What worked pretty well for me in many situations was to carry two packs up the mountain, a now-twenty-five-year-old aluminum frame Wilderness Experience with all the secondary "needs" in it, and a smaller, soft daypack with the absolute essentials in it.

I might stash the big pack along the trail somewhere and sort of hunt around it, having the luxuries reasonably close by without actually having to carry everything.
If I needed to spend the night on the mountain, it was nice to have a lot more stuff than I'd be able to hold in the daypack. And the frame pack was worth it's weight in gold when it came time to pack out meat.

The core pack (knife, compass, matches, topo maps, Metal Match, etc.) never got outside of arm's reach, though. I forget what brand it was and I wore it out years ago.

The daypack I carry these days for local deer hunting is a forty-dollar special from Menards.
It isn't anything special, but it does what I need for now.
My biggest gripe is that it isn't compartmentalized, so you have to dig through or dump everything out to get to whatever you need.

The more I use my Mossy Oak Turkey vest, the more I like it, and I'd probably wear that instead of a daypack for deer or elk hunting if it were Blaze Orange.
(With a few minor modifications, perhaps...)

the three day pack is a "lightweight" pack, no frame.

and I currently keep an aluminum frame at camp for the quarters.

I will get my pack list, along with weights and throw up here...

EDIT:
The following is exactly what is in the pack:

1. 100 oz Camelbak Bladder = 104 oz


2. 1 MRE Meal = 20oz


3. 2 Hershey Bars = 2oz


4. 1 Cliff Bar = 4oz


5. 1 bag trail Mix = 3oz


6. Wyoming Saw = 22oz


7. Nylon Rope, approx 20 ft = 8oz


8. 5 Game Bags = 16oz


9. Plastic Tarp (Emergency Shelter, work surface) = 22oz


10. Med Kit = 9oz


11. SOG Multitool = 10oz


12. Fixed Blade SRK Knife = 9oz


13. Headlamp = 5oz


14. Firestarter Kit = 4oz


15. Lensatic Compass = 7oz


16. Sharpening Steel = 3oz


17. Skinning Knife = 3oz


18. Electrical Tape = 4oz


19. Orange Tape = 2oz


20. Surefire 6P / Spare Batteries = 7oz


21. Sunglasses with Clear Lense / Hardcase = 6oz


22. GMRS Radio = 7oz


23. Spare Batteries (3 AA) = 3oz


24. Rubber Gloves =2oz


25. Paracord, 50ft = 2oz


26. Whistle = 1oz


27. Pencil = 1oz


28. Lighter = 1oz

So total weight in the pack at the beginning of the day is 17.8lbs (plus weight of the pack, approx 4lbs) so figure about 22lbs to start out with.

at the end of the day all the food is gone and most of the water, so figure 6lbs or so less, day ends around 16lbs.

Based on my last hunt I could lose the
SOG Tool and glasses and save about a pound. Everything else came in handy, or would if there was an emergency.

Binocs (38 oz) are worn on chest strap
GPS with Spare Batteries (5oz) is worn on wrist.
Rifle weighs in at just about 7lbs, fully loaded with sling.

The day pack I use is close to this one http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Elite-Scout-Pack/1230368.uts?WTz_l=YMAL%3BIK-516505

Mine is a little bigger capacity wise, better to have and not need, than not to have enough. I found that too big of a pack,and I start finding extra shit I don't really need to be carrying with me somehow ends up in it.

I just Googled that and watched the promo video on Elberstock's website.
Dang it , that is NICE backcountry pack!

Man, talk about versatile...

I have to get one of these. My rifle took some hits in the brush my last hunt, including hitting the deck when I took a fall. Nothing sucks worse on a hunt than having a weapon you cant trust after the scope hits the ground.

Stocking Cap , Maps and Zip ties are carried in my coat / hunting vest, so I dont include them in my pack weight.

Space Blanket I use the plastic tarp, If necessary I can fashion an emergency shelter with it.

Extra Socks probably need to be added to the pack.

When we packed our meat out, I bought a military frame pack, and it worked great. We staged the frame packs, and then went back for them when we shot the Elk and butchered it. It was worth it, and you can pick up the military frame packs for pretty cheap, and they are durable.

Daypack - Eberlestock X2

This puppy is light enough for day pack duty, large enough to bivy out a couple of days and strong enough to carry a boned in elk quarter. They can be found for $169 shipped if you look hard enough.

I have been using the two pack method for a while. I have a Bull Pac frame that I love, very comfy and I do not think you could break it if you tried. On that pack I carry a small frameless pack. (Used to be a Spec Ops "The Pack" but this year will be a Hill People Gear Tarahumara ) I would just leave the frame at camp or in a handy spot until I needed it. I am excited about using the HPG tara, lighter weight, great suspension and will work as a compression panel on the pack frame.

Mystery ranch crew cab.

ETA: shit, just realized I rez'd a 4 month old thread.

I still monitor this thread, I just ended up with an Osprey Stratos 24, its a light sport pack, super light, super comfortable, carries all my gear easily, and it's bright orange to boot.

2 downsides

1.) not enough zippered pockets to segment the gear.
2.) several open pockets with no way to close them up, makes them useless to me.

However, bought it used on craigslist for 50 bucks, will give it a try for this hunt and if I dont like it, will sell it and see about upgrading.

I changed out my kit abit, replaced the heavy plastic tarp with a much lighter one, more like a space blanket.

I am a really big fan of Horn Hunter Packs, might check them out.