rope for hauling deer

[loadmaster]

If you have to go that route, I would find rope with the least amount of stretch for the strength required. Up until a couple of years ago, the rope pulling was it until one long drag and a couple of beers, we came up with the best idea. One of us had an old Otter fish house. Pulled the poles off and cover and now we are able to put almost the entire deer in sled (no dirty cavity) and one or two people can pull a deer out with out to much effort. May have to lift sled over a few things but easier to lift then dead weight. And once you get to a four wheeler, well what can I say. If any snow/ice on ground its like pulling the house on the ice. After season we put house back together

[nofishfisherman]

Why do I keep picturing Red Green while reading this thread?

Is there a reason you don't just drag each deer by hand? Two or three guys on each deer should get the job done.

[harvey lee]

The Otter sled does work very well if no wheeler is at hand.

[HandGunner]

We been hauling deer by hand one or 2 in the cart 3 man team its not as easy as you think. No smooth roads or close to smooth roads or paths and everything is mostly 45 degree and steeper. We are the only ppl who had been haulin deer by hand we are the only muscle guys the rest are bigger groups and still either landowners have atv use or ppl rather risk the ticket and drive in illigaly at night to recover game some just quit hunting already. Theirs only 2 turns on this road. It will work for sure deffenatley will video it for you guys the only main thin that was the issue was the rope i think we will go with the 7/16 to be safe thanks for the input guys hope we bag and fill our tags 3 guys 3 deer hope you all bag em too!

[96trigger]

I think you will find it much easier and probably faster in the long run to skip the cart and just to do one at a time. Snaking one deer around trees and corners will be much easier than 3, especially if any of them have antlers. I can see three deer getting tangled up and snagged in many different ways.

[vister]

Is the winch just to avoid a little sweating?!!

[Wanderer]

Good luck handgunner. Interesting thoughts you guys came up with to keep hunting the hills - they can be brutal. Even at 47 now, I dread the thought of having to cart even one up bluff country tote road by myself at a 25 degree grade.

An actual 40 degree grade on hillside is steeper than most folks think. I can't even climb one in the dark with my pack and stand for risk of losing my balance and tumbling down to were I started from.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

Honestly, I think that what you're going to find is that by the time you get done setting up this winch system, unwrapping 300 YARDS (almost 1/4 mile) of rope, breaking ropes, fixing ropes, untwisting everything from trees, replacing dead radio batteries, re-stringing the winch, you could have quartered the deer multiple times. Sell the winch, buy 2 or 3 good pack frames, 2 or 3 sets of trekking poles, and learn the gutless method. Even the heaviest 200 pound deer will be under 100 pounds broken down, and with 2 or 3 guys, thats under 50 pounds each. If pack frames work for thousands of hunters out west hauling elk, bear, caribou, etc every year, it'll work for a 200 pound whitetail.

If you choose the winch route, please get a GoPro and a YouTube account. I'm sure we'd all like to see it.

[Scoot]

300 yards of rope? Eeesh!!! That alone will be a nightmare and not worth all of the time and effort you'll put into this. You may not want to hear this response and only want to hear about what rope you should be using, but

LipRipperGuy is undoubtedly correct. Sell the winch and each buy a good quality pack that will allow you to hunt out of it and haul a heavy load with it. Look at Kifaru and Mystery Ranch packs. I'd seriously look at the Kifaru Duplex Frame and the bag that fits your needs best after that (I love my Nomad, but the Highcamp or a Timberline option might be great). This is a MUCH better option than what you're proposing to do.

I know this is not the feedback/reply you're looking for, but it's the best advice I can offer you.

[leechlake]

another practical thought. I hunt in SD along the Missouri River, some pretty steep hills. We've tried to pull deer out with and ATV and maybe 75 feet of rope to save us some dragging. There aren't too many trees but the brush and few trees that are there make it pretty dang tough to do. We end up actually just cutting the deer in half and dragging it that way if we have too. This may be one of those ideas we all have only to find out in practicality it isn't very practical. I wish you luck either way.

[Surface Tension]

Scoot, yes that would work but you lose the shock & awe factor when you bring the deer home to show the wife & kids.

This idea reminds me of AxeMen

Joeyyyy!!

[HandGunner]

Got the rope. Tested it on riding lawnmower with all 4 flat tires about 400-500 pounds plus me sitting on it. Whinch has no problem pulling it once slack is picked up it will keep pulling. Rope held up has some stretch its a braided rope not twisted. Either you guys are the incredible hulk or havnt had to haul deer up steep hills and valleys 100 plus yards up and its not just one up hill haul its 2 to 3 depending the way we decide to go. We have done one in a cart 2 in a cart 3 in a cart and one year we hog tied a deer to a tree and hauled him that way. Each year we consistantly have gotten 2 before the apr regs we were bagging 3 to 4 every year if we stayed longer than just a weekend we would have bagged up to 6 but were fine at just 3. Its not easy as some whant it to be or would imagine it to be. Even just hiking one bad footing and your tumbling all the way down. If it was as easy as some are saying it is these 8 plus people groups wouldnt be ridin atv on their own land or riding them illigaly on the public land to get their deer. In reality its too hard for anyone to doit by hand anymore. One area my dad use to hunt was a mile walk them near 200 yards up the dang valley just to reach the place. Lets just say over a few years back then everyone called it quits to this day it was over 10 years since the place been visited and we stopped by a month ago and lets just say its dead over their. No one walks those woods anymore no sign of human foot print but the place is like deer heaven.

[Surface Tension]

HandGunner, at one time people believed the Earth was flat. Those people never hiked up the SE MN bluffs. Good luck this season. We'd all love to see this on video.

[Tom7227]

This is a very entertaining thread. The OP seems set on the plan and won't be dissuaded. As for a lawnmower with fat tires and a guy riding it - turn the thing upside down and report how well that works and maybe some will be impressed. As you deal with the 50+ feet of stretch in the rope remember that if it breaks it will be like a bullwhip and take off anything in the way.

Good luck. Post some videos. Have a first aid kit on hand and 911 loaded into all the phones available.

[HandGunner]

I know things can go wrong but I also know things are possible this is more of a disbelief someones plan can work. I remember back in 2011 and these ar15 223 pistols were coming out. I had the idea to build a ar15 pistol in 50 beauwolf. Then also to build a ar10 308 pistol. All the shops all the internet forums laughed at my idea and was told tht it will never work i was the stupid fairytale guy my ideas are stupid... well a year later a guy on youtube built a ar15 50 beauwof and showed it off then another guy built an ar10 pistol in 308 then we found the first manufactured ar10 308 pistol and can actualy buy it all made and put together besides having to build it. I had my ah ha moments.

[Scoot]

Good luck Handgunner- I hope it works out for you. I really think you're swimming upstream with all of this and you're efforts will waste a ton of effort, money, and time. However, it's your effort, money, and time, so waste away!

I know SE MN bluffs country is rough. However, the idea that it's too rough to hunt or even go into some of those areas- that's silly. Head to the Rocky Mountains and spend some time humping up and down those mountains. Their actual, legit mountains! Then come back to SE MN and realize it's just some little hills and draws you're talking about.

[96trigger]

I've been hunting the bluffs longer than many. I can say this, I am used to them and they don't bother me. I have had to pull many deer up steep ravines and bluffs to the truck. It was much easier when I was younger, and it takes a long time, usually 10 feet of pull, 2 minutes of rest, then pull again. It is difficult terrain. I have also thought about the winch idea and using one to pull it up the bluffs. It would be so much easier if we could just pull the deer down, but it doesn't often work that way. I still think you will be much better off and time well spent to have 3 or 4 guys working with you. Have them spaced out among the bluff and within eyesight of one another. guy at the top takes the rope to the next guy down, he then sends it to the next guy, then the guy at the bottom. Hook one deer up and each guy follows the deer back up to their original spot where the other takes over, and follows it up to the original spot. Going around deadfalls, trees, buckthorn, and whatever else gets in your way will be difficult one deer at a time, let alone three. With three deer,you could be looking at trying to drag 500 lbs around a tree on an incline. It will be difficult and time consuming. One guy can usually maneuver one deer pretty easily around obstacles, but three deer, that is a different ball game. I do think you need to take some video, I'll be interested in seeing it.

[NoWiser]

If you choose the winch route, please get a GoPro and a YouTube account. I'm sure we'd all like to see it.

+1

Also, make sure your life insurance is paid up.

I truly believe that a couple of good packs and trekking poles would be a much more practical route to go. Of course, the practical decision and the fun decision are very rarely the same and it seems as though the fun one won out this time.

I've hiked all over SE MN and as much as you'd like to believe it is rugged, it just can't compare to real mountains. Plus, there is actually air to breath in SE MN. There is a reason you see guys with pack frames out west and not winches.

Do not underestimate the value of a gym membership and good workout routine, either.

Good luck, and be careful!

[leechlake]

no winch on this one, pretty steep. Quartered and horses. Also, I look to be 20 pounds lighter than I do today.

[HandGunner]

Dead fallen tree down about 150 yards down the road dad tied it to the dead tree over hangin the road. Got the ok started the winch once stretch tightened up heard a huge loud crack broke off a chunck of log about 200 pounds. Uncle was surfing the log on our trial run before leavin after scouting. Took about 15 minutes to make it all the way back to were we set up the winch. Easy to feed line through no gloves needed when log was stuck and hung up on rocks you can see and feel the tension build up let off let the rope relax a bit and try again. I knew the winch was slick but not this slick take it easy feed the rope no more sweating bucketz will be even smoother when pulling the cart on wheels. Was in a rush to try it forgot to video it on my tablet. Thanks for suggesting the 7/16 rope really held up to the task

[BLACKJACK]

As you deal with the 50+ feet of stretch in the rope remember that if it breaks it will be like a bullwhip and take off anything in the way.

I was thinking the same thing. I once saw a chain grab hook go flying past a pickup doing the pulling, could have been bad. I think the cure is to tie something on the rope every 50 feet so that it will be weighted down when it breaks.

[BLACKJACK]

Dead fallen tree down about 150 yards down the road dad tied it to the dead tree over hangin the road. Got the ok started the winch once stretch tightened up heard a huge loud crack broke off a chunck of log about 200 pounds. Uncle was surfing the log on our trial run before leavin after scouting. Took about 15 minutes to make it all the way back to were we set up the winch. Easy to feed line through no gloves needed when log was stuck and hung up on rocks you can see and feel the tension build up let off let the rope relax a bit and try again. I knew the winch was slick but not this slick take it easy feed the rope no more sweating bucketz will be even smoother when pulling the cart on wheels. Was in a rush to try it forgot to video it on my tablet. Thanks for suggesting the 7/16 rope really held up to the task

Glad the test run went well!!

My old man used to have a saying "boys, if the Lord would have wanted me to carry that he'd have put hands on my like a mule -- go get the tractor".

Handgunner, he'd have been proud of you!!

[nofishfisherman]

I've gotta know, how did it work out?