Game retrieval

[tikkahunter]

I was wondering was everyones method to pack out their deer? I have always dragged out my deer.  I got Glenn's deer handle last year and that helped some.  I know there's game carts but they seem like a chore to bring in or make another trip to get it.  The sleds seem like they get mixed reviews.  Thanks for your input!

[blackveltbowhunter]

Depends on the distance.... But usually just bone out on the spot and pack it out.

[carpsniperg2]

About 75% of the deer come out whole for us. With elk 100% get chunked up and packed out.

[Curly]

Dragging deer is a back killer.  You have to be young to drag a deer for very far. 

Best to break up the deer and pack it in a backpack, or if you must have it whole........a cart is a good way to go.

[C-Money]

About 75% of the deer come out whole for us. With elk 100% get chunked up and packed out.

Agreed. Same for us!

[doyourtime89]

Last year was the first year we used one of those carts.  Worked OK but it was kind of low for me so it still did a number on my back.  I have a really nice pack board that gets most of the work for our game.  I have never tried the sleds, I have heard good and bad.  I think with the sled and cart it depends a lot on the terrain you are in and the distance you are going. 

[sirmissalot]

I usually pack them out on my back, last year I killed my deer low enough that I decided to just drag it out. Pain in the butt, took longer than it would have to just cut him up, then when it came to getting him loaded into the truck I about killed myself. It was all downhill but still whooped me, and I ruined the cape, I wasn't going to mount him but it was a good looking cape on a mature blacktail so my taxi friend would have liked to have it... lesson learned

[kirkl]

I like driving past all the hunters on my quad and throw it on there then take a lap or two around the woods and jet on out

[jackmaster]

i cannot bring myself to bone out a deer no matter how far the drag, and i have dragged them along ways my furthest was just short of 5 miles, mostly i go in by road now and hunt the timber when i get way back in there, well i took a kid cart hauler and made a few changes to it, so when i kill a deer i can put my pack and rifle inside the cart and the deer is easily stapped to the top of it, but i warn you to bring extra brake pads for your mountain bike and they a re simple to change, if you want i can take a pic of my cart and send it to you if you need an idea, i can also haul my whole camp on this cart, it sucks pushn up hill but its doable and i have 2 ankles that are wasted but i still gittr done...

[washelkhunter]

Two guys can take a whole deer out from anywhere without a lot of trouble and no cost. Tie the deers head to a two or three inch thick stick at the neck then tie the front legs down along side the head  you now have a nice handle to grasp a nd walk it out  the only part dragging is the back legs  works very well..  if we have an elk more than 1/2 mile out we just bone it out bag it up and pack it out.. if by yourselfwith deer down boning is easy and effectice  you can put a whole deer in one big bag.

[bobcat]

i cannot bring myself to bone out a deer no matter how far the drag, and i have dragged them along ways my furthest was just short of 5 miles,

    

[jackmaster]

i cannot bring myself to bone out a deer no matter how far the drag, and i have dragged them along ways my furthest was just short of 5 miles,

    

it wasnt a bad idea, most of it was cross country on wet leaves and pineneedles, about the last mile was train tracks but i was able to keep the deer skidn right along one of the tracks and it worked great, i have had to cut one deer in half it wasnt bad but i still didnt like my deer not being whole in the back of the truck

[bobcat]

i cannot bring myself to bone out a deer no matter how far the drag, and i have dragged them along ways my furthest was just short of 5 miles,

    

it wasnt a bad idea, most of it was cross country on wet leaves and pineneedles, about the last mile was train tracks but i was able to keep the deer skidn right along one of the tracks and it worked great, i have had to cut one deer in half it wasnt bad but i still didnt like my deer not being whole in the back of the truck

Well it would be a bad idea for me! I wouldn't walk for a month after doing something like that!   

[jackmaster]

oh i gotcha yeah i was a hurtn unit, i have fibromayalgia and both my ankles are messed up i nuked one in the service and it sucks, but i still cant get myself to be a road hunter, but i know what ya mean about hurtn, it takes the body a few day or weeks to recover, but if i cant boot hunt then i dont think i could bring myself to hunt at all. 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

i cannot bring myself to bone out a deer no matter how far the drag,

I'm with you there. Boned out meat is way more susceptible to bacteria and more likely to get dirt and hair on it. I love my deer meat way too much to take chances with it.

For years I either threw them over my shoulder if they were small enough or made a pack out of them if they were bigger.  If it was too big, I dragged it with parachute cord attached to a small piece of branch for a handle. Once in a while I packed one and dragged a second one. Probably why my back gives me problems once in a while now. Then a new hunting buddy turned me onto a drag he fashioned out of a parachute harness. The line comes off in the lower middle of your back and no hands are needed. You just lean into it and that thing works fantastic. That's my go to method now.