I've found very few if any hunters are in near perfect condition.
You can say that again.
Short story...
Several years ago I was out during Ohio's deer shotgun season.
At dusk I started heading back to truck and came across an older fella dragging a nice doe. Actually he was sitting next to the doe he had been dragging, panting like a dog that had been in the desert chasing jack rabbits during mid day. And sweating profusely.
Knowing he had a couple miles to drag to the nearest rode, I approached him to see if I could lend a hand.
He had dragged this doe up and down several steep foothills for several 100yds and was absolutely spent.
Reason's he was spent was...he had just gotten out of the hospital the week prior from having open heart surgery AND the doe was not field dressed. Old guy didn't know how.
Talking with him as I was gutting the doe I found out that he was with a hunting party consisting of his son's and friends that not only knew his condition but took him back into a place he was unfamiliar with and left him, knew this was his first deer hunting trip and promised if they heard shots would come to help him. They didn't.
After dragging deer to my truck, we drove to his camp where the rest of his hunting pals(again, including his own son's) were really busy partying. From the looks of them, they were obviously either hunting stoned or dropped the old man off and headed straight back to camp to party. All were 'lit'.
We unloaded the deer, I shook the old fella's hand, turned to the son's and told them I could have very easily been delivering them the body of their dad and drove off. I was so mad, I couldn't sleep that night thinking how someone's own flesh and blood could do that. Let alone someone that is supposed to be friends.
Guess it takes all kinds.
Kimbercommander,
I see no mention of any first aid supplies in your list of gear. You may want to add that in there in case of an injury such as a blown out knee or twisted/broken ankle. It happens!
Happened to a very 'physically fit', experienced, hunting friend of mine many years ago as we were dragging my deer out. Blew his knee out and was DRT. Luckily, I was able to get a quad to him to get him out.