Hauling Deer

[tickfarm]

I usually hunt by my self and as a result often had trouble loading a downed deer in the carry all on my tractor. I don't have a front loader which would simplify things so I had to come up with a solition for this problem.

What I did was run a piece of 3/4 all thread between the ROP on my tractor. I attach my come along to this and use a short piece of chain to go around the deer's neck and attach the other end to the come along. Then I can winch the front half of deer into the carry all. This lets me lift the back half in. Before I would get the front half in and then start on the back half which always ended up with front half falling out. This solved the problem without spending a lot of money. Hope this helps someone with a similar problem

 

[entropy]

Throw a bale spear on the 3pt. and tie it to that. The farmer whose land we were staying on during our moose hunt brought my Dad's moose back to the farm hanging from the bucket of his front-end loader.

 

[Armored farmer]

I usually hunt by my self and as a result often had trouble loading a downed deer in the carry all on my tractor. I don't have a front loader which would simplify things so I had to come up with a solition for this problem.

What I did was run a piece of 3/4 all thread between the ROP on my tractor. I attach my come along to this and use a short piece of chain to go around the deer's neck and attach the other end to the come along. Then I can winch the front half of deer into the carry all. This lets me lift the back half in. Before I would get the front half in and then start on the back half which always ended up with front half falling out. This solved the problem without spending a lot of money. Hope this helps someone with a similar problem

You need a gin pole on your 3pt hitch.

 

[mustanger98]

We've been known to drag out with a golf cart. That's if we didn't just pull a trailer out to the deer.

I recall seeing those guys on tv hunting red deer in New Zealand... haul out with a helicopter.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Helicopter = expensive way!

Helicopter rental starts at about $375hr, goes up from there. ALL trips are at least both-ways. And helicopters AREN’T FAST !

I use a modified wheelbarrow. Large front tire makes it easier to hop a log.
I hunt public property that requires a substantial walk. Reward is excellent hunting and haven’t seen another hunter in 5years. Only 70mi from Atlanta!

 

[MCgunner]

Helicopter = expensive way!

Helicopter rental starts at about $375hr, goes up from there. ALL trips are at least both-ways. And helicopters AREN’T FAST !

I use a modified wheelbarrow. Large front tire makes it easier to hop a log.
I hunt public property that requires a substantial walk. Reward is excellent hunting and haven’t seen another hunter in 5years. Only 70mi from Atlanta!

Well, heck, if you can afford to hunt New Zealand.

 

[HB]

I have dragged them, carted them, and 1/4’d them. I hunt public land. 1/4 is the only way. Cart can be brutal even on a relatively maintained trail.

 

[22250Rem]

Buddy of mine who wore leg braces due to injuries suffered in Vietnam used to have a pulley system on a large tree on his property. He used an atv to drag them to the tree; hoisted them up, backed in his truck under it, lowered them in. Worked great.

 

[alsaqr]

Several years ago i made a hanger for my Toyota pickup: It works very well. The old truck has a winch and locking differentials.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I have dragged them, carted them, and 1/4’d them. I hunt public land. 1/4 is the only way. Cart can be brutal even on a relatively maintained trail.

I must have tiny deer down by me. I got a thick sheet of flexible plastic. It rolls up, but was sold for kids to use sledding down a snow covered hill. Drops the "friction coefficient" fine for dry weather, and in snow is a pleasure to use. I find slightly more elaborate versions are sold these days for the very purpose of dragging deer. "Game Glide Deer Sled" or a "Magnum Deer Sleigh'r Game Sled". https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/magnum-deer-sleighr-game-sled?a=1591656. I usually can't get a vehicle down into the places where I am successful with the deer. No route large enough for a vehicle, golf cart, etc, and rather rolling hills as well.

LD

 

[jmorris]

$114 https://www.agrisupply.com/boom-pol...MIlbiDusTg3gIVy4KzCh3XggaXEAQYASABEgJV-fD_BwE

 

[Officers'Wife]

Several years ago i made a hanger for my Toyota pickup: It works very well. The old truck has a winch and locking differentials.

View attachment 812462

My uncle made a similar device welded to a frame that fits on the 3 pt hitch of Dad's ancient 4020 tractor. As well as a silly looking thing that is much like a child's wagon made from 55 gallon barrels cut in half lengthwise, welded together then uses bicycle wheels for animals shot in the wood lots where a tractor won't fit. The "tongue" of the steering mechanism attaches to a horse harness. Gramps always claimed that nobody worked harder to be lazy than my uncle.

 

[FL-NC]

So many different ways to do this, depending on circumstances. A solo method I like to drag them out, is to get a US military cot from a surplus store, flea market, etc. Hacksaw the aluminum frame away, discard, and keep the nylon part. Run rope through the sections in the nylon where the aluminum frame was, and with some para cord, the deer can be "cocooned" in the nylon of the cot. Some more rope goes through the nylon on the end where the head is, around the head, and then used to drag. The slick heavy duty nylon glides fairly well on the ground to the truck. Then I hoist the hed up using one of the bed anchors in the truck as high as I can get it, secure it, then I grab the back hooves and dead-lift the back end onto the bed. If I have another person to help, I use a North American Rescue talon II litter (we called them Israeli litters, I guess they invented them) that collapses for storage in the truck. I was fortunate to get this one when excess litters were being disposed of. They are light, easy to clean, and have straps to secure the deer (or casualty) to the litter so it doesn't fall off. Here's a photo of one.

 

[IdaD]

Skin and quarter it out on the ground, then pull the backstraps and tenderloins out and take whatever meat off the neck you want. Leave the hide, ribs and guts. If it's a small/average deer you can haul out the quarters in your pack, if it's a big deer and you're alone you can still get it out in one pack easily enough if you bone it out. An elk is obviously going to take more trips or a buddy, but you really have no choice but to break one of them down in the woods.

Some of you guys are using trucks, tractors and golf carts - obviously if you're in an environment where those are options you probably don't need to carry the animal out on your back.

 

[HB]

“I must have tiny deer down by me”

You probably do compared to ours NEMO deer are huge. Ive never tried the plastic sheet method as i figured carts were better.

HB

 

[illinoisburt]

$15 plastic snow tobagan with a 8 foot tow rope works great with snow on the ground. Easy to pull over obstacles and slides down hills. Just roll the deer in and lash him to it. They are very light weight and sturdy.

 

[Armored farmer]

A book i read about native americans claimed the hunter would (condensed version):
Lay the deer on its side and skin from legs up to backbone, then remove the meat and lay it on another hide.
Turn the deer over and repeat.
Then remove the liver and heart.
Arrange the meat on the fresh hide and gather the corners and tie them (the legs were skinned in such a manner as to leave long strips)
Sling the newly created meat/hide pack over his shoulder and head for camp.
His wives would set about cooking and tending to the hide. A boy or girl was sent back to collect the bones and salvage a bit more meat if necessary.
The hunter would return to the hunt, or sit and smoke.
We really improved this method didnt we?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

You probably do compared to ours NEMO deer are huge. Ive never tried the plastic sheet method as i figured carts were better.

Carts ARE better..., IF you can get them back to where the deer are . Where I hunt is area that was once crop land that has been left to return to forest for anywhere from 50 years to 8 years...., so stuff is thick, and wheeled stuff isn't really an option. I mean the BEST option would be for me to drive the pickup over, throw a piece of 4x8 plywood down from the gate to the ground and simply winch the deer into the bed..., can't get anywhere near where I take deer, with a vehicle.

LD

 

[FL-NC]

I would love to be able to use a cart or some other wheeled conveyance, but unless your deer is DRT on a feeder or in a food plot, or is considerate enough to die on a trail, good luck even getting a 4 wheeler to it around here. This jungle that people insist on calling a forest is pretty thick.

 

[SoonerMedic]

I would love to be able to use a cart or some other wheeled conveyance, but unless your deer is DRT on a feeder or in a food plot, or is considerate enough to die on a trail, good luck even getting a 4 wheeler to it around here. This jungle that people insist on calling a forest is pretty thick.

My buck Saturday ran through some thick crap just to die on a power line easement...talk about considerate! Pulled my truck up 3 feet from him lol.

 

[Officers'Wife]

Most of our deer are taken in one of three managed woodlots used for firewood. While you cannot get an ATV through it you can use a horse. We have a very nice Belgium that can pull an impressive size log or the cart my uncle made through the places with little to no trouble.

 

[SoonerMedic]

Most of our deer are taken in one of three managed woodlots used for firewood. While you cannot get an ATV through it you can use a horse. We have a very nice Belgium that can pull an impressive size log or the cart my uncle made through the places with little to no trouble.

That's awesome....if you like horses that is. I just don't trust them. No particular reason, I just know they can stomp me out if they want lol

 

[jmorris]

I have taken ATV’s, UTV’s and tractors places I haven’t ridden horses. My Grandfather didn’t have a high opnion of “hay burners” and thought the “N” series tractors should have been the end of them.

I have always enjoyed riding them for fun but use other devices for “tools”. Not to mention one crippled Superman.

 

[ridgerunner1965]

for years I had a old ford farm truck with a bale spike with a boat crank winch on it. I made a pipe that slipped over the bale spike with a hook on it.

I would simply back up to the deer and install a gambrel in its hind legs, lower the bale spike down and with a short chain winch the deer up in the air. to the house we would go.

that truck died now I have a chevy but no bale spike. I bolted the boat winch to the bed corner and a pulley in the front of the bed. now I use a atv ramp and just winch the deer up into the bed.

that being said I wont shoot a deer where I cant drive up to it. and when I shoot a deer I try to be very accurate and kill it within 50 yrds of where it stood..have not had to drag one for 20 yrs.

 

[Officers'Wife]

That's awesome....if you like horses that is. I just don't trust them. No particular reason, I just know they can stomp me out if they want lol

We all perform our own sort of risk assessment. My horse, Icheb, is a Morgan cross that quite frankly is bigger than I am at the shoulder and could easily kill me if it decided to do so. It is also far more dependable in the swampy areas and the brush than the ATV or trucks. Our wood lots tend to have a large population in a small area and motorized vehicle simply aren't suited to work in them. Since the animal and I are accustomed to working together… Quite frankly I trust it's intentions more than I do some of the employees.

Since a high percentage of the deer are harvested in either the wood lots or along the bank of the brush covered river the horse tends to be a better tool than a tractor. Using draft animals is an acquired skill that that my grandfather felt was important to pass on. While I will pass no judgments on your misgivings of their use… I choose to accept that risk as I have seen firsthand how effective the animals can be in certain situations. The use of their muscle is often the difference between cutting meat inside a building out of a cold and cutting wind or out in the open where you do not only deal with the chore at hand but the elements as well.