Hauling The Meat After The Kill

outrider58 · Dec 31, 2018

I shot two does the other day. First one, heart shot, went down in 30 yds. The second, after reloading and a snapshot on it, ran off the plateau I was hunting atop of, straight down into a canyon. It then ran another 120 yds. up the canyon bottom where it expired. Neck shot. It finally ran out of 'juice'. If I didn't have a buddy helping me, I would have quartered it and packed it out. I gave that deer to my buddy. He definitely earned it.

Striper69 · Jan 2, 2019

You guys are lucky that they let you get as many does as you can.

It was way too cold and windy Sunday and Monday so I wimped out and didn't get one more doe. The season ended on Dec. 31 for us but I have a freezer full of nice steaks and burger meat.

lax · Jan 2, 2019

If I was public hunting a bike with a cart would be my ticket.

We use a 6 wheel gator on the farm, can’t think of any better.

Derwood · Jan 2, 2019

Let's not forget something else: be physically fit. Lots of people get motivated to work out anyway this time of year. Knowing that some of my best hunting spots are 1/2 mile or more from the nearest place to park is something I keep in mind when it starts to suck in the gym and I just want to quit.

The first thing I always do is call a friend. Kidding...sort of. Having a second hand can be a huge help though.

The second thing I always do is take my treestand and other gear back to the truck. Then I use the haul line that came attached to my safety harness to drag the deer. I just take my time and try to enjoy it as a "workout."

I have been thinking of getting one of those sleds though now that I have a new spot in mind that involves more hills and a marshy area. I had to drag a deer over a very wet area in late November and lost a little bit of meat due to it getting muddy. The travois is an excellent idea! I might do that next time.

Another idea: get some of those game bags that are sort of like panty hose a backpack that is designed for hauling meat. I use that when I hunt in the mountains. This is the one I use. https://www.amazon.com/ALPS-Outdoor...eywords=external+frame+hunting+backpack&psc=1

--the "bag" part comes off, leaving just a frame that is set up nicely for securing bags of meat or whole quarters.

KIBarrister · Jan 2, 2019

I have a Yamaha 400 Big Bear 4x4 that I left at the family farm when I moved away over 15 years ago so my dad could use it to plow snow. Shot a massive buck during archery that took off through farm fields and made it about 1/4 mile down hill through unplowed corn. Thank Christ the farmer hates deer and was all to happy to help me haul him out when I finally found him two hours after dark (and hearing coyotes howling in the trees). It was then and there I decided my dad had a tractor and didn't need my ATV... God bless Dino juice and the ole' "hunter's wheelchair" as my hunting buddy calls it.

Striper69 · Dec 14, 2019

I just bought a Muddy "Mule" game cart. I saw an outdoor show where a guy put a big buck in his and it looked pretty easy. I just put it together tonight.

Overwatcher · Dec 14, 2019

Get a Jet Sled. It made a believer out of me. After a liver transplant 2016, I can not muscle things like I used to. So I have a sled and if things really get tough I have a small block & tackle.

Mag Dump · Dec 14, 2019

Striper69 said:
The last 2 times I harvested deer it almost killed me. The first time I quartered the doe about a half mile from a highway in about 8 inches of snow. I had to put the meat in my backpack and also carry the gear I brought with me as well as my rifle. I thought I might have a heart attack.

The last time I put the meat in a game bag and carried it up a steep hill a couple of blocks from my vehicle. Also kicked my butt.

I'm thinking of buying a kid's wagon I saw at Bass Pro today to use to carry the meat out.

Thoughts?

A game cart will be your new best friend.

remrug · Dec 14, 2019

Overwatcher said:
Get a Jet Sled. It made a believer out of me. .

I have one and love it.I drive an SUV and usually hunt alone.I use the sled to get the deer to my car.Pick up one end and put on the bumper,pick up other end and slide it in.The blood stays contained in the sled.

When I get home,I slide it in my garage and hang the deer. The sled stays under the deer as I process it.All the scraps go in the sled.I load back in the car and off to the woods they go.It makes the whole process from beginning to end very clean and efficient.

cww · Dec 14, 2019

Jet sled, beaver tail sled, Kodiak sled - sled is the ticket for a majority of the removal scenarios. A cart may be better in certain situations. That little sportsman’s guide roll up piece of plastic is a pain in the a$$ thru any woods with a debris mine field.

danb · Dec 14, 2019

I have to say, a cheap plastic sled works for me most of the time. It slides easily over the ground, and lifts over stumps well. Uphill it works well. Downhill even better, lol. Just make sure its wide enough.

lazarus · Dec 14, 2019

This year I just carried or dragged them by the hind legs. That said I’ve been hauling them at most 100yds on flat or maybe a 10 degree slope out of my woods and driving my car around and throwing them in my trunk.

I’ve got a harness drag for long distances. Also a deer cart that folds up that I’ve still never used. My longest drag was a ~80lb doe I dragged about 500yds.

6Den · Dec 14, 2019

I use a Beavertail sled. It works over all terrain and the high sides prevent deer from rolling out without straps. An added benefit is that it facilitates loading onto the truck bed by myself. I lift one end onto tailgate, then lift and push the other end up. I have to work smarter with age!

Dantheman · Dec 16, 2019

Most of the time, a deer cart works wonders. I shot a doe once on the Eastern Shore that had to of been every bit of 120 pounds dressed out. The drag out was around 1.25 miles. My god was that a hard drag. To anyone who hasn't done it, just imagine dragging a dead body and you'll get the picture.

Eventually, about halfway through and over an hour later I came across another hunter and he told me to go to his truck and grab his deer cart. I went from dying to hauling that deer out with no problems. I had $30 in cash on me, that $30 was tucked under the wheel of that deer cart when I put it back in the bed of that other hunters truck. A deer cart is definitely worth buying.

I've also used sleds and they're not nearly as effective. If you're in steep terrain, than consider a block and tackle with a few hundred feet of rope.

delaware_export · Dec 16, 2019

A deer cart helps, but is only as good as the trail/terrain you are in. Heavy ruts or plowed rows can make it rough. It can tend to tip/flip under some circumstances. Ours is single axle. A wider wheel base design may work better.

That said on a good surface, we carted a 350+ hog a quarter mile with no issues. Smooth trail. Once we got it loaded, we were off to the truck then the skinning tree. Carts work great on the smooth and level.

A good slick drag sled like others posted would seem to be good, but we didn’t try those. We have used a drag rope, which works better for smaller, slick heads vs bigger, racked, deer

possumman · Dec 16, 2019

Fold up deer cart works great-paid about $50 from Sportsmans Guide several years ago---they still cost about the same. If you get the deers weight centered over the wheels its very easy to push or pull.

Doctor_M · Dec 16, 2019

I hunt with friends.... if they want to keep having access to my woods, they WILL help me drag.

Scott P · Dec 23, 2019

Doctor_M said:
I hunt with friends.... if they want to keep having access to my woods, they WILL help me drag.

AMEN!..........

Scott P · Dec 23, 2019

3 buddies hunt my property and multiple other stands around the county.................when a deer goes down a text msg goes out. The other two show up to help track and drag out of the woods. Seems to work well.

Striper69 · Dec 28, 2019

I'm pretty sure I shot a monster buck tonight. I'm sure I hit him but he ran into the woods at dark. I was hoping to find him crumpled to the ground at the edge of the cornfield but no dice. I've always heard that letting the deer pass on it's own is the best so I'll go back in the morning.

It will be below freezing tonight so I'm hoping the meat will be OK. It's also going to be raining hard in the morning or it might be snowing so I'm going to be forced to use the Deer Sleigh'r I have. I may have to get some help but I read that it can carry a very heavy deer so we'll see.

Hauling The Meat After The Kill

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