Where a good portion of a trip out was on a hard trail, this wheeled carrier was really in its element. The load was much better positioned making it easier to pull without tiring the arms. The hauler may be pulled or pushed, but the usual method is to put the hands behind the back and pull it.

I found the Mag Hauler worked fine so long as I did not have to go into the thick stuff. It proved to be ideal when hunting public lands where motorized vehicles are prohibited, but where there is a network of roads and trails.

Skids And Sleds
Several makers are now offering tough plastic sheets fitted with grommets. These are designed to be rolled up when not in use. When deployed as a skid they reduce the friction of the deer on the ground, as well as a way to tie the legs out of the way.

These skids not only reduce pulling friction by between 30 and 50 percent, they also protect the hide. One early version called the Stag Drag was tough enough that I could pull it over a graveled road behind my lawnmower without significant damage to the plastic sheet. These skids may be used anywhere, including wilderness areas where wheeled vehicles are prohibited.

Next I noticed a plastic sled designed to be pulled behind a snowmobile in a Sportsman's Guide catalog. The sled's pull rope went through openings in the side allowing any interior load to be secured with bungee cords. It also had a depth of about 5 inches with down-molded edges that would help prevent water from splashing onto a load even when the sled is pulled through puddles.

A fitting test came when I took a deer on an area that was part of my grandfather's farm, but was always too wet to till. Instead, it grew huge oaks and even some cypress which provided important food and cover for the resident deer. I made a clean kill and the deer dropped only 30 yards away. I got the sled out of the truck, collected the deer and drug it out over fallen limbs, through flooded timber and even over some cypress knees before making it back to the road.

Not only did my snowmobile sled-cum-deer carrier work well in the woods, it also outperformed wheeled transporters when pulled over soft sand. An additional advantage was that a deer on the sled is significantly easier to load into the back of a pick-up. When hunting near home, I often leave the deer on the sled until I get to my processor. Any blood easily washes off the sled and because the animal is contained in the sled my truck-cleaning problems are considerably reduced.

Floating The Deer Out
Deer float, and there is no problem pulling a deer through knee-deep water. But, the most inventive thing that I have done to extract a deer from water was to get my bowfishing gear, put a barbed fiberglass arrow into the deer and use the high-strength line to pull it in. A good fishing plug on a heavy rod and reel could have done the same. As long as the deer does not hang up on something, it does not take much pressure to move it through water.

I have paddled deer across ponds in small boats. This was not easy, but a sure way to capsize a small johnboat is to attempt to load a deer in the water. If you must put a deer into a boat, beach the craft, get out, drag the deer in, get back in and see if you can safely make it to the landing. If the boat is too small, you may still have to tow it in.

Use what is legally permitted, think about employing things that you already own, purchase what you need for a particular hunt, and your deer retrieval tasks will be considerably eased.