Drag or Pack Out?

[seeth07]

I have made deer into packs and put them on my shoulders. It's an old Indian trick. Also a genuine SOB. Eats a hole in my shoulders. I know how to do it but refuse to pass it along. That secret will die with me ... so someone else doesn't die trying it. The animals on my back were always liberally dressed in orange. I keep an extra el-cheapo hunting vest and roll of glo-orange flagging tape in my daypack. The tape for marking a return trail or spot where I shot. The extra vest is in case I have to leave leave game overnight to get horses or help. Hang the vest up over the carcass to keep the birds off it. Birds have ruined a LOT more meat than bears. For bear deterrent I pee liberally and build three small fires around the sight. Works for wild bears. Don't know about habituated ones. Never had to deal with them where I hunted.

Don't be a woosie! Check out this Alaskan chick from a post on a different hunt forum

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Don't be a woosie! Check out this Alaskan chick from a post on a different hunt forum

View attachment 153923

Having moved a fair number of black tails, I'll say they are a fair amount lighter. But I'm still impressed by her haha!

 

[seeth07]

Having moved a fair number of black tails, I'll say they are a fair amount lighter. But I'm still impressed by her haha!

This was posted awhile ago but I saved the photo because I was so impressed. Whenever I'm physically exhausted hiking or packing an animal or whatever, if I'm about to give up, I just put this photo in my head and go "well shit...if she can hike out a deer that way, who am I to be weak and give up". It's some serious motivation for me to get past the mental hurdles!

 

[Brian in Montana]

13 years ago my pregnant wife shot a big whitetail down near a river bottom. We were about a mile from the truck, a little uphill but not much. I'll just sum it up by saying that was the last deer I ever dragged. Big fan of the gutless method.

A couple years ago I dragged an antelope out of a draw, maybe a half mile, and was reminded about why I don't do that.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

This was posted awhile ago but I saved the photo because I was so impressed. Whenever I'm physically exhausted hiking or packing an animal or whatever, if I'm about to give up, I just put this photo in my head and go "well shit...if she can hike out a deer that way, who am I to be weak and give up". It's some serious motivation for me to get past the mental hurdles!

Haha, dang good idea, I'm stealing it

 

[RafterH]

Last years buck was half mile from the truck. Gutless and packed out in one trip. My dragging days are over! Tried carts but the part of Texas I hunt WT in makes that as big a pain as dragging. My brother brings his sled for mountain country but we have yet to use it except for firewood.

 

[Pahoundsman]

I can fit a whole mule deer in my pack,I’m done dragging!

 

[tzone]

No way I'd drag a deer over a mile if I could help it. Not even on a deer cart. I have done it before. I believe MN has changed the rules so you don't have to drag them out whole anymore.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

When are the kiwis going to get on here and show us how it's done?! @Kiwi @kiwi hunter

 

[Kiwi]

I’ve carried out many animals but only twice have I carried the whole animal and that was when they were small and close to the road. I normally bone out the meat and carry meat only. Never heard of anyone dragging or using a cart here in NZ.

I’m planning to solo hunt elk next year in CO and that has me a bit worried! But have selected a unit to apply for that I hope allows for a reasonable pack out.

 

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

Huge fan of the gutless method. Watch a couple videos on it, then watch them again, and again, and again, till you can remember every step with your eyes shut. It really doesn't take long, even if you've never done it before. If you want the heart and liver (I like to take both out, personally), you can gut the deer after the quarters, neck, backstraps, etc are off the carcass.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I assume this is CO, right?

If you’re apprehensive about gutless or quartering, don’t do it. Get someone experienced to watch doing it, or walk you through it, until you are comfortable doing on your own. I can break down a deer-sized animal in any method in less than an hour. If your not experienced/confident, the issue is not how long it’s going to take, but rather screwing it up and getting the the meat dirty and contaminated.

For your hunt I’d recommend what @seeth07 said about gutting, and cut the legs off beneath the knees. From there cut the spine in half ahead of the hips and you have your animal in 2 pieces. You can use a small Lithium battery sawzall with a 6” wood/nails blade and be done real quick. Toss each half in a large game bag and carry out one piece at a time in a frame pack, sled, or gamecart

There’s 100 ways to do it, but that’s my .01 opinion on balancing simplicity and ease.

Ive dragged or carried several deer out whole 1.5-2 miles when I was young, dumb, and ambitious. Now I’d rather not waste half a day and kill myself in the process so I’ve moved on to gutless.

 

[NullPointerException]

First off thanks for all the replies.

The verdict is in. I will never drag a deer after what I saw.

Long story short, I got to the trailhead a bit before first light and there was another truck already there. I saw a guy on the trail going towards the spot I wanted to hunt. Fair is fair, it's public land. He was there first, and had the same special access permit I did. An hour goes by and I see him and a buddy trying to drag a nice buck on a fairly level trail. I got to them and asked if they needed any help. They had gutted the deer already and the body cavity was pretty filled up with dirt and grass. They seemed to have a plan in place and I went back to hunting after it was obvious that neither was going to keel over from a heart attack.

Lesson learned.

 

[Sytes]

Sled / pack for the win... drag? not a chance in hell.

 

[Bob-WY]

Watch BigFin's gutless videos, they help. Wife and I tackled our first, a pronghorn, after nothing but those videos. Took us a bit, but partly teaching her based on my video knowledge and learning to work together. Our first took us about 90 minutes including clean up into the pack.

I then did one solo, then we did 2 more together. In 3 weeks we did 4 pronghorn. That last one we had it down pretty good including how not to stab each other etc. We both had some experience on each part of the process. We had that one in the backpack in about 30-45 minutes

 

[Harrier]

Earlier this year I shot hogs about the same size on public land two weeks apart, the same distance from where I parked my Jeep. I gutted and dragged the first one, which took about three and a half hours and nearly wiped me out. The second one I quartered where it fell, put it in game bags and packed it out in my new frame pack. That took about 30 minutes and I didn’t even have to stop to rest.

I’ll never drag another big animal again if I can help it.

 

[kiwi hunter]

When are the kiwis going to get on here and show us how it's done?! @Kiwi @kiwi hunter

spill lungs n heart n guts then slit thru back of skinny part on the back legs so that you can put the front legs thru there with the front hocks cut thru halfway n split a bit down the back of shin so when the leg goes thru it can pivot(its ok im a bit lost myself)done a lot like that ground hunting for meat sale as in whole carcasses

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Unless required by law, I can't think of a situation where I wouldn't breakdown an animal in the field. I'd prefer all the parts I'm not going to consume to stay in the hills rather than the landfill.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Unless required by law, I can't think of a situation where I wouldn't breakdown an animal in the field. I'd prefer all the parts I'm not going to consume to stay in the hills rather than the landfill.

I agree. The last two elk I have killed I drove my truck right to them and still quick quartered them. I can't see any reason to bring a rib cage or spine home.

 

[E-Rock]

One thing I would add here is look at state specific requiremnets for carcass disposal. Where I grew up hunting, and still hunt, carcasses may not be disposed of on public lands. This requires taking the whole carcass out of the woods. If any of the above methods are not used to drag or haul the deer out, it may be required to bring out the rib cage and spinal column and head (assuming its a doe) if quartering is used to dispose of properly. Just something to look at.