Getting the game out of the woods?

[PineyWoodsBow]

Hey guys, this is my first post, and I'm new to bowhunting, but I've got my first bow, and I'm ready for my first public hunt!! What are some ways you get the deer or hog out of the woods once their dead? Is there some tricks and tips for this? I dont have access to an ATV so am I limited on how far in I can hunt? Suggestions would be appreciated....

[TxAg]

Some guys ride a bike in, and the use the bike to cart the animal out. They make small carts that you could drag in with you....might try googling it.

[Skinny]

Yep, a bike. With a ho'made game trailer. Saw I guy do it once and I was in awe.

[jerp]

Here's a non-motorized idea:

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58308&highlight=drag

[Johnny Dangerr]

Take plastic bags and take it apart where it drops...

[Idaho TradBow]

I have used a version of what jerps' referring to, and that type is a good all 'round drag anything kinda device...the comfort of the handle and strength of the rope/cable being the key parts...carry a pair gloves for use with this too and it'll help...tried taking my mountain bike in huntin' mulies in the central Idaho mountains once...worked great riding in on the trails and closed to motor vehilces fire roads a long ways in...fast and quiet too...problem was got so far back and when I got me a nice buck I had a heck of a time strappin' it on the bike...kept slidin' off, and had to stop and redo...over and over...then I got a flat...and I forgot my tire pump...then had a bike AND a deer to get out of the woods a heck of a lot farther back in than I would have gone in on foot in the first place...i was a regular comedy routine...the porcupines, squirrels, and woodpeckers were laughing their a**es off at me all the way outta there...wound up draggin' the deer with my bow, AND the bike on top o' it got out next mornin'...cussin' like a...

And of course thorthunder's point about takin' it out in parts was the ONLY way to with anything big (like elk)...several trips with light loads is usually safer and less tiring in the long run than takin' it all at once unless you're built for it. Just make sure there's no meat eating predators around that'll chow down on your critter while you're packin' out the first load! Had problems with the bears and coyotes doin' that with elk quarters.

[Chew]

I've carried 'em out of SHNF on my back, tied to poles, etc. Not much fun but very rewarding. I think a game cart is your best bet.

[ArcheryAddict]

Welcome to the "BROTHERHOOD".

Drag 'em out until you find something that works and then go that route. If you go with a self-motorized cart, get a cart with BIG wheels. The bigger the better.

[Idaho TradBow]

oh yeah...forgot to mention that if you DO take it out in parts, it's usually best to strap your bagged meat to a pack/freighter frame....you can haul a lot of weight with those . And if you don't mind getting bloody, or a few fleas/ticks on you, you can usually toss a smaller deer over your shoulders (less than 150lbs field dressed) and hike 'em out in spurts of a couple hundred yards or so at a time. Done that many times. Just make sure you rest often enough and hydrate well to ensure you don't kill yourself humpin' it out!

[DrenalinJunkie]

Break it down and carry it out that way.

Most deer in Texas are not that heavy once you get em gutted and the head off. IMO this is better than leaveing some behind for another trip. Then there are no worries of predators finding your kill and getting a free lunch.

[SanAngeloBowman]

Hey guys, this is my first post, and I'm new to bowhunting, but I've got my first bow, and I'm ready for my first public hunt!! What are some ways you get the deer or hog out of the woods once their dead? Is there some tricks and tips for this? I dont have access to an ATV so am I limited on how far in I can hunt? Suggestions would be appreciated....

see my old post in the DYI of my mt. bike rig with game rack for an idea. I have 2 leases and still hunt early season on public land. There can be some great deer still out there. I also have a home made game trailer for use anywhere that is rickshaw style.

[Coon]

Hey guys, this is my first post, and I'm new to bowhunting, but I've got my first bow, and I'm ready for my first public hunt!! What are some ways you get the deer or hog out of the woods once their dead? Is there some tricks and tips for this? I dont have access to an ATV so am I limited on how far in I can hunt? Suggestions would be appreciated....

I dragged (drug) mature deer field dressed more than a mile twice in the past. Just used my treestand safety harness. The big problem with that is that it rubs all the hair off of the hide, if it's a trophy, you'll ruin your cape.
Bear in mind that in the Sam Houston forest, atvs are against the rules. A lot of folks still use them and rarely get caught, but they are prohibited.
Good luck,
Dave

[jerp]

If hand dragging is your only option there's something you can do to make it a little easier. After field dressing, wrap up the deer in one of those cheap blue vinyl tarps. It will slide easier and keep dirt out of the chest cavity.

[Idaho TradBow]

If hand dragging is your only option there's something you can do to make it a little easier. After field dressing, wrap up the deer in one of those cheap blue vinyl tarps. It will slide easier and keep dirt out of the chest cavity.

Darned true!!!

[Texas Grown]

Watch for game Carts to be on sale at Acadamy or your local Sporting goods dealer/store. The Accadamy here just finnished a sale on them a couple of weeks ago for 39.99. The carts were 69.99.

I've been hunting public since the mid 1980s and have drug a critter or three out. Then I bought a frame pack and that was still a lot of work, and several trips if you quarter the critter. Then I bought a game cart and have used it ever since .