your longest or most brutal drags?

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Steve Heiting
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby Steve Heiting » Wed Mar 01, 2017 8:00 am

My worst drag hurts just to think about it. Up all night with the flu, but I'd seen a nice buck from the stand the day before and nothing was going to keep me out of the woods. Stand was slightly more than two miles from where I parked the truck -- per the topo map, not a guess.

At 8:15 in the morning I shot an even bigger buck, and then my buddy and I started dragging it down a highline in high, brown, DRY grass. Got the buck to the truck at about 6 that evening. The buck weighed 202 pounds field dressed -- to this day my largest WI buck, and third-largest overall.

My wife ordered a pizza for dinner that night and I fell asleep after one piece!

The taxidermist wanted to use another cape because the hair was all worn off the left shoulder of my buck from the drag. I said no way, I didn't work that hard getting the buck out to have someone else's cape mounted with the antlers. The mount has a funky-looking shoulder, but I wouldn't have it any other way.


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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby Octoberjohn » Wed Mar 01, 2017 8:27 am

My worst drag was also probably my best hunt ever. This past fall 1.2 miles from the truck on public land in Iowa. The deer died in the deepest ditch anywhere in the area. So I had to get him up out of that ditch first, then up on top of the ridge to get him out. 2/3rds of the way out there is another big creek bottom ditch that I needed to traverse followed by an uphill drag that I didn't even like walking up out of. I shot the buck at 6:44am. Recovered around 9AM. Started dragging shortly thereafter and did not get back to the truck until well after dark. I used muscles that I didn't even know I had. And surprisingly I wasn't even that worn out the next day. I can't wait to go back and relive that experience again in a few years!!
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Mar 01, 2017 8:42 am

Nocturnal wrote:We don't use sleds to drag deer. Although it can be beneficial. I learned this accidentally. If you lay the deer on its side and pull the rack over the hind quarters the lower back will break. It makes dragging a lot easier cause the back legs are stretched out behind instead of hanging out the side and hooking everything in its way.. Does anyone do this? Or has anyone done this by accident and realized it helps? I know this may seem odd to some and maybe most..


:o :think: How does this affect skinning and butchering? Do you just not hang them?
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby Nocturnal » Wed Mar 01, 2017 8:47 am

stash59 wrote:
Nocturnal wrote:We don't use sleds to drag deer. Although it can be beneficial. I learned this accidentally. If you lay the deer on its side and pull the rack over the hind quarters the lower back will break. It makes dragging a lot easier cause the back legs are stretched out behind instead of hanging out the side and hooking everything in its way.. Does anyone do this? Or has anyone done this by accident and realized it helps? I know this may seem odd to some and maybe most..


:o :think: How does this affect skinning and butchering? Do you just not hang them?


No issues pulling the hide off. Not yet anyways..
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Mar 01, 2017 8:59 am

Nocturnal wrote:
stash59 wrote:
Nocturnal wrote:We don't use sleds to drag deer. Although it can be beneficial. I learned this accidentally. If you lay the deer on its side and pull the rack over the hind quarters the lower back will break. It makes dragging a lot easier cause the back legs are stretched out behind instead of hanging out the side and hooking everything in its way.. Does anyone do this? Or has anyone done this by accident and realized it helps? I know this may seem odd to some and maybe most..


:o :think: How does this affect skinning and butchering? Do you just not hang them?


No issues pulling the hide off. Not yet anyways..


Good to know. I've done my share of critters on the ground, but hanging is nicer. Would hate to get half way through skinning and have it end up in 2 pieces in the dirt. Actually been there with a gun killed spine shot. :doh: :doh: :doh: :angry-screaming: :angry-cussingblack:
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby headgear » Wed Mar 01, 2017 9:02 am

Floating bogs and river crossing have been fun, got wet several times and legs of jello more often than not. With that said I'm glad I don't hunt a lot of hill country because the handful of deer I have had to drag up hill was far worse and those were short drags. Now I try and figure out how to use the cart, canoe or quarter them up.
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby MN Slick » Wed Mar 01, 2017 9:05 am

I killed a yearling buck in Wisconsin right after the Halloween Blizzard in 1991. Thank god he was a yearling!! Snow depth was almost 2 feet and just walking to stands was brutal in that much snow and I didn’t have the money for snow shoes. I couldn’t tell you how long the drag was but I could only move him about 10 ft at a time then had to rest. I finally got him back to the farmer's house only to be greeted by the sight of a couple snowmobiles on a trailer. All I could do was laugh!!! The farmer’s son had arrived at some point to go snowmobiling.

It’s funny how my mindset has changed whether to shoot or not. Back in my early years I just wanted to get a deer so the drag, time of year, day of year, temperature, or size of deer didn’t matter. Now I won’t shoot a buck if he’s too young or a doe if it’s too hot, or if it’s on my last day of the hunt, or during the rut, or if I think it’s bedding on my farm versus the neighbor etc. etc.
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby Nocturnal » Wed Mar 01, 2017 9:08 am

stash59 wrote:
Nocturnal wrote:
stash59 wrote:
Nocturnal wrote:We don't use sleds to drag deer. Although it can be beneficial. I learned this accidentally. If you lay the deer on its side and pull the rack over the hind quarters the lower back will break. It makes dragging a lot easier cause the back legs are stretched out behind instead of hanging out the side and hooking everything in its way.. Does anyone do this? Or has anyone done this by accident and realized it helps? I know this may seem odd to some and maybe most..


:o :think: How does this affect skinning and butchering? Do you just not hang them?


No issues pulling the hide off. Not yet anyways..


Good to know. I've done my share of critters on the ground, but hanging is nicer. Would hate to get half way through skinning and have it end up in 2 pieces in the dirt. Actually been there with a gun killed spine shot. :doh: :doh: :doh: :angry-screaming: :angry-cussingblack:


Yeah I hear ya there! :lol:
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Mar 01, 2017 9:09 am

headgear wrote:Floating bogs and river crossing have been fun, got wet several times and legs of jello more often than not. With that said I'm glad I don't hunt a lot of hill country because the handful of deer I have had to drag up hill was far worse and those were short drags. Now I try and figure out how to use the cart, canoe or quarter them up.


Yeah anything uphill stinks. dragging, cart or packing. The right sole on your boots helps big time. Still prefer the air bob sole in steep terrain. They're just getting harder to find.
Happiness is a large gutpile!!!!!!!
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby Nocturnal » Wed Mar 01, 2017 9:15 am

stash59 wrote:
headgear wrote:Floating bogs and river crossing have been fun, got wet several times and legs of jello more often than not. With that said I'm glad I don't hunt a lot of hill country because the handful of deer I have had to drag up hill was far worse and those were short drags. Now I try and figure out how to use the cart, canoe or quarter them up.


Yeah anything uphill stinks. dragging, cart or packing. The right sole on your boots helps big time. Still prefer the air bob sole in steep terrain. They're just getting harder to find.


I have always wanted to try quartering one out there. I prefer to let them hang awhile. You guys pack pillow cases in your backpack before a hunt?
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Mar 01, 2017 9:39 am

Nocturnal wrote:
stash59 wrote:
headgear wrote:Floating bogs and river crossing have been fun, got wet several times and legs of jello more often than not. With that said I'm glad I don't hunt a lot of hill country because the handful of deer I have had to drag up hill was far worse and those were short drags. Now I try and figure out how to use the cart, canoe or quarter them up.


Yeah anything uphill stinks. dragging, cart or packing. The right sole on your boots helps big time. Still prefer the air bob sole in steep terrain. They're just getting harder to find.


I have always wanted to try quartering one out there. I prefer to let them hang awhile. You guys pack pillow cases in your backpack before a hunt?


I either made them myself or had the ex do it. She has a surger. About 14"x18" out of muslin. With a drawstring top. Can't think of the brand names at the moment but The Gritty Bowmen and Elk 101 have mentioned some really good commercially made ones. Both companies stand totally behind their products and will replace them if something shows from normal wear and tear. These last longer than muslin and clean easier. You need to bleach them to reuse and the muslin breaks down after a few washes. So the cost kinda evens out in the long run.

One note we also made full size deer/antelope and elk size bags. We put these on after skinning so we could let the animals hang to tenderize more. It pretty much eliminated the rind on the outside off the meat. Which means saving time while butchering. No time consuming rind removal. :handgestures-thumbupright: :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby Nocturnal » Wed Mar 01, 2017 9:52 am

Thanks for all the info stash...
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Mar 01, 2017 10:12 am

Nocturnal wrote:Thanks for all the info stash...


Forgot to mention. I always boned everything out. 8 bags usually held an elk. The size is what one guy can hold and put in the bigger chunks from the hindquaters himself. If you think a dead body is hard to handle. Just wait to try and pick up a large piece of boned out meat and try to get it in a sack. :doh: :angry-banghead: Small is better.

Even in the game bags it kinda acts like playdo. Make sure the full bags are tied right away. I've had more than one that I forgot or was turned around grabbing one last chunk to put in. Only to have it roll over downhill. Spilling contents as it went. :doh: :angry-banghead:

4 should be more than enough for a boned out deer. Including a bag for the heart, liver and kidneys if you so wish. If yah gotta bring out the bones too. Bring a heavy duty garbage bag for them. Break 'em down as much as possible to consolidate them.
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby Nocturnal » Wed Mar 01, 2017 10:30 am

stash59 wrote:
Nocturnal wrote:Thanks for all the info stash...


Forgot to mention. I always boned everything out. 8 bags usually held an elk. The size is what one guy can hold and put in the bigger chunks from the hindquaters himself. If you think a dead body is hard to handle. Just wait to try and pick up a large piece of boned out meat and try to get it in a sack. :doh: :angry-banghead: Small is better.

Even in the game bags it kinda acts like playdo. Make sure the full bags are tied right away. I've had more than one that I forgot or was turned around grabbing one last chunk to put in. Only to have it roll over downhill. Spilling contents as it went. :doh: :angry-banghead:

4 should be more than enough for a boned out deer. Including a bag for the heart, liver and kidneys if you so wish. If yah gotta bring out the bones too. Bring a heavy duty garbage bag for them. Break 'em down as much as possible to consolidate them.


Awesome stash.. thanks for taking the time to write it up.. I'm gonna give this a try when appropriate..
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Re: your longest or most brutal drags?

Unread postby G3s » Wed Mar 01, 2017 12:36 pm

I dont know for sure the distance, definitely over 2 miles as the crow flies...and far enough that when I got the deer out I had drug all the hair off one side of his body and the skin looked and felt like he had been tanned...that was a brutal drag and took some time to get the body back to normal after that one.


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