I know every state has different laws on fresh kill transport and western states hunters do things different than midwest hunters (we are midwest hunters that bring out game animals whole to transport them to our processing setup on the farm where we break them down and process them like livestock in a clean, butcher room setting with running water, tables, etc) so we prefer to bring out game animals whole. My father is in his 50's and hunts solo most of the time and has a bear hunt coming up this fall so we upgraded his bear and deer loading gear for his truck because loading a bear or a large midwestern buck into the bed of a truck with a high bed is not an easy task for a single person. We hoped to make it easier. After trying and testing out a variety of methods (not a bad way to spend Fathers day working with your father getting ready for bear and deer season) We ended up with a 7:1 ratio block and tackle (freshly re-strung with 115 feet of rope) and an 8 foot (trough style) ramp to keep animals centered rather than sliding off the edge. Here is a 1 minute video of the final product and a test pull of 225 lbs (I think it was actually more than 225 since the crate corners really dug into the ramp increasing the friction) Either way, he should be good to go for any animal he kills while hunting alone.
Great idea for folks who don't have a buddy or the muscle. Did you happen to try a setup where you could ratchet up the deer cart?
I don't think its necessarily a matter of muscle. A large bear does not have handles and offers no good way to grab to lift. Its a floppy, hairy blob and tough for one guy to manage. We don't have a cart.
Would it be easier to strap the deer/bear to the boards and just push the boards and all into the truck.
great idea. I like your use of a pulley for those larger deer. Have a friend who has used a piece of aluminum ladder the length of his truck bed, lays that against the tailgate, rolls the deer on the bottom end., and then lifts it up and slides it in.
