Anyone ever make a game sled out of a 55 gallon plastic drum?
I was going to use about 1/3 of the drum.
Any other material better suited for this?

Thanks, 35

I think it would be more trouble that it's worth. even on flat ground I would think that the sharp side to end transition would tend to plow the ground somewhat. Use it on any kind of a slope and the thing is just gonna continually want to roll over I would think. But then I have never tried it.

I was going to pull it from the side not the end.

That might help with the rolling issue, but then the dragging track would be so wide that where I hunt it just wouldn't be practical. The vegetation is just too dense.
If you hunt fields or more open woods then it might work out for you.

Buy one:
http://www.bing.com/search?q=game+s...mp;cvid=3D502D64DC6F4E70BB4168644FB6A4BD

I have, or had,(haven't seen it in a while now that I think about it)a dead sled. I've piled 2 antelope on it and 2 of us dragged them a half mile through the sagebrush. It works quite well. I think I could drag half an elk for quite a ways if the need arose. If it was more than a mile or two I'd probably drop down to a quarter of an elk. Whether there was snow on the ground would make a huge difference as well.

http://deadsled.com/

Kids' plastic snow sled.

I bought one of the sleds that are designed to tow behind a canoe or kayak.It works great for dragging out deer.It loads very easily into my jeep and contains all the blood.When processing my deer,I let all the scrap fall into the sled then load back into jeep and then dragged back into the woods to let nature have the rest.Very simple and clean.

I saw a number of these just laying about in Newfoundland in September.



Perfect for the occasional moose!

[i][/i]We've tried a roll-up - never could get it to not roll over - and a kid's tub tobaggan - not much better. Better to shoot the animal near an easily accessible (by vehicle) location. We have proven highly inept at that.

I use the Beaver Tail Medium sled. Has held up very well and fits right in my suburban. The local feed store sells Calf sleds that some guys use. Similar in size to my Beaver Tail and a little heavier const. But also more $

Manard's carries a light weight version in black (which i just baught @$8) and cabela's has the lifetime version, for about $200.00.
I would suggest a better use of your barrel would be a worm farm for fishing bait.

I too have a med Beavertail sled. I drilled a few holes and made a self equalizing harness that I attach to my internal frame daypack w/ carabiners. I used 7mm cord for the harness and a rear drag for steep downhills.

Cheap and surprisingly effective. I hope to shoot a wolf this winter and want to retrieve it intact for taxidermy. I put all my gear for a long winter day of calling and travelling in the sled and it is much easier to pull than carry in a backpack.

Go to the American Alpine Club site and reference the section on climbing Denali for good harness systems. I made the self equalizing system using a pulley. The sled makes winter hiking w/ snowshoes or skis a pleasure.


mike r

I like the Deer Sleighr sled, link here

A 1/3rd chunk of a drum would work but the Sleighr rolls up and carries easy so I don't have to go back to camp to get it, I have it with me.
Parachute cord or mule tape ties Bambi on and makes a large loop tied to the front. Poke your head and shoulder thru and haul away.

Sleds might work in flat country, absolutely useless where I live! Tried them the Cabela's lasted about half a journey. My biggest issue is then your have a deer and trash to take out! Cabela's did refund the dollars!

The slickest sled I've ever used was a piece of 5/16" Teflon with grommets around the edges, tied a 6pt. bull on it and a 5/8" rope, with the center section tripled then wound around for handle. On dry ground with rocks and branches it slid right along, (OK, going uphill was work) it did get a few small grooves from sharp stones, though. The big drawback to getting my own (I borrowed it from a guy who worked at a plastics factory) was price; as I age, that seems to be getting to be less of an objection.

Look under ICE FISHING SLEDS. I have one that I have hauled around long enough to no longer remember the name. These are designed from really tough plastic to haul your crap over miles of parking lot, ice, shallow snow, deep snow...the wheel was already done invented. Plus all different sizes, already available. and if your not into ice fishing, trust me, a lot of gear gets hauled a long way.

I purchase two Jet Sleds at Cal Ranch store they are about 4 feet long 20 inches wide and 12 inches deep. I slide them in the back of my truck with a lot of my stuff in them (chains, come along, axe, backpack etc.) If I kill something I use the sled to haul it out and to carry the animal home. The blood stays in the sled and I just transfer the stuff to one sled.
I think the cost was around $30 each. I took a piece of 3/4 conduit and made a handle that looks like a water ski handle. I have hauled out a whole raghorn bull in one trip with this setup. Deer drag real easy even on dry ground. I have used mine for at least 10 years now and still going strong.

I think mine is a jet sled. I bought it to pull behind the ATV ànd give the grand kids rides in the snow. But I use it more to drag hay bales around at feeding time.

Mine came f4om Sportsman's Whse. Cabelas also sell shem. They are advertised for use to ferry ice fishing gear or loads of decoys over terrain which is not always snow covered and are pretty durable.

I saw these on the Tractor Supply website recently. It looks like they might be quite handy. They also have a smaller, cheaper version.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/terrain-sport-sled?cm_vc=-10005

If you have kids, get that one because it will be the best snow sled your kids ever sat in....and it's good for a lot of other tasks (brush, etc.) too.

In a similar vein, you might check out polyurethane breakout barrier used under septic systems. A local septic installer will probably have left over (short rolls) they'd sell you cheap. The stuff is pretty rugged and slick.


Ultimately, Jett sled is going to be easy. That's what we use, often behind an atv (the large model). I have 3 of the standard model that I use for toting waterfowl decoys.

Dragging is stupid.

Trying to make dragging easier is more stupider.




Travis

35;
Good evening to you sir, hopefully the day treated you acceptably and this finds you well.

We've been using plastic toboggans for years now for moving game in the BC mountains. I believe we're on number 8 now?

The only modification we do is punch a ½" hole every 10"-12" on the side. Into these holes we thread a good braided nylon yacht rope - leaving enough on the tail end to use to slow the loaded sled down on steep trails - and the resulting side loops giving us anchor loops for lashing animals onto it.

Typically we'll use at least two together as that makes them stiffer and when the bottom tears out on a rock it's a simple matter to unlace the animal, unlace the side ropes, reverse the sleds, lace up the yacht rope, lash in the animal again and off you go.

Here's a little whitetail lashed into it.


Pulling out a pretty good mulie on dry ground with it.


Anyway as always there's many paths that lead to happiness and this is only one. Hopefully that was useful information for you or someone out there tonight sir.

Good luck on your animal sleds and your hunts.

Dwayne

Your option?

https://d3axvdqkyu09xk.cloudfront.net/attachments/img_20151005_164158108-jpg.45975/
And if you don't want to drag, there is also the game cart. This one is my design. Uses wheelchair wheels.

Yes, a game sled.

Seriously, buy a sled for $15

I bet you could get a scrap piece of good heavy duty linoleum from a flooring store and put in some grommets for a pull rope and tie downs.

A knife and a pack.




Dave

That's not really done back east, save for Moose.





A sled will be cheaper than a pack.

Yes, that is the one I have. Cabellas and Sportsman's has them in several sizes.

I have used a sled, a toboggan, a cart, a pack and with all the above learned my real preference is -----

use the young and dumb.

Shhh... but yes, absolutely.

I've had one for at least 10 years. It works as advertised and is easier to pull than the cheap 2-wheel game cart I also have, maybe because the game cart weighs about 45 pounds on its own. I leave mine in the woods tied to the tree my stand is in. So far, nobody's taken it. It keeps the carcass clean and unbruised.

Wish I could, but unfortunately we have to bring the deer to a check in station, in one piece. We can field dress, but that's it! I'd much rather bone and carry it, but, nope. Out it comes in one piece.

Last year we got a game cart from cabella's, "V" shapped with wheels in the middle. Worked great! Haven't tried it in snow yet.

I guess I've lived out here too long. I forgot about these things.

Also I've grown accustomed to the truck being five freakin' miles from the deer which I know isn't the case in lots of the Midwestern and eastern states.




Dave

We can drive up to stands here.

This.....if you need a sled.

About 5 years ago, my daughter gave me one for Christmas. I said, "OOOHHH, thank you". In my mind, I was thinking that this is going to be another one of those worthless gadgets that I'd never use. She kept asking me how it worked, so I had to try it.

It worked. The problem is that, in the time it takes you to wrestle the deer onto the sled and get it tied in, I could just throw a rope around it's neck and tie it to a stick and drag it out. I generally keep it in the back of the truck and if I have a big deer or have a long drag or if I'm going to get it mounted, I will use it.

If you have snow cover, you can jump on top of the deer and use it's ears for handles and ride it down hill.

If you choose to posthole through deep snow 5 miles w/ a load you are a weirdo.

If you can ski/snowshoe that distance w/ a load you, you are THE MAN.


mike r

Weirdo

I buy crazy carpets / roll up sleds for about $5-7 a pop, grommets and cord. They will last a good number of deer before they crap out. We do a good deal of hunting in SE Alberta and the crazy carpet works great on that gars dry ground. Works even better with a bunch of snow. Cheap enough to replace and you carry it with you. Not keen on walking 2 miles back to the truck to grab a sled or cart to walk 2 miles back to the deer.

Used to pack deer, due to age, injuries etc no longer an option.

Just my perspective.

Mike: searched the american alpine club site for denali and harness but no hits. Do you have a link or better yet more info about your harness? thanks

bobmn, try American Alpine Institute-climbing blog-expedition sled rigging. My memory is shorter than my...... If that is not successful let me know and I will try to describe it, it is pretty simple and effective.


mike r

Thanks. Here is a link: http://blog.alpineinstitute.com/2008/01/expedition-sled-rigging.html I use fiberglass traces but I ski mostly flat country

Any of the roll up sleds will work fine on flat ground but will cause a lot of cussing on slopes. A kid's plastic toboggan with some ribs on the bottom will help a little on side hills but it's far from perfect. The problem with a kids sled is that the holes for the rope might not be strong enough when you're on dry ground. Rigging it so the pull is mostly on the deer will help with that.

Opinions seem to vary on roll-up sleds where rocks and gravel live as to how they hold up. In those instances, they are an expensive disposable solution. I agree about rigging the drag strap/rope to pull up on the deer. That's how I do it.

If you need a serious sled go to Kifaru. I used one of their sleds when they were in their Mountainsmith era. This is a pro level sled and is used by climbers and the military worldwide.


mike r