Something practical loading a deer

[Buckstopshere]

And a good topic with "Opening Day," just a few hours away! Hopefully, we all will have to deal with this issue of loading a deer! But...though the anticipation is great for all...and we toss and turn on the eve, statistically only a few of us will be lucky enough to have to deal with this chore! ..."huh, trouble...what trouble?"

[Nomad]

1 hour ago, Pygmy said:

REAL men drive pickup trucks....<<grin>>.....

I'm a stealth man....

[nyslowhand]

4 hours ago, Pygmy said:

Yeah..I remember before I was old enough to hunt, going overtown  from school on my lunch hour in Addison on opening day of deer season just to see the deer on cars along Main Street....The street was lined with them...Seems like very few people drove pickups back then except the farmers...Of course they would take the deer home and hang them in their barns/sheds.. Mostly the "townies"  and the flatlanders draped them on their cars and parked them on the street...  Good times, nonetheless...

... and every other house on the street had a deer hanging from a tree in the yard, either front or back yard! Not now-a-days!!! That was the social media of days gone by!

[nyslowhand]

Little $$ but this is what works for me on my new SUV! No lifting, other than onto the deer cart portion of the unit. Yeah, that knee-knocker 4" riser is painted orange as a reminder to myself. Okay, so I regret trading in my small p/u!! lol

 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2016 by nyslowhand

[fasteddie]

NYslowhand ..... doesn't the weight of the deer and cart throw the balance off and tip the front wheels of the SUV off the ground .......    Nifty idea ! 

[genesee_mohican]

The plywood is a great practical tip, thanks for sharing! I mostly hunt alone and have had sciatica issues, so have to really be careful when it comes to lifting. Now I'll be looking around here for a spare piece of plywood.

[nyslowhand]

1 hour ago, fasteddie said:

NYslowhand ..... doesn't the weight of the deer and cart throw the balance off and tip the front wheels of the SUV off the ground .......    Nifty idea ! 

Second photo of just the cart is a little deceiving, wheels are actually centered over length of cart. Yeah, does make a slight difference how deer/load is placed onto cart. Ideally the center of wgt/mass should be over the wheels. Uneven distribution only makes a slight inconvenience hauling cart out of the woods with a load, By either holding up or pushing down on handle to adjust for any uneven distribution of wgt. 

Used it 3X this year, once hauling a blind & chair into woods and 2X hauling deer out. First couple of uses are trial & error, but once you get a technique it's a lifesaver for my old bones!

Slick part about this unit is when you get back to vehicle, you simply align the cart with the angle iron frame, lift one end & slid on. By no means am I endorsing this product (Uriah Car-Go-Cart), it just works great for what I need it to do! BTW - If you need a receiver platform for a vehicle AND a deer cart, you're in the $$ ballpark of one of these. Other issue with having 2 separate units, what do you do with the muddy/bloody cart after you've put deer onto the platform? FYI - If interested, there is a min receiver hgt, so PM me with questions.

Completely off topic, sorry! Back to DIY getting a deer into a p/u truck!

Edited November 18, 2016 by nyslowhand

[wolc123]

The plywood is a great practical tip, thanks for sharing! I mostly hunt alone and have had sciatica issues, so have to really be careful when it comes to lifting. Now I'll be looking around here for a spare piece of plywood.

Buckstopshere likes this  Like this

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I had some sciatica going on last season.  That really put a damper on my hunting, especially up in the Adirondacks dealing with the steep terrain.    What helped me get rid of that completely, was adding some seated leg extensions to (3 sets of 20 reps) to my morning workout a couple times a week.  

For loading deer on a vehicle, up in the mountains I always use my father in laws atv and a rope and pulley to lift into the bed of my pickup or onto the roof of our minivan.   At home, the only vehicles involved are my tractors, and the lifting is done with a three point carryall on the back, or a front loader.  

On rare occasion when I have had none of that stuff available, I have removed the tailgate from my truck and used that as a ramp to slide the deer into the bed.    

[92onCaliHollow]

13 hours ago, fasteddie said:

Try getting them up here by yourself ......

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Did the same thing on a Hyundai I had back in the early 90s.....man did that suck

[growalot]

We had  a dinner...opening lunch  and dinner were interesting and packed in Piffard...heads and legs hanging every which way...and once a Goat! No not an urban legion these things really happened...lol

[chas0218]

16 hours ago, fasteddie said:

Try getting them up here by yourself ......

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Looks like me when I drive our little Pontiac vibe, I have thrown them on the roof rack.

Over the past few years, if any of you travel rt.14 from Geneva area to Watkins and saw a little red hatchback with a buck on top it was probably me. I have a truck but usually when I drive home to my parents we take the more economical option and I usually end up shooting something. Whenever we drive the truck I don't see anything worth shooting.

[hunter49]

 I can't remember if it was Belfast , Belmont or Franklinville where they would hang the deer & bear in the town square,  it was always good times to see them. But of course the politically correct put a stop to it!  One time we had 5 deer strapped to the fenders & back trunk lid driving home. Those were the good old days!

[Buckstopshere]

Pulley system, rachett strap, and plywood loading system came in handy this morning. This 8 pt. would have busted my gut trying to lift into the truck. One other thing...I tie the poly rope off on a sapling or whatever to hold the buck up, once he gets pulled up on the plywood as in the photo. And then it is a surprisingly easy lift. Then just slide the buck on the plywood into the truck. Simple, cheap, doesn't take up hardly any space when the plywood is ripped to the length of the bed so the tailgate can be shut.