By Justin DePree and Tim H. Martin
Photo: Justin DuPree shares an observation about dragging deer — especially does — often overlooked by hunters.
This might seem like simple common sense for most woodsmen, but over the years I’ve personally encountered several hunters who make a fundamental deer-dragging mistake.
Without access to an ATV or game cart, the act of dragging a harvested whitetail out of the woods is already a difficult task. Why make it harder?
The mistake hunters make, especially when dragging a doe, is to drag it by the hind legs.
While this might seem logical, since there is an absence of antlers to use as handles, it actually makes the job more difficult.
When dragging an animal from the hind end, you are pulling against the grain of the deer's hair, which results in a lot of friction and an opposing force.
The same way walking with a stream’s current is easier than wading against it, dragging a deer by the head is easier than by the legs. You are going with the flow!
— Editor’s Note by Tim H. Martin
Justin’s points are all valid, and I’ve also seen hunters make this same mistake.
It’s far easier to drag a deer by the head, but when the time comes to grasp a slick-headed doe, the lack of antlers makes for a slippery task.
I’d like to share a trick I learned many years ago for getting a grip on nannies.
The thick hide of a deer’s ear is incredibly though. Simply make slits in both ears and tie a rope between them to create a handle.
Or, if you have a knife, but no rope, cut a series of slits in the ears to insert your fingers. Now you have a strong handle on the correct end that will allow you to slide that old doe out with ease.
— Photo Courtesy of Justin DuPree
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