Deer always get dragged out, however far, in one piece; no problems there, thankfully, even at my age (so far! I'll be 70 in a couple of months! ).
Elk, now that's a whole other animal (pun absolutely intended!). I've packed them out quartered on horseback, packed them out quartered on my back, and with the proper permit, I've boned them out on the spot and packed them out in separate meat bags. Whatever's "easiest," and that's a word that rarely is considered when working with a downed elk. Nonetheless, when the field dressing starts, my mind is always pretty much thinking of the word, "egress."
Didn't get an elk this year, didn't even get a shot... I'll save my "egress" energies for next year. I've got a good friend a bit older than me, and when there's a plan in the future, we've started to put the acronym, "ATP," at the end of a text or email. It keeps us covered; it means "All Things Permitting."
Elk, now that's a whole other animal (pun absolutely intended!). I've packed them out quartered on horseback, packed them out quartered on my back, and with the proper permit, I've boned them out on the spot and packed them out in separate meat bags. Whatever's "easiest," and that's a word that rarely is considered when working with a downed elk. Nonetheless, when the field dressing starts, my mind is always pretty much thinking of the word, "egress."
Didn't get an elk this year, didn't even get a shot... I'll save my "egress" energies for next year. I've got a good friend a bit older than me, and when there's a plan in the future, we've started to put the acronym, "ATP," at the end of a text or email. It keeps us covered; it means "All Things Permitting."