I enjoy watching quality youtube and Netflix videos of North American hunting and have taken an interest in the backpack-style hunts.
What intrigues me is that the packs seem just as full before the hunter shoots the deer/ bear, etc. and loads it for the trip home!
It is great to have lots of space for all the extra gear, but it must make the pack out extremely heavy with every unnecessary ounce.
What is necessary and what is not?

What is necessary and what's not is based on the distance, weather and terrain IMHO.

I always have way too much stuff in my pack and am part of the problem. Obviously depends on the weather, but my pack has a very small stove and pot for coffee, puffy pants and jacket, waaaaaay too many water bottles, glassing pad, hat, gloves, game bag, knife/tags, range finder, GPS, emergency blanket, etc etc etc. My friends just laugh at me and carry way less.

Since most of these hunts take place in the fall, I bet a lot of the space is filled with cold weather gear, maybe a tent and sleeping bag.

Depending on the weather and duration of the trip, it is quite common to make at least 2 trips back to the road once an animal is taken. For an elk, 3+ trips is not uncommon. Even a mule deer can yield 80+ pounds of meat and antlers, so most people won't be able to pack out camp at the same time. Now when you hunt in a group (like most videos), the equation changes slightly.
I typically do solo backpack hunts, and unless it is a coues whitetail, I almost always need a second trip to retrieve camp, etc. I can get a pretty comfortable backcountry camp down to 40-50 pounds, including food. You have to remember most of our hunts are in colder weather, so extra clothes, a warm sleeping bag and tent, along with stove, etc., can get the weight into the 40 pound range really quick. And this isn't a luxury camp, by any means.
Bill

I never used one on a pack in camping trip but once. Then two of us shared a nylon pup tent. We came back to base camp or rode in with horses.

On just day elk hunts I was about the only one that carried a pack at all. Mostly I got tired of having my pockets full of things.

Extra knife or two, sharpening steel, Esbit folding stove and two or three boxes of heat tabs. (look it up!)
Couple cans of Dinty Moore stew, &/or chicken noodle soup. Log of summer sausage or pepperoni and a few roll packs of Ritz crackers sure takes the pangs out of an empty belly on a day long hike.

50' of light rope, 10 feet or so of heavy string, 3-6 liquid gas type cig lighters, couple light weight flashlights and extra batteries. 2 or 4 emergency blankets. Half dozen or so rubber gloves. 8'x10' or so sheet of plastic to keep dry under, extra box of rifle shells. Half roll of ass wiping, extra socks, small first aid kit including flesh sewing kit. Never know when someone will cut hell out of themselves, it might be you! Roll of medical tape, gauze etc.

I wear a heavy revolver and belt full of shells for it, knife and cheap drywall saw in their own sheaths are on the gun belt. You will never find a better or handier saw, they are tough as hell too.

Whole thing other than gun belt might weigh 10 or 15lbs, not over 20 at the most. Mighty damn handy often enough to pack one.

That's just me. Everyone will pack in different things.

George

Thanks for the response and an interesting insight into your hunting world.

I have been backpack hunting for 30 years. Many hunts in North America can be cold. Cold weather gear can take up a lot of space but still be pretty light. On coues deer hunts I can carry out camp and the deer in a single load. Mule deer are variable. A young desert mule deer can be pretty light, whereas a mature rocky mountain mule deer can be very heavy and you will be taking 2 trips. When it comes to elk, you either need 2-3 strong friends, or preferably a horse or mule to pack one out. Hind quarters on a bull with bone in (and lower leg removed) will weigh 65-95 pounds depending on the size of bull. Some of our Gila bulls in New Mexico can have giant bodies.

For a Fall hunt in Southern NM (Not too cold, maybe a little below freezing) I carry a: puffy coat, rain coat (only rain pants if rain is forecast), merino wool long johns, pants and shirt, 2 pairs socks and underwear, beanie, Therm-a-rest NeoAir sleeping pad, Down 0 or 10 degree sleeping bag, bivy sack (small 2-man backpacking tent if bad weather is expected), JetBoil with small fuel canister, mug and spork, 1L Nalgene, 2L Source (like a camelbak), Water Filter or tablets, Havalon Piranta knife, Wyoming Saw, synthetic game bags (I like the Black Ovis ones), small length of paracord, toilet paper, lighter and matches, contractor size trash bag, toiletries, Food (Think freeze dried and light, like mountain house, instant oatmeal, Cliff Bars)

Then comes the heavy stuff: camera, 10x binoculars, ammunition, rifle, spotting scope or 15x binoculars and tripod if trophy hunting

That would cover most everything in my pack. I am lucky and New Mexico tends to have good weather, so tarps and extra clothing (in case of getting wet) can usually be left out.

The Alaska mountains can be very unforgiving and it pays to be prepared. Weather can be bright sun and 50 degrees one day and freezing and dumping snow the next. I have gone to sleep with clear skies and stars and woken up the next morning with the tent roof right in my face, weighted down with snow. I might never need all of the stuff I carry, but it sure is nice to have it when things go sideways.

quote:

Originally posted by Karoo:
I enjoy watching quality youtube and Netflix videos of North American hunting and have taken an interest in the backpack-style hunts.
What intrigues me is that the packs seem just as full before the hunter shoots the deer/ bear, etc. and loads it for the trip home!
It is great to have lots of space for all the extra gear, but it must make the pack out extremely heavy with every unnecessary ounce.
What is necessary and what is not?

All my backpack hunts have been for Dall Sheep here in AK so things can be different in other states and hunts.

The trick is to pack NO "extra" stuff. Only what you need, not what you "think" you might need and not double up on certain stuff with your partner. Shared items include tent, stove, fuel, water filter, spotting scope, InReach or SPOT. Perhaps even camera, rangefinder.

No "extra" clothes other than some socks, one pair skivvies and one light base layer. Everything else I can layer up and wear all at once if need be like to siwash it.

if you do a search for "hunting pack dump" or "bag dump" on youtube you'll see a lot of videos that break down everything that is being packed for these types of hunts. a couple of examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4P0EZqeaZc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooHvPr4Bk4I

Thanks. I'll follow up on these leads.