Author Topic: My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods  (Read 1091 times)

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Offline slayer

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« on: October 21, 2005, 04:45:24 PM »
Hi guys, I shot a HUGE Doe tonight about 1/2 hour before end of legal shooting time with my muzzleloader. Well, she is over a hill in the nastiest stuff on earth!! I had to leave her there, thank God it is going to be really cold tonight in W.PA. So, my brother and I are going to get her tomorrow on daylight. We can`t go down with her, way to far and way to thick. Up hill to the nearest path is about 1000 yards through the nasty stuff. My question is, what would be the best way to get her out-a poll and rope and tye her to it and shoulder her out? Thank you-Jack :D

Offline Wynn

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2005, 05:02:57 PM »
Take a couple of empty backpacks and plastic bags and bone her out on sight. Then pack the meat out.
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Offline slayer

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2005, 05:11:35 PM »
We never did that, I usually get my Deer cut by an old fashioned butcher. My brother is ver stubborn, and said we don`t nead anything, we will get her out, he`s nuts :) Jack.

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2005, 05:49:10 PM »
Pretty good advice.  Gut her, bone her out, or at least quarter her out.  The butcher can make do with the pieces you bring in.  You don't need to lug the head, legs, and ribs to name a few pieces.  Make gravity work less on you and you'll get her out OK.

Take a hatchet to use with your knife.  Use the hatchet like a hammer to drive your knife through the pelvis, the rib cage, leg bones, and neck bones.  

Leaving the pieces with little to no value behind makes sense if the climb against gravity and natural obstacles is otherwise overwhelming.

Offline Daveinthebush

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Quarter
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2005, 06:40:24 PM »
Quarter her up and pack her out.  I carried a caribou out 1 mile in two trips this fall including antlers on the second trip.  

If I ever hunt back east again I am taking my pack frame back.  It is so much easier boning animals out and packing them than trying to drag 175 pounds of deer deer around.
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Offline slayer

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2005, 11:10:36 PM »
Thank you Gents, I will reccomend that ot my brother :D Jack.

Offline Redhawk1

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2005, 01:57:53 AM »
All great advice, pack it out.  :D
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Offline beemanbeme

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2005, 04:58:57 AM »
Don't know if this applies or not but you might want to check with the Game Wardens.  You may need to bring out the head or something to prove what you got.  Once, in Wyoming, my son and I were taking adeer to the packing house and were stopped by DNR reps.  The deer was skinned and the head and cape were back in camp.  They jerked us around some since the regs stated "antlered deer" but in the end let us go on.

Offline longwinters

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2005, 05:18:44 AM »
All good advice,  The DNR can be kind of picky about things, but the best way is to quarter it  and pack it out.  Putting it on a pole and carrying it out is a lot tougher than one might think.

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Offline Daveinthebush

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« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2005, 07:09:15 AM »
Up here if it is an either sex area, you skinn the animla and leave the evidence of sex attached to the one quarter.  Any of the male/female identifying parts will do.
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Offline tscott

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2005, 08:20:53 AM »
I like to hunt remote areas. The things that keep me going as I approach social security are: I learned to filet at the spot of kill... I use only a pocket knife (4"), and a small Smith stone. I like to butcher and prepare for table, almost as much as the hunt. I earn my living in fitness. So I feel it is imperative to stay in shape, and within 10lbs of ideal weight.
At any age it is not a great idea to drag a deer long distances.... not many things increase heart rate to unsafe levels faster. So get some parachute cord, get the hind quarters off the ground, and learn a new woods skill... In time you would be able to do a complete boning in less than an hour. I have shot many large deer. I would say the average yield is 50 - 70 lbs including heart and liver. Plastic bags and into a backpack
makes the trip out, a piece of cake... Oh I take a folding Gerber saw to remove the skullplate, and antlers....

Offline riddleofsteel

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2005, 03:37:28 PM »
Since you have to go back anyway; I find that a plastic snow sled is a great tool for moving loads in the woods. I have one that is heavy plastic and about 5 1/2 long with fairly high sides. I usually just roll my deer on it and pull it out. I have also used it to move tree stands and even firewood thru the woods. It seems to slide easy over just about anything.
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They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.
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Offline slayer

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2005, 04:08:08 PM »
Got her out!! we both dragged her with the 1-2-3 pull method and got really cut up :) We had to hack our way out of some spots and prunned also. Took about 5 hours :eek: I am giving him some staks-ground -backstrap and a case of Iron City Beer for his valiant effort. Thanks gents :D Jack.

Offline DaveP

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #13 on: October 24, 2005, 02:35:25 AM »
Glad you made it.
Riddleofsteel has it right.Me and my brother got a moose out of the woods in Maine a few years back,using a plastic sled.Took 5 trips though! Only bad spots were were all the slash was from a recent logging operation.Limbs were up to our knees.Have used the sled for dozens of deer.
Tried my "free" game carrier Saturday night.Found a collapsable baby stroller a while back.Slimed the tires and added some straps.Was a pain even with a 90lb doe.Not enough ground clearance (had to teeter over logs),and the handle was too short.Also,I thing it would collapse under 150 lb load,in rough terrain. May extend the handle and try again.Bigger wheels would help too.Oh well,gals you got it out.I'm geting too old for dragging.Dave

Offline slayer

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #14 on: October 24, 2005, 10:15:59 AM »
I know I will think twice next tome before shooting a deer that deep and thick and downhill :) Thanks-Jack.

Offline willysjeep134

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My Deer Is Stuck In The Woods
« Reply #15 on: October 25, 2005, 08:44:52 AM »
One thing you don't see too much any more, but was a really good idea I htink, was to lash the front feet of a buck to it's antlers. Just put the left hoof on the left antler and tie it in place, same on the right. When this is done you have two great big handles to grab on to and the whole deer is a little more aerodynamic. If you have two peole, each takes a side and pulls. A drag rope with two shoulder loops made of seatbelt can help one man drag out a deer as well.
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Offline Bob the Cynic

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Another sled fan here
« Reply #16 on: October 28, 2005, 05:09:09 PM »
I'm a big fan of using a sled.  It is so much easier it is well worth the hassle of walking out to get it and going back in.