Transporting heavy game the EASY way

[.308 Norma]

I don't have a clue when and where it's legal to use a motorized vehicle to fetch your kill from the woods

Yeah, it really varies from state to state. And in Idaho, where you can or can't legally have a motorized vehicle varies even from area to area.
Where we can or can't legally have an off-road vehicle in Idaho really became an issue for my wife and me a couple of years ago. We never even owned an off-road vehicle before, but my wife contracted atrial fibrillation a few years ago, and she want's to continue hunting. So, she got her Cardiologist to sign off on a Disabled Hunter Permit. She can legally shoot from a motor vehicle now, as long as it's not moving or on a public road. But the permit still doesn't allow her to legally drive or ride a motor vehicle into areas that are closed to them.

 

[hq]

On a different note, the official whitetail stats were published last week. They're talking about record numbers; last winter was mild, this summer is hot (you saw Trump's and Putin's meet on the news, it's been like that for quite some time) and some estimates say the whitetail population has nearly doubled in last five years, this one being by far the best ever.

I have some alfalfa and lupines growing 200' from my house. Whitetail, roe deer and even some moose already seem to love it and I haven't even thought about starting the feeder yet. The backyard is crowded at dawn. All I need to do is to open a window at sunrise and take a shot.

I made some calculations and I only need another 60-70' of rope to be able to winch them in without moving my truck from its regular parking spot if they're DRT.

Nah. I'll probably walk a couple of miles again, scare off every decent buck around, shoot another doe in an impossible ditch at least half a mile from a road and spend an afternoon pulling it out. To keep up the sportsman spirit, whatever it may mean. If I wanted easy and meaningless venison just for the sake of it, I'd head to the supermarket. Ever heard of the term "sisu"? It's finnish for doing everything the hard way and enjoying the heck out of it...

 

[troy fairweather]

Really? Even off trail on state and federal lands? While one can do most anything they want on private land here in Wisconsin using a ATV, most anything with a motor is a no-no if on public land and not on a trail designated for such. One of the most violated rules during the hunting season. So, iffin you're hunting public land and shoot your deer on a designated ATV trail, you're good. If 400 yards from one....you still gotta drag it that 400 yards, or break the law. Motorized bicycles(both gas and electric) are getting very popular for hunters lately. What most folks don't realize is they are considered motorized vehicles and as such are also prohibited, even on those trails designated as mountain and/or Fat-tire bike trails.

u can on some state land as long the atv is registered. i dont have an atv i dont mind the drag im a big guy draging is not to hard we get lots of leaves there and makes it easier to drag. i have pull 2 deer at one time just about every season.

 

[George P]

I have an amazing knack for shooting a deer right where it will tumble down to the very bottom of a ravine.

When I lived in NV, my friend drew a mountain goat tag out near Austin, NV - (BFE to us locals). Weeks of scouting, planning, etc., had him in a great spot to take a trophy (possibly record book worthy) goat. His shot was only ~250 yards. However, it was across a ravine. It was 1500' down and 1500' up to the ledge where the goat was. To drive around where there was an ability to get to the other side would have been almost a day's drive in 4X4 low to get there. Each side was steep, loose shale. Goat was down about 8AM; he finally got it out about 4:30 or so.

Folks used to shooting in the East have NO idea what the terrain (and weather) can mean on a hunt - especially for things like goats, sheep, high country elk, etc.

 

[Rembrandt]

Too far to drag, too old to drag, too heavy to drag....now do it the easy way.

 

[troy fairweather]

Too far to drag, too old to drag, too heavy to drag....now do it the easy way.

View attachment 797260

thats a nice little trailer u got an the cargo

 

[22250Rem]

at 74 my dragging days are just about over.

............... Friend of mine who's 76 told me that the only thing he can drag out of the woods nowadays is himself..... At 68; I'm starting to see the wisdom in that statement.

 

[Patocazador]

Folks used to shooting in the East have NO idea what the terrain (and weather) can mean on a hunt - especially for things like goats, sheep, high country elk, etc.

The first elk I ever killed was a 6x5 on the other side of a canyon. After gutting him and letting him roll down to the bottom of the less steep side, my wife and I had to bone him out and backpack him to the top of the steep side where our camp was. It took a day and a half and 6 trips each to get him up there.

We live at an elevation of 83' and packing and climbing in excess of 10,000' was almost impossible.
My wife stopped cussing me after a bit because she couldn't breathe and talk at that altitude.

 

[George P]

My wife stopped cussing me after a bit because she couldn't breathe and talk at that altitude.

LOL

 

[.308 Norma]

My wife stopped cussing me after a bit because she couldn't breathe and talk at that altitude.

 

[MCgunner]

Yeah, it really varies from state to state. And in Idaho, where you can or can't legally have a motorized vehicle varies even from area to area.
Where we can or can't legally have an off-road vehicle in Idaho really became an issue for my wife and me a couple of years ago. We never even owned an off-road vehicle before, but my wife contracted atrial fibrillation a few years ago, and she want's to continue hunting. So, she got her Cardiologist to sign off on a Disabled Hunter Permit. She can legally shoot from a motor vehicle now, as long as it's not moving or on a public road. But the permit still doesn't allow her to legally drive or ride a motor vehicle into areas that are closed to them.

Y'all should try to get a "Bad Boy" 4 wheel UTV. It's electric, 40 mile range. The guy I bought my Arctic Cat ATV from runs a dealership in Waco and is buddies with my best friend from college. They came down a couple years ago to do some goose hunting and he brought one of his Bad Boy demonstrators. We took a tour of the private roads out here. WOW, it was amazing how much game we saw from that thing that usually scatters when we drive down the road in the truck. It's so quiet, it's amazing. But, they ARE pricey. Can't take it with ya, though. LOL

I've never even used or owned an ATV, have had a 4x4 truck and dirt bikes. I've ridden motorcycles my entire life, mostly street, a lot of road racing and flat track, but never ATVs. I never felt I had enough use for one on my old place. But, out here in the woods, that thing is wonderful. First couple of years after we moved, I only had my big dualsport, a Kawasaki KLR650, which is a handful especially in muck, but got it done with that big rack it has on the back. I was in Waco for dove hunting (do that every year) with my bud and finally got talked into getting that ATV. Man, that thing is like a little tractor. I even have a mini disc harrow for it and I use it all the time to pull this or that or move things. I tried to plant a food plot with it, but soon as it started coming up, the damned hogs rooted everything up and I had to disc it just so I could WALK over the ground again. It's like I don't know how I got along without it!

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Y'all should try to get a "Bad Boy" 4 wheel UTV. It's electric, 40 mile range.

They don't work well when it's cold.

 

[Skoghund]

In another life when i was young and handsome i thought nothing of carrying a fallow out on my should. I have on a couple of occasions in the past used a wheelbarrow to get out deer from a bit of ground that was a long way from my truck. Now I'm not so young and handsome I retrieve everything with my quad. After dragging back a few boar I realized I'm not the young man i used to be.

 

[MCgunner]

They don't work well when it's cold.

Hmmm, never thought of that down here. It hardly ever freezes, for a few days a couple of times a winter, then it's a light freeze. Last winter it did get pretty cold a couple of times, low 20s. I doubt THAT would bother Bad Boy batteries. Probably have to be sub zero for that I'm guessing.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Hmmm, never thought of that down here. It hardly ever freezes, for a few days a couple of times a winter, then it's a light freeze. Last winter it did get pretty cold a couple of times, low 20s. I doubt THAT would bother Bad Boy batteries. Probably have to be sub zero for that I'm guessing.

Just what I have heard.
There used to be a few dealers around, Cabela's had them for a short time, now I never see them anywhere.
I rode one once, it was pretty neat, a lot of traction,

 

[darkcloud]

Elk + game cart + down hill= happy hunter.

 

[MCgunner]

Just what I have heard.
There used to be a few dealers around, Cabela's had them for a short time, now I never see them anywhere.
I rode one once, it was pretty neat, a lot of traction,

Yep, we were riding through muddy rice fields that had been disced to plant, then flooded. WALKING in that stuff is a chore with waders trying to get sucked off and such with every step. We did have to get out of the thing a couple of times to reduce weight, but we had it loaded down with 4 fat boys.

 

[eastbank]

I run three on the farm. and would not be with out them

 

[MCgunner]

Yeah, it really varies from state to state. And in Idaho, where you can or can't legally have a motorized vehicle varies even from area to area.
Where we can or can't legally have an off-road vehicle in Idaho really became an issue for my wife and me a couple of years ago. We never even owned an off-road vehicle before, but my wife contracted atrial fibrillation a few years ago, and she want's to continue hunting. So, she got her Cardiologist to sign off on a Disabled Hunter Permit. She can legally shoot from a motor vehicle now, as long as it's not moving or on a public road. But the permit still doesn't allow her to legally drive or ride a motor vehicle into areas that are closed to them.

Reminds me of our first trip to New Mexico, a buddy and me. There's this little hole in the wall up there called "Queens", only gas available for probably 50 miles, have to run back to Carlsbad or to Artisia otherwise. This guy was running this store/restaurant and made the best poblano burgers, so we'd run there and eat lunch after scouting all morning. The season, first season, was only 2 days, but we got up there a week before to scout.

So, this guy was quite talkative. We told him we were from Texas and he launches in to this diatribe about "Texas War Wagons". LOL He was talking about these jeeps and other 4x4 trucks and such that have elevated shooting platforms built into them. I've even seen 'em with steering and controls at the platform so no driver was needed. Anyway, that's legal in Texas where all decent hunting is done on private ranches. But, New Mexico, where we were hunting, is public. You can't shoot from a road, either, have to be off the road a number of feet to take a shot.

I've personally never hunted from a "Texas War Wagon". Only deer I've ever taken from a vehicle was a doe cull hunt on a major south Texas ranch owned by the Welder family. They own LOTS of land in south Texas. The guy I was with was the ranch biologist. I shot out of the window of his 4 Runner.

 

[der Teufel]

I only hunt feral hogs, so I don't have to deal with deer, elk, moose or whatever.
These days I don't drag them anywhere, I just cut off the leg quarters and back straps. The rest I leave for the Birds in Black and the coyotes.

But, back when I did haul them in, this is what I used —

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Wheelbarrows aren't hard to load up if you use the leverage afforded by the design and maybe a bit of rope.

 

[George P]

Wheelbarrows aren't hard to load up if you use the leverage afforded by the design and maybe a bit of rope.

Unless you're trying to go uphill fully loaded; even downhill can be treacherous

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Unless you're trying to go uphill fully loaded; even downhill can be treacherous

Heh! To be fair, I was only talking about LOADING the wheelbarrow, not carrying the load in it!

But you are right. In fact, a wheelbarrow can be a challenge on level ground for newbies who don't understand how to use one. It's really all in the shoulders and back. Try toting loads by bending the arms and you'll rapidly wear yourself out!

BUT...if you've got a partner, going up hill can be fairly easy...rope off to the front of the wheelbarrow frame and pull with the rope around the waist. The person on the handles then has a much easier job.

 

[redneck2]

I have seen guys use ice fishing sleds like this. They work well to move deer when there is snow. They also fit in the back of SUV's

Actually, they work well in grass. It helps to spray them with silicone

 

[MCgunner]

Nothing, but an ATV really works that well on my place. Try pushing a wheel barrow over hog rooted up ground. Heck, you can barely WALK on it without twisting an ankle.