Originally posted by Schultzz
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I'm done with dragging if it's by myself or in a small party. We hunt in a group and when there's a full party at camp, we might have 12-15 guys. We'll drag then, sure. Nothing like the sight of a big buck on the meat pole in front of camp.
Quarters, or better yet, boning them out, allows them to be packed in a sturdy frame pack combined with some trekking poles to steady yourself over uneven terrain which makes it easier to get them out. Your hips and thighs can carry a helluva lot more than your arm can drag. Western backcountry hunters typically bone out most everything and can get an elk out of the mountains in 2-3 solo trips with loads approaching and exceeding 100 lbs. 40-50 lbs of boned out whitetail plus a head or just antlers can be done by one guy. Leave the hide (or 1/2 if you're getting a mount done), bones, and guts for the forest to reclaim. And I'll damned if I'm going to drag a 300lb+ bear out of the woods.
Randy Newberg has an excellent video demonstrating the gutless method:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbnp82DWMCE
NYSDEC regs are not explicit in quartering or boning out animals to pack out, but contact your local EnCon officer for guidance. Leaving evidence of sex attached to a quarter or the largest piece of meat is easy enough, bring a ziplock bag and rubber band cover the scrotum or penis so that it doesn't contact your meat.
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