Why do we do this to ourselvss

[Kevin Stenberg]

Today Monday the 6th. Third day of our deer season. Sitting peacefully (warm and comfortable in my chair) in my box blind. 1 hour before dark first deer comes into my foodplot. Very small 6 comes into my view. I wait for a good shot. It runs a short distance into the brush. I calmly collect my gutting stuff ready to go follow blood trail. Passing my window to the door. I look out and there is a doe following the same path the first deer did. Did I miss the first shot an he made a circle and was coming back. I only load 1 shell at a time in my 336 because that is all I expect to use. I loaded a second round waited for another shot. This time it was drt. Still figuring I had 1 deer. Low and be hold there was a bloodtrail. 20 yard trail.
How was I going to load 2 deer into my truck. So I went and got my buddy. You should have seen 2 60 year old + out of shape old duffers TRYING to load 2 deer. I t took over an hour and a half for us to huff and puff trying to get both deer loaded.
I got to thinking. Why do I do this to myself. I look forward to deer hunting as the high lite of my year. Just to huff and puff at everything I have to do to hunt.
Now I can start planning for next year.

 

[Brad]

Just be careful, bet you are more likely to die from heart attack dragging a deer than being shot in the field.

 

[Ian]

One of those winch thingies that plugs into a receiver hitch or stake pocket might be in order for next year. I've had to gut and quarter animals to get them loaded before without crippling myself.

 

[Brandon]

Yeah, my elk hunt starts in two weeks...

I hope to have some help along!

 

[Kevin Stenberg]

I am going to make 2 electric winch and board system. So I can just slide the deer up the inclined board. For next year.
The second one will go to my friend.

 

[fiver]

I'm saying nothing.
I have winches and come alongs and,,, and.... and I took none of them with me this year.

 

[oscarflytyer]

I always hunt solo. I think one of the trailer hook gambrel set up is going with me this year. I had to drag one out and load it cpl yrs ago. damn near killed me.

 

[Ole_270]

I'll be 65 in a couple months, starting to be pretty careful of where I hunt. Been thinking about rigging up something to load one on the 4 wheeler. Trouble is, a couple of the bucks I've been watching wouldn't fit on the thing. Might have to call for reinforcements if I get lucky.

 

[35 shooter]

In my 20's i'd split their hocks and pass a 20' rope through that and wrap between and around their legs making a nice pad.
I'd grab the rifle in one hand and sling the deer over my shoulder hanging upside down and slowly walk them out.

In my late 30's i started dragging them out...by late 30's early 40's and into the 50's i'd drag halfway to the truck, take a break and then on to the truck with them.

Lol, in my mid 60's now, i drag them 20 yds. and take a break....a really good break.
Takes an hour to hour and a half to do it now and i'm rarely more than a quarter of a mile from the truck if that.

Starting to think about a good travois on wheels for that job from now on, or gut and quarter in the woods first.

 

[oscarflytyer]

Two options. Cut out straps and hams. Other is a sturdy tarp, wrap the deer up, and drag it out, via foot or 4 wheeler

 

[KHornet]

Dragging deer can be as deadly as shoveling snow for people much over 50.

Paul

 

[Intheshop]

Good story,thanks for sharing.

Years ago welded up a gutting post,well it really wasn't for gutting,but it rolled off the tongue better... No,it was for a shooting bud to skin/process his deer.It fit in a std receiver hitch.Very slick.

Just sayin,laziness IS the mother of invention.Look at those swiveling crane systems on certain mechanical service trucks.It's not just for deer.BW

 

[Pistolero]

I remember almost falling down laughing at myself and my friend as we tried to load my 215 lb (with guts out) buck a while back.
I weigh about 155, and my friend was maybe 175.

Dang, it there is ANYTHING with a lower coefficient of friction than deer hair on a painted truck bed, I do not know what it is. 15%
of the deer over the edge of the tailgate, and he'd just slide over back onto the ground like a slinky. After the third time, I just broke out laughing so
hard we had to take a break.

Thank goodness that most of the places I hunt you can get a truck in pretty close to
where it fell. Getting it into the truck is the trick.

Fun, fun, fun.

Bill

 

[Ian]

I've seen half a dozen or more folding, wheeled game carts in the sportsman's catalogs, never paid much attention. Some of them are bound to be at least somewhat useful.

 

[Chris]

Cut them up and carry them in a frame pack. I get them in a tree with a little pulley and rope setup but you can do it on the ground too. On the ground just skin out 1 side down to the hindquarters, cut off the foreleg with a saw (I carry a Wyoming saw) and remove the shoulder. Bone out the backstrap. Cut off any neck or side meat you want for stew or grinding.

Flip it over, remove the other shoulder, strap, and side meat. Then cut off the hindquarters ahead of the pelvis with saw or hatchet, cut off the legs. The whole deal takes maybe half an hour or less.

Lash the hindquarters to the lower part of the frame, toss the shoulders and meat in the pack compartment and stroll out of the woods. Maybe tie a little orange flagging on the pack if you left hide on the hindquarters or the antlers are visible.

Lot easier than dragging and fighting them into the truck bed.

 

[Intheshop]

Pistolero,my youngest and one of our "strays" were 'round 10 y.o.? at the time.

I shot a bruiser buck down behind the house and figured,what the hey... go get them numbskulls to help drag it back up to the house.So with them and our Weimeraner we trek on down there.

Once past all the oohs N ahhs ..... we get to dragging.Only thing was,I won't pullin squat.Me and the dog were grinning and huffing but,basically got them two boys to drag it up for free,haha.

Never did tell them.... both are accomplished bow hunters and still talk about how heavy that buck was.... doh.

Good times,hahah.BW

 

[fiver]

you can do it in 7 minutes flat if you shoot one and it scares the living jeezus out of the skunk standing 3' away when it drops.
you might not even be interested in the neck meat or antlers at that point...

 

[Chris]

I think that skunk might put me off the whole project. And I love venison. Years ago from time to time my coonhounds would get into one and it was a long ride home with them in the cab. Can't deal with skunk anymore.

 

[RBHarter]

We always gutted them where they dropped , removed the glands , legs at the hocks and elbows threw the heart an liver back in stitched the belly hole up rolled em up on the shoulders and started walking . The last one I dragged out I was about 12 . Now at the tender age of 51 I don't get to excited about horns but they make handy drag handles when your buddy shoots a brute .

 

[Intheshop]

I was complaining to my shooting bud,bow mentor,pro shop owner one time about being too deep in the woods alone,and dragging chores.....

He goes(his shop was a game check station)...."nobody said they have to be in one pce to check them in".Now,he was an enabler,in the bestest sense of the word,so don't know if he was just making it easier for folks or in fact,our game checking requirements don't specify "number of pcs"?BW