post kill question?
 

i was wondering after u kill and gut your deer in the field if its a buck is it ok to drag it back by its antlers because my first buck which had only half his rack when was taking him out of the woods it felt like his antler was going to come off so i pulled him by his feet it just seems to me that it would be a chance that im not willing to take to draga deer by its antlers like i see on hunting shows on tv

RE: post kill question?
 

I have heard stories of those that grabbed on to the antlers to drag it out by and pulled one off. Personally, I prefer to tie the front legs up around the head and drag by the neck/feet.

RE: post kill question?
 

I prefer to throw them on my front rack of the 4-wheeler, or throw them in the back of the pickup, if shot in the field...
This keeps the coat clean so you don't get your hands all dirty when skinning...I usually take mine to the barn and hang and clean...I don't mess with gutting anymore...I then throw them in the bucket of the Deere and haul the carcus back to the woods and dump it out for the coyotes...

RE: post kill question?
 

I've hauled one by the antlers before and it was no problem. However, late in the year you might pop one off if his antlers are getting weak. I really don't think it matters to be truthful. If you were mounting it, I wouldn't drag it because of what nchawkeye said...keep the coat clean!

RE: post kill question?
 

The later in the season you are, the more chance of this happening. Some deer in our area shed as early as late December. For the most part this shouldn't be a problem, and the horn can be re-attatched if it does come off. I have pulled, and helped pull many deer and never had this happen. If you are going to be keeping the cape, don't drag by the back feet since you will be going against the grain of the hair and can damage the hide. When you drag by the horns you will be going with the grain and will be keeping most of the cape off the ground.

RE: post kill question?
 

thanx for the tips

RE: post kill question?
 

ive never had it happenmyself andwe drag bucks out every year by the antlers. ( bucks over 200lbs)......i supose it could happen but its not likley. atleast in this area. the bucks have so much testeosterone so late in the season up here in maine that they seem to hold there antlers extremely late most years. i wouldnt worry about it anyways if it did fall off, a taxidermist can fix that really easily plus you could make his rack as wide as you wanted :D

RE: post kill question?
 

I've never had an antler pull off. Try pulling a 250 lb dressed buck close to a mile through snowwell past your knees. You get him out anyway you can. (bad choice that morning, should have loaded the sled than the quad).

RE: post kill question?
 

Lets say you killed a p&y or b&c deer , and you were draging it out buy the antlers and one came off would you still be able to enter it in the record books ? I was told you couldn't is that true. I would say it true you couldn't turn it in ,because wouldn't the guy green scoring the antler or the guy doing the mount would have to see it on the skull .I know if they have any doughts about it they could x-ray the skull right to make sure no one has tamperd with the skull.

RE: post kill question?
 

Drag it by the antlers but only as far as the nearest access road and them load em into the gator ;)