Solo hunting = packing deer out

I mostly solo hunt the October archery season. This year I turned 54 and have to admit getting this year's buck back to the truck was way more challenging than the last time I had to do it even with my Crawler cart. :)

Next season I will start quartering my deer in the field when I solo hunt. Leaving the hide and vertebrae will shed a lot of unnecessary weight on the cart.

I have watched many videos on the subject, and it doesn't seem overly challenging as I already butcher my own deer.

This will limit me to morning hunts as I don't want to do this after dark... :)

Try just cutting it in half at the third rib up, and use your cart….

The thing about getting any animal out of the woods is to take your time and don’t exert yourself. I have a hoist and gambrel that I can use to hang the deer out in the woods. Once the carcass cools, you can debone it and pack the meat out in a 5 gal pail or pack sack.

with my back I haven't been able to pull a deer out in many years. Luckily I have a small quad that has a winch. Plus I bought a harness made for dragging deer out that I take with me every time I go, so if deer is somehow in a spot I can't get to I can drag with harness the short distance. Since you already butcher your deer you should be good at making it easier to get out.

I've done 2 elk in the mountains of Alberta and a moose in Ontario the gutless method and it's quite civil compared to tying to get the full animal out
as long as you have decent lighting and don't feel rushed because it's dark it's really not that bad. still a moose hind 1/4 is about as much as you'd want to hike out as a full grown man

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Originally Posted by bellerivercrossbowhunter

I mostly solo hunt the October archery season. This year I turned 54 and have to admit getting this year's buck back to the truck was way more challenging than the last time I had to do it even with my Crawler cart. :)

Next season I will start quartering my deer in the field when I solo hunt. Leaving the hide and vertebrae will shed a lot of unnecessary weight on the cart.

I have watched many videos on the subject, and it doesn't seem overly challenging as I already butcher my own deer.

This will limit me to morning hunts as I don't want to do this after dark... :)

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The best piece of gear I learned about on this forum was the Pelican sled. I (we) use it continually for hauling gear in and out of the bush where ATV's can't go and for dragging behind ATV's for ice fishing. Oh,BTW,if you think pushing 60 is getting harder,wait til you try pulling it. :moose:

My access is often by canoe so dragging the deer to the nearest shoreline, then bringing the canoe back to where I left the deer makes it relatively easy for the most part. However, years ago at the end of the day, I carried a spike buck on my shoulders for about a mile on a one-way-in-one-way-out logging road while my kid brother walked ahead of me and carried the guns (we both wore hunter orange of course). Wouldn't try that now that I'm just shy of 73, lol.

I pack mine out. Even in evening hunts. If you butcher anyway, the time you spend in the bush is just time you would spend at home. Maybe 1/2hr more as your working on the ground.
I skin 1/2, then quarter/debone that half. Roll over and repeat. I'm sure at home on the bench, I could pick 1lb more of meat for grind, but I don't miss much even in the field. I leave deboneing the front shoulder for home as they take time. But I can easily pack out that much meat in one trip. And I'm 53 at this point.

take a minute to tie a branch between 2 trees, and hang up the quarters when you pull them off. A garbage bag on the ground for the trim pieces. I've done it by headlamp and its not a big deal. Go slow and you take your time and you will be surprised how fast it really goes.

This is what sons are for. That and whiskey. Years ago though i had a 150 lb Alaskan Malamute that was not fat just one giant muscle with legs - he could pull a house. Useless for hunting but man that dog could work and stamina like a marathon runner. Used to put the harness on him and attach the deer (usually in a toboggan but not usually with snow). Take a pepperette out in front of the dog and start walking. Hell i remember one year he did a 2fer. Had a double and knocked down 2 deer in 5 minutes while party hunting. Put both of them in one toboggan with no snow. He dragged them both a 1/2 mile through the bush without missing a beat - over 400 lbs in the toboggan - he got 2 pepperettes for that performance. He never had a problem keeping up to me regardless of what he was dragging. Dragged our Xmas trees out of the bush every year (we never cut anything less than a 10 footer and sometimes up to 12 footer) as well until he passed at age 11.

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Originally Posted by Species8472

This is what sons are for. That and whiskey. Years ago though i had a 150 lb Alaskan Malamute that was not fat just one giant muscle with legs - he could pull a house. Useless for hunting but man that dog could work and stamina like a marathon runner. Used to put the harness on him and attach the deer (usually in a toboggan but not usually with snow). Take a pepperette out in front of the dog and start walking. Hell i remember one year he did a 2fer. Had a double and knocked down 2 deer in 5 minutes while party hunting. Put both of them in one toboggan with no snow. He dragged them both a 1/2 mile through the bush without missing a beat - over 400 lbs in the toboggan - he got 2 pepperettes for that performance. He never had a problem keeping up to me regardless of what he was dragging. Dragged our Xmas trees out of the bush every year (we never cut anything less than a 10 footer and sometimes up to 12 footer) as well until he passed at age 11.

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Interesting, first time that I heard of using a dog for that purpose. Thanks for sharing.

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Originally Posted by Sam Menard

Interesting, first time that I heard of using a dog for that purpose. Thanks for sharing.

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He wasn't a pure bred. Breeder had an "accident" and had a litter that was half mastiff. Picked him up for next to nothing.

A friend of mine uses a kid's Krazy Karpet for that. it's a plastic roll-up toboggan that slides well over anything but rock.

I haven't hunted deer for a bit, but I'm planning to move back East and will certainly be taking it up again, and now that I'm in my sixties, I'm very aware that retrieving my deer is going to be much trickier than it was.

This fall, I hunted a jackpine ridge complex by myself and the difficulty of getting a deer out crossed my mind a few times. As a result, I didn’t wander too far which was too bad because it was very beautiful. I did jump a deer and it jumped off a 15’ ledge to get away.

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Originally Posted by Sam Menard

The thing about getting any animal out of the woods is to take your time and don’t exert yourself. I have a hoist and gambrel that I can use to hang the deer out in the woods. Once the carcass cools, you can debone it and pack the meat out in a 5 gal pail or pack sack.

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Originally Posted by FishHog

I pack mine out. Even in evening hunts. If you butcher anyway, the time you spend in the bush is just time you would spend at home. Maybe 1/2hr more as your working on the ground.
I skin 1/2, then quarter/debone that half. Roll over and repeat. I'm sure at home on the bench, I could pick 1lb more of meat for grind, but I don't miss much even in the field. I leave deboneing the front shoulder for home as they take time. But I can easily pack out that much meat in one trip. And I'm 53 at this point.

take a minute to tie a branch between 2 trees, and hang up the quarters when you pull them off. A garbage bag on the ground for the trim pieces. I've done it by headlamp and its not a big deal. Go slow and you take your time and you will be surprised how fast it really goes.

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These two above are exactly what I do now since hunting alone starting last season. Last year I used a gambrel and quarter'd it in the bush and packed it out. This year no gambrel but instead have prepared to use a "krazy carpet" deer drag from Amazon htt ps://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0CMQ6KXMQ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_3?smid=A2RK61NZHA3YBO&psc=1 to retrieve to a workable location if necessary, and then bone it out using gutless method like the other member here suggested. Leave the bones behind, no need carrying those if you're alone. Tons of videos on this procedure. Cut down the back, peel one side of the hide back, start at the hind quarter boning out. Then back-straps, tendies (reach in carefully not to nick the stomach or entrails) , front quarters (front quarters can be done at home if late at night, as already suggested), last is the neck - just peel it off like a small slab working around the neck with you knife.

Speaking of knives, make sure it is RAZER sharp. In fact, have several and a sharpener. Those Havalons with multiple blades make short work of a deer. I have the Outdoor Edge Razor Pro and I can't imagine how I got along without one before. You can add a skinning knife if you like but if you're careful the Havlon will do the job easily. Also, make sure to keep the head with the meat until you're ready to store it long-term, no need to keep sex organs. Notch out your tag and put it in you pocket, or attach it to the ear/antler and you're golden. Good luck.