Best Method/Design for Deer Drag?

[kycolonel]

I hunt in a hilly area and for years have been using a length of lightweight webbing with a loop sewn on each end to drag deer out of the woods. It works okay, but last year I had a decent size buck which crashed into a valley creek bed and it took 90 minutes to get that deer out. I was soaked with sweat at the end of it.

Has anyone come up with/come across what you think is the best design for a drag? My buds have already reminded me (every year ) that the ideal tool I am looking for already exists in the form of a Honda 4x4 ATV. That may be on the list for the future, but for now I am still looking for a way to do it old school as I don't like to be limited to where an ATV can go.

What I'm looking for would need to be able to either fit into a small/medium sized hunting pack (not too much weight) and or be readily fashioned in the field. The store bought designs seem to be pretty much crap from what I've seen. Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[kr1]

Without knowing the exact circumstance, my first thought is possibly a Z or 5:1 pulley system. Easy to setup and drag things with and minimal equipment. I.e. a few pulleys and rope.

Is anyone helping you?

KR

 

[SDS]

I have a drag that also works as a tree stand harness. It fits over your shoulders and you can use your whole upper body to pull with instead of an arm or just one shoulder. It makes things a bit easier but dragging a deer is still dragging a deer.

I used a two wheeled cart this year. Obviously you can't carry the cart with you when your hunting but it was worth the trip back to the truck to get it. My dad and I both shot deer down in a ravine and dragging was touigh. Pulling that cart out wasn't what I'd call easy but it was a lot easier than dragging.

SDS

 

[kycolonel]

Without knowing the exact circumstance, my first thought is possibly a Z or 5:1 pulley system. Easy to setup and drag things with and minimal equipment. I.e. a few pulleys and rope.

Is anyone helping you?

KR

I hunt alone about 75% of the time, especially in late season. I do like the idea of a pulley system to get them out of the deep ravines. I wonder what size rope would be needed for such a setup?

 

[Tuxdad]

An old timer that 've had the peasure of hunting with before(and has a bad ticker) always carried his hatchet, saw, and a bit of rope with him whenever he'd go hunting.. If he got a deer, he'd sit and clean it out, and then after a rest a few draws on his pipe, he'd procede to build a litter for the deer, out of saplings... He'd use vines or make thin ribbons of wood he'd shave with his hatchet to tie the litter together... I'd offered many a time to help him drag it out or help with the litter but he'd threaten to "run me off", say "it was his responsibility".. I'm guessing it was something from his childhood.. He'd take his time and drag his deer out without a hitch.. Was a pleasure and honor to have known him.. I never got to try it myself but the idea and pics are filed away deep in my brain for sure... I walked with him quite a few times while he drug a deer out...

Just a bit of food for thought...

 

[kvaughn]

I have a heavy flexible slippery plastic snow sled looking thing that rolls up into a tube that I bought 20+ years ago.It has grommets all the way around to tie your deer and pull straps to. Works well on snow or dead leaves.Dont know if you can still get them. I think its called a deer slide or something along those lines.--KV

 

[kr1]

I have a heavy flexible slippery plastic snow sled looking thing that rolls up into a tube that I bought 20+ years ago.It has grommets all the way around to tie your deer and pull straps to. Works well on snow or dead leaves.Dont know if you can still get them. I think its called a deer slide or something along those lines.--KV

That was my other thought for the deer. Something like that would work perfectly with the rope system, even alone. The prussiks will hold the rope and you can go down and reset the flat snow sled you are refering to. It should work great.

I have pulled many people up steep inclines in stokes baskets (both supported and unsupported) like this. For real and in practice. It should work very well for a deer.

KR

 

[Col. Cornelius]

Howdy,

If I can get a 4x4 close, that's always my first choice

Next, like you mentioned, a Quad can be a live saver. I shot a very big buck last year (a non-typical 5x3-not counting the eye guards. I also had 3 eyeguards on one side and 4 on the other. It was a blacktail, 15-points total). It was on a really steep side hill, but I was able to call my brother and he brought up a quad. Managed to get it to the top of the ridge and send a rope down to drag it up. Once on top, we were able (just barely) to load and tie it on the back rack and drive it out.

For smaller deer, I have seen people make a back pack out of the deer it self and just carry it out.

I have used pack horses before and that works GREAT in rough terrain if you have very far to go.

Alot of times I have been able to just drag in by the horns going down hill to the nearest road.

Last resort is to skin, quarter and pack out the quarters one by one. On a real big animal, I would debone it and only pack out meat.

 

[Echo4v]

Absolute best hunting tool in the world and ( having grown up in KY) I garuantee they are available in your area...If it can't get in there, neither can the deer ( and neither should you). If it can't drag it out you don't need to take it home and it keeps you from getting tired from walking all over creation plus it makes it much easier to get in close for the perfect shot.

Seriously, I don't have anything that will help but maybe my "sales pitch" will give you a laugh.

David

 

[fishiker]

I hunt in a hilly area and for years have been using a length of lightweight webbing with a loop sewn on each end to drag deer out of the woods. It works okay, but last year I had a decent size buck which crashed into a valley creek bed and it took 90 minutes to get that deer out. I was soaked with sweat at the end of it.

A 90 minute deer drag would make me happy. It's usually 2 - 4 hours with help in the areas I hunt I do use a harness which has already been suggested, it makes things a bit smoother. I tie the front feet up to help some.

 

[kr1]

Absolute best hunting tool in the world and ( having grown up in KY) I garuantee they are available in your area...If it can't get in there, neither can the deer ( and neither should you). If it can't drag it out you don't need to take it home and it keeps you from getting tired from walking all over creation plus it makes it much easier to get in close for the perfect shot.

Seriously, I don't have anything that will help but maybe my "sales pitch" will give you a laugh.

David

That is the biggest freaking hunting dog I have ever seen.

 

[Turner]

When it comes to deer and smaller game I just skin and de-bone right there in the field. put the meat in game bags, then into plastic bags and then put it in my pack. Bag the head and strap it to the outside of my pack and out I come. Here in ND we grow them big and by myself I can get a really big deer out in one to two trips depending on the terrian.

 

[kycolonel]

Absolute best hunting tool in the world and ( having grown up in KY) I garuantee they are available in your area...If it can't get in there, neither can the deer ( and neither should you). If it can't drag it out you don't need to take it home and it keeps you from getting tired from walking all over creation plus it makes it much easier to get in close for the perfect shot.

Seriously, I don't have anything that will help but maybe my "sales pitch" will give you a laugh.

David

Nice horse! I have always wanted to do a pack trip somewhere. However they don't top the list for either practicality or concealment where I hunt.

 

[SDS]

Those slick sleds are great on grass or leaves but I tried using one on some rocky terrain once and I ended up with one heckuva mess. The rocks just shredded the sled and then I had a bunch of shredded plastic to haul out along with the elk I was trying to cart out of there. Made for a long afternoon.

SDS

 

[desmobob]

I have a heavy flexible slippery plastic snow sled looking thing that rolls up into a tube that I bought 20+ years ago.It has grommets all the way around to tie your deer and pull straps to. Works well on snow or dead leaves.Dont know if you can still get them. I think its called a deer slide or something along those lines.--KV

This is what I have... a "Dead Sled." It's a wonderful tool!



Stay sharp,
desmobob

 

[evbouret]

The dragging is where your method is flawed. It is much easier to carry animals out of the field. Unless you hunt open fields, meadows or relatively rock free open terrain.

When we shoot pigs and goats we turn them into a backpack. The front and back legs are tied together and the brisket is split about halfway. Head is removed and the thing is flung up on your back. I can't find any photos on google that show it.

 

[desmobob]

The dragging is where your method is flawed. It is much easier to carry animals out of the field. Unless you hunt open fields, meadows or relatively rock free open terrain.

When we shoot pigs and goats we turn them into a backpack. The front and back legs are tied together and the brisket is split about halfway. Head is removed and the thing is flung up on your back. I can't find any photos on google that show it.

Can you do that with a 200lb. whitetail buck? I'm thinking not....

I'd be more than a little nervous hiking out of the woods with a deer on my back. I'd surely cover it with blaze orange ribbon!


I recently started doing some hunting in an area about 3 miles from the road in very hilly country. I bought a Mystery Ranch Crew Cab backpack with the intention of boning or quartering and carrying instead of dragging.

I've killed two deer so far this fall, but both in an area about 1/4 mile from the road so I haven't had the opportunity to try out the pack as a pure load-hauler.

Stay sharp,
desmobob

 

[Eyegor]

If you choose to go the animal backpack route please, please, please cover you and the critter with as much blaze orange as you can. In most wooded areas, this could be an invitation to disaster. Hunt smart and hunt safe.

 

[mtwarden]

the heavy duty "sleds" work pretty well (you want the deer well lashed down!) for most terrain

in open country a sturdy (a non sturdy game cart is an exercise in frustration) game cart works very well

if the terrain is very rough or the deer is very far from your vehicle, boning is probably the most efficient method

 

[evbouret]

I forgot to mention, we put our blaze orange over the animal before putting it on.

It doesn't work too great on 200lbers, but we carry things 120lbs no problem. Well, with some hassle. But after gutting a 120lb animal, it's carryable.

The majority of the time, the animals are boned out and put in pillow cases. We also usually get game far from our trucks through thick jungle.