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.

[saylean]

Bone it out, pack board it out.

[Buckmark]

Shoot smaller deer, less work, I've heard the deer on the islands are called "Samonites" because you can carry them like a suitcase..

[tlbradford]

Cut in half and shoulder it.  I agree with the earlier poster.  I rarely drag anymore unless it is downhill or I have help.

[croix]

First you drive your quad around that silly locked gate... 

[halflife65]

First you drive your quad around that silly locked gate... 

No, don't drive around the gate.  Just break the lock or chain onto it and rip it down.  While your back there, you might as well dump your garbage.  Wondering what to do with that old refrigerator?  Take it out and shoot it a few times.

Then whine because we lose access...

Or you could just pack it out like the rest of us (including croix - obviously you have the "bad idea" thingy next to your post.  I certainly didn't interpret your post to mean that you're advocating driving behind a locked gate.)

[rasbo]

deer sleigh...light to bring in and an easy drag..

[Ray]

I've never taken a large animal out whole. Never seemed to make much sense to me.

[KillerMiller]

Cut it in half and make two trips.

[billythekidrock]

I've never taken a large animal out whole. Never seemed to make much sense to me.

You are missing out. Once you take an elk out whole you will always want it that way.

[Ray]

When I get it home should I put it in the freezer whole too?

[chester]

Haywire 

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I remember an older couple in their late '70's that used to hunt a hike-in system I used to hunt and they'd get their deer every year. They would cart in a wheeled game cart and one bicycle. The gent would push the game cart and the lady would ride the bike out, worked well for them and they got deer out two miles or more regularly. My longest was just over 3 miles over a ridge and killed me, boned it out with help from a friend. I lost 8lbs that one day. Luckily all the rest have been downhill, or fairly close. My 2nd longest was probably only 2/3 of a mile, though that same day I helped another guy drag a 3x5 out over a mile as well. I bought a deer sleigh also but have not had a chance to use it, my next purchase is going to be a wheeled bike cart, 200lb capacity that I can pull behind my mtn. bike, that's the way to go.

[billythekidrock]

When I get it home should I put it in the freezer whole too?

If you have room.
Not having to quarter or bone in the field makes the final product much cleaner with a lot less work.

[MagKarl]

Dman makes a good point, a game cart can be pretty handy.  We quarter and pack, and use a game cart if we are near a gated road.  I built my cart with BMX bike wheels, it works pretty well most of the time and it will carry a quartered elk in one trip if you have two or more guys to push/pull.  One deer rolls easy in my cart.

[Hillbilly270]

if you are by yourself i think splitting them in half is the best way to go.  this year we used a Ski Rope handle wrapped around the base of the horns and it worked awesome.

[halflife65]

if you are by yourself i think splitting them in half is the best way to go.  this year we used a Ski Rope handle wrapped around the base of the horns and it worked awesome.

That's a good idea.  One of the hardest thing about dragging deer is holding onto the antlers.  Seems like I could pull pretty well by just leaning forward and almost running, but after a little while I would have trouble with my grip.