What'd you do the first time?

[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.