Hill Country-Getting your deer out

[Dewey]

While scouting in Iowa I have been finding a lot of deer skeletons without skulls. Thought maybe it was legal to bone them out in the field and that was why I was finding so many. Gonna have to do more research on this.

Anybody from Iowa wanna clear this up?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

While scouting in Iowa I have been finding a lot of deer skeletons without skulls. Thought maybe it was legal to bone them out in the field and that was why I was finding so many. Gonna have to do more research on this.

Anybody from Iowa wanna clear this up?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Might want to ask a Biologist from iowa, you can probably get contact info from the iowa dnr website. A lot of the laws are brand new, and they would probably throw the book at a guy from Wisc. Best to go prepared.

[Dewey]

While scouting in Iowa I have been finding a lot of deer skeletons without skulls. Thought maybe it was legal to bone them out in the field and that was why I was finding so many. Gonna have to do more research on this.

Anybody from Iowa wanna clear this up?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Might want to ask a Biologist from iowa, you can probably get contact info from the iowa dnr website. A lot of the laws are brand new, and they would probably throw the book at a guy from Wisc. Best to go prepared.

I'll do that for sure when I get a chance. It's on my list that keeps growing every day.

There were a few positive CWD found locally recently where I will be hunting so thinking the laws may change compared to recent years.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Edcyclopedia]

I have also been working out a design for a trailer mounted deer hoist to help me on get them in the back of the pickup. I had a line X bed liner sprayed in and I don't think that the sliding plywood trick will work do to the texture of the bed liner.

Bob

[ Post made via iPad ]

Bob, I learned an easy way to load deer in a truck box on a Benoit video. Tie a rope to the antlers and get up on your tailgate. Pull the head up to you and grab the antlers. Pull the deer up and take a step back and pull again. the deer will go right in with ease. I am not very strong and weigh 165#. I pull them in this way with ease. It's a bit harder if you have a topper on because you can't straighten up when you pull but you can still do it. I won't bother with any devises for loading after learning this.

Since I have a topper on my truck and struggled with this before I found a simple solution. Works great for other things other than deer too and kept in my truck year round.

http://www.thehuntingbeast.com/viewtopi ... 7&p=314954

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I've written my piece in that thread about you little red wagon...
So, you know how I feel about these cute little pixie carts - LOL...
OR - share your tag with a NH buddy.

Cuz I'm a lean mean dragging machine...!

[ Post made via Android ]

[Dewey]

I have also been working out a design for a trailer mounted deer hoist to help me on get them in the back of the pickup. I had a line X bed liner sprayed in and I don't think that the sliding plywood trick will work do to the texture of the bed liner.

Bob

[ Post made via iPad ]

Bob, I learned an easy way to load deer in a truck box on a Benoit video. Tie a rope to the antlers and get up on your tailgate. Pull the head up to you and grab the antlers. Pull the deer up and take a step back and pull again. the deer will go right in with ease. I am not very strong and weigh 165#. I pull them in this way with ease. It's a bit harder if you have a topper on because you can't straighten up when you pull but you can still do it. I won't bother with any devises for loading after learning this.

Since I have a topper on my truck and struggled with this before I found a simple solution. Works great for other things other than deer too and kept in my truck year round.

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=24487&p=314954

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I've written my piece in that thread about you little red wagon...
So, you know how I feel about these cute little pixie carts - LOL...
OR - share your tag with a NH buddy.

Cuz I'm a lean mean dragging machine...!

[ Post made via Android ]

Yeah Ed I think you made that point pretty clear.

Mike Mitten has you beat since he carried two large bucks on his shoulders at the same time. He must be from NH.

I gave up He-Man feats of strength once I hit my 40's. Still paying for the stupid stuff I did in my 20's-30's so now I try to find an easier way so I am still able to hunt into old age instead of being crippled in a rocking chair.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Zonk54]

While scouting in Iowa I have been finding a lot of deer skeletons without skulls. Thought maybe it was legal to bone them out in the field and that was why I was finding so many. Gonna have to do more research on this.

Anybody from Iowa wanna clear this up?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I've found a lot that were probably hit during shotgun season and not recovered. Not sure why heads are missing. Quite a bit of poaching goes on in the area you are scouting.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Dewey]

While scouting in Iowa I have been finding a lot of deer skeletons without skulls. Thought maybe it was legal to bone them out in the field and that was why I was finding so many. Gonna have to do more research on this.

Anybody from Iowa wanna clear this up?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I've found a lot that were probably hit during shotgun season and not recovered. Not sure why heads are missing. Quite a bit of poaching goes on in the area you are scouting.

[ Post made via Android ]

That would make sense because many were within gun range of roads at the edges of fields and such. Some were in remote areas where retrieval would have been difficult. Thinking those were unrecovered deer that were found later and somebody took the skull.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[JoeRE]

Check with your warden, pretty sure most will tell you that everything but the gut pile must be removed...but hey maybe you will deal with one capable of discretion who says its ok to leave the bones. Game wardens by county are listed on this web page: http://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/DNR-Staff-Offices/Conservation-Law-Enforcement click on the link on the left side of the page.

Even if you are removing the bones, making 2-3 or even 4 trips and packing everything out is so much easier than any other option you shouldn't even consider anything else, just my opinion. I am talking about stuff 1/2+ mile in and up and down several 200+ foot bluffs. I am not joking, nothing comes close unless you want to either kill yourself or be there all week getting it out - you will get it out in easily the same time, or probably less, as dragging or winching and not be half dead at the end of it. All you need are 4-6 game bags, a little rope to tie them up, a pack frame, a good knife, a small sheet of plastic/trash bag to lay stuff on, wet wipes or rubber gloves.

As with anything there will be a learning curve - the first time you cut up a deer in the field it will be a little messy and slower. After you have done two or three it will be slick. Lots of good youtube videos on cutting up in the field.

[cbigbear]

Quartering is about a 15-20 min job and requires a knife, garabage bag, & medium Alice pack.

I learned from Mr Warren.
http://youtu.be/KanEXYWB3gY

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[magicman54494]

Quartering is about a 15-20 min job and requires a knife, garabage bag, & medium Alice pack.

I learned from Mr Warren.
http://youtu.be/KanEXYWB3gY

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Avoid garbage bags because they may be sprayed with pesticides.

[ Post made via Android ]

[JoeRE]

I would agree with magic, buy some game bags...the meat needs to be able to cool and any plastic bag does not allow it to and pesticides could be an issue. Game bags are re-usable just wash them. If you are a bit frugal (like me) use some cheap cotton pillow cases. Backcountry hunting out west I still use good game bags as they breath better but for a deer I will have it out of the woods in a couple hours, pillow cases work fine.

I would agree with cbigbear on how quick it is. I take my time getting about all the side meat, neck meat, heart and all that and still have it done in 30-40 minutes after doing a few.

[Horizontal Hunter]

Quartering is about a 15-20 min job and requires a knife, garabage bag, & medium Alice pack.

I learned from Mr Warren.
http://youtu.be/KanEXYWB3gY

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Avoid garbage bags because they may be sprayed with pesticides.

[ Post made via Android ]

I never knew that.. Makes sense though.

Bob

[ Post made via iPad ]

[stash59]

Quartering is about a 15-20 min job and requires a knife, garabage bag, & medium Alice pack.

I learned from Mr Warren.
http://youtu.be/KanEXYWB3gY

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Avoid garbage bags because they may be sprayed with pesticides.

[ Post made via Android ]

I never knew that.. Makes sense though.

Bob

[ Post made via iPad ]

Yeah garbage bags are bad. I mentioned plastic grain/feed bags before. These work because they are woven just like burlap ones. So they breath!

As Joe mentioned take some kind of ground cloth to lay the meat on as you butcher. Another alternative to what he mentioned is a 5'x5' piece of Tyvek house wrap. Or equevalant. It will fold down to about the size of a cigarette pack.

I really don't get the laws on removing bones. I know there were larger and more predators and scavengers in Montana. But I've gone back to several sites after the animal was boned out. In a week all that was left was a big disturbed circle of soil and forest debris. Without a bone in sight. Most of the sign was from coyotes and birds.

This differs from when people dump carcass remains at a public parking areas. The scavengers feel safer if the carcass is left out in a less disturbed spot. Away from human traffic areas.

Especially are the laws ridiculous when you talk about areas like northern Wi., Mn., the UP.

[Stanley]

While scouting in Iowa I have been finding a lot of deer skeletons without skulls. Thought maybe it was legal to bone them out in the field and that was why I was finding so many. Gonna have to do more research on this.

Anybody from Iowa wanna clear this up?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

In Iowa, you keep what you kill. If you kill a yote you take it with you. If you arrow a carp you take it with you. You can probably get by with leaving a gut pile. That said if the warden wants you to clean up a gut pile on public land you must take the guts out also. Most will give you that latitude though. A friend of mine shot a yote and a game warden heard the shot and met him at the truck. He made my friend go back and retrieve the dead yote. No fine, just don't want public ground littered.

[Dewey]

While scouting in Iowa I have been finding a lot of deer skeletons without skulls. Thought maybe it was legal to bone them out in the field and that was why I was finding so many. Gonna have to do more research on this.

Anybody from Iowa wanna clear this up?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

In Iowa, you keep what you kill. If you kill a yote you take it with you. If you arrow a carp you take it with you. You can probably get by with leaving a gut pile. That said if the warden wants you to clean up a gut pile on public land you must take the guts out also. Most will give you that latitude though. A friend of mine shot a yote and a game warden heard the shot and met him at the truck. He made my friend go back and retrieve the dead yote. No fine, just don't want public ground littered.

Clean up a gut pile....that's a little extreme.

I totally agree with taking out what you kill. Nobody wants to see a bunch of critters rotting in the woods. Mother nature cleans everything up fairly quickly but like I found this spring plenty still remains.