Loading deer in to drinks chiller

[Woodsy]

The last few years my back has been giving me grief. Lifting fallow in and out by myself to hang in my double door drinks chiller puts my back at an awkward angle and contributes to this problem. The commercial game chillers have loading bars that slide in and out, so a deer can be hoisted up, on to the loading bar and slid in to the chiller.

Has anyone found a clever way to do something similar with a drinks chiller? Or have any cunning ways to avoid breaking their backs when doing the same? When possible I get help loading/unloading but often I’m on my own.

 

[Overlay]

At home I take the cut just shy of but rib side across the shoulder joints missing the best strap meat in two halves straight in the chiller hanging of a s /steel rack i made hell of a lot easier on your own, still skins out ok just easier to handle

 

[LarryLightFoot]

At home I take the cut just shy of but rib side across the shoulder joints missing the best strap meat in two halves straight in the chiller hanging of a s /steel rack i made hell of a lot easier on your own, still skins out ok just easier to handle

Do you mean at ninety degrees to the spine just behind the shoulder ? Thanks .

 

[springbok787]

One of these bolted high up in the chiller.

Napier Apex Auto Lift

Designed to complement and attach to the Apex Autoclick, and the new Tree Hugger. Apex Autolift is the perfect way to handle larger deer species and wild boar.Easily capable of lifting a 200Kg animal single handed, one person can maintain full control and safely perform a suspended gralloch...

www.bushwear.co.uk

I use a trunk like this, which I wheel up to the chiller.

Strata Heavy Duty Trunk with Wheels & Handle 145L | Wickes.co.uk

Strata Heavy Duty Trunk with Wheels & Handle 145L

www.wickes.co.uk

Through the rear legs and crank away. Mounting the lifter high and central means there is a slight cross pull to deal with but providing you assist/guide the deer out of the box with your other hand it’s easy to manage.

 

[LarryLightFoot]

One of these bolted high up in the chiller.

Napier Apex Auto Lift

Designed to complement and attach to the Apex Autoclick, and the new Tree Hugger. Apex Autolift is the perfect way to handle larger deer species and wild boar.Easily capable of lifting a 200Kg animal single handed, one person can maintain full control and safely perform a suspended gralloch...

www.bushwear.co.uk

I use a trunk like this, which I wheel up to the chiller.

Strata Heavy Duty Trunk with Wheels & Handle 145L | Wickes.co.uk

Strata Heavy Duty Trunk with Wheels & Handle 145L

www.wickes.co.uk

Through the rear legs and crank away. Mounting the lifter high and central means there is a slight cross pull to deal with but providing you assist/guide the deer out of the box with your other hand it’s easy to manage.

Is the winch mounted on the hanging cross bar inside the chiller ? Thanks .

 

[Overlay]

Do you mean at ninety degrees to the spine just behind the shoulder ? Thanks .

Where the shoulder blade is rib slide of that check inside so as not to cut any decent fillet meat away run a blade up the ribs after splitting the skin saw through the spine and hang

 

[Tim.243]

The last few years my back has been giving me grief. Lifting fallow in and out by myself to hang in my double door drinks chiller puts my back at an awkward angle and contributes to this problem. The commercial game chillers have loading bars that slide in and out, so a deer can be hoisted up, on to the loading bar and slid in to the chiller.

Has anyone found a clever way to do something similar with a drinks chiller? Or have any cunning ways to avoid breaking their backs when doing the same? When possible I get help loading/unloading but often I’m on my own.

Yes. I had one @66kg so used a pole lashed to the garage timbers and resting on the chiller hanging bar, then put a large hook in the H bone and used a small pulley to get it on the pole then slid it along the pole to the bar.
If you have the end of the pole higher it will slide down hill. Bit of 30/40mm key clamp bar for the pole.

 

[FISH BOY]

One of these bolted high up in the chiller.

Napier Apex Auto Lift

Designed to complement and attach to the Apex Autoclick, and the new Tree Hugger. Apex Autolift is the perfect way to handle larger deer species and wild boar.Easily capable of lifting a 200Kg animal single handed, one person can maintain full control and safely perform a suspended gralloch...

www.bushwear.co.uk

I use a trunk like this, which I wheel up to the chiller.

Strata Heavy Duty Trunk with Wheels & Handle 145L | Wickes.co.uk

Strata Heavy Duty Trunk with Wheels & Handle 145L

www.wickes.co.uk

Through the rear legs and crank away. Mounting the lifter high and central means there is a slight cross pull to deal with but providing you assist/guide the deer out of the box with your other hand it’s easy to manage.

Yep this - not bolted, but useful for getting a big buck close for the bear hug heave

 

[biffo]

I use a wheel barrow to put carcase most of the the way in to the chiller , then heave up one leg with hook onto rail followed by the other. Some lifting but not much.

 

[DevonRifle]

Yep this - not bolted, but useful for getting a big buck close for the bear hug heave

View attachment 229802

Stick one of those mini gambrells you have on the side of the fridge inside the carcass and use the winch to hoist it up. The legs should then be close enough to hook on the bar one by one.

 

[Woodsy]

Some very helpful replies/ideas. Thanks very much folks.

 

[FISH BOY]

Stick one of those mini gambrells you have on the side of the fridge inside the carcass and use the winch to hoist it up. The legs should then be close enough to hook on the bar one by one.

Cheers. Next time on the H bone

 

[VSS]

Your back isn't likely to get any better in the long term, so rather than fudging together some sort of compromise that'll still involve a degree of manual handling, why not plan now for the future and install an electric hoist and a rail that'll run right into the chiller?
Having faced the same problem myself (not back related though, but equally debilitating) and now having a decent electric hoist system, I have to say it's a life saver.

 

[LarryLightFoot]

Same a Woodsy said, really useful info shared, this will help a lot when I go to buy a secondhand chiller and set it up in my garage, thanks .

 

[tozzybum]

Something like this ? Loads of different ones on amazonk

 

[sharkbait]

Just a thought if for your own consumption, why not break the carcass down for easier hanging! If for the game dealer I see your plight!

 

[User00040]

Just a thought if for your own consumption, why not break the carcass down for easier hanging!

This, back legs, backstraps, fillets and neck meat off.

Leave the rest.

 

[Woodsy]

Your back isn't likely to get any better in the long term, so rather than fudging together some sort of compromise that'll still involve a degree of manual handling, why not plan now for the future and install an electric hoist and a rail that'll run right into the chiller?
Having faced the same problem myself (not back related though, but equally debilitating) and now having a decent electric hoist system, I have to say it's a life saver.

I agree that would be best but have you managed to install a rail that runs in to a double drinks chiller? Or do you have a commercial game chiller?

 

[Woodsy]

Just a thought if for your own consumption, why not break the carcass down for easier hanging! If for the game dealer I see your plight!

Yes for AGHE and selling on direct in fur privately.

 

[VSS]

I agree that would be best but have you managed to install a rail that runs in to a double drinks chiller? Or do you have a commercial game chiller?

No, I haven't done it using a repurposed drinks fridge, but I can imagine a couple of possible ways it could be arranged.