Hauling Your Game Out

The things you need, find a merchant that has;

·         Polyester tape. I use a 3000ft roll of 5/8” polyester tape “Mule Tape” rated at 1800lbs. It weights about 15lbs and fits on a spool that is about 12”x16”. Costed me about $150. If all you are going haul is deer then you can use ½” 1250lbs tape.

·         Plastic Sled. A heavy duty sports sled like an “Otter” sled. Size it to the game you are hauling. Mine is an XL size for elk, about $150; medium should work for deer, about $40.

·         Bungee and tie down straps. Use these to keep the game in your sled, pkg of 4 tie downs for $20.

·         Snatch blocks. Use these to run the tape through to go around obstructions in you trail. Size the pulley to your tape. Can be found at TSC/Home of Economy equivalent stores for about $30.

·         Ground Anchors, Straps and Shackles. Use these to secure the snatch blocks. Screw in ground anchors is self explanatory and the straps are for around trees. The Shackles are to hook them together. Size the ground anchors to what you are hauling and the soil type; I use 3ft ones in silty soil hauling elk. Ground anchors and straps cost about $10-$20 each. Galv. D-ring screw pin shackles are about $3 each.

·         Radios. Yep RADIOS! For Safety! If you are more than 50 yards apart towing something, YELLING doesn’t work. FRS/GMRS radios are about $50 a set. Someone will get hurt if you don’t use them and if you are an hour or 2 from help that really sucks. If you hunt where I do it’s more like 3 to 4 hours drive out unless they send in an Army Blackhawk to get you and that will cost you about $2000 an hour and up.

Once you have your game down, gutted and in a safe place and as you walk out to your vehicle, find the best/easiest route. Get a friend or 4 to help you then get your sled, anchors, snatch blocks, shackles, bungee cords/tie downs and mule tape then head back into your game again making sure this is the best/easiest way. Load your game into your sled and secure it, tie the tape to your sled and start back to your vehicle putting in snatch blocks and running your tape wherever you need them to clear an obstruction.  I use a snatch block in the trail/roadside before hooking up to the vehicle. Call the people at the sled and make sure they are ready then slowly drive the vehicle down the road/ trail, put in snatch blocks as you need them as you drive.  Stop whenever the sled comes to a snatch bloke, take out the block and anchor then resume.

All this may sounds like a lot of work and it is but if you don’t have a 4 footed hay fed vehicle this is the easiest way to move an 800lbs dead bull elk a mile. It is definitely better than having 100lbs of fresh bloody meat strapped into a pack frame on your back in the middle of grizzly country.

I hope this helps someone out there

Cliff Betterley