The past couple years, I hunt land that can be described as the side of a ridge; you cut across hollers perpendicular to the ridge, trying to catch bedded deer unawares. What this means is that, more often than not, when you shoot a deer you get to drag it downhill on a leafy forest floor.
When my dad and I went still hunting in South Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, it occurred to us that hunting in hollers isn't always that convenient. Just to get in to the area you want to hunt, you have to climb over terrain you couldn't imagine dragging a deer through. We ended up not seeing anything but beautiful country (which always makes it worth it)---we were basically in black bear habitat during hibernation season; little to no sign of deer traffic, anywhere.

After that hunt, I don't think I'll be going back to the National Forest without a frame pack.

I've shot two deer that died on the edge of a farm road. Certainly made it easy. Drive up, throw it in truck.


My worst drag I should have quartered it. It took me nearly four hours to get it out. I could have quartered it and packed it out in that amount of time. That was due to the nasty tangle of brush that I was in though more so than distance. I learned to be more picky about where I shoot deer on that one. It would be worth it on a big buck, but there's easier places to meat hunt.


Most places I hunt are around a half hour drag out though. Which isn't bad.


-Jake

Tag it. Gut it. Bag up the heart, liver and tongue.

Take the stand, gun, back to the truck and get out the wheel barrow.

A friend eats the hearts and liver. The tongue is for me just in case MY deer disappears or I run in to someone with a deer that looks awfully familiar.

Load it in the wheel barrow, bungee straps and paracord tie it in. Wheel it out. It works best through the weeds if you take the two back legs off for deer season and just use the one front wheel.

you must hunt on pretty flat lands?
a wheel barrel would be a royal pain to even try to roll oyt in the woods here empty going down hill, all the downed tree's dips and logs and rocks LOL

but can see that working on flat lands for sure, as long as ground isn;t too soft to sink the wheel in on you?

I wouldn't want to roll it UP hill much. But if there was a handy path AROUND the hill it would be easy. Downed trees aren't too bad but I wouldn't want to cross em all day even just walking.

IF you wouldn't take a deer cart, you wouldn't like the wheel barrow. If you'd do it again with a deer cart, you would LOVE the wheel barrow.

not to dispute you , but hills here can be 300-500 ft in elevation, roads going up and down them are switchbacked to take the hill out as much as possible but that then makes the haul a LOT longer
I've hauled a lot of cement in wheel barrows, a deer cart having two tall wheels, allows you to NOT have to balance things as much a s wheel barrow and they roll over things a LITTLE easier LOL
but can be a help, but both are still some work here to use!
very little if any flat land where I hunt here, but again, I can see it working, just alot depends on land type you hunt!

I go tomorrow for some shotgun deer. I bought one of those game sleds and I'm hoping they work well. The area I'll be hunting is mainly flat. I'll let you know how it goes if I fill my tag.

I drag it to my UTV, when I was younger (my teens, now in my 30s), dad had me drag one out by hand to appreciate an ATV.
If you're allowed, an ATV/UTV make hunting a different experience after the shot. If not as others have suggested use a pack cart/rack as they don't pull easy at all if your just pulling dead weight by the antlers.

what will work in the woods and work well is build you a sled out of a blue plastic barrel, indestructible and drags effortlessly over rocks and leaves, not bad over downed logs either, a bit of drag on sand and grass, once dragged a 200# bear out myself, .9 miles in about an hour.
RR

I hate my deer cart. I FOUND it discarded in the woods in the summer. After trying to haul deer on it twice I know what. Pushing is impossible and pulling it the thing runs over my feet every other step. Can't get it over a log with a fork lift.

Every body has their preference, mine is a tractor but if I have to drag it, I'd rather have a wheel barrow. That's not saying it's all wine and roses the rest of the day. Just between my "deer cart", dragging and wheelbarrow, I'll take the wheelbarrow.