Mittens going along! (I dont know Mike, but I did see a pic Gene had that showed Mike carrying two nice whitetail bucks whole on his back!!) :0)
I cant wait to hear your story... wish I was going with!
the pack is all part of the experience, if you have three guys willing i would go a mile a hand. ive done moose packs while i was 12 that you guys are frowning at. as long as you are not alone just make sure you can cary the pack, three trips with lighter loads can actualy be better than two with all you can cary. same for your partners. the haul out should be a happy time, no more clearance beef, for a while anyway.
There are internal frame packs quite capable of hauling out the heavy meat loads you could get with a moose. You just have to get the right pack.
I promise you that a Kifaru pack will carry as much weight as you can physically handle.
http://www.kifaru.net/haulfame.HTM
Canadabowyer is absolutely right, or, as my drill sergeant said one day after a course of training on how to attack a machine gun emplacement - "Stay low and let some 18 year old John Wayne take care of it."
I have only packed one moose and one bear out on a pack frame, but I also packed "ALL" the bear bait I used at the bait station where I killed the bear in with the same frame. I have a Freighter Frame and Moose Pack that was mentioned previously. The trips were all over half a mile and up hill a bit and through some THICK stuff at that on the pack outs. I would have a freighter frame or some other frame type pack frame at "camp" and have a quality day pack (I use a Bison Gear) on while you are hunting. I learned the hard way to not overload yourself. Take smaller loads and do more trips. On the moose that I and a buddy packed out, we took it out in 2 trips!!!!!! We should have done 3 trips, but I didn't want to go back in there (LONG WAY THROUGH A FRESHLY LOGGED NASTY AREA) to make one more trip. I decided I would take all the boned out meat AND a front quarter on my pack for the last trip. I am a big guy and although I don't have the best knees anymore, I can still carry A LOT OF WEIGHT!!! Even then, half way out over 1/4 of a mile, I was whipped!!! Me and my buddy traded packs at that point and we proceeded to make the rest of the trip out. BTW - After carrying that STUPID heavy pack, one Moose quarter seemed like child's play. I have moose hunted further than 1 mile away from where I could get my vehicle before, but I will NOT do it again, unless I have a contact with a quad to help me out. 1 mile is my new by myself pack out limit. Even then, be prepared for an ALL NIGHER if you shoot one in the evening or late afternoon.
The best place to shoot a moose is in the bed of your pick up truck!!!!!
I would have been on at least a half dozen DIY backpack moose hunts if I hadn't already shot one and remind myself what an incredible PITA it is going to be to pack out a moose on my back.
I'm not afraid of working hard, but I think MANY people do not realize how BIG a moose is. If you are going to Alaska, you are going to have to shoot a MATURE moose as a Non-Resident; don't go look at a horse, go look at a Belgian or Clydesdale to see what you are going to have to pack. Also keep in mind many of the NR areas now require you to pack out the bones in the quarters along with the ribs. That is a lot of weight. One normal guy does not pick up a bone in mature moose hind quarter...Mike Mitten maybe, but he is a giant of a man with more drive and willpower than any 3 men I have ever met. Nothing about processing a moose is easy...the leather portion of their hide is as thick as your thumb is wide.
I had the luxury of horses to pack out my moose and I made a VERY INTELLIGENT mental note to NOT ever do this without that luxury :D With that said, I am currently researching a DIY trip for moose before that opportunity is taken away by the wolves and outfitters...
Here are a couple pictures, but I doubt they can convey the scope of work required to take care of and backpack out an Alaskan moose.
Packs I would choose for that job would be any Mystery Ranch based on the NICE frame, Kifaru Longhunter, Wilderness Wanderer, or Barneys. DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT try to be cheap on your pack. You will be sorry!
When looking at the photos, keep in mind these are BIG horses! That wrangler in the photo with the head was 6'5".
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/YukonPhotos021.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/YukonPhotos018.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/YukonPhotos043.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/YukonPhotos066.jpg)
I have packed out 2 moose the old fashioned way. First moose was 1 mile-one way 3.5 guys took 4 hours.
Second moose was 2 miles-one way(1 mile by canoe) 3 guys took 6 hours.
We used external frame backs with shelves and bungee cords.
The most important things are a great work ethic, will power(when the cramps set in) and to be in the absolute best shape you can be in. Everything else will fall into place.
P.S. Did pack a third moose with a log skidder, cost the heart and 50 bucks. Still took an hour though!
I agree with Steve O. This is my favourite way to pack'em
(http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg163/jerbearyukon/1_Mail0009.jpg)
Jer Bear
I packed out both of these moose myself. The first one was 13 miles from camp...so I moved camp to a new location and was left with a two mile pack distance. It took 8 trips to move boned out meat hhorns and cape. The second moose was nine miles from original drop, but had moved camp previously so my pack out was 3 miles from new landing strip. Moose are where you find them, and drop camp hunts can be feast or famine...I usually found famine and had to go find the moose. Ha! I use a freighter frame with all gear including a Bison Gear Elk hunter pack lashed on. The Elk Hunter is not advertised much but give Angelo a call. ... I don't hunt with out it.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/vance/12-25-2007-17_Mitten_Trophy.jpg)
Mike
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff289/MittenM/hero/OnewiththeWilderness-cover-1.jpg)
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff289/MittenM/hero/moose2.jpg)
Hey Mike, I always thought you had shot a bunch of big deer. Those things on your wall look like midgets! :biglaugh:
They sure do give a guy perspective on how BIG those moose are!
The Barney packs are pricey but they are real popular with the guides who make a living using them. I don't think that he has his web site is up and running yet. Barneys Sports Chalet (907)561-5242
MR. Mitten,
Do you want to come Pack, I mean hunt moose with me this year??? LOL!!!! After those HUGE Alaskan MEESE, ours here in Alberta would seem like babies. You could probably have thrown the bull calf I shot 2 years ago over your shoulder and carried it 2 miles in one trip. I had the luxury of having a buddy, a quad, and a BIG plastic sled to bring this little guy out in. I gutted it and then, I backed my Bronco II up to it and pulled it up some quad ramps into the back of the hatch by a rope pulling from the front seat. My buddy was pushing and lifting from the back. I sure got some funny looks driving home with an ENTIRE moose minus his guts INSIDE a Bronco II driving thru a city of 1,000,000 people. LOL!!!! I wish I would have taken a picture of it in the truck. Here it is in the field where I loaded it. I am the ugly guy WITHOUT the beard.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b391/edmonton4christ/2007_0922Moose0016.jpg)
Could you put two of these over your shoulder??? I have a Jeep Wrangler to hunt out of this year, so I don't think I will be hauling home a whole moose, even if it is a calf. LOL!!!
That is some good eating you got there. Ha!
A lot of folks talk about the final scene in Primal Dreams which was just done to make a point of measuring success against your effort, but staying with a moose until all the meat is out will really test what you're made of..... And "apart of the remote Alaskan experience!" If you are close, then the freighter frame works good for quarters, I've never done it that way. I always have to bone them out. Plus, if you are flown in, the extra weight of the bones may need to come off to accommodate more cargo from a small plane like a super cub.
Whip- I know what you mean, both of those buck on the far wall are over 20 inches wide inside and score over 160 gross. Ha! But it's all in the camera angle. Mike
QuoteOriginally posted by Herdbull:
That is some good eating you got there. Ha!
Mike
You can't even imagine how good that little bull calf was!!! I will NEVER pass up a chance to kill a Moose calf EVER. Of course, I wouldn't pass up a chance to shoot an old shoe leather Bull like the one you have hanging on the wall either.
Iron Bull- I hope the resize worked. Thanks, Mike
Thanks agian to everybody! It's been a great help. I now have a list of packs to go check out and find the one that is most comfortable.
Hopefully, I can post some pix of a dead moose in the fall of 2010!!!
chris <><
Onions- If you would like some other tips or just enjoy some inspirational reading until your trip, my new book is available at brothersofthebow.com (TG sponsor). There is a whole mental side of moose hunting that is quite fun to experience. Good luck. Mike
Thanks Mike,
I have not purchased your book yet, I have it on my list of b-day presents. Hopefully I will have it this month!
What do you think of the Sitka Gear 45 Bivy Pack?
chris <><
I have always used the combination of pack frame with a day pack and other gear tied on for carrying in. I got a Sitka 45 last fall, but it came too late for me to test out west. My first gut feeling is that, yes it is narrow and may lend for easy movement through timber, but when fully loaded with gear it seemed like the volume would increase upward. I'm not sure I would like that. It is well constructed and fits nice, although I'm not sure if it comes in different lengths to fit longer or shorter torso. I am on the Sitka pro staff and I am honest in my assessments. The outter shell is watter resistant which is an advatage for me since I carry camera equipment, however it was slightly more noisy than the wool shell of my Bison Gear Elk Hunter. I guess what I'm saying is, for a complete pack that can be used to pack in your camp, it will work great. But to second as a hunting day pack in thick cover or to be used as a whitetail pack for carring my stuff into a cold weather treestand, it may lack the quietness I have been accustomed to. As for Sitka Gear, these guys are very attentive and may have already started to correct some of the minor issues for the new line. It's a fast growing company and they are still making adjustments. If you try something and its not as expected, they have a great warranty and return policy.
Mike
Thanks again Mike!
I have a Bison Gear Lost River pack that is my everyday go to pack. Absolutely love it.
I second the Sitka Gear's dedication to service. I have ahd a few samll issues with there products and they quickly resolved the situation.
I am thinking of buying the Nimbus Rain gear for this moose hunt. Have you used it??? I hear great reviews about it.
chris <><
There are two word in the English language that should never be used together.
MOOSE & BACKPACK
:smileystooges: :help:
King.... Now you tell us! Ha!
The Sitka Rain Gear is very good and past my test. I hunt out many times all day, but my ultimate test of rain gear is in a treestand. In pouring rain, the upper tree limbs gather water and rush it past you as you lean against the trunk. Usually my arms and shoulders will begin to soak through many of the breathable type of rain gear, but Sitka does not. The Nimbus is not lined, so there is little wicking at the sleeve ends like some other lined rain gear tends to do. It's reasonably quite for rain gear and I like the stretch and durability. I got mine two sizes larger so I can use it over multiple layers when stand hunting. You may be able to find 2008 stock on sale this time of year. Mike