Hunting season approaches and I need one. Where I will be doing most my hunting will only be 2-3 miles from my cR and ascending maybe 1500 feet from it.

Funds are limited this season, as I'm wondering if there is anything that would work at under $200 or so.

Suggestions? I'm pretty clueless to the whole thing.

I have this one, or something close to it.  I've hauled out elk quarters (medium size cow) and whole antelope.  I bought mine at Sportsmans Warehouse.  It has a pull out hunter orange cover to cover up hide/hair.  It's been a pretty good frame.

Kelty pack frame

Cool. Do you have the backpack that goes with it too? If not how do you carry all your gear?

No, I don't have the pack, just the frame.

2 options, I've done both.

1.) strap your day pack onto the frame and off you go, or

2) stuff what ever part of the critter you can get into your day pack and head back to the truck/camp for your pack frame.  You're making more than one trip anyway with an elk.  It was all I could do to pack a boned quarter of a cow out.  My son-in-law on the other hand packed one quarter on his back and drug another, but he's built like a brick shithouse and is 25 years younger than I am.

The frame loads ok, and has a bottom shelf that folds down.  I've packed it with camping gear and a day pack and left it at camp while hunting  - I hate hunting with a frame on they catch on brush and trees and that makes them noisy.

My little joke is that anyone that hunts elk without a horse is a fool.  The only guy more foolish is the guy that owns the horses.

Yeaa no horses allowed in my apartment. I'm 6'5" and 270lbs  so maybe I'll do a quarter in the day pack down and then grab the frame and a buddy.

Another vote for the Kelty.

It's solid and reasonably priced.

I've packed many a quarter on my 90.00 Kelty. It just won't quit.

I have packed out elk on a frame. The front legs aren't too heavy but the back legs are HEAVY. The head on a bull elk is also really heavy. It weighs more than a hind quarter.  Another option is a game cart. If you go the pack route, make sure you learn how to bone out the leg in the field. It is not hard. The rear legs on a big bull I shot a couple years back were 75 pounds each. They get heavy really quick.  Good luck. Elk hunting is awesome.

If you dont bone out your quarters your lugging a lot of unnecessary weight.

last 2 elk I was in on we did the 'gutless' boneing method. It worked really well for taking an elk apart.

The only complaint I've heard is that aging the meat on the bone helps keeps the meat stretched which helps to break down muscle fibers yielding a more tender end product.

tie hooves together and "bandoleer" them.  one trip.

Alright guys you get me.

I tried finding a wedding gift online for my
Fiancée and pulled the trigger on the pack. Hope it looks good with her white dress.

I never gut them i carry game bags in my pack along with a floding fillet knife soon as they hit the ground i start skinning

Got the pack, used it for a couple days and it is nice.

Kinda tight, being 6'5" and 270lbs with a 50" chest but it'll work.

Hoping tomorrow will be the day I put some meat in it.

Hey bro, found this thread while looking for answers to the same question you had about a good pack. How did your hunt go, and how did the pack hold up?

Blast from the past!

It held up well. I shot a small 4x4 fortunately about half mile up hill from the truck. Packed a quarter and then some into it for the hike down. Held up Way better than the sled we had. its in the hunting chest right now. It was great to shove a backpack in and carry around, but I wish I had something with easier access to my gear.

Awesome! Congrats!