Any of you guys make a sled to drag game out?

[FirstFreedom]

I'm wondering whether a $5 kiddie's plastic snow sled with smooth bottom wouldn't help a bit, versus just draggin across the ground? Or similar?

[.45 Vet]

With handles or grommets to tie down game they're fine in snow. It was 65* and sunny here for the first day of Buck. Rocky/hard ground wore holes through my buddies in a little over 1/2 mile. YMMV

[mikejonestkd]

I have a couple of kiddie sleds stored at various places where we hunt, there is always one within a quarter mile of any of the choices to hunt.

They work better on snow but they are so cheap that even if they get a hole worn in them from dragging on mud and rocks they are cheap to replace.

get a good tow rope and reinforce the sled where the rope attaches.

[Trip20]

In the past I used a plastic sled on public land, but I made sure to purchase the most rigid sled I could find, which I feel helps when dragging a carcass over logs or other obstacles.

They also make sleds designed for this purpose (1, 2) that also provide some protection from debris getting in the carcass as they completely cover the deer. When considering the extra protection these products provide, that some have harness systems for hands-free dragging, and that some are light weight and compact for taking along on your trek into the woods, it makes the price tags a bit less unappealing.

[rem33]

Hands seem become very fatigued holding onto and pulling a deer, the following has worked OK for me.
If you have snow one of the cheap blue tarps will help. You would need to tie it to the animal as they tear kinda easy, but they slide good on snow or ice.
I have found a one inch or slightly wider soft nylon strap several feet long can really help dragging. It can be wrapped around your wrist or I have even tied one around my waist, which can leave a hand free to carry you rifle.
A old hay hook with a good wooden handle hooked thru the lower jaw works good too, good handle to hold on to and keeps the head up so as not to catch on things dragging.
My favorite is to carry several hundred feet or rope and use the winch, relaying the rope, or have even tied rope to the bumper and pulled that way.

[NRA4life]

My dad and I use them all the time, even when there's no snow. They work great. I bought one of the roll-up types made for deer dragging and that worked good too.

[38splfan]

I've found that the old blue 5'x7' Wal-Mart tarp works just fine. Even for real rough use you can get a season out of it. It's great for more than just dragging, too.

I also use the wrap/tie method. Wrap the animal with the tarp (after dressing and storing any organs you wish to keep), tie it around a few times, then loop good wide rope or strap through the corner grommets at one end (I prefer to drag head first, I've known others who did it the other way).

The wrapping is particularly handy in crappy weather, is it provides limited rain/snow protection. Just don't wrap too much or your game won't cool.

Anyway, that's my pointless ramble for the day.

Take it easy, all.

[Bigfatts]

This is a tip I got from a guy the other day:

"Getcherself an old L dolly and strap your kill to it. Then just wheel 'eem out. Oh, and don't ferget to put some type of orange on the game so you don't get shot at, happened once to me..."

This would work
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94314

[springmom]

Wouldn't help much in the brush and sticks and vines we have to high-step through in the forest

OTOH, I did go ahead and shell out for a deer cart last week. I decided that if I was going to go out by myself and hunt, I'd better have some way of porting a deer out by myself too

(Betcha Archerandshooter won't turn up his nose using it either.)

Springmom

[Bigfatts]

I tell you what, I wish I had had a dolly or something with me when I got that hog. It would have made short, easy work of getting her through that Cypress head. Not much in the way of vines and such where I go. Lots of tall grass, Cypress and Palmetto.

[Trip20]

I've used a dolly. You bear the brunt of the weight. A normal dolly is not very good for the job in my opinion.

If I were going to go for a dolly-type piece of equipment, I'd use something like this. It's better because it has a larger platform on the bottom to support the deer, and the weight of the deer is balanced mostly on top of the wheels as the balance point.

[chemist308]

If you want a game cart, I'd imagine one could be bought for what the dolly goes for...
But, I've always wondered about the $5 plastic roll up sled. Does it make dragging over dry, rough terrain any easier? Also, how is the $30 one from cabelas for that?

[22-rimfire]

The plastic sled would definitely help as you have a more consistant smooth surface to drag over the ground (dirt, rocky ground, snow etc.). But, I have gravitated to a cart like the one linked above from Cabelas. Really like the thing as long as you have about a 3-foot wide area to pull it through that is not tilted badly. I walk back to the truck and wheel it back to the kill spot. So far no one has stolen the cart. Hunters are a good bunch overall.

[Chuck Dye]

Years ago I assisted in the retrieval of a nice burl using a travois built on the spot. SERIOUSLY hard work, go modern!

[Foxman]

This would get the job done and no sweat even in the swampy stuff

[armedandsafe]

I picked up a couple of small children's bicycles at GoodWill, used the frames and some 1" water pipe and built a large-wheel cart. Works for me.

Pops

[UniversalFrost]

the cheap kids sleds and the tarp work great. In the past when I was more mobile thats what I used.