How do you handle dead deer? I'm old and out of shape but have 2 fit 20 something year old sons (one a powerlifter)to help me with dead deer extraction. Unfortunately they are fishing this weekend and I'm alone. Friends live at least 45 miles away. I have about 20 or so stands but very few that are 4 wheeler accessible. Do I cut up where it fell? Any ideas?

Yep, quarter and bone, put in a game bag, tie it to a pack frame and pack it home.

:)

That's your call. If you can't get the deer out, it doesn't make much sense to shoot one. You could take it out in pieces if that will work for you; just quarter it and take it out that way.

"I'm old and out of shape"

Old just happens, staying in shape doesn't. A concession to my age a few years back, I'm seventy now, was a deer cart. It folds and has to be assembled to use. Therefore, after I photograph and field dress my deer, I return my climbing stand and bow to the truck where I then assemble the cart. By returning with the cart assembled, I encounter any obstacles and plot my trail back to the truck, on the easiest path possible. I also slug down a bottle of water, knowing I will work up a sweat on the haul back. I have modified the cart to extend the handle for more leverage. That is, I have a piece of three-quarter inch pipe clamped to the existing handle, for steering/leverage, and a webbing loop over my shoulder to provide the pull. I'm inclined to skip the cart, should the trip to the truck be downhill, or the deer is small.

I had an article describing a method to bone out the deer after gutting. The meat was still attached to the hide and the four legs were tied together to create a bag which could them be slung over a shoulder. Maybe someday I'll give that a try.

Hunt the 4 wheeler accessible for the weekend....easy enough. Regards

Do what brother Jim does and likely will debone right there.

Being out of shape and a dead deer is a bad recipe.

Last big deer I killed was 2+ miles from the road. I did what Jim Casto does.

My advise is stay home and there's no weekend like this weekend to start getting into shape.

Bowmania

You are in ohio. If you cut it up before you call it in they will cite you. It is in the ORC, but not in their rule book. I use a gamecart or 4 wheeler w dump cart. If loading in my truck or onto 4 wheeler i use Game Handlers--- a strap system that makes loading a breeze.

SO FELLERS I'M 76 WITH 2 BAD KNEES SO I HUNT WHERE I CAN HAUL THEM OUT ON MY HONDA OR CALL ON MY 2 BOYS. NOT READY TO GIVE UP BOW HUNTING YET SO I DO WHAT I HAVE TOO DO.

Well some one beat me to it. When some of my favorite spots are not accessible because of heavy rain/mud. I just hunt where I can get to it. Might not be my pick but better than not hunting. You just never can tell where a big one is likely to show.You need a retreval plan.

Couple of lengths of square tubing and a small winch made a handy lift for the hitch on the truck and 4 wheeler.Good hunting.>>-->Ken

You guys left out one part of the equation, surgery. I go to the gym three days a week and walk 9 miles of hilly country a week. For 70 I am in really good shape except for back fusion and a couple of weeks ago hernia surgery that I have appeared to screwed up already by stretchingto far reaching for something behind a chair.

I am working on a boat winch arrangement to get deer out of deep hollows. I plan to run it with a 20V drill driver and pull the deer in an ice fishing sled.

My first attempt failed but the cable was too stiff and hard to get back on the spool without tangling, this was with a 600lb winch. My latest version is a 2000# winch (more gears) spooled with soft mule tape.

I call this my Deer Drag-a-matic 600, it didn't work very well so I am refining it.

A deer sled is your best bet. Get the deer in the sled and the drag is easier. Then you can lift one end and tip it in back of truck or suv and lift back up and in. I can just feel what its going to be like for you if you have to take care of the animal by yourself.

I had to take care of one by myself and after that I felt like I was going to die and said Lord forgive me for being stupid but at least if I die on this spot I died doing what I love. I had to get down from tree stand and look for arrow then walk through bush with cane and found deer in 40 yards. Then I had to go get my truck to get my deer sled in the back so I figured I'd take my cane and stick it through back legs to get animal on grass where I could drive my truck to.

Try cutting the deer's back leg tendons and sticking your cane through and dragging out and then to keep from falling. TG I had to get this one dragged out only 40 yards onto grass where I could drive my truck up to. I then had to get a big doe in the deer cart and up and in my truck. What a task I can tell you. Took me a lot of time

One thing is just be careful as you can and don't take chances like I did. I could have called to get help but I wanted to prove to myself I still could do it if I had to.

I was not going to shoot my bait but I did it was a monster boss doe. I said screw it I'm going to shoot you. The eye of the Predator just went automatic as soon as I saw the size of this doe.

And I paid for it the animal hurt me. I found out I was stronger than I thought but was it worth it? No it wasn't.

You just might find out this is when the opportunity will come by to challenge you. Don't kill yourself.

Hunt accessibility and try to shoot where you hope the deer might run and drop.

The best money I ever spent was for a cheap receiver hitch deer hoist from Amazon. It is the same one Sportsman's Guide sells but if you buy it off Amazon you get it shipped free and it is very heavy. I paid $88 for mine in 2011, they are up to $99 now.

I'm 81 years old and still drag out my deer by myself. You have to STAY in shape if you are going to hunt alone. I usually hunt deer in both Vermont and Maine, and usually are MILES from the nearest road or my vehicle. Good luck on your hunt.

I should add; I have an F250 pickup, the tailgate is so high I can't pull a deer into it anymore.

Stay home till the boys get back or pay a strong neighbor kid to help you.

Yep...quarter it up or use a game cart.

A game cart is in my future.

I'm 70 and hunt by myself. I drag to a spot I can get my deer cart to. Have a hitch haul on my truck that is lower than the tail gate. If possible I back into a ditch, or low spot, at the road and just roll the deer onto it. I have lost quite a bit of strength from a tick borne disease a few years ago.

That is why I have two Polaris rangers, 4 grand kids and a deer cart.

I'm not old yet, only 72, but i do like vt hunter does. I try to stay in shape and drag it out myself. I have used sleds and carts. Not many folks around where I hunt so it's difficult to get help.

The state changed the rules to allow quartering and packing just a couple of years ago. On a really large deer or when way back in, I'm ready to quarter and pack it, but haven't had to yet.

If it's a short go, I use a drag. Long go, I use a deer cart. If I can't make it with the cart, I follow the advice of a departed relative. Build a fire and start cookin. ;-)

I am 51 and can still drag out my deer. I have to take more breaks than when I was 30 but I am glad I still can.

At 53, I keep a deer cart in the truck and a plastic sled. Depending on the size and where they fall determines my choice. I have had a few go way down in a hollow and I went home for my pack frame and game bags, and had to quarter them to get out. It's not as easy as it use to be when I'd just throw one across my shoulders....probably one of the reasons I have buldging disks now!!!

At 61 I'm not old yet, not sure when that's supposed to be. I do know that "Old" will have to chase me down cause I'm not going without a fight. I do usually at least 4 days a week in the gym, still run, mountain bike and snowboard. I pack my kills out but of course help is always appreciated, same as it was when I was 25. ;^)

I'm only 55 and this year I did it the easy way - I botched the shot and missed the deer with the arrow. Viola! No deer to drag!

Hunt where you can get to it and hope for a quick clean kill or wait for when the boys are available. I can't hunt anymore unless my brother is home to help after some major back fusions.

I am 71 and do not hunt from the trees anymore. So I have a sled and a deer cart I bought used. Depends where I am hunting on which to use.

54, used a game cart the last 8 years or so

When I was young I just threw em on my back. now that I'm old I have a machine to haul em out

Jet Sled is all I use to drag deer and bear out of the woods. Best part is when I get the back to the vehicle I can just pull the Jet Sled right onto my "Hitch and Haul" strap it down and go. When not hunting I use the same Jet Sled Fall/Winter to pull firewood across the yard for the wood stove.

In Spring/Summer I use it around the yard hauling brush, gravel, cut logs and larger rocks.

Easily keeps me in shape for dragging critters and it doesn't sit idle like my game cart use to.

When buying a sled, get a high-sided one. I have a sled with 4" sides that makes dragging very tough. I'll never use it again. My deer sled is at least 8" high on the sides and makes dragging a breeze. You have to stay in excellent cardio-vascular health or you probably shouldn't be dragging anything. I train year round, so I don't get winded dragging a deer, but I have to go easy on my lower back.

Joe

I do what Jimmy said. Quarter it and pack it out.

How old and out of shape? It’s only a deer. I’m not young but not considering myself old either. Guess it’s all relative. A 90 year old call a 70 year old kid. A 5 year old thinks 30 is old. Anyway all this depends. Most times I believe it’s a matter of want to. If you really want to just drag em little by little, get a deer cart, improvise something. Last year I was really screwed up. My balance was off and I was real weak. I still went out alone and got deer to my truck alone. Wasn’t waiting for no one. If physically it’s impossible you’d have to wait but if you have two twenty some year olds I’m thinking you’re not that old. Improvise and overcome. Myself I powerlifted my whole life. If your son truly powerlifts and if he’s natural ask him how he does it?? It’s mainly mental. Your body can do a lot more than you think. You’ll actually hurt yourself if your brain is strong enough. Set your brain and just do it. Hope you don’t take this wrong. If youre out of shape like you say and this is a problem for you start going to the gym w your son. Maybe this is incentive to help you.

I figure it’s my choice to stay in shape and do the things I love...or not. I am 71 and in excellent condition....it’s hard work, minimum 5 days a week at local YMCA, but I love doing it for what it allows me to continue to do. I don’t accept getting older means getting weaker etc.

I am going to watch Eric's product refinement on the Drag- o- Matic...I love it when home-made gadgets work. I apply the same basic principle to get big logs out of the woods or up steep slopes with a come -along until they are close enough to use the ATV. A sled works well with the puny deer I hunt.

I'll be 75 next month. I go to the gym and work out, eat right and do all the stretching to keep my body and heart fit. I have a cart and a wife and one good friend that will help is I need it. I walk them out half a mile or more by myself most of the time unless they are in the 150# range. Mostly get does and small bucks but that's how I do it.

I pass up more shots than I use to and cut them up more than I use to. :)

Im old but I been workin out. 8>)

Up until this year I dragged them out to my cabin. I do my butchering there. I did get help from time to time, but usually was on my own. This year I bought a used ATV. Just getting ladders and stands out was a dream. I haven't had to use it to get a deer out...yet !

I'm 57 with 3 stints in my hart & I still drag deer just take my time biggest problem I have is getting them in my vehicle. yes I have 2 4 wheelers but I mostly hunt coastal bottom land & you can't always get to them with the 4 wheelers. besides strenuous work is good for ya

I moan.

I grown.

I even cuss a little at times.

All while I'm "getting it done" as best I can.

Rick

Hunt with friends, "we" will get it out.

A Sharp knife and a good pack

My group purchases a deer cart. Works great.

I used to wander and roam now I hunt where I can get my jeep close. I hunt private property and have permission to use the trails so there is no problem.

You mentioned your boys are gone fishin'.

I thought about this the other day. If I'd be lucky enough to need help dragging, my son-in-law lives nearby. If he was gone, and neighbors weren't available, and I needed help getting a deer out, I have to believe I could contact most any other bow hunter and he'd be more than happy to help. If you don't know any other bow hunters in the area, I guess I'd have to recommend sitting this weekend out, and having a plan for next time your boys are gone.

If the boys aren't there, I am only exploring.

A two wheeler with pumatic tires with a couple rachet straps. Set the butt on the bottom.

How did your grandpa do it?

I'd bet most of our grandpas did more physical labor than our generation.

I'm a fan of 'hunt uphill, drag downhill' ;-)

Shoot a small deer.

There isn't a deer alive that can't be taken out in pieces.

Don't attempt to skin them on site. Just cut a quarter off with the hide on and take to the wheelie or truck. Repeat.

Use a utility knife to cut hide down the back and pull off the backstops with a longer knife. You can go as high as you like on the neck.

to get the tenderloins, slice the cavity open from the last rib to the hip just under the spine. Make a cut between the last 2 ribs to get the front loose. Then cut around the back end in the pelvic area. Pull and cut out.

Will take some time but your back will be intact.

I use a dolly.

I put wheels on my jet sled :)

Like Larry (LKH) stated...Bone it out and pack the pieces to where you can get your vehicle to it...Goid luck...4finger

I use a light weight aluminum ladder (8 ft.) to lever deer into a high truck bed.

I use a game cart to get it there.

Like others have posted, No deer is too big to 1/4 and make several trips.

2 stents and 53 yrs.

69 yrs old , and use a Dead Sled . A bear hug and a push get them into my Jeep . I keep in pretty good shape following a heart attack 2 yrs ago and managed 3 deer so far . Agree w/ George , if you can't get one out why hunt ? Youngsters are great , but between me and my 72 yr old hunting buddy we do well . Make a plan , stick to it and don't get into terrain you can't safely manage . We hunt NH and Ma ' deer must be removed whole , no quartering .

If I'm hunting around home I just drag them out. But if I'm hunting game lands or other big woods where I'm back in a good ways I use a game cart. When I get to my truck I either use two 2X6 boards to roll the cart and deer into the truck bed, or I roll the game cart and deer on to a hill then back the truck up to the hill and roll the cart and the deer into the truck bed.

elkster, I like that idea to use a aluninum ladder to get the deer into the truck bed.

If there are two hunters a ladder is a much easier way to get your deer out of the woods. Strap the deer on the ladder and get a hunter on each end and carry the deer out. We use this technique when getting out bear out of the woods. If you want a bear rug made or a mount you do not want to do damge to the bear hide by using a rope and dragging the bear out. I would think this would work for deer also.

I was baiting bear in the U.P. for my son and brother one year and after 10 days I headed home while they hunted. My son called me from the swamp and told me he shot a bear and made an off the cuff remark, "how do I get this thing out of here", not wanted to do damage to the hide. I told him to take his ladder stand down and use a section of the ladder to carry the bear out. He called back some time later and told me that suggestion work real good.

Just an idea.

I used an old surplus Army sled to get my last moose down off a hillside to a two-track where I could get my truck in to. Pulled the sled right over the dry leaves. Quartering or boning out is the only options for moose and caribou. A "rope-along" is a nice thing to have. I've thought about getting the deer cart to move moose quarters alone. Now I also have a Garmin inReach that I can text a message from anywhere, and I make sure I have a young fella who is skilled at this stuff on my list of "who to call." Of course, I share half the meat with that person, and it makes for a good deal. Also purchased a CanAm sxs for another method. I'm 69 and have no plans on slowing down.

Use to use rope tied to tree stand-----now i use 6ft 6 339 pound grandson!--- much easier supervising

Well, I totally can relate and understand your question. After I killed my 2013 buck and struggled like never before, I decided to do something about it. I bought a Quad ( for the kids too) and had them install a winch and I purchased a cart that attaches to the back of it. Although I have not used the winch yet, it can be pulled out quite far to retrieve a deer out of thickets or water if possible and can also be utilized to lift deer up. I did however use the quad with the rear cart last season to bring home a buck. He died just inside the woods of a field edge and I was able to drive right near him. What a PLEASURE to say the least. Best money I ever spent.

You won't pull one of those deer carts over rocks and logs where I hunt in WV.

It's not a cart with wheels of any kind. I should have been more specific. It's a cart that attaches to to the hitch on back of quad. It's a very inexpensive, strong and lightweight cart and really helpful for many other hauling needs.

Ron is that you in picture???

Where I hunt, "quads" aren't allowed, unless they are your own quadriceps. I'm assuming you guys just don't run those things into property where they aren't supposed to be. For some reason it's generally an uphill drag to the truck. I need to learn to hunt uphill from the parking area.

cut it up and pack out it , as many peices as i can carry at a time. hunt when its cold so i dont have to hurry.

I will be 64 on October 24 so I am not technically old. However knees and back say otherwise. Here's how we do it now that we have gotten smarter. My buddy Jack on the end of the hand bar. I am at the skinning rack. It was a small moose. Not an archery moose either, just showing pics to demo how we do it.

Rick

We hauled moose quarters from where the animal fell to the water (we hunted from canoes) using a stretcher made from two long poles with parachute cord laced between.

Make the stretcher shoulder width...two guys can carry a quarter quite a ways..

I never shot a deer I could not get out in pieces. My Badlands Diablo can hold a lot of meat.

Normally I am with someone so tie the front legs to the horns with a stick across to grab onto and start dragging.

I'll be 65 in four days...still going strong. Crookedstix said I have a good battery (stamina)! HAHA!

At 64 I may not qualify to comment on the thread haha...I just try to stay up with my sons...We always go prepared to bring an animal out as sometimes it doesn't make sense to hike back to the truck/quad just to get a Packframe to get the animal out...out west where we live quads are Legal and we use Both types of quads...Dad always said Don't assume :)...Have a safe hunt Ladies and gents...4finger

Im with vthunter ànd orion. only 62 but still in great shape. I have dragged alot of critters out of the woods. Some were pretty big, and some were a long ways in. I still drag deer home. esp easy with snow on the ground. Cant wait to do it again.

Smaller/lighter game (feral goats & sheep)I would field dress, put into a large laundry bag then pack it out. On larger, heavier goats and sheep, I would field dress then drag it out. Oh, and I try not to hunt too far from where I'm parked.

Squire, are you required to take those long bones out? The radius and ulnas? I'd lose those in a big hurry if it were me and not required. Just the meat would go with me. Reduces a lot of weight.

lots of good advice here,,,,, I am 68 and last year had open heart surgery,,,,, genetics there,,,,,, caught that myself.....

before that I have not dragged a deer in years, never understood that, sure if I had other guys to do it, or a wheeler or cart, I still cut them up....

I do not make to much of it,,,,, I simply lop off the legs, field dress, and cut in half,,,,, now its easy to handle, and can go on sled, or cart, or atv or whatever

goes on the table for skinning and deboning..... saves on my back

sure I swim and work out, even during the season, but I am not dragging deer,,,,,,,,,,,,, been there done that

A good friend of mine that post here told me last week that he's not hunting any more because he cant get the deer out of the woods and into his truck to bad .

I have enough trouble just walking to and from my stands. My knees and hips are shot and have some level of pain every day. I'm seriously thinking I might have to give up hunting. I just retired and thought I might finally get to hunt until I got sick of it (just to see if it was possible). I use a deer cart.

My two cents, I am 51, two knee replacements, bad back and have some shrapnel in my shoulder. I still hunt, love it with a passion like everyone else. I hunt where you can not use a atv, so plastic sled. The one thing is this, you put all the effort in scouting, practicing, you spent hours hunting. Now you shot your animal, you do an exhausting job tracking it. You find it, tag it and dress it out. What is the rush? Years ago I was dragging out a nice buck, up and down hills like everyone else, I then stopped and took a break and laughed. Why am I killing myself, what is the hurry, this is the time to enjoy it, I call it my victory stroll, now.

TrapperKayak, some people de-bone their animals and I probably will start doing it when I can't do it the regular way. Our butcher prefers the animal with the bone in so, since we don't want to butcher it ourselves we keep him happy. My longest lug on moose was two days on our backs and half a day in wheel barrow. Back then we cut straps in the hide - not for the faint of heart.

Rick

Couple years back I shot this doe that was a giant and tried to get her up in the back of my Cherokee. I had no trouble getting to Jeep but then when it came time to get her in the back on the tarp I had so much trouble. I bear hugged her and tried so many times and would get tired then rest and get more strength and try it all over again. took me a good half hour to get that animal in truck. I didn't have a saw on me to cut off legs either. Finally I got her raised up on a tree and backed Jeep under her and got her in back of Jeep. I bet this deer was as state record it was 165 dressed so it was live 200 I thought. I wasn't weak then it was just awkward. What I did is got me a Jet shed that's what I use also now. Put animal in and slide in back of Jeep or truck don't matter made things easier for me.

SO WHATS THE VERDI GROUND HUNTER DID YOU PUT ANY OF THESE IDEAS TO THE TEST?

One of the biggest things that will limit what you can do is loss of and lack of flexibility, it's great to get older but old and stiff not so much. When I retired from firefighting I was plenty active but not necessarily in the same ways and loss of flexibility will sneak up on you and limit your ability to move certain ways and do things that you previously took for granted. I started back stretching daily and regaining and maintaining flexibility will definitely improve your enjoyment of life. It doesn't require equipment or cost anything other than your decision and dedication to become better.

Only 57, 2 bad knees, 2 bad shoulders, 1 bad ankle/foot, daughter bought me a NICE pack frame. Now if I can just get that moose or caribou to stand still! :)

OP has left the building! :)

Squire I was only talking about deboning the long bone pkrtion of the leg, not the whole shoulder. Just to lighten the load some. That foreleg meat is grinder meat anyway. You definitely busted your tail getting that moose out. Helluvan accomplishment.

Yea, we're story telling now, "One time you know like, when we were at Band Camp, and this really really big..." ;)

I just sit back with a cold beer and read about the adventurers of young men with traditional gear. Once in a while I go out and pop a few grouse.......easy to carry. I may stop at the local butcher on the way home and pick up a few steaks for a barbecue. Life is good! Richard

Since there’s now a Medicare card in my wallet, I guess I’m qualified to comment. :-) I scrounged two BMX bicycle wheels at a solid waste transfer station for my deer cart. The frame is two sections of a retired aluminim extension ladder and a retired lawnmower handle. It weighs 20 pounds, and the biggest expense I have in it is two cans of green and black spray paint for camouflage. I stash it at a convenient location in the woods. I also have a Paris Expedition sled for dragging that works fairly well on bare ground, not to mention snow. And a couple years ago I added a roll-up Dead Sled to the fleet for increased mobility. Since losing meat to predators and scavengers is to be avoided, I carry lightweight mountaineering pulleys and rope for hoisting a deer from a tree if the cart and the sleds are not immediately available. Once you redice the friction between the deer and the ground, carcass hauling gets a whole lot easier. The last piece of the puzzle is hunting in an uphill direction if that’s workable. Putting gravity to work instead of fighting it makes a major difference.

Boy, it would be nice to allow Boomers to correct the typos they generate with ”mature” eyes and tiny fonts on smartphones ...

Who was the old f*rt on here some years ago who started every one of his posts with "Men!" ? I feel like I've turned into him.

Men! I'm 67 by-damn years old and I still drag my deer out like a real man! With two fingers hooked in its nostrils! Men!

When I was seventeen and living in Illinois I worked for an old fellow named Earl Sayers on his Christmas tree plantation. He was old and fat and I was young and spry. We got along really well as he watched and I worked. He had an old Farmall tractor with a jerry rigged end loader on it that we used for moving heavy stuff. One of his favorite things to say to me was that it takes twenty years to grow a man and eight hours to build a tractor. Use the tractor! So, unless there is help to load something, I use the tractor. I don't go off by myself and hunt where it is walk in as I dread the thought of quartering and packing out an animal. I would rather hunt with a camera in such situations.

Knee surgery and needing another. Both hips replaced. Four back surgeries. Ten screws, two rods and four cages in my back. Both wrist need to be fused.Bad disks in my neck.I'm only 51. Shoot as much as I can stand and hunt even less.Absolutely hate killing a deer nowadays but still do it occasionally.I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.I use a deer cart when I can but getting them in the truck sucks.

Holy crap Fatboy, that is a lot to deal with. I can't even imagine. The cancer surgery I had on my throat back in Feb. seems like small potatoes compared to yours. I hope you are okay. That said, I am in pretty good condition and lost 20+ pounds after radiation, so I can breath a lot better now, and get around good. It all actually helped me get in better shape ironically. Dragging deer out seems pretty routine. I was broke in the hard way I guess. First deer was a 6 pt, got it by myself at 16 yr old, and had to drag it up out of a steep ravine. I had shotgun with no sling and needed both hands to drag the deer so I walked the gun up a ways and rested it by a tree, then went back down for the deer. Dragged it up to gun, then repeated the process three or four times, aprox 300 yards. That was my first experience busting my ass getting a deer out, and I never looked back. Been doing such stuff ever since, but I smartened up after that first one, and now hunt uphill from stating point if I can. Way easier dragging stuff down. I wish some of you could have been along to help with some of those retrievals! Could have used the help.

Thanks for the concern Trapper. I'll be ok I reckon. What other choice do I have.I was always big and strong until 12 years ago or so. Lost some height due to the back and got really heavy due to not doing much. Got almost three inches back after the last back surgery. Down 45lbs to 285 right now. Trying to do what I can so I don't wither away anymore.It's tough when you're used to being the big and strong guy in the group and you're not anymore.Life goes on.

Wow, those surgeries have to take a toll on the psyche as well. I know the weight can be problematic, and inactivity is really hard to overcome weight gain. Just hope you can stay within a good weight range, lose some more maybe. That will help with your back and joints for sure. I keep hearing how growing older sucks, and I agree with that. It is harder to stay 'the way we were' and a whole lot more work. I hope you don't give up trying, or hunting. I was never the big strong guy in my group. Strong enough to get critters out alone, but I'm only 6'0', relatively smaller than both my cousins who I hunt with. They are way bigger at 6'5"/250 and 6'3"/230 (now about 270# though). The older one now has Parkinson's and it is getting worse, he's a year younger than me at 61, and he is in shape but has trouble shaking, and my younger cousin (58) has gained a lot of weight, and has a heart arythmia problem for years now. So it is all relative. They were always a lot stronger than me when we were young, played football, etc. Younger one has had bad knees from football though. I guess I am now considered the 'healthy' one. Just praying we all live out full productive lives, and are happy too. Same prayers go out for you, Bud!

Pick ‘em up with the tractor loader!

My wife is what keeps me going. She takes really great care of me and won't let me do anything stupid. Here's a pic of us in Daytona before my last surgery. She's small but fierce. I love her to pieces.

Nice - Awesome that she cares so much. You're lucky, man!

If you can get a pickup or an ATV to the deer, there is a gadget made by Viking Industries called an L E Vator. MSRP is about 100 bucks but I got mine on EBay for a lot less. Simple little rack with a winch on the top. Lay the deer across the rack and winch it up even with your tailgate. They make several models. Some install into a receiver hitch on your pickup and the cheaper ones, like mine, are stand alone models. I frequently hunt alone and it is very handy for me.

I shot a mule deer about 3 weeks ago. I boned out the front shoulders pulled the back straps and cut out the hind quarters and stuffed it all into my Badlands daypack with the head, cape and antlers on top . I could barely lift it to move it to a shelf then sat down and got my arms in the straps, standing up was not easy . I had 2 miles to go and the sun was just about down. There was only one spot that was up hill but I had 2 fences to cross and I wasn't taking the pack off to cross them, I managed to get over them . I didn't think I was going to make it to the truck but I did . I didn't feel very good when I got there but the next day I felt almost normal. I've never carried out a whole deer before and I don't think I will try it again especially without a pack frame, mine was in the truck. The year before I shot a muley in the same area I cut it in half and drug out the front half and packed out the back half, packing was way easier.

Tim, nice going. Are you an 'old guy'? :)

I'm almost 84. For the past few years I just ride a horse as close as I can to the animal I'm going to kill, Go kill it, skin and quarter it and let it cool a bit, wrap the bagged meat in tarps, load it front and back of the saddle, get on and go to the trailer and pickup. Easy. Take the teeth with me if it's a bear and leave the hide, head, etc. there.

Larry, just another day at the 'office' eh? :) Wish it were that easy for me just ONCE in my life... ;)

Phone a friend to help...and then buy him lunch.

Always better to get the hide off of an animal as quickly as possible after killing it to let the meat cool, so just get used to quartering and not trying to drag the entire carcass from the woods.

Having said that...a moose lying on the ground before you, whether you are young or old like me, presents a daunting task on a good day. But they sure eat well.

TK, I identify my meat in late spring, early summer. Every time I cut their tracks it gives me more info where that animal is using and all the places they lay up in the daytime, and when. Makes it pretty easy to kill it. I have been in Cambodia for quite a while, and am still here. Little after midnight right now. When I get home I will have to do some serious riding to find my bear and repattern for where he is now. Probably on a creek bottom eating Oregon grape. I'll post a picture of him before I kill him.

Larry, that is impressive, and I know you have to be out there a lot tin order to be that consistent. I was just ribbin' ya a bit. When you have a lifestyle like yours, you are sure to be successful. I envy you in that respect. I have the office life, you have the kind of reality that is deep in my heart, but the modern world has squelched.

I have an aluminum deer cart with a tree stand safety harness tied to the pule bar. I let anyone use it, even compound shooters. I have not pulled out the last 10 or 11 deer, other people gladly come out and do it for me. Of course, then they are welcome to use my deer cart and trailer any time they need it.

I have been disarming piles of mines for more than 6 weeks and have some days to go to finish up. Then I will decompress for a few days and head home. Can't wait to get horseback again and get to the mountains, although I am on top of one right now.

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