after the kill then what?

[gonehuntin68]

I killed a lot of animals on public land and all I take is

Good knife with a small sharpener
Backpack big enough for a quartered deer. It doesn't take that big of a pack to get a quartered deer in especially if you don't take the ribs.
Small folding saw to cut the ribs off if I decide I want them.
2 pillow cases to put the meat in
Good headlamp with extra batteries
Drag rope just in case I'm close enough I want to drag it out.

I always field dress the deer if It is going to be a long drag out. Deer does not spoil that fast even in hot weather. A field dressed deer can go several hours without spoiling even with the temperature above 90. Were my buddies and I hunted on public land it was always at least 3 hours before we could get any deer on ice and it was always over 90 degree's out, a lot of the deer went 5+ hours before being on Ice and we never had a problem and this is on well over 100 deer.

[denowt]

ok, so pack in list:
skinning knife
hatchet
trash bags
water for cleaning- how much?
ice chest at truck- how big?
what else?

Baby wipes, unscented if you can find them.
They work much better than water and don't weigh near as much or take up as much room.

wow bud, no need for trying to call me out. I have only a javelina under my belt. I Field Dressed him and drug him out, got him back to the camp and skinned/ butchered him. Total time about an hour.
By no means claim to know everything, thus the questions. Always looking to learn from people who have more experience.

I don't think he was calling you out.
I took it as advice to not get in over your head by yourself at the beginning.
We were all beginners at one time. Learning how to dress and pack out an animal by yourself, miles away from your truck, help, etc. is not an ideal situation. Do it a few times at a better equipped location before diving off into the middle of nowhere by yourself for your first time.
I personally would never attempt to process an animal miles deep in the woods if I had never done it before at home. This is in no way meant to be an insult to you, just some friendly advice which will hopefully keep you out of potentially difficult situation.

[TP3]

At least this guy is interested in working up his own animal not just cramming it guts and all into his trunk to take to the processor. We see it all the time, guys that kill a deer without ever having thought "now what am I supposed to do?"
For your pack, a GOOD light and some surveyors tape are worth hauling with you every time. A good knife also, obviously.
Don't let criticism from some keep you from going out there and taking some game. Everybody on this forum was green before they were "mountain men".

[cy100]

Btw, what kind of knife do you guys carry into wood?

So far, the buck 113 ranger skinner is the best one I ever used. And, it is cost effectively.

[boomerball]

i have often thought of getting a game cart or sled, leaving it at the truck and going back to fetch it if needed as others suggested. my worry here, though, is something happening to field dressed deer while unattended (like getting found by coyote). am i over thinking it?

where i go, you have to check in the deer field dressed, so quartering and packing isnt really an option (besides im not real confident in my skill level there). i drug one about a mile once, and also would like a better plan. glad the OP started the topic

[Beerkat]

I'd bring a knife, folding saw, flashlight w/ batteries, and most importantly a method to haul out the carcass/meat. This could be a back pack or some kind of buggy. The skid that was pictured is a pretty good idea.

You mind if I ask where you're planning to hunt?

[100%TtId]

Google this: Deer Sleigh'r Transport Sled

Easiest way to drag a deer out of the woods.

[Kirby86]

I personally carry a 13 inch Kukri, and a pendleton lite hunter for skinning/finer work. Both are made by Cold Steel, and both are CHEAP, but they work. The kukri doesn't weigh much, you can use it as a machete, and it has a much larger sweet spot than a hatchet. I use it to hack smaller stuff for brushing out ground blinds, and it can split a pelvic bone or behead an animal with one or two swings when the quartering starts.

I'd go the game cart route. Sure, you can hike in carrying a frame pack each hunt, but having hunted public land, its not like you're going to need it each time you hunt. I only say this in regards to this being a public land hunt here in Texas. If you're off in the wilds of Montana, or on a backcountry Elk hunt in Colorado, well... a game cart ain't gonna cut it.

My biggest suggestion to you, is to not carry an item that has a single use. If you're hunting ANY public land, you're most likely going to be covering a lot of ground, especially if you're doing a spot and stalk on pigs here in Texas. Whatever you take is going to add weight, and if its not absolutely necessary, don't carry it.

My usual backpack list consists of a flashlight, the two knives mentioned earlier, a rangefinder, a pair of binoculars (on a harness), my bow, and a bottle of water.

I usually just throw a bag of ice in the body cavity of the animal, when I get back to the truck. Meat will spoil from the outside in, so unless its pork, your deer will probably be fine. Hogs are a little different, and you might want rubber gloves for those nasty buggers.

[SOTXBOWHUNTER]

A sharp knife is the most important tool youll need after the kill. I use a swing blade and a few others cant recall the names. but sharp is the key.

[denowt]

At least this guy is interested in working up his own animal not just cramming it guts and all into his trunk to take to the processor. We see it all the time, guys that kill a deer without ever having thought "now what am I supposed to do?"

I totally agree with that. I can't stand it when someone on here or IRL talks about shooting an animal and taking it as is to the processor, or field dressing it and putting ice in the chest cavity, then driving 3+ hours to the processor. At least this guy is wanting to learn to do it himself. My only advice is to not do it in the middle of nowhere by himself the first time.

i have often thought of getting a game cart or sled, leaving it at the truck and going back to fetch it if needed as others suggested. my worry here, though, is something happening to field dressed deer while unattended (like getting found by coyote). am i over thinking it?

where i go, you have to check in the deer field dressed, so quartering and packing isnt really an option (besides im not real confident in my skill level there). i drug one about a mile once, and also would like a better plan. glad the OP started the topic

Depending on where you hunt and what time of day it is, coyotes can be a real concern. If there are any trees around, take a piece of rope and hang it up. This will also make the gutting a little easier/less messy.
I may have missed it, but I didn't see where the OP is hunting. Some places do not allow quartering in the field. If he's at such a place, a game cart would be a better option, IMO. Dragging a deer by the legs/antlers for anything more than a few hundred yards is not something I ever want to do again.

[IowaHunter]

Contact the local GW where you're hunting for questions on legal stuff. It's also good to know him - I always like knowing the law enforcement when given the chance.

TUCO - I like the idea of the sled. You can also have stuff loaded in it while it's in your vehicle.

[Mud Shark]

First off, I would figure out if I'm ging to use a game drag/cart of anykind. That will tell you what kind of pack to get.

If you're going to use a drag/cart I'd get something like this, size wised:

http://www.badlandspacks.com/gear.php?userChoice=treehugger

If you're going to pack it out, I'd get something a little more like this:

http://www.badlandspacks.com/gear.php?userChoice=superday

It certianly doesn't have to be a Badlands, I just used those because it's the first brand that popped into my mind.

I have a Badland's Super Day and my problem is, I tend to FILL up my pack with useless ****, even though I know I'm not going to need it. The smaller the pack, the less crap you'll try to shove in it. As mentioned before:

Head lamp w/ extra batteries
additional flashlight
Knife and shapener
I'd take a hatchet/folding saw
GPS if unfamiliar with land or hiking a long way
Water to drink
Latex Gloves
A little rope, just in case

That's pretty much it and all of that stuff you can fit on a little fanny pack.

Get a bino system for your bino's and a bow sling or a rifle sling for your weapon and you're ready to roll.

Best of luck to you sir. You're embarking on an excellent journey.

[DesertDug]

A lot of good word of advise. Thanks. I am not afraid to dress a deer. I have done a hog before and lots of chickens. I feel like my question regarding how long I have before meat spoils has been addressed. My planned hunt will be in Sam Houston this fall and I will contact the gw to see about quartering. I believe it is ok there. Is there a concern of dragging a kill a long way causing bruseing to the meat?

[SOTXBOWHUNTER]

I wouldnt drag a deer a long ways. 1 is hard has heck to drag a dead deer lol ive tried and 2 thats gets the meat dirty. A cart with big wheels is what I would use on public land.

[Hart8]

That plastic sled looks like the way to go.
Don't sweat the negative comments.He evidently has seen your mt.man skills.I think building a house in the desert with nothing but materials the terrain gave you puts you at the top of that list!
You gotta post a pic of that house,for those who might a missed it.