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Quartering deer in the field to pack out.

9K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  Mangohunter 
#1 ·
I'll be hunting a property this season that will make it an absolute nightmare to drag a deer out by myself. The property is a relatively small wood lot but it's on a very steep slope that is also covered with deadfalls. I don't know if it would be physically possible for me to drag a deer all the way to my truck. I was thinking about quartering it in the field and packing it out but I wasn't sure of the legalities of doing so. I already filled my buck tag so this will be a doe. I know in some states you need to leave evidence of sex on the animal, like a [censored] or testicle. Thanks.
 
#2 ·
there was a thread on this not to long ago, game lands no you can't I think....private land I think you can with permission from land owner....for a doe I think you need to take tagged head for proof of sex just like a buck....
 
#3 ·
Yes it is legal to pack them out, no proof of sex required. Law doesn't specify where you need to be or when you need to process the carcass. No different than bringing the carcass home and cutting it up and then taking some to a butcher for further processing. When you take it to the butcher you don't need the head or tag. Just your own identity for his book. I leave the doe head in the woods and usually just take out the skull cap of the buck, carry the completed tag in my pocket. Been doing it with every deer for MANY years.

First trip out is to drop off the weapon, heavy clothes and all hunting stuff. Change to light work clothes, carry in 2 buckets with 2 knives (skinning and caping), sharpening steel, pack meat saw, couple of plastic bags for heart and liver. Quarter it and carry out 2 buckets of clean meat.

For me has nothing to do with dragging ease as I can get my 4wd tractor anywhere on the property. It's just so fast, easy, and a clean way of doing it. An animal doesn't skin any easier than when its hot. Doesn't cool any quicker than when it is skinned immediately. It is never gutted so there is no potential to contaminate anything with a dirty knife or hands, even gut shot there is no mess, no broken bladders, no broken intestines, no rimming out the colon. No getting dirt on anything from a drag. No bringing home ticks or deer keds, only a few bones to take back out in the woods. Most natural thing for an apex predator to take what it wants and leave everything else for the rest of the ecosystem rather than turning it into refuse in a landfill. Handled much the same way as a steer coming into a slaughterhouse.

§ 2328. Shipping or transporting big game.
(a) General rule.--Unless properly tagged, it is unlawful
for any person to ship or transport the carcass of any big game.
The tag shall contain in English the name, address and license
number of the owner and the location where the big game was
killed.
(b) Portions of big game.--Any person may transport an
unmarked part of a big game carcass that has been legally taken
and cut up. Such person shall, upon request of any law
enforcement officer, furnish the name, address and license
number of the person killing the big game and any other
information required to properly establish legal possession.
 
#4 ·
It is absolutely legal to quarter on sgl's or private land. Only thing I will say different than what was stated above is that I was told by HQ that the head needs to come out of the woods, with tag attatched to the ear. Don't shoot the messenger, just what an email from them told me. I will look and see if I still have that one.
 
#9 ·
tundragriz said:
For me has nothing to do with dragging ease as I can get my 4wd tractor anywhere on the property.

It's just so fast, easy, and a clean way of doing it.

An animal doesn't skin any easier than when its hot.

Doesn't cool any quicker than when it is skinned immediately.

It is never gutted so there is no potential to contaminate anything with a dirty knife or hands, even gut shot there is no mess, no broken bladders, no broken intestines, no rimming out the colon.

No getting dirt on anything from a drag.

No bringing home ticks or deer keds, only a few bones to take back out in the woods.

Most natural thing for an apex predator to take what it wants and leave everything else for the rest of the ecosystem rather than turning it into refuse in a landfill.

Handled much the same way as a steer coming into a slaughterhouse.
Thank you. You sold me on the merits of processing in woods.

Especially the point about no need to gut them and possibly making a mess of things.

Time to load the buckets in back of truck - my deer dragging days are history.
 
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