Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Dirt bike to pull out deer?

Some searching has turned up a couple of trailers that can be towed by a dirt bike. Most are way more expensive and overbuilt for what I am wanting, so I thought I'd ask here how you guys have used dirt bikes to get deer out of the woods?

I've boned/quartered them up, but them in a backpack and rode out. Up until last year I used the SXS, but it went away to put a down payment on a house. So, now I have a dirt bike and am pondering ways to use it to drag a couple of deer/year out of the woods.

That sounds like a pain in the ass

That is what I was thinking, but if I had to do it I think this is what I would use. But with a deer.

Sounds like a good way to get hurt.

Here is a guy doing it, but I think it would be better on a sled. Still not ideal with a motorcycle. I have a four wheeler that makes it super simple on a rack or with a trailer behind.

I suggest a couple young kids, even if they do not hunt.
The one problem with any dirt bike, atv, utv is the future rut/gulley that may, or may not start where your tires track, especially if you do any spinning.
Timber ground void of leaves/weeds/grass ect, washes extremely easy, and it only takes 1 thunderstorm to start it, and at that point there is no turning back.
Just my opinion.
Good luck

Sure it works, but it depends on the surface conditions. One year I pulled a 6 and an 8 point out to the main road with a two stroke 60cc Yamaha Mini Enduro. That was down a grass covered logging trail. On those I just tied the antlers high up behind the seat and pulled in first gear. That little bike spent a lot of those pulls on it's back wheel and my feet were on the ground most of the time to steady the bike. The 8 point punched the back of the seat full of holes. I think that my street legal knobby tired Honda CT110 in low range would do a better job, but I'd have the deer on a sled to slide easier and keep the dirt off the deer. In mud or snow that narrow back tire would just dig in and spin. Most every deer and bear retrieve since has been a two wheel drive Rokon retrieve on a sled or over the back and I just drove out of the woods to the trailer. If I hunted in an area where there were other hunters, I wouldn't use a motorized vehicle.

I do remember seeing a You Tube video of two guys in Australia or New Zealand that used Honda "Posties" they call the CT90's or 110's over there to take out deer like a back pack. They tied the front legs together and tied the back legs together and sat the deer vertically behind them with the legs tied around the driver. That might work if a guy was strong enough to lift the deer up onto the seat. Probably why there were two guys in that video. A sled would sure work easier for one guy.

What are we calling a dirtbike? Is it a real one or some sportsmans warehouse wannbe Rokon? Type of ground is really going to play a big part in it too.

I am not the OP. I don't know what he has.

CR500 with a Bill's Pipes hand made piece of art off the front.

KLX 250 dual sport. Ground is hilly, either in grass, power line ROW, or on logging trails through the woods.

Build a pack frame for it, like saddlebags. Drop a couple teeth on the front sprocket, you'll have much more control against spinning with the lower ratio. You may also need a more aggressive tire(s) for the terrain.

Nah do it right.

Yz250......lmk how you do. 😂

A four stroke 250 will have more than enough power to pull a deer, but those hills will give you trouble because the front end will want to wheelie on you pulling a load. A 250 might be kind of tall to be able to keep your feet on the ground to steady the bike. When the going gets really slow in the woods, most dual sport bikes are geared too high and will stall. Giving it gas and slipping the clutch will spin the tire and dig a hole. If it has trials tires instead of knobby tires expect more trouble. Best you can do is to tie the load as low as you can off the rear axle support away from the chain.

Do they still make those slick plastic sheets that you tie around a deer to drag it? They're easier to carry in than a sled. I haven't seen one in a lot time so I don't know if they're still made.

Answered my own question: this thing...
I've never used one but Amazon's reviews are pretty good.

DEER SLEIGH'R

I bought one of those Deer Sleigh'r plastic things only the elk larger model, but found it more useful under the truck to change the oil. Sold it for $2.00 at a garage sale and good riddens. Deer are long and narrow and I've found a more rigid narrow sled works better. One of the ice fishing companies out of Minnesota made a heavy black fiber glass sled that works perfectly for deer. Holes for rope all along both edges and even an aluminum yolk to pull it with a snowmobile. It was made heavy enough to get a disabled snowmobile up onto it and pull it out of the woods. Overkill for deer and doesn't slide as well as a kid's sled, but unbreakable.

Thanks for all of the suggestions! If I could find a small trailer that I could afford, I think it'd do what I want. As far as dragging, I'm thinking I'd just be riding too many wheelies even with my fat arse on the seat. Guess it'll just be a drag and cart deal.

I have one of these Polar trailers. Mine will hold 1500lb which is far more than I've ever put in it. I put a ball hitch on it to be more convenient.
The problem is that it's 37" wide. That's fine for an ATV but it might be too wide for a motorcycle trail.

A friend of mine has a Rokon Trailbreaker and alaska made umv sleds. He can pull a moose (cut up) with ease,,

1/2 a blue plastic barrel works awesome, indestuctable. Dragged a 200# bear 1 mile myself with one once in no time

I kinda like that idea for a cheap sled to keep at the property!

As an avid dirt bike rider, this was exactly my thought.

Not what I would do why not buy a atv.would be much easier. Doesn't have to be top of the line I use a honda rancher 420 also have a smaller kawasaki brute force 300.

I have seen my buddy bring out several deer across his lap, and/or over the handle bars back in the day, on his Honda XL 350.

And we have seen photos of the guys in Alaska tying a deer onto their back-----piggy back. Yes, front legs over their shoulder tied in front of the throat and back legs tied around the waist. Then they bring it out on small dirt bikes. I would remove the hair first, so it did not look so much like a deer before heading down the trail.

Just get 2 pieces of pipe with a piece box tubing across the back and pin the pipes to the foot pegs. A motorcycle will pull hard and not pull a wheelie setup that way.

Interesting idea. May have to give that thunk...

^^^JUNK^^^

These things are an absolute nightmare. They take forever to get the deer on it and tied up. You'll look like a monkey f^cking a football. When you drag it, the deer will flip over and every twig and stick will catch it. A total waste of time. Buy a sled and be done with it.

Shappell Jet Sled 54"x 25"x 10" - The best $60 you'll ever spend.


https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/shappell-jet-sled

Looks like a good way to destroy a nice rack
I use a Jet Sled

Every photo or video of a Jet Sled shows them being used in snow. How about rocks & sagebrush?

Just used a rope and tied the horns up high, and don't go fast!
Best if you don't gut them.

How far are you needing to pull one ?

I've towed elk up to 1/4 miles behind my RZR in rocks and sagebrush. They don't get dirty inside and I can't see that it hurts the meat any. I don't recommend it if you want to save the hide or cape, though. The hair takes a pounding. Mine have all been cows so there wasn't an issue with antlers. For those, you'll have to avoid heavy brush and trees and there'll always be a risk of breaking one.

I've had an entire elk on my tw. Two hinds on the rack, the rest in my pack. It's VERY unstable but if you stand up and ride it like a moto bike....you can do some impressive stuff.

The problem with towing on a bike is stopping while going downhill. The load pushes the rear out from underneath you.

Gutless and a pack is the best result....especially on something as small as a deer.

Tied higher raises the center of gravity or what ever that geometry/physics term is and the bike wants to wheelie faster. My little one did anyhow. RC, we don't have rocks and sagebrush here, but a sled works great over grass, frozen ground or snow. I haven't used my wheeled cart in years since I went to a thick sled with enough power to pull it.

I haven't seen another hunter in the woods in years, but I am a little self conscious about making engine noise and messing up someone else's hunt. I do wish that WI. had a provision for using an ATV off private land like Minnesota when you can use an ATV to retrieve game around mid day and again after sundown.

Sounds like a good way to break he pegs off.