how to carry out an animal

There is thread on this in the other old pub and I found it very imformative...between us all there is one heck of a lot of collective knowledge earned the hard way...there is also a heck of a lot of stuffed backs and dicky knees from doing things the hard way.
about 3 years ago I tried Alex Gale carry strap method and are sold....two pigs 70 and 80lbs got carried out TOGETHER... then did same with two small goats...have used it on a couple of red hinds where it wasnt huge distance,for open country it is simple awesome,falling over is no longer a huge deal,untie know and wiggle out,start again,having weight down across kidneys helps balance no end.
will try to find phots of method...... have at it guys PLEASE show young folks the easy ways to do things.the days of 12year old with 150lb boar on back are over...thats just dumb pigheaded bragging ...cut the plurry thing up.

FishnHunt - New Zealands Famous Hunting and Fishing Forum Since 1995 - Deer Carrying Methods?

in that link is also one I posted elsewhere how to debone deer leaving meat on skin....keeps it clean and hide comes home too...draped around shoulders its hot but comfy.

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I carry them with the belt method. Twice I had the opportunity to shoot another one while carrying like that.

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Originally Posted by Friwi

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I carry them with the belt method. Twice I had the opportunity to shoot another one while carrying like that.

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Looks like quite a bit of weight in that animal too

If I can't eat it, it stays in the bush. Simple.

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Originally Posted by XR500

If I can't eat it, it stays in the bush. Simple.

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I like to hang it under the house then take my time cutting it up into choice cuts and make a good job so I carry all mine out whole

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Originally Posted by 7mm Rem Mag

Looks like quite a bit of weight in that animal too

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Yep, a big spiker from pureora.

normally now I bone out front end and whack the back wheels off in one bit...front bits go in pikau and back wheels over shoulders.

Depending how far i’ve got to go or what sort of hunt I will either bone out back legs and take eye fillets / back steaks or i’ll take the back steaks / eye fillets and whack off the two rear legs and carry them intact but leg shortened at the knee. I carry a 40L day back on day hunts so normally it fits inside that. If not then I tie the two legs together and drape them over the pack on my back. If I shoot two then often one fits in the bag and the other gets draped over top (unless if someone else there to carry it). The only time I take whole animals is if I can get a vehicle or quad to them or pretty close. Shoulders normally stuffed from the shot anyway.

Generally, back legs and backstraps harvested. One or two shoulders normally munted, so left. Don't open gut cavity. Smaller animals taken out in entirety, but gutted and broken down to some degree to fit in a pikau. If it's an overnight trip (I vaguely remember those!) and getting late in the day, animal gutted and put in a cotton duvet to keep flies off and dealt with the next day.

I will carry the whole animal out (assuming it isn't a giant red) if I am not too far from the car. Otherwise I will debone the meat and fit all of it into my pack. Excess bone is very heavy. Even the hide is heavy.
Id rather have a BIT less meat and a bit less bone for a broth than to bugger up my knees. Ive already halfway mucked up my left knee and its still hurting after a few years so it made me think twice about carrying too much.

What about the chopper boys who dragged a boat over the range so they could ferry their deer around that lake. Unreal. .

I am a Ex Shearer who had years of back related Sciatica pain ,(touch wood all good for years now),who still does core strength , swimming & stretching exercises at nearly 60 to avoid any reoccurrence, as l would not wish it on my worst enemy .

Around 16 yrs ago a mate blew his knee out & twisted his back into spasm carrying a carcass out when it got caught up in the scrub ,they had to spend a cold night on the hill, with panic stations with their families. I have never carried a carcass since, all busted down , majority of time l shoulder shoot aiming to punch through to off side so front wheels are normally not taken, but l do gut & get the flap steak ,Heart & Kidneys normally & now l have been getting into smoking meat l take neck & ribs as well .

For over a decade l have used a 45ltr pack with a dedicated meat bag, that l now use as multi function bit of essential hunting Kit, l had a large flap of truck nylon HD tarp sewed to it & it gets used to sit on while glassing ,placing tucker on in the field & it is used as a cold ground barrier for the dog to sleep on .

I am lucky enough to have a productive private hunting spot where l am hunting within 45min's of turning out of our farm gate ,so hunt at least once a week & this system has worked well for me over the years.

That limestone country has always produce big, nice tasting animals:thumbsup:

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backpack method was how i showed my young nephew for his first ......small (35kgish)sika....tied the legs on this one(legs too short to slip the back thru the front at the joint) now i carry cable ties .....

just to add i m old now and prefer the bone out and pack it out method ....i wouldnt have let the young guy carry a big animal and also keeping the backlegs intact like this (not cutting thru the tendons ) he was able to keep the animal high on his back so the weight was distributed for a comfortable carry.....no different than carrying a full pack ,except a pack doesnt bleed all over your back

It cracks me up we take these young fellas out and they have none of the flash camo, state of the art clothing and equipment we just have to have.
Maybe some of our essential purchases are not that necessary.

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Originally Posted by erniec

It cracks me up we take these young fellas out and they have none of the flash camo, state of the art clothing and equipment we just have to have.
Maybe some of our essential purchases are not that necessary.

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Yeah you would think those shorts would stick out a mile away but maybe it isn't as big an issue as we think.

I just throw my hunting clothes in the washing machine with the normal detergent now, they smell great and Im shooting more deer than ever.

The heavy pig & deer carrying culture in NZ is bad news. Yeah I know, if you’re big and strong and can carry it then you get the kudos and sure it looks cool. But you’re only one misstep away from a lifelong disaster. Some get away with it, many don’t.

it’s no coincidence that in my generation of older guys there are several good mates who are full of regret for what they got up to when they were younger, as they are totally fucked in their late 50s and 60s, praying for knee and hip replacements and all sorts of irreparable back problems. What annoys me is that a couple of them have deliberately made friends with big and strong young fellas so that they can come along on the hunt and carry their enormous pigs out for them!

So yeah, nah. Small deer and pigs, goats, whatever, setup right, different story. But the big ones? Just bone them out and don’t risk a miserable second half to life.

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Originally Posted by Flyblown

The heavy pig & deer carrying culture in NZ is bad news. Yeah I know, if you’re big and strong and can carry it then you get the kudos and sure it looks cool. But you’re only one misstep away from a lifelong disaster. Some get away with it, many don’t.

it’s no coincidence that in my generation of older guys there are several good mates who are full of regret for what they got up to when they were younger, as they are totally fucked in their late 50s and 60s, praying for knee and hip replacements and all sorts of irreparable back problems. What annoys me is that a couple of them have deliberately made friends with big and strong young fellas so that they can come along on the hunt and carry their enormous pigs out for them!

So yeah, nah. Small deer and pigs, goats, whatever, setup right, different story. But the big ones? Just bone them out and don’t risk a miserable second half to life.

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Exactly right. Our macho-bullshit culture always has consequences. Not just through deer carrying. Physical and psychological damage. Body, mind and relationships.

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Originally Posted by Tahr

Exactly right. Our macho-bullshit culture always has consequences. Not just through deer carrying. Physical and psychological damage. Body, mind and relationships.

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I can barely move a stag prior to boning out let alone put one on my back. My first red weighed my pack in at 43kg. 8 hours of that after a 3 day hunt and I couldn't walk for a couple days... you ever felt your achilles tendons sliding as you walk? It's a bit disconcerting.

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Originally Posted by Flyblown

The heavy pig & deer carrying culture in NZ is bad news. Yeah I know, if you’re big and strong and can carry it then you get the kudos and sure it looks cool. But you’re only one misstep away from a lifelong disaster. Some get away with it, many don’t.

it’s no coincidence that in my generation of older guys there are several good mates who are full of regret for what they got up to when they were younger, as they are totally fucked in their late 50s and 60s, praying for knee and hip replacements and all sorts of irreparable back problems. What annoys me is that a couple of them have deliberately made friends with big and strong young fellas so that they can come along on the hunt and carry their enormous pigs out for them!

So yeah, nah. Small deer and pigs, goats, whatever, setup right, different story. But the big ones? Just bone them out and don’t risk a miserable second half to life.

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Remember shooting my first boar, not big, maybe 45kg. After the excitement wore off, went to throw it over my shoulders to walk out, just like in the magazines. Couldn't get it off the ground! How's that for un-macho? I learnt the value of boning out that night.

As an aside, I was in to technical SCUBA diving many years ago. It would be normal to wear/carry 50kg plus of kit. Some of the guys used to throw it on their back like it was nothing. Same guys who had never seen the inside of a gym, yet these fine pot-bellied individuals thought they had superhuman powers. Guess how many developed back issues a few years down the line?

What do the guys carrying out whole do with the skin etc? I can’t be arsed carrying them out only to throw them away later , seems like a waste of time effort and knee cartridge.

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Originally Posted by paremata

What do the guys carrying out whole do with the skin etc? I can’t be arsed carrying them out only to throw them away later , seems like a waste of time effort and knee cartridge.

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Either dig a hole or https://animalskintanningservices.co.nz/

into the green otto bin,along with bones..dog will chew ONE leg bone then just leave anymore....

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Originally Posted by paremata

What do the guys carrying out whole do with the skin etc? I can’t be arsed carrying them out only to throw them away later , seems like a waste of time effort and knee cartridge.

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I use the home tanning kits if I am willing to put in the tiring work of defleshing, breaking, softening, etc by hand. Does take a fair bit of effort. Sending it off to the animal skin tanning services is a different kind of effort in the form of working for money and using that money :P

There,s nothing like that floating on air sensation after dropping ya carcass on the back of the ute but

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Originally Posted by bluebaiter222

There,s nothing like that floating on air sensation after dropping ya carcass on the back of the ute but

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I can get the same feeling from dropping a pack full of meat.