Thread: Be Honest - How do people carry out meat and large weight

I am enjoying being involved with hunting - it has taught me a lot in the last 18 months.

I have asked several people how they carry out meat, especially on multi day trips. How to store it (esp in summer) and retrieve as much as they can. Basically the logistics of carrying all kit for say 3 days and then how to get all the meat out.

When I initially spoke to people I know, they kept telling about huge quantities of meat they would recover. It transpired that was via quad bikes or side by sides, or utes where available (Nothing wrong with that).Or that they had friends along who werent shooting, but helped carry the meat. I also discovered that in some cases only prime cuts were boned and carried out, hence being able to shoot and take out meat from several animals.

On my first multi day hunt we each carried our kit plus aprox 25-30kg of meat. That was a 3-4 hour trek out.

On some NZ hunting videos Ive seen hunters walk out (at least on camera) carrying their kit and meat totalling 45-50 kgs.

I know there are differences in fitness, age, strength etc - but what is the average walk out weight of meat that people carry? And what is the weight of peoples kit incl firearm, ammo, binos etc?

I certainly learned one thing very quickly - I don't want to carry bones out

Fyi My backpack/tent/all kit for three nights incl firearm, ammo etc weighed around 16-17 kg total. I was told this was light?

Interested to hear peoples stories re this. Especially around kit weight and meat weight and distance/time travelled on foot and any other logistics or advice (I hunt ion foot on DOC land mainly).

Bone it out.

Slowly

Mature stag, four legs boned out, plus the back steaks. Pack was definitely 40kg plus, with a bit of kit having to be strapped to the outside.


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My kit for a week weighs about 11kg minus food- which is eaten before trip out. I bone out all meat before cary out, and will carry a reasonable max of 35-40 kg of meat. So all up around 50kg. I weigh about 85kg. Rifle becomes a walking stick.

Bone it out, slowly, shoot the small ones, and bring a friend.

if meat hunting its back steaks only if walking,if iron horse is close back legs will come with if mince is required, In the roar its timber only,heart will be eaten that night the rest is kicked straight into the nearest hole.

the light portable meat safes become your best friend - along with mutton clothe or lite pillow cases - bone out the best - why carry bone - we very rarely now bring out shoulder meat just hind quarters back steaks - the only other advice I could give take some young pack horses ( human ones that is ) load them up- reward with chocolate and lollies

I usually only carry out boned meat from the back legs and backsteaks plus heart maybe tongue and a small piece of liver. Front legs are often shot and never yield much meat. Typically this is only 10kg from a red hind. My pack is 10-15kg incl rifle in summer. I recently carried 24kg plus rifle for 1 1/2 days and that was far too much. I weigh about 70kg.

Originally Posted by whanahuia

My kit for a week weighs about 11kg minus food- which is eaten before trip out. I bone out all meat before cary out, and will carry a reasonable max of 35-40 kg of meat. So all up around 50kg. I weigh about 85kg. Rifle becomes a walking stick.

Savage!

First rule is don't measure yourself against Tasman from nz wild adventures on YouTube. Your pack and gear is a nice lightweight kit at that weight. Really depends on how far you have to walk and how many days you are out for. I don't carry anything more than about 35kg total. No use stuffing your back or knee over an animal that is already dead. If you carry as much as you safely can that's all that matters. If it's a day hunt and you can do more than one trip it's easier to get more meat out. Don't stress about what others think.

Originally Posted by Yesmate

Savage!

That's a real maximum though, Would not be often It gets that heavy.

Can endorse the stoney creek meat safe. This one had eight animals worth of back legs and back steaks in it by the end of this trip. I can say that my weight limit is four red deer back legs, bone in, and four back steaks. I radioed friends back at the hut for assistance and was glad to unload a couple of legs for the last 30min back to the hut.
If I can I try to keep bone in if it's not too far back to meat safe as the meat hangs better. Bone out before final trek. I cheated on this trip, we flew in/out but a few of these legs were carried a fair way.


Big enough that you can zip the Mrs in it so she can avoid the Ruahine blow flies while sorting out a yearling she's shot.

Portable safe is crucial at times, I use the cotton ones that can tie up like a pikau.


Years ago I decided to try to carry out the whole carcass of my first deer shot (a large red spiker). After getting it on my shoulders and wobbling back and forth for 10 seconds like an olympic power lifter attempting a PB, I realised the four hour walk out wasn't happening. I took back wheels and back steaks, but that would have still been at least 40kg and took 8 hours. I was glad to see my car that day!.

With smaller hinds like fallow, I often carry out the whole carcass if not too far from the road/car. Or just back steaks and back wheels if it's a shoulder shot.

With goats, again it's dependant on distance to car park, but a piece of driftwood across the shoulders and two goats hanging each side has been done (but not over great distance).

I am pretty sure that there have been many occasions where the amount of energy/sustenance burned in carrying out the meat, exceeded what was gained by eating it.

I drive to my results,you think smarter when you get older.