With every season that comes to a close I debate on how I should approach deer hunting next season. I hunt only public land and usually the National Forest. I look at the district I hunt in as my "mini-Colorado". It's hills, spread out animals, and some opportunities to sit up on a perch and observe or even glass.

I avoid certain areas because while I may have a shot opportunity, I dread the haul out with a cart, or drag. (Some areas I hunt do not even allow carts, nothing wheeled). I no longer hunt morning and evening hunts, I hunt all day. I used to pack in as little as possible. Now I am thinking differently.

I just ordered a frame pack with a bag. I want to walk as far as it takes to find what I'm looking for. But when/if I kill I want to debone the deer right where it lays and pack it out. I grew up where when someone killed a deer you loaded it up on the 4 wheeler and hung it up at the skinning shed and everyone gathered around and joked and inspected your deer. Now I am mostly solo and I love being in the woods more than sitting around the camp. I've even contemplated hiking in a couple of miles and tent camping, then getting up and hunting with a 3 or 4 mile headstart.

Anyone do anything similar as in use frame packs, debone deer in the woods, hike in and camp to hunt?

I REALLY like what you're doing. I predict great success in your future. Probably won't get much feedback here because we are mostly corn pile sentries.

A boned out big arse buck will probably dress out over 100 pounds (wouldn't know, I don't kill them), but a dressed out 80 pound doe only about 45 pounds, so it can be a big swing on pack weight depending on what you shoot. With minimalist overnight gear you could be looking at a ~125 pound pack out. Certainly doable.

Get after it. I am jealous

From what I can tell, southern hunters are built differently than western guys. Or vise versa.

They make sure they have the most important piece of gear: dont be fat.

I hunt sorta like you do, mostly public. I don't go 3-4 miles in the woods, maybe 2 at the most. Occasionally I'll gut the deer on the spot and drag back towards truck and finish off quartering it up. If I'm tired I'll just gut it and that's it. There are times I'll even take the whole deer to processor and not do anything, just depends on the situation. Good thread and looking forward to seeing more replies. I have a deer drag, basically a harness with a rope that I tie around deer and it basically pulls the deer up my back, works pretty well. The hard part is getting that fricker in the back of my truck by myself.

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most places, a 3-4 mile hike will get you to another road.

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Yea that was what squished this idea when I had it a few years ago. The spaces are much smaller around here. I couldn't figure out a way to get out of range of the day trip hunter.

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The hard part is getting that fricker in the back of my truck by myself.

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Keep a piece of plywood on your bed. Longer the better. Open tailgate and lean against open tailgate as an inclined plane/ramp. Tie rope to deer and pull deer up as you are standing in bed.

I dig your hunting methods.

I have packed out several pigs and deer from public land. I just skin and quarter. I destroyed my Oysprey hiking bag. I just upgraded to a badass Badlands bag. Get a good knife and a bone saw. Keep in mind, Legally you need to maintain the sex organs or head (in Louisiana).

Also I mean 100% de-boned, not just quartered or field dressed. Main reason? Reduce weight in the pack. Added benefit is when I get back to the cooler at the truck the meat is already de-boned. There are a few days with mandatory check in's so obviously I couldn't chop up the deer on those days.

This video https De-Bone Deer is about the best I've seen. You can tell the guy does this on the regular.

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Throw a short rope in the pack too, you might find a good tree limb to string one up and let it hang a while

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Why, if you aren't camping? And even if you are camping, if you can't keep it cold the meat spoils, no?