At sunrise, my wife Heather, and I had spotted a nice mule deer buck feeding in a standing canola field. She was up to bat on this, our first early season hunt of the year. So, I picked an elevated location near an old barn, set up my spotting scope, and watched as she used the wind to move in on the buck. An hour passed and I guessed she was within 80 yards. Then the buck bedded and she began her abnormally long vigil. The canola was too dense and noisy to sneak in, so she waited on the edge of the field. Four hours later, as I continued to watch through the spotter, the buck finally got up and made its way toward her. At 35 yards, he emerged from the crop along the tree line. Taking the shot, the buck bolted. She hit the deer a little back, and it raced across the field toward me. In and out of the low spots, her buck eventually broke into the open just 45 yards from me, and promptly dashed into a shallow marsh where it collapsed. I waved Heather over, and together we discussed how we were going to retrieve her buck from the middle of the water. If the bottom was solid, it wouldn’t be a problem, but if it was a soft bottom, well that would be an entirely different dilemma. In the end, it wasn’t that bad, and we were able to wade out to drag it through the willow-laden edge and up on to an area of cleared stubble.
Despite initial appearances, retrieving this one wasn’t an issue. In fact, aside from a bit of water, we were able to drive the truck more or less right to the deer. Even still, retrieving downed game isn’t always that easy. If you’ve been there, you know that there are plenty of means by which we can extract downed game. Whether whole or piece-by-piece, dragging by hand, with a sled, or the assistance of some sort of wheeled equipment, or on your back – where there is a will there is always a way.
Field Care
Our first priority in handling downed game should always be taking care of the meat. Especially in the early season, heat can be our worst enemy. It can spoil meat in a hurry, so be sure to gut or debone, and cool the meat as quickly as possible. I still know some hunters who insist on slitting the throat to allow a big game animal to bleed out. Trust me when I say, that can be advantageous, but your most important step involves removing the stomach, intestines, bladder, heart, liver, whatever is left of the lungs, and of course the esophagus. This is best done by making a straight line cut from the anus right up to the baseline of the neck. Basically, any entrails and all contents inside the ribcage and up to the throat should be removed as soon as possible. As soon as this is done, the carcasses should be rolled over to allow all visible blood to drain out of the body cavity. In warm temperatures, its partly these contents – mostly because of internal heat – that can cause meat to turn quicker.
If you plan to extract your deer or other game whole, do it quickly. Get it hung in a cool location, gut it, and do what you can to cool the inside of the body cavity as quickly as possible. If the heat is extreme, and you don’t have the ability to put it in a cooler, consider packing it with bags of ice. If you have ice, pack the body cavity for transport.
Second, but equally important – especially in the heat – get the hide off of the animal quickly, then either wrap the carcass in game bags or just hang it in a cooler place. Again, a meat locker with a controlled temperature is most ideal. Leaving it hang open in the sun is a sure way to spoil the meat in a hurry. I’ve been on mountain hunts where our only option was to debone the meat, throw it in airtight bags, and submerge it in the icy waters of an alpine creek. Just like being in a refrigerator, the meat kept for several days without any degradation.
Dragging by Hand
Gripping and dragging by hand is probably the most common way to extract smaller big game like deer. It takes some effort, and with smaller southern deer, it’s really not an issue, but with northern deer it can become a heavy task. I do most of my deer hunting in Alberta, and it’s common to get bucks that weigh in at over 300 pounds. With these bucks, it’s a two-man job. Using a sled or ‘toboggan’, can make dragging a lot easier.
Backpacking
My wife and I spend a lot of time hunting remote areas. Foot-access is often the only option. Whether landowners have a ‘no vehicles’ rule, or we simply like to get away from roads, sometime hunting on foot means that we have to find ways to get downed game out of the field on our own steam. This is where many of today’s high-tech hunting backpacks really shine. With brands like Stone Glacier, Kifaru, and Mystery Ranch rising to the top, for our applications, we’ve become a huge fans of Mystery Ranch packs ourselves. We’ve used lots of different brands and models over the last 35 years, and I can tell you that the technical advancements in hunting packs, has come a long way. Durable and very comfortable, they can handle incredible loads.
Packed properly, if you’re strong enough, a single person can carry out a whole deer or even a sheep in one of these packs. We’ve carried out all sizes of critters on our backs. The biggest challenge is mental. It’s generally a mind-over-matter game. Don’t over load your pack, place one foot in front of the other, and do as many trips as you deem necessary to get the animal out.
Game Carts
When the ground is flat enough, a game cart can be a real life-saver. I’ve had lots of situations where a game cart is perfect for extracting deer and pronghorn antelope. Just remember, that if there is blowdown or deep holes, a cart may not be the best option.
When you consider getting a game cart that is most versatile, remember that wheel base and weight matters. The wider the wheel base, and the bigger the tires (within reason) – the better it will handle overall. Solid wheels are great, but they often don’t roll as smoothly as pneumatic tires. Traditional spokes are ok, but plastic or polymer spokes are often better. Be sure to bring ratchet straps to fasten your deer or other game onto the cart for the trip out, and know that two people pulling or stabilizing the loaded cart is almost always better than one.
Horseback, Llamas & Pack Dogs
Horses, llamas, and even pack dogs to some extent, fall under this category as well. Horses are arguably the most universally used means of backcountry transportation and extracting downed game. Each of these animals have the ability to navigate extreme terrain and save us time and energy. Horses are immensely strong and stable, so a good pack horse is worth its weight in gold. Llamas and dogs, of course can’t carry the same amount of weight, and need to be packed accordingly. I’ve been on horseback mountain hunts, and aside from requiring extra thought and concession for feed and water, they’re simply awesome to hunt with and use for packing out game.
E-Bikes
I can’t say enough good things about e-bikes. While sub-zero temperatures can wreak havoc with the batteries, the benefits of using them – especially in warmer weather – are enormous. Really, e-bikes have revolutionized how my wife and I hunt, and extract game. Heather and I ride Vamoose E-bikes. I’ve got the Dual 750 Super Mammoth all-wheel-drive bike with fat tires and a trailer, and Heather rides a Mammoth 500 all-wheel-drive. With the dual motor, the power is impressive. It provides the torque needed to handle pulling weight up steep hills. Last year, we hauled a 300-pound mule deer for a couple miles through snow and it pulled the loaded trailer with no problem at all. Last fall, we used our e-bikes to extract an antelope and it made light work of extracting her buck. Where regulations allow, e-bikes offer a great low-impact alternative for accessing tough-to-reach places, and make light work of extracting downed game.
ATV or Side-by-Side
No doubt four-wheelers are ideal for extracting game. As a professional outfitter/guide, I use them extensively. They’re durable and they can travel just about anywhere. With a good winch, they can pull just about any downed game out of even the toughest of locations.
The biggest challenges we face with OHV-use, is state and provincial restrictions. Similarly, many landowners simply don’t allow hunters to use them on their land. And some jurisdictions disallow the use of ATVs and side-by-sides altogether.
Where they are allowed though, its often simply a matter of loading a downed deer or other game on the rack or box, strapping or tying it down, and driving back to camp or our truck.
Trucks
Let’s face it, it’s impossible to properly pay tribute to the pick-up truck, especially if its’ a four-wheel-drive. It would take volumes to effectively showcase to the good old pick-up truck. No other vehicle is as versatile. Most of us have one because they are powerful and they have a built-in box or deck that’s perfect for hauling game out of the field.
How to Process and Age a Deer
Sometimes in situations where the weather is hot, or we’re hunting in an area so remote that hauling the animal out whole isn’t an option. In that case, we may have to break it down and take the meat out in pieces. If we have a meat locker at our disposal, we can hang the meat for a week and then process it. In many instances where a deer has been deboned, many of us forego the ageing process and just process the meat immediately.
On the flip side, once the deer or other big game animal is killed, and you have the luxury of hauling it out whole, most of us have a place where we can hang it. I know some folks with small coolers. If you’ve got access to a walk-in, that’s even better. Others just take it in to their local butcher and hang it for a number of days at a controlled temperature. Typically, that ideal temperature is right around 34 to 37 degrees Farhenheit (or 1 to 3 degrees Celcius).
After five-to-eight days of hanging the carcass, all that’s left is the butchering, wrapping and freezing. This is the part many of use really enjoy.
How to Cape a Deer
If you’ve managed to take a trophy-class animal, consider caping for a shoulder mount, skinning for life-size mount, or cleaning the skull for a European mount. If you’re caping, be sure to leave lots of cape. The biggest mistake many hunters make in caping involves cutting the cape too short. It’s always best to consult your taxidermist before making any cuts. If taking the animal to them immediately is an option, many taxidermists prefer to cape or skin themselves.
