Things to do after shooting a buck or doe
Joe Mosby

There is one aspect of deer hunting that experts and wannabes seldom talk about - how to get a deer out of the woods after you kill it.

It is every bit as important as the selec- tion of a gun, its ammunitions, your gar- ments, rigging a tree

stand,

getting set up early and the various other elements of a hunt. You have sufficient snack food, a bottle of water, horns to rattle, a call to blow or shake, and you have made a selection of scent to use from an array that is bigger than the perfume offerings at Dillard's.

What do you do when that deer is on the ground and graveyard dead?

We remember from childhood those books with artwork of an Indian brave with a deer slung over his shoulder. Yes, fiction. If your physique is similar to that governor of California, you might can do it. Otherwise, plan on dragging or wheeling the deer back to your vehicle unless you can drive to the downed deer.

If you have a buddy on the hunt with you, that is a plus. By yourself? All right, it's work, but it can be done - with advance preparation.

Dragging a deer is simple but requires effort - much less effort that carrying it. Take along a piece of rope in a pocket. Ten feet is enough. Clothesline, ski rope, even parachute cord will suffice. When you reach the dead deer, tie one end of the rope to one rear leg, the other to the other rear leg, get the rifle securely slung over a shoulder or across your back, then step into the middle of the rope behind the deer and begin walking. Drag the deer.

If you have a buck, an alternative is to tie the rope ends around antlers and drag it from the front of the deer. The 10- foot length should be enough to keep the deer from banging into your heels.

Wheeling the deer out may be better. Lightweight carts, some of them folding and compact, can be bought. These work, some better than others, especially the ones with bicycle-type wheels. They are handy, too, for carrying your gear to the stand to start the hunt.

You may save some money by going to that plain old wheelbarrow in the garage or work shed. Just load the wheelbarrow into the truck or SUV, and you've got transportation for a deer. Take that piece of rope or stout cord to tie down the deer after it is on the wheelbarrow.

Other types of garden carts can be used, especially the ones with large wheels for moving over rough ground. Remember, you are planning to handle a weight of two or three or even four bags of fertilizer, topsoil or compost.

Maybe there is an old Flexible Flyer-type sled stored way at home. That will work for moving a dead deer, perhaps not as easily as a wheeled conveyance. If you don't have a lot of rocks or steep slopes to traverse, the sled is a solution. A sturdy plastic toboggan is usable too and may slide over ground and rocks better than the steel-runner sled.

Also workable is a cheap plastic tarp with grommets to tie a rope. Roll the deer on to the tarp, tie the corners, step into the rope and haul away. Rocky ground may rip the tarp. But it should get over soil, mud, grass and weeds.

Some planning and ingenuity may lead to still other means of getting that deer out of the woods. Think about it. The key is to be ready to get the deer to your vehicle efficiently and without risk of a wrenched back or a hernia.

The hunt will be much more enjoyable.

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A simple deer-hauling rig can be made at home and is a version of the old travois used by Indians and pioneers.

The travois was three poles tied together in the shape of the letter A. It was dragged by hand or behind a horse.

Instead of poles, use three pieces of 2-by-2 lumber. Rip a 2-by-4 board 8 feet long down the middle or buy the 2-by-2 pieces at a lumber outlet. Cut a third piece 3 or 3 1/2 feet long. A fourth shorter piece, 18 inches or so long, is optional.

Get some stove bolts or carriage bolts 3 1/2 or 4 inches long with wing nuts and washers.

Cut a taper in one end of each of the long pieces. Drill holes near one end of the long pieces to accommodate the bolts. Drill holes in the other end about 2 feet from the end. This will handle that crosspiece. You can leave the pieces separate in your vehicle until needed.

Bolt the pieces together, and you have that letter A. That shorter piece will give more strength to the rig along with another tying off point when you have the deer on it.

After your kill, lay the frame flat on the ground, roll the carcass on it, tie it securely then step between the open ends with your back to the deer, pick up and start walking.

A similar rig can be made with lightweight metal tubing or PVC pipe.

(Joe Mosby is the retired news editor of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas' best known outdoor writer. His work is distributed by the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. He can be reached by e-mail at jhmosby@ cyberback.com.)