what do you solo hunters do??
 

i was just wondering how any of you guys who hunt alone get you deer into the truck by yourself...i hunt with my dad but as chance would have it each of the last two years my dad wasn't up north with me when i got my bucks...the first time was a 160lb dressed 8pt and after struggling for about 10 min i was finally able to get him up there..but this year i got a 210lb dressed 10pt and i tried and tried and tried but i just couldn't get him up there..so i finally walked across the road to a farmhouse there and asked the owner if he could help me load him up..he did..so the next weekend i gave my dad some money and had him buy the man a case of beer...he was a lifesaver...any stories out there...

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RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I have had to do this on one occasion, it was a huge buck that probablly went around 220-230 lbs. I always carry a long rope with me, so what I did was get my dads truck, park it under a limb, then I put rope around the deers head, threw the rope over the tree limb, went to the front of the truck and just pulled my little heart out, it worked but it was still really hard to do. If I didn't have that rope I probablly would have had to drag the deer to my house haha.

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
P.S. Only Chuck Adams can sit at home and see deer so get into the woods. =;^)

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RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I go after big mule deer in big mule deer country. I have my backpack full of knifes and water. I have took my big deer out in five parts. I have a bag that holds my tag a pen and I use it for the liver and heart. I have also passed on deer because of time of day or size. I have rope to hang'em and skin them. Bag them then hike. I haven't had to bone one yet but the monster is just around the corner.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I tie a rope around the neck. Then I get in the back of the truck and pull the rope up as high as I can( which isn't far any more). I tie the rope off and jump down. Then I grab the arse end of the deer and lift it up and push it on the tailgate. Untie the head now you can slide him on in.
Did I mention that you need tie downs or bed rails for this method.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I dont hunt very far from my truck.I usually cans ee my truck. Almost always sitting on the dge of fields. I drive the truck up to the deer and I have a boat winch mounted in the back. Just hookem up and crank.Last year only 1 of the 6 deer I shot had to be draged and someone else had to do that for me.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

Very carfully with alot of work. I was hunting by myself a couple years back and it was one of those days that you should be inside instead of sitting in a treestand. Down pour 20-30 mph winds and about 30 degrees out. Miserable!! I shot a 225 lb. 8 point and had to drive in to get it out through a plowed field. You can imagine how muddy that mess was. I proped him up so his head was resting verticle on the tail gate and hoisted him up that way. It was a pain in the butt to say the least. The hardest part was not slipping and knocking myself unconscious. Since that day Ialways make sure I have somone I can call to help me load my deer up.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

Ask Big Country about his 2000 Illinois Buck.
350 lbs, no kidding. Put it on the back of a 2wd 250 polaris and had to lean forward to get the front wheels to hit the ground so he could steer!

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I don't use any special method except, I tell myself, I spent all this time trying to get you.Who knows how much a lb. for the meat.Had to drag you thru
the woods.Your coming home with me.It seems to give that extra (lift) I need.
Also I could see me going home and telling my wife,I got one but he was too big to put in the truck.<img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I keep a hand truck in the bed of my truck, it works great, I drag the deer to the nearest path, road, or field, get the hand truck out of my truck and roll the deer up on it, tie it on, and pull it to the truck. Once I am at the truck I drop the gate, lean the top of the hand truck on the tail gate, then lift and push the deer and hand truck from the bottom and slide/lift it right on up into the bed. This method works great for me, cuts way down on the length of the drag and makes it a lot easier for one man to put a deer in the bed of a truck.

Now I will tell you the hardest one I ever had to deal with was a big 8 point I killed in 74, have you ever tried to get a 175 pound dressed deer in the trunk of a 74 Camaro? It is close to mission impossible, the body went in with some work, the head due to the rack would not go in, he was 21 3/4 inches on the inside of his beams, I couldn,t even close the trunk, had to tie it down. I traded the car in for a wagon before the next season.

The Tazman

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RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I carry a one ton cable puller(like a come along only with cable instead of chain).I hook one end into the front of the box and the other end around the antlers and let the tool do all the work.If you don't have a cable puller remove the tailgate from your truck and lay one end on the groung and the other on your step bump and pull the deer up the ramp you have just built.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

My biggest dressed at about 125-130, so I haven't had all the difficulty that you folks have described. It is quite a long drag though. By the time I get to the truck, it's a struggle to get them in. I've thought about something similar to Taz's idea and I've seen similar things advertised. Someone on the board had an idea to build and market them. Never heard anything elase about it.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

First off
“Boy, get yourself to the gym as long as you can clean and jerk 300#, this should not be a problem”
Ok Ok.. just kidding<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
I’m fortunate enough to be a fairly sizeable guy (Mom always said I’m just big boned<img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>), and lifting a couple of hundred pounds into the back of the pickup is not a real problem.
I have a good friend who is just a small guy. But, I can tell you he always takes the largest deer. This is his method. It’s simple, fast, easy, and proven. But, you need to plan ahead,
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
1 truck
1 tree
2 ropes
1 dead dear<img src=icon_smile_dead.gif border=0 align=middle> – for best results use a hefty 12 to 14 point buck-

• Tie both ropes to the deer and throw over the tree limb.
• Connect the first rope to the trailer hitch (rear bumper).
• Slowly pull forward until the deer is higher then the bed of the truck.
• Tie off the second rope to the tree.
• Untie the first rope from the truck.
• Back up so the deer is hanging over the bed.
• Using the rope tied to the tree, lower the deer into the truck.

There you go quick easy deer in truck bed.
<img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

If it is a good size deer I will call somebody to help. Sometimes if the truck is nearby I will drag the deer to it, dig two shallow holes for the back tires to back in and drag him in.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

i feel better now..i'm not the only one who has had this problem...but it is a good problem to have!!

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

In Virginia the deer are not near as big as in other places so when alone you can usually manage. The deer I killed this year was 186 and it was the 3rd largest of teh season.(in my club) None of the deer got into the 190s. I have a dog box in the bed of the truck so we put the deer across the tailgate. I have had to put a few on there by my self and by holding to the legs I can do it.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

You can get a cheap block and tackle at the hardware store, its easier than a rope over a tree. I carry it with me while hunting for pulling them out of the hollows that they seem to like to fall in when hit. I also have a home made ramp thats always in the back of the truck when I'm hunting

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

Greets,
Well fortunately I havent had such a problem yet, the only really big deer I have been fortunate enuff to take was with a friend, the story is posted in a reply to Differences in muleys and whitetail. That over in big game forum. ( just in case your interested ) BUT i am glad to have read this because all the ideas here will be helpfull when I do find myself in such a position. Except... most are relating to a pickup type vehicle, what about those of us who use SUV's ? I gots a Trooper II. I figure the come along cable puller is workable for me.

Just my uneducated opinion!
Terry

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

Having been a tree surgeon for years, I like Trums method with 2 ropes. I also have a camper top on my pickup, so it is similar to an SUV situation. I think I could manage, though, by tying off the first rope, wrapping the end of the second around something in the truck for friction, then untying the first rope. I could then let the second rope slide through the friction device with one hand while pulling the deer into the truck with the other.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I have tie downs in my trucks bed and I have a small block and tackle that works very well . just pull the head up to clear and start pulling . If I'm putting them on my quad that is a real chore all by yourself .

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I've done EXACTLY what Trum did. Works really well and it's kind of funny seeing a 200+ lb deer hanging 10 feet in the air from a tree when you're all alone in the woods.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I just shoot it. Go back home and call my buddies, then I start tracking, and also have a few people to help drag the deer. I usually only hunt solo while bowhunting though.
Visit My Hunting Page

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I don't even own a truck, I call a friend if I get one and have him help me. I am very little, so I will need help any way about it. That is why I never hunted deer until now. Also if I can't confirm the fact that I can get help prior to hunting I don't go. It would be a shame to shoot a nice deer and then not be able to do anything with it. My friends now that I would do the same for them any time of the day or night. They also get some of the meat, but the help is not contigent on that. It's just my way of being gracious.

I am considering getting a truck though and am working on a design with a whinch and a ramp that would enable me to pull the deer into the bed if I could get close enough.

Paul

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I once killed a nice 180 lb buck when I was hunting by myself. I had about a 800 yard mostly uphill drag to the nearest place I could get my truck to and by the time I got there I was totally exhausted (took three solid hours of hard work). I tried and tried to get that deer into the bed of that truck but it kept slipping back and falling on me. I got so mad I almost had a stroke. I finally decided to eat my lunch and rested for about an hour or so. When I tried again I damn near threw the thing clear over the truck. Went in easy as pie. All I needed was some fuel and some rest. I learned from that experience to not be in too big a hurry to get my deer out of the woods. I drag for 30 or 40 yards and stop to rest for 5 minutes before I drag again. I dont care if it takes me all day or night to get out.
Good luck
SC

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

It makes the job easier if there is a bank near by your truck. Just back your truck up to the bank where you already have your deer waiting and pull him in. It is easy to keep a 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 board cut the length of your bed to use as a ramp to drag your deer up in the bed of the truck. I made me a 2 wheel buggy to pull the deer out of the woods on. This works great especially on level ground.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

When the deer is too big to drag out by yourself and your alone; you make camp and start eating on the critter until it is small enough to drag out.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

For loading that quad or any 4 wheeler, tie a rope to the deer's neck, lay it over the left foot rest, over the rack and tie it to a tree. With the feet pointing out, slowly drive ahead, adjusting the deer if it hangs up. It will slide up the left fender and onto the rack. once partly on the rack, you can finish adjusting and tie it down. I just had shoulder surgery prior to deer season and this was the only way I could ever got it on the 4X4.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I've dragged very few deer out by myself, and they were usually does. I normally can find some friends to help or my inlaws to help.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I hunt alone often.
Where there's a will, there's a way.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I always carry some basic gear in my truck since I have a camper shell. Several pieces of good rope, rope block and tackle, shovel, cooler, blanket, machetes,saw, deer cart.
One of the easiest ways I've used to drag a deer up into the truck is to tie a rope around the deers head and run it thru one of the clamps that I use to keep the camper shell on, I pull the head up into the truck as far as I can then tie it off, then grab the back legs and toss the rest of the deer up into the bed.
The key is to be prepared for anything, if necassary I can take the block and tackle and a gambrill, lift that deer up and clean, qaurter and throw into the cooler.
If you want it bad enough and you've got a knife, anything is possible.

Mark in SC

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RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I have a hand truck in the back of my truck also just like Taz. I work at an appliance place and have even used my hydralic lift gate. I just recently got another truck and haven't put the liftgate on yet. I wasn't planning on it, but if I had a lot of problems loading deer I would put it back on. The deer here in south GA really aren't hard to load anyway, they are not quite as big.

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I always keep a piece of 3/4&quot; plywood in the bed of my truck for just that reason. Usually I can lean it onto the tailgate like a ramp, or if the deer is still too heavy to pull up at that angle, I'll back into a ditch or up to a bank or incline, so that the plywood is closer to level.

This also helps save a lot of work when my mother-in-law moves, because she doesn't want to put anything in my truck on the blood stained plywood!

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I rarely hunt alone, but when I do, someone always knows the general area where I am at. I do carry a cellphone for those occasions where it might actually work out there and I always have someone lined up who can help me get the deer out if I am alone. I am in the process of buying a four wheeleer so hopefully that will help some

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

Sometimes you just have to go one step at a time. I have a friend who always takes a wheelbarrow with him and keeps it in the back of his truck. I'm going to get one of those plastic wraps I've seen in Cabellas.

SOTHRDNK

RE: what do you solo hunters do??
 

I am a fairly strong man for my size, so I do not let the size of the deer determine if I harvest it or not. BUT, I have yet to hear of anyone not needing a hand pulling an animal from the timber at one time or another. If I can remember correctly, the hardest deer I ever had to pull from the timber was probably a doe, because with a giant buck, you tend to forget the pain of dragging it out! :)