6 Tips for Packing Out Your Deer or Elk This Season!

It is nearly opening day for deer and elk bow hunting here in Montana, and many of our patients are putting the finishing touches on their hunting season prep. Laying out, prepping and repairing gear, setting up hunting camp, and sighting in the bow are the obvious pre-season rituals. But one commonly overlooked, and critical procedure is arranging and fitting the pack so you can get your game out safely. Here are 6 tips for packing out your game:

Set up your pack properly

• Don't place your hip straps onto the “meat” of the side of your hip, such as where you would wear your jeans, doing so creates restriction and compression on the hip muscles is created, increasing fatigue. Instead, set your hip straps over your belly button, cinch, and allow the weight of the pack to sit straight down onto your hip bones.  This leaves your hips to move more freely.  

Place the heaviest meat/items closest to your shoulder blades

• The closer the heavy items are to your center of mass, the better. This will keep the heavy weight from pulling you backwards, creating undo strain on your core.

Keep your core engaged

• This will enable your hips to do the work of hiking your game out more efficiently, and keep excess movement in the spinal column from injuring discs, nerves, muscles, and ligaments.

Take frequent breaks to avoid becoming over-fatigued

• The most important part of packing out your game is that you get out safely, not quickly. Rushing and neglecting to take breaks are sure to create a misstep and injury from a fall, or exhaustion. Take frequent breaks at regular intervals to enable your body to recover from the heavy load of game it's had placed onto it.