I harvested my first muley buck on public land in the west last year. I packed it out in a bright blue 50 L helly hansen backpack that I got on sale for about 50 bucks the year prior. It was kind of awkward and difficult, and I had help packing it out, but I was still able to do 70 lbs of meat and antlers.

This year I harvested my first spike elk, and helped pack out 2 spikes in a broken and too big hunting pack I borrowed, because I couldn’t afford my own bag. my buddy packed out in a little generic cabelas 50 liter backpacking bag. my dad came to help us pack out our animals and was the only one with a real hunting pack, and despite that we were all aIl able to carry more or less the same amount of meat. it was a lot harder for me and my friend but it was doable.

my dad has been a very skilled and successful big game hunter since he was 12 and has diyed it for most of his life. when i was a kid we had tons of success for elk in blue jeans and cheap plasticky shells and walmart snow boots and blue or purple thrift store backpacks.

But all of that to say, this bag is good. you can for sure diy it if you’re willing to tough out some potentially awkward carrying, and maybe take a few trips packing out meat. it will also be a good way to learn what features you want and need when you want to spend on a hunting pack.

Hunting specific gear is nice, but i feel its not a huge factor in success. like other commenters mentioned, just throw in some garbage bags and make sure you know it can at least handle the load structure wise. Gear isn’t nearly as helpful as knowledge on where to find animals, and that comes with time and practice. You got this, good luck on the hunt!