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bogtrotter

Well-Known Member
Following on from an earlier post on whether a drag harness is a good idea or not
personally I am in favour of a short rope tied to your stick easy to let go if the beast takes off.

Last week was dragging a Stag of the hill steep slope]when suddenly the carcase swung round taking the feet from me let go, the stick and tried to roll out of the way as the head passed me the brow point went into my jacket pocket it went through the lining of the jacket and down the waist band of my breeks and out through the side of the leg
the Stag now gathering speed on the slope was dragging me with it, Stag now travelling rear end first drops over a shelf, not much only a few feet high, on the edge of the shelf
the brow point that was through my jacket and breeks dug in to the ground so I am left with a 15st stag more or less hanging from my waist band with the dead weight round my middle and the antler pinning both my jacket and breeks to the ground
I could hardly move, client was unable to lift the Stag on his own and I was unable to help , client managed with difficulty to unzip my jacket and undo my belt, when the belt was undone the Stag dropped taking most of my breeks with him.

I was unhurt but it could have been much worse, can't know for sure but would imagine
that it would have been even more of a problem if attached to a drag harness.

I also must have been pretty close to getting that brow tine embedded in my side
makes one wonder about First Aid I am First Aid trained but would I have been able to administer myself if impaled in the side, would the client, we were about an hour and a half from the nearest habitation, only about half a mile from the Argo but would I have been able to reach it would the client have been able to drive it, would the client have been able to find his way back to the lodge and bring help, there are very few places in the Glen you can get phone reception..


A lot more questions than answers I'm afraid.
 
I heard a similar story several years ago, from a Stalker (freind) on Cona Glen Ardgour.

He was very lucky also to escape injury, and also quetiond your same points!!

Atb, Buck.
 
Anyone who has dragged his share of deer off the hill will realise that to be attached by a harness is a mistake!. Besides the problem of you being dragged as bogtrotter outlines there are many occasions where you need to turn and face the beast to pull it up over a knoll or burn and walk backwards (as in tug o war!)while doing it. Too much trouble to get out of a harness I would say.
Rope round antlers or head and over top jaw to keep head up, loop on other end, stick through loop and off you go. You can let go quickly and spin round easilly to help it over difficult bits. Plus, a bit of rope takes up no room in your pocket!.
S.
 
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