How do you haul your game out?

[ZG47]

B

These days I usually drag my deer to the road. If I have someone who can give me a hand, we will pull the deer up onto my Jimmy's roof rack. In a pinch I have made deer into a pack and climbed into the whole animal. Everything needs to be attached to do that. It's a messy bitch of a job. Elk quarters either came out on Dad's WWII packboard or my horses.
View attachment 561758
Panniers suck! Too floppy. Wrap the quarters in canvas mantas, then barrel sling hind quarters on one horse and basket hitch front quarters on the other horse. Hide side against the horse. In real nasty country I would top pack something (half hide or sleeping bag) and diamond hitch the works.

Dragged this bull elk 1.25 miles down the mountain back in 1980. Very steep. Kept it from stiffening up and gravity did the job working with live weight. I used its antler rack as a lever to pull it over deadfall logs. Shove his nose in the ground and pull back on the rack, an inch at a time. When I first got him going after dressing it, the third point on right side hooked my wool pants and I rode the carcass down the snowy semi-cliff for a good fifty yards. That was thrilling!
View attachment 561760
I shot the bull in the back of the head on the move. Dropped him over the top of this ridge.
View attachment 561761
Did I say it was steep? Below is the view looking back downhill to valley where my Jimmy is parked ... last year ... a couple weeks after I turned seventy.
View attachment 561762

Bloody hell! You are older than me AND @Bob Nelson 35Whelen. Probably crazier as well.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

B

Bloody hell! You are older than me AND @Bob Nelson 35Whelen. Probably crazier as well.

71 years old today. Hard day hunting geese in a howling wind and rain. Never fired a shot and wore the dogs out completely.

 

[Ragman]

The list is long: snowmachine, Argo, ATV, skiff, inflatable (Kaboat and Zodiac), plastic sled, pack frame.... It depends on the animal and the location.

Very similar to my experiences. Snowmobiles, ATVs and boats. I’ve mainly been able to get the truck fairly close and was always able to lift the deer or black bear into the box on my own. Once I got past 50 however that started getting harder. That’s when I got this:

Four years ago my Dad shot a young bull moose in a fairly open field. It would have taken too long to go get the tractor and drive it back to the moose as we were about 20 miles from home. But in the field there was a hay slough with round bales on the edge. I attached my tow strap to my truck hitch and the other end around the moose’s neck. Rolled a bale between my truck and the bull and put the tow strap over the bale. Then I just got Dad to slowly drive the truck ahead. The moose rolled right up on top of the bale. Then I got Dad to back up to the bale, I climbed into the truck box and pulled the bull right in. Easy peasy. But for the big boys it’s hard to beat the old JD!

 

[ZG47]

71 years old today. Hard day hunting geese in a howling wind and rain. Never fired a shot and wore the dogs out completely.

Good on you. I have had enough howling wind and rain on site in recent weeks, let alone going into the bush!

 

[ZG47]

Another option where you have a pickup truck, would be to use some quad ramps with a sheet of reject plywood laid on top and winch the carcass up the ramp. A come-along winch might be adequate for pulling.

 

[GuttormG]

Pickups--sure, IF you can lift the deer that high.

A short ladder and you will quite easy load a deer onto your pickup or trailer.

 

[ZG47]

True, a short straight ladder will do the job. As a carpenter, I can easily lay my hands on an old ladder with a damaged end cut off.

A short ladder and you will quite easy load a deer onto your pickup or trailer.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

memories. thanks for sharing this.

Rest of the story. That Wednesday the head of the history dept at UM told me to come to his office. "You weren't in class on Monday and I want to know why." Now, this caught me by surprise. "Why does it matter so much?" He explained I was one of the more promising students in the program and he was keeping an eye on me. "I had to get an elk home." Dr Lindsey clouded up. "You need to decide whether you're going to be a scholar or an elk hunter." I thought for a second. "As I understand it, Dr Lindsey, you were once on the pro tennis circuit, correct?" He nodded but I think he could already see where this was going. "Did anyone ever tell you to choose between tennis and being a scholar?" He scowled, waved his hand: "Get outta here." I still aced his class.

 

[C.W. Richter]

you can usually find some willing "friends" to help w/ a moose as the spoils are so tasty!!! I once lost a trophy black bear to others by taking it at dusk, gutting and leaving it. Rounded up 3 friends by 9 a.m. the next a.m. only to find that others had dragged it out in the snow.... Never again! They heard the shot and really animated death moan from a distance and came in 180 degrees to our position. Through a prominent local taxidermist, we later located it (and the other "hunter" wasn't paying his bill,) so the taxidermist was all prepared to give it to me when the other guy swept in to promptly pay his bill and collect "his trophy" in the 11th hour. It was tagged, but was going to be an uphill battle to prove and i was pretty engrossed with corporate work hours at the time. "It Happens!" -OJ lol 405 lbs (not the biggest but far from the smallest. I do notknow the skull dimensions, but this was mid-fall so as big as it was going to get!)

*this was on State Land (public), so use of ATVs or other motorized vehicles for recovery is a no-no. (I'd do it today, outside of hunting hours, with no firearms to avoid what happened in the early 2000s!!!) I suppose fully skinning it and carrying the head/hide out may be the way to go. No one is going to take the carcass (which can wait until the next day if in the dark!)

 

[C.W. Richter]

Rest of the story. That Wednesday the head of the history dept at UM told me to come to his office. "You weren't in class on Monday and I want to know why." Now, this caught me by surprise. "Why does it matter so much?" He explained I was one of the more promising students in the program and he was keeping an eye on me. "I had to get an elk home." Dr Lindsey clouded up. "You need to decide whether you're going to be a scholar or an elk hunter." I thought for a second. "As I understand it, Dr Lindsey, you were once on the pro tennis circuit, correct?" He nodded but I think he could already see where this was going. "Did anyone ever tell you to choose between tennis and being a scholar?" He scowled, waved his hand: "Get outta here." I still aced his class.

'had to take an African American History class as that was the only available elective after the real scheduling was done. I show up for class (only caucasian)...the young black professor smirks and says: You know, somehow I'm going to notice if you're not in class! LOL I skipped it regularly and aced the exams. It's not a very long period of history to remember and I lived some of the modern times having my belongings (tools, even guns, etc.) stolen in decrepit old industrial armpit cities when I was working out of sight...Obama previously and additionally re-settled these areas with "refugees" during his esteemed Presidency. lol People fond of 9/11 would refer to them as something different...

 

[Brent in Az]

In the steep and rugged canyon of East central Arizona where Ive hunted for decades, you won't be getting a vehicle anywhere near a downed animal.
I debone the deer, and backpack it out in one trip. Put in a cooler, and haul it to the processor. Because of my bad back, and failing knees, I can no longer pack out elk quarters. I would hire a local packer with horse's to do it for me.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

'had to take an African American History class as that was the only available elective after the real scheduling was done. I show up for class (only caucasian)...the young black professor smirks and says: You know, somehow I'm going to notice if you're not in class! LOL I skipped it regularly and aced the exams. It's not a very long period of history to remember and I lived some of the modern times having my belongings (tools, even guns, etc.) stolen in decrepit old industrial armpit cities when I was working out of sight...Obama previously and additionally re-settled these areas with "refugees" during his esteemed Presidency. lol People fond of 9/11 would refer to them as something different...

Ironically, about five years after I graduated (the first time) Dr Lindsey returned from his morning tennis match, sat down with his coffee and paper ... and died. Only in his late fifties. He should have taken up elk hunting! It has served me well. 71 love.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Ironically, about five years after I graduated (the first time) Dr Lindsey returned from his morning tennis match, sat down with his coffee and paper ... and died. Only in his late fifties. He should have taken up elk hunting! It has served me well. 71 love.

Ted Nugent was fond of saying..."IF only Elvis Presley got his hands bloody...once, twice a year-he'd still be around today!" and that's probably accurate. Eating as a hobby is short-lived.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Ted Nugent was fond of saying..."IF only Elvis Presley got his hands bloody...once, twice a year-he'd still be around today!" and that's probably accurate. Eating as a hobby is short-lived.

the man would command his pilot to fly him to Vegas for deep-fried PBJ sandwiches for God's sake. LOL smh-white boys in Memphis.

 

[C.W. Richter]

so i got the '23-'24 hunting season lease nailed down with these guys (the payment was Light!!) they're available to drag anything you like through hill and dale at discounted rates...also free light beer during each recovery!

 

[ZG47]

Rest of the story. That Wednesday the head of the history dept at UM told me to come to his office. "You weren't in class on Monday and I want to know why." Now, this caught me by surprise. "Why does it matter so much?" He explained I was one of the more promising students in the program and he was keeping an eye on me. "I had to get an elk home." Dr Lindsey clouded up. "You need to decide whether you're going to be a scholar or an elk hunter." I thought for a second. "As I understand it, Dr Lindsey, you were once on the pro tennis circuit, correct?" He nodded but I think he could already see where this was going. "Did anyone ever tell you to choose between tennis and being a scholar?" He scowled, waved his hand: "Get outta here." I still aced his class.

Did you 'ace' his class, partly because he made a point thereafter, of regularly putting the smartarse on the spot with oral questions?

 

[Dewald]

Most plains game in Africa drive up to it and throw it on the bakkie. Skinning, gutting etc happens in camp.

Large animals like zebra, blue wildebeest etc, drive up to them, sometimes chopping a path with a kalembe (panga or machete) and Stihl 382 chainsaw and winch then on the back of the cruiser with a 4500 lbs winch mounted on the back rails. This rarely happens with kudu as they are shot in the mountains. This generally works up to eland and buffalo.

Before we used manpower and a manual boat winch.

Kudu are mostly gutted in the filed, cut into legs, shoulders, neck, ribs and head and carried out. And then very soon afterwards you take a shower with permethrin dog shampoo as the dead animal’s pepper ticks have found you as their new host.

Giraffe are difficult. If the farm has a TLB and tractor with a trailer they are lifted with a sling on the flatbed and driven to the gantry where they are skinned, gutted, and cut into manageable pieces.

I will look for some more illustrative photos on my laptop.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Most plains game in Africa drive up to it and throw it on the bakkie. Skinning, gutting etc happens in camp.

View attachment 562133

Large animals like zebra, blue wildebeest etc, drive up to them, sometimes chopping a path with a kalembe (panga or machete) and Stihl 382 chainsaw and winch then on the back of the cruiser with a 4500 lbs winch mounted on the back rails. This rarely happens with kudu as they are shot in the mountains. This generally works up to eland and buffalo.

Before we used manpower and a manual boat winch.
View attachment 562134

Kudu are mostly gutted in the filed, cut into legs, shoulders, neck, ribs and head and carried out. And then very soon afterwards you take a shower with permethrin dog shampoo as the dead animal’s pepper ticks have found you as their new host.

View attachment 562135

Giraffe are difficult. If the farm has a TLB and tractor with a trailer they are lifted with a sling on the flatbed and driven to the gantry where they are skinned, gutted, and cut into manageable pieces.

I will look for some more illustrative photos on my laptop.

For large animals in difficult places (e.g. kudu), a "sail" is often used. It's a piece of heavy truck tarp about 4'x8' with handles sewn onto the edge of long sides at both ends and in middle. The gutted animal is folded in the sail and carried out with a farmhand/tracker/PH at each handle. If it's a long haul, poles are threaded through handles and animal carried on shoulders of four guys at each corner. Last year my PH, tracker, and two farmhands carried this black wildebeest more than two miles over very broken ground in a sail.

 

[leslie hetrick]

what evers handy.

 

[Rickmt]

Elk or deer we use Polaris Ranger. We drag the elk to where there is a depression for rear Polaris tires and then use atv ramps and pull bull up with 2-3 guys .