What'd you do the first time?

[Swiftkid]

Usually i go hunting with my brother or my dad or a close friend, but this year i went huntin a couple times on my own during the week, one of those days i ended up shooting a buck. I hunt steep canyons and where i shot this buck was atleast 200yds deep into the canyon. There was no way i was going to be able to drag him out on my own, i have no cell reception and i'd have to drive 30 mins to get reception. So i cleaned him out and cut him in half. I drug out the hind legs first since i knew it would be alittle tougher than pulling on the rack, then i drug the upper body out. It wasn't to bad but i was still tired. I'm use to doing a two man drag.What do you guys do?

[Swiftkid]

I've drug out deer from some of the nastiest places whole, It cant get pretty bad but usually if you stay with it and just keep truckin it goes by pretty quick.

[billythekidrock]

Turn the deer into a backpack.

[Skyvalhunter]

your the man BTK!! Some of us are not as strong as you.

[boneaddict]

Take a salt and pepper shaker with you and a fork......

Thats an old saying we'd throw around. 

There is mule power, and then there is boneing it out.  200 yards, I'd probably cut him in half and throw him over my shoulder. 

[Skyvalhunter]

And a good cast iron fry pan always comes in well.

[billythekidrock]

lol

Luckily the hike was less than a half mile.

Actually you can get leverage by pushing down on the hind legs and it will raise the higher on your shoulders. The hardest part is getting it on and standing by yourself. After that you can rest on logs or against trees.

[bobcat]

I don't drag deer out anymore, unless it's right next to the road. It's too hard on my back. It's much easier to cut it in half, or in quarters and carry it out on my back. Believe me, you'll still get it out in less time even if you have to make a trip out to the truck to get your backpack.

[halflife65]

If it isn't too far, I'll bone it out and bring it out in one or two packboards (depends on the terrain, size of the deer, etc.)

In my daypack, I carry a plastic garbage compactor bag (it's  a little thicker plastic than your average garbage bag) and take out what meat I can in it, plus the head.  I come back for the rest with a packboard.  Immediately upon arriving back at my truck I take the meat out of the plastic bag and put it in a cloth bag.

If you're careful, you can get it boned out without making a mess and keep the meat clean.  Unless you're taking it to a butcher, you need to cut it up, anyway.

I used to try and drag all of them out or cut them in half and sometimes "leapfrog" my way out - this way is a little more work up front cutting the deer up but it's a LOT easier than dragging it out on your own.

[Skyvalhunter]

Always keep a pack board or large external frame pack in your vehicle so you can pack it out when you come back after your first lighter load. That is unless you are siwashing way back then you will have the pack with you.

[GoldTip]

I used to regularly do it as seen in the picture of BTKR. Buuuut, I aint as young as I once was.  Mostly I will half them and get the hinds on my shoulders for the hike to the truck them come back with my pack and get the front half.  Or just drag them out whole.

[antlerbolic_bearoids]

I've only got three of my deer out whole.  All the others came out on my back in quarters.  In my opinion it's easier, cleaner, and the meat cools out a lot quicker.  I usually carry quarter bags in my pack and get the quarters and boned meat in the shade or in a tree as soon as possible.  Being sure to turn what I have off the deer over repeatedly if it's in the shade, and not in a tree so it cools through.  I take a shoulder on my day pack and carry the head in the first load, and go back in for the rest of the deer with my pack frame.  I usually have a couple big ice-chests in the truck so I can pack the meat on ice immediately, until I can get it hung in a cooler, or if it's cold enough outside somewhere.  Bungee cords work great to strap the quarters on the pack frame.  They also make the job more colorful and festive.

[Broken Arrow]

I'm glad this thread wasnt what my mind thought it was about ....quarter and pack!

[huntnphool]

Cape it out, Charlie needs capes Bone out the front half and drag the rear. One trip out with the cape and rear, grab the packboard head back in and get the other. In this case I had a partner to pack out the boned meat so only the trip out for us. You can see the rope in hand and attached to the rear legs. Of course we had to go back in and get his deer after this as well.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I have not carried hide (except the occasional cape) or bones out for several years.  I don't drag a whole animal very often, and only when it is close to the vehicle.  with two game bags, the entire boned deer fits within my pack's main compartment, and all the contents go into the other game bag and are lashed to the outside.  Head and cape tied on top.  No extra trips.

With elk, I do similar, except I hang the hinds (boned off the pelvis) and front arms.  Backstaps, tenderloins, neck, rib, flank go into the pack.  Three more trips with the frame pack: one for each hind (leg bones stay in), and one for the boned out front arms.