Editor’s Note: For the last 20+ years, Ralph Ramos of Las Cruces, New Mexico, has called in a bull for himself or his clients every opening weekend, which is usually Labor Day weekend. Ramos has been hunting mule deer and elk in New Mexico for about 45 years. Archery season for mule deer and elk starts on September 1. All elk and mule-deer tags in New Mexico are assigned through a lottery system. You apply for a tag and then are notified if you’ve been drawn to hunt either of these two species. There are also private-property tags that can be purchased for mule deer. For elk, ranchers get authorization, and then you can buy a tag from the ranchers.

The temperatures during opening weekend of archery elk season in New Mexico usually will be 70-80 degrees. So, getting the meat out quickly is critical. That’s why I like to debone the meat and get the meat and the head out as quickly as possible to put it into an ice chest, a walk-in cooler or a freezer. A bull elk will produce about 300 pounds of boned-out meat, and two men generally can get that much meat out in backpacks in two trips to their vehicle.

On Jay Jarden’s hunt (see Day 2) his girlfriend, Kelli Younker, had come with us and was filming the hunt. So, we had three people who could carry out the meat and the head. Kelli carried about 60-70 pounds of meat, while Jay and I packed-out the rest of the meat and the head.

I use Eberlestock Blue Widow backpacks (https://eberlestock.com/collections/hunting-packs). I like this pack because it’s really comfortable, and the design of the pack lets most of the weight sit on your hips rather than on your shoulders. It’s also padded very well, making it more comfortable for carrying a heavy load. It packs down really small too when you’re actually hunting. But then, when it comes to packing the meat out, the bag expands to enable you to carry out a heavy load of meat. I’ve used these packs for almost 20 years, and they are very durable.

When we got back to our truck, we left the meat in our backpacks. Then when we were driving out, the meat didn’t get dusty. Also, when I was boning the meat out in the field, I put the meat in Ziploc bags to keep the meat from getting dirty or getting any hair on it. Then when I get back to camp or back to the house, I could start freezing those bags full of meat.

To learn more about hunting elk successfully, check out John E. Phillips’ book, “Secrets for Hunting Elk,” available in Kindle and Audible at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KQA40W/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i5.

Also, watch for John E. Phillips’ newest deer book, “How to Hunt Deer Like a Pro: Volume II,” due out in print by October 1, 2022, and in Audible by November 1, 2022. You may have to copy and paste these click into your browser. When you click on this book, notice on the left where Amazon allows you to read 10% of the book for free. On the right side of the page and below the offer for a free Audible trial, you can click on Buy the Audible with one click.

Tomorrow: Hunt and Call Early Morning Elk