Got any tricks or gimmicks for loading a deer on to a truck?

[Cement Man]

I am getting old and it really hit me last deer season when I found it somewhat of a struggle to put a large doe onto my pickup truck.  A dead deer is a clumsy thing for one person to handle, and with one bum hip and arthritis it was quite a task. 

That was a half-ton truck.  I bought a 2500HD this winter and the tailgate is considerably higher.  I was looking at that bed height today and thinling I better get a Bowflex, shoot only fawns, or bring a fork lift from now on.

Does anyone have any tricks or gadgets that you use to load deer by yourself?  I have a cap on the back of the truck, so I can't use the side rail pockets to put anything into.

[Wynn]

This may not work with a cap over the bed, but I have loaded up to a 350lb hog this way by myself. I keep a 15 ft length of half inch braided, nylon rope in the truck. Loop it around the antlers or neck of the animal and then climb up on the tailgate. Reach as far down the rope as you can and wrap it around your arm/wrist and then give a good haul up, walking backwards at the same time. Much better leverage using your whole body weight than trying to lift from the ground. Once the head is on the tailgate, the rest will slide right on up as you back up. I am 5'9", 155lb and 57 yrs old with a bad back. Give it a try.

[Siskiyou]

One option is to run a chain between the two the tie downs in the front of the bed.  Use the center of the chain to anchor a come-along.  I have a ramp made from two lengths of 2x8 scrap with plywood on top.  You can pull the deer into the bed of the pickup after fastening the come-along cable hook around the horns or a rope on the deer. 

I use the setup to load heavy items into the back of my GMC.  I easily loaded a large 4-cylinder generator into my pickup using my cable come-along.

http://www.hooverfence.com/tools/come-a-long.htm

The come along will serve other purposes when needed out in the woods.

[backstrap]

Sounds like u need a little lawn mower trailer a trailer that u hall lawn mowers on , a trailer that is low to the ground and not very big

[Cement Man]

Thanks for the suggestions!  It never ceases to amaze me how helpful folks here are, and the good ideas they have. 
Where I hunt, I go through some awful stuff, mud, deep ruts, might be tough for a small trailer and I don't have one - but that certainly could be a solution.  I have a cap on the back of my truck and with my bum hip, I think I'd have some problems trying to stand on the tailgate and lift. 
I believe that the chain across the tie-downs, a small come-along, and a small ramp will get the job done.  I have been carrying a small hoist in a plastic box for years - in fact, I forgot I had it in my tool box until I read the above suggestion. I also have a perfect piece of chain and some hooks I can put on it.  I believe the problem is solved.  I'm gonna give it a try.  Thanks to all of you for the responses.  I appreciate it!

[rickyp]

I have a Nissan fronter with a cap on it. I find getting a deer in the back of it a pain in the butt as well. I also do not like all the blood that  collects in the bed  and with the cap on no matter how well I clean the bed i can still smell the blood.
So what I did was get an old 6.5 wide by 12" long trailer and  put the biggest trailer tires on it that I could find. It works well trough deep mud and ruts. I do have a little trouble pulling it up a steep hill in the deep mud. but that is more to do with my truck then with the trailer.
when I get  a deer I drag it right up on the trailer and I wash it off on it and when finished I just wash off the trailer deck and I am done with it it works well and works even better when I use my friends ATV.

You can always use one of the trailer hitch totes that slide in the trailer hitch and sticks out a few feet. they run about $100  and are quite low to the ground and should be large enough for a deer.

Last year I bought a tripod with a hoist on it to lift my beer up. cabelas sells them for about $140.00 and was well worth it. it breaks down and sets up in minutes and lifts the deer high off the ground. you could set this up behind your truck. crank the deer up and then lower it back down pushing it in the truck as you go.

[Dave in WV]

If you're not as energetic as Siskiyou, try this winch from Harbor Freight using the same idea he posted. You could mount the winch on a plate and attach it to the chain in the front of the bed.




http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=92860

[Cement Man]

Here's what I have been carrying in my tool box for years - never used, and had forgotten I had it.  I've finally found a use for it. 

http://www.deuer.com/html/page2.htm

I just can't bring a trailer back there, there are too many really bad spots, sometimes I come around a bend, find a washout and have to back up and turn around in a tight spot.  The hitch haul carriers do work, I used to put one on my van and have hauled two adult deer on one.  I was thiniking of buying another one for my truck as the van had a 1.25" receiver and the truck has a 2". 

What I have been doing for several years is buying these cheap ($2 - Farm & Fleet) 8'X8' tarps to throw in the bed before I haul a deer.  They keep most of the blood contained very well.  If you clean them off you can re-use them.

What I found most difficult about trying to lift and place that big floppy deer into the truck was getting the whole thing on to the tailgate about waist high.  I was grabbing the left rear and right front leg in order to try and balance it, and just had a hard time getting the body to clear the gate.  I finally did get it by "kneeing" it upward onto the gate, but I thought my hip was gonna come out of it's joint.

I figure if I just get the head and some neck up over the edge of the open tailgate with the winch, I can easily grab the hind legs and lift the hindquarters on to the tailgate.  Having "one end" of the deer secured should make it a lot easier.

[Siskiyou]

Place a nylon trap on top of the ramp and into the pickup bed; fasten your cable around the neck or horns.  With your come-along anchored to the cross chain in the front of the bed you can easily crank it up into the bed.  The tarp normally contains any leakage.

You have a couple of options on your hook-up, you can string the cable to the anchor chain and operate from the deer's head so you can insure it stays on the ramp or reverse it and crank from inside the camper shell.  Sometimes I take a 2500-watt generator to deer camp.  I setup camp by myself because my primary hunting partner business keeps him tied down to the last minute.  It is far easier to use the ramp to unload the generator then blowing the back out. 

Dave in WV suggestion is good.  I have thought about mounting a Warn winch that appears to be similar to the one he is suggesting.  I removed the winch from another vehicle I had and just never remounted it.

Getting in and out of a pickup bed has become more difficult with age, and I now carry a short stepladder for that purpose.  It also comes in handy when hanging a deer.

[DCRthe3rd]

Get one of those hitch hauls , some of these guys told you about , only don't spend 100 dollars for it , habor freight and folks like that have then for 40 dollars , some folks say the deer gets too dirty like that , esp if you live in where it snows and they salt the roads , if that is the case wrap it in a tarp , if ground clearance is a problem remove the hitch carrier until you need it , another option is to take along some friends kids , you know the type , ones with young strong backs , only problem with that solution is if you have to feed them $$$$

[burntmuch]

Something Ive done in the past is hoist the deer up a tree as high as you can ,Like tie the rear legs 4 ft up a tree. Back the truck up to it then grab the other end of the deer & swing it onto the tailgate. You re only lifting half the deer.This year I drug a big fat doe about a mile thru a clearcut to my truck. I was whooped. Thats the only way I could get it in the truck

[351 power]

you could weld a different tube on your hitch hauler cheap

[rickyp]

they make a hitch hauler with a set of wheels that doubles as a deer cart. I cnat remember where I saw it at.

I have a deer cart and it works ok still a lot of work getting the deer out but not no where as much as draging . I cut up a tarp and tied it to the cart to keep the deer from falling trough the openings it works great now.

When I am by my self and the deer is smaller I just push the deer cart up to my tail gate and lower it so the front of the cart is resting on the tail gate  I then just lift the cart and all and slide it in the back of the truck the same as i do with an ambulance streacher. it takes a little to get the moves jsut right but works good on small deer.

[koivu]

I was out last fall by myself and shot a whitetail buck.  I was bushed by the time I got it out to my truck.  I ended up making a stretcher with a couple of alder poles and some rope.  Lashed the deer to the stretcher and put one end on the tailgate, grabbed the other end and slid it it in.  Worked ok.

[rickyp]

truley the best thing is to not hunt alone, or at the very least have someone o call to come and help you if the need comes up.

I have one guy that always hunts with me but when he is not avalible and I am hunting he is on call or I can call someone from the local fire house to come and help.

[beemanbeme]

I learnt too late in life that the very best device for dragging deer out of the woods, loading them into trucks, cleaning out boats, cleaning fish, putting canoes on top of cars, chopping fire wood, and such are a couple of well trained teen aged boys started young.  I didn't realize just how big a three acre yard was until my youngest left home and went in the Navy.  Although my wife was in her fifties, I suggested we have a couple more but she just gave me "that look" and told me to go mow the grass.

[woodchukhntr]

Get an 8' long 2x12 or a 1/2 sheet of 3/4" plywood, something just long enough to fit inside the truck bed.  Put one end on the ground, the other on the tailgate.  Drag the deer up to the board. Tie a rope on it, get inside the bed and drag it up the board.  If you can mount a pulley inside the bed, you can pull it from the ground.  The 1/2 sheet of plywood will be easier since the deer won't slip off the side as easily.

[JKump]

Just what woodchukhntr stated.  I had trouble this year loading a big deer, had to call for help.  Once it was loaded some one told me about the wood sheet in the bed.  Just pull it out, leaned on the tail gate and it will support the deer as you pull it into the bed.
Below is picture of the deer, it went over 200 lbs. Nice 10 point.
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc127/JKump/100_0228.jpg

[snapcrackpop]

Drill a hole at one end of the plywood and tie a rope to it.
Prop the plywood up on the tailgate.
Drag and tie the head to the board.
Slide/push the deer and plywood into the bed of the truck together.
Call your chiropractor from your cell phone on the way home!

[charles p]

Get two 8' 2X4s and nail a piece of plywood about 5' long and 2' wide to make it resemble a stretcher with 18" handles.  Lay it on the ground behind your truck and roll your deer onto it.  Tie its head to the front end of the stretcher.  Now lift the front of the stretcher onto the tailgate and center the deer on the plywood.  Not as hard as it sounds, since the weight shifts to the bottom end.  Go to the lower end of the stretcher and pick it up and shove it into the truck.

[deltecs]

Most trucks now come from the factory with a 2" receiver hitch installed on the truck.  Just take a 2" piece of pipe with an el bent on it about 5' higher than the hitch.  Have the pipe welded to a 2" receiver plug and put it in the receiver before leaving for hunting.  On the end of the el, have a ring welded to fit a set of small 3/8" nylon four blocks rope and tackle.  Once you get the deer to the truck or vice versa, then tie the deer to the blocks, hoist the running line, pickup the deer and then it can easily be laid in the bed of the truck on plastic, if you want to keep the bed clean.  Once you get home you can use the same blocks to hang the deer for aging right from the truck bed.  Very little cost and doesn't interfere once you take it off after the season. 

[deltecs]

Or you can use an old Indian trick.  Take a roll of heavy plastic wrap that you buy at a supermarket, like saran wrap.  Whip off enough length to go over a tree limb and toss it over, after tying on a weight to get it over the limb.  Continually twist the tail end into a round rope and tie it to the deer.  Go to the other side and twist that end in the same direction and tie it to the base of the tree.  Then using another stick, tire iron or like, wrap it in a loop around the wrap and begin twisting.  After hours of twisting, the wrap will hoist the deer right up to the limb without breaking.  I know some will laugh at this, but I have done this with moose, when I had no rope.  Give it a try at home and I think you will be surprised.

[woodchukhntr]

Which old indian tribe had the saran wrap?

[PartsMan]

We use cell phones around here.
"Hey man come LOOK at this deer I shot."

[deltecs]

Which old indian tribe had the saran wrap?

Even the old Indians in Alaska now use modern firearms.  Don't you know that a box of plastic wrap is essential survival gear?   

[huntswithdogs]

I saw a hoist that goes into your hitch mount, that swiveled around so you could load deer and such into your truck bed. According to the info in the cataloge, It was easily stowed and installed. Now if I could just remember where I saw it!

I got mine loaded last year with the help of some guys son, who was admiring my 8pointer. I was standing there, at the time, trying to deciding just how I was get it loaded, when he drove up. God Bless, strong, young backs!


HWD

[Cement Man]

http://www.prohoists.com/Shopping.idc?ProductID=6&ProductCategory=5

Here's one.  If you read the description, it says that they will have another model with more extension to allow a tailgate to be lowered - or at least that is how I interpret it. 

[Cement Man]

You guys got that right about strong young backs.

Now that I'm getting old, my 39 year old - strong as an ox - hunting buddy moved to Wyoming last year.  My ex son-in-law 242 lb powerlifter used to hunt with us, but he couldn't be a faithful husband, so he's gone now too. 

Oh well, with all the good ideas I got here, we'll get the job done for sure.

[rickyp]

here is another option stop shooting big deer, stick to the little 100 lb meat deer and you have no worries

[Cement Man]

Yeah, wouldn't that be a strange feeling - letting a 200lb 10 pointer walk through and waiting for "Skippy".      That veal is sure good eating though...... and my teeth aren't getting any stronger either....  hmmmm