Dragging a bear
 

How do you guys move a bear that you want a rug from? I'm concerned about loosing hair on the hide. I do own a Otter sled but may hunt a place where thats not practical.

Ideas?

Thanks

Learn how to skin and cape it out where you shoot it!

I've killed a couple of bear and I wouldn't drag one an inch. I carry a pack frame and enough game bags to handle whatever I'm hunting. On bear I use the gutless method and skin out one side to the paws and cut the feet off and then bone the meat. Roll it over and repeat the process. After it is skinned up to the head I cut the head off and roll the hide up and put it in a game bag. Leave the bones and guts where it fell. Figure 2 or 3 loads on the pack frame to get it out of the woods and into coolers.

Boning and skinning cuts the weight down, helps it cool quicker and protects the hide.

My state is requires us not to divide a bear more that 5 pieces before registration.........poor logic but thats the law. Yes quartering seems the most sensible at this point.

Thanks

Four quarters and one skin make 5 pieces which means you would be legal. Pack frame is the answer. if you can walk in you can pack the game out on a frame. I do it all the time for deer, elk and bear. If you quarter it you'll need a good folding bone saw. I like boning because all I need is a knife and I can take feet and heads off by cutting through natural joints in the bone.

In PA you have to check the bear in whole, it can be gutted, that's all though. If you have to drag it, use a cart, sled, tarp, try to protect it somehow.
-Jake

Yeah, but the OP ain't in PA, he's in WI and says he can piece it down. Packing game out on a frame is a whole lot easier than dragging game through the woods.

See Bold.
-Jake

I have looked at some plastic rolled up game draggers but never used one.
Anybody use one?

Years ago I used a kids sled for deer with some success. But I really never cared about hair on a hide before .

Thanks in advance!

I've used something similar (med-sled), as well as a simple tarp. I really like a game cart if the terrain permits.

For myself, I just gut them, and drag them to the truck. Where I have ice waiting to cool it down. If you are going to cut it up. Think about cooling it down first. Maybe soak it in a nearby stream.

Remember, a bear has fur as opposed to hair. So, it'll take more abuse than a deer's hide will. Good Luck!

ATB

yep they shred pretty easy, I use a sled made out of a blue plastic barrel, easiest bear dragging I ever did, they are indestructible
RR

Years ago I bought a heavy duty plastic rolled up game dragger (I think from Cabela's) that I've used to drag a couple of deer and two elk, half at a time. It makes the dragging easier, even over snow, and it protects the animal.

Another time I used a kids plastic toboggan to drag another elk out, again, half at a time. I got the elk out, but the toboggan was trashed.

I've also used several wheeled game carriers.

The first one was a single wheel "travois" type that I made from a bicycle wheel and lightweight steel tubing. It worked OK, but half of the weight is in your hands.

I then bought a two wheel carrier from Cabela's that I've carried up to two antelope at a time over several miles of eastern Montana sagebrush. It's a little tippy on side hills, especially when one wheel goes over a bush or rock.

A few years ago I built a two inline wheel carrier. I used 20" heavy duty spoke wheels with solid rubber tires, and welded square steel tubing. It would pack half an elk with two people operating it.

Two of us carried out my first black bear slung under a pole, and two of us also carried out a whitetail buck that I wanted to have mounted that way. It is easy to get the animal swinging if the two people don't stay out of step.

One year I shot a sm bear in Maine and i used a heavy duty vinyl tarp. It worked well for being by myself. Did the same thing in the prairies of Wy with a 300 lb mule deer. Worked really good there. Tarp was trash when we were done.

Used a plastic toboggan this year. But you still need multiple people. Somebody has to be with the bear because it rolls off the toboggan every 5 seconds.

I had took a plastic toboggan or sled years ago for deer....and drilled holes around the lip to lace 1/4" rope as a tie down. The sled would only hold the front should shoulder and most of the chest and the rear quarter would drag. It worked better than nothing. Still had a buddy help as misery loves company. I was thinking the the plastic sled may be a bit small for a adult bear that is if ......a big if......I get to see one then arrow or shoot it.

Thanks guys keep what has worked or not worked so well coming!

This sounds like the best way if you can't butcher the animal on the spot and bring it out in a lot of pieces. I know the barrels are just as RR stated!

I have never shot a bear and don't intend to. I have killed almost everything else but bears just don't interest me for some reason. I have been involved with hunts where others have killed a bear and dragging them is not really an easy option. Nothing like a deer and they snag everything out along the woods. When we have a bear that needs to be brought out we either sling it to a pole and get enough help to get it out or put it on a game cart. Here in Vermont there are a lot of bears and when one is taken the animal has to be checked in intact other than the field dressing so quartering and skinning in the field isn't an option.

Dragging a bear out
 

When I drag my bear out I cut two poles about 10 ft long.Then lash some smaller cross pieces to it like a stretcher. Then tie bear or deer on and drag out.I have moved them over 4 miles this way.The last bear I shot spring of 2014 I did it a little different. I cut 2 poles and tied them to my pack frame then strapped on the bear. It worked also. Thinking about packing a small wheel and lag screw or some sort of brackets for an axle to make it easier. Game carts would be a chore to pack in where I hunt. I like to keep it light.
Good luck.

Got mine out whole with an elk cart and a couple buddies to help. Over 6' cinnamon.

There's no such law in Pa.You can bring them in quartered but there has to be evidence of sex.

We usually carry them on a pole through the rough terrain and use a cart once we get to a trail or logging rd.