Red Stag Carcass retrieval?

T

TOMHOWA

Well-Known Member
So I have just got back in after a long night dragging out a stag I shot at about 21:30 in a silage field (SNH General Authorisation). I rent shooting on a small dairy farm, most of the deer I shoot on this farm are Roe. So no issues getting them out.

But every time I shoot a Red I struggle getting it out of the field without calling on the Farmer for his tractor. Which isn't always convenient, especially a bank holiday weekend when he wants to chill out. I don't have a quad or a 4x4 but after tonight considering buying a quad.

Does anyone else have similar issues in retrieval? Any kit that you would recommend?

I'm thinking of buying a collapsable carp fishing trolley to tie the deer too. I don't even know what this thing weighs, was hard work and I regularly deadlift 200kg.
 
TOMHOWA said:
So I have just got back in after a long night dragging out a stag I shot at about 21:30 in a silage field (SNH General Authorisation). I rent shooting on a small dairy farm, most of the deer I shoot on this farm are Roe. So no issues getting them out.

But every time I shoot a Red I struggle getting it out of the field without calling on the Farmer for his tractor. Which isn't always convenient, especially a bank holiday weekend when he wants to chill out. I don't have a quad or a 4x4 but after tonight considering buying a quad.

Does anyone else have similar issues in retrieval? Any kit that you would recommend?

I'm thinking of buying a collapsable carp fishing trolley to tie the deer too. I don't even know what this thing weighs, was hard work and I regularly deadlift 200kg.
Click to expand...

look on the web for deer carriers, you can get them via Amazon for little money, I use one for fallow bucks and it deals with them with ease, they come to bits and take 2 minutes to make up, if they can take the weight of a red it should help getting it to your vehicle

If I'm honest I've struggled with some big fallow bucks this year, until the trolley came along, dragging ain't much of an option over a 100 yds

good luck

phil
 
A handy man/mate can make a stretcher type unit on two 28" bike wheels with QD hub spinners so its a lay flat for your car.
 
Get a tractor driving certificate and borrow the tractor has to be easiest option if possible?
Quad bike?
Chainsaw capstan winch and dumpy bag?
 
On farm ground a "wheel barrow" with two wheels would be my choice if I only shot a few stags in a year.
 
Take a mate with you....... which you should be doing anyway when you're shooting at night (and it's a long time since I shot deer at night under snh authorisation but I'm sure 2 man teams were the statutory requirement... a lot of things have changed since so I'm probably wrong)....
As others have said get some kind of trolly, they are commercially available through the likes of Donnington deer management and Keith highseats. ...... but you could make your own again as others have suggested.
 
TOMHOWA said:
So I have just got back in after a long night dragging out a stag I shot at about 21:30 in a silage field (SNH General Authorisation). I rent shooting on a small dairy farm, most of the deer I shoot on this farm are Roe. So no issues getting them out.

But every time I shoot a Red I struggle getting it out of the field without calling on the Farmer for his tractor. Which isn't always convenient, especially a bank holiday weekend when he wants to chill out. I don't have a quad or a 4x4 but after tonight considering buying a quad.

Does anyone else have similar issues in retrieval? Any kit that you would recommend?

I'm thinking of buying a collapsable carp fishing trolley to tie the deer too. I don't even know what this thing weighs, was hard work and I regularly deadlift 200kg.
Click to expand...

Tie a rope around its neck and drag it. Surely if its a silage field you can get a vehicle fairly close to it.
 
highland stalker said:
Tie a rope around its neck and drag it. Surely if its a silage field you can get a vehicle fairly close to it.
Click to expand...

H. S. He hasn't got a suitable vehicle ..yet

But every time I shoot a Red I struggle getting it out of the field without calling on the Farmer for his tractor. Which isn't always convenient, especially a bank holiday weekend when he wants to chill out. I don't have a quad or a 4x4 but after tonight considering buying a quad.
 
Highlandsjohn said:
H. S. He hasn't got a suitable vehicle ..yet

But every time I shoot a Red I struggle getting it out of the field without calling on the Farmer for his tractor. Which isn't always convenient, especially a bank holiday weekend when he wants to chill out. I don't have a quad or a 4x4 but after tonight considering buying a quad.
Click to expand...

Apologies............Wheel barrow it is then!
 
Tracked power carrier, Honda, Lumag and others. Low loading height and does very little damage,usually none, to farmers ground. Tilt the bed and use a 6 In 1 pull to pull it in to the butt. It does have the disadvantage of needing to be transported but very low effort. Drive straight in to the trailer, pickup or what ever and then to your larder hoist, virtually no lifting if the system can be got right.
 
monarman said:
Take a mate with you....... which you should be doing anyway when you're shooting at night (and it's a long time since I shot deer at night under snh authorisation but I'm sure 2 man teams were the statutory requirement... a lot of things have changed since so I'm probably wrong)....
As others have said get some kind of trolly, they are commercially available through the likes of Donnington deer management and Keith highseats. ...... but you could make your own again as others have suggested.
Click to expand...

i think you need to read the post again, he shot it at 21.30. It's still daylight
 
I would not fancy trying to get a red deer into a wheelbarrow. I would either just drag it or get around to making a low two wheeled or four wheeled cart. Low because you need to get it in easily
 
JohnT said:
Have a word with Devon Deer Stalker, I think his solution is what you require.
Click to expand...
Yes John, i have managed a stag on my trolley, but it wasn't huge, but bigger than the hind in the photo, around 180lb, you can load it on your own, this trolley takes deer up to 300lb. We managed a hind didn't we?

Cheers
Richard
 
Thanks Guys, yeah I was thinking some form of trolley. The ground was pretty firm so I could have technically driven my car up to it but not sure how to approach the farmer on such a topic. Just for clarity this was not shot at night, that
requires a night licence and does not fall under a general authorisation which is shooting red stags and females (under one year between certain dates) out of season.
 
johngryphon said:
I have seen blokes doing this..you need to be young and STRONG though.


https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/...Cibg9hf3VxPCExfLjYLNmVtgp3QrojLiSjwhrAjraislQ
Click to expand...

Haha I was already covered in blood gralloching the thing. I did have to bear hug the deer to get him over a fence to my car. Would have been quite a site to watch. Wouldn't be keen on the backpack from a tick/ked point of view, quite bad with ticks this year.

Just have to butcher him now, he's quite a beast to move about even on a pvc table. Will all be worth it for those delicious steaks!
 
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