Why do you have to pull the deer out right when you shoot them? I can see going and gutting it out, but why not leave it lay til mid morning so everyone can get a hunt in?
Even if I needed help, I certainly wouldn't bother anyone to help until lunch time or even the end of the day.
We use a processor that is a half-hour away, and they tend to fill up on The Opener. They usually cap it at 100 carcasses. That is the big limitation.
Most of our shots are before 0900, but if we're going to get there in time, we usually have to hussle. The fastest method is when we drop one in the middle of the field. That happens about half the time. In that case, all we have to do is back the truck up, load it and take it to the meatpole for dressing. I'm going to say our fastest is something like 2 hour turnaround from shot to delivery to the processor and that was with 2 deer taken 15 minutes apart. The processor will often times fill up by Noon, so let's say a deer gets shot at 0900. At best we have an hour of slack. Not getting to the processor in time isn't the end of the world. I've kept a deer overnight. This is just the optimal way to deal with it. On the Opener we try to get at least two people involved, so it's often the shooter who goes for the truck and often times it's me that they pick up to go get the deer. I'm in on at least half the pickups during season, because I know the schtick better than anyone else. Moose and Angus know the drill, but Moose is lame on the left side. SuperCore can drive the truck, but he's usually spent. They all usually let me hunt until about 1000, and then somebody comes and gets me. By then, I'm walking out to meet them halfway. My stand for The Opener is the farthest out of any.
If the deer runs down into one of the many ravines, things change dramatically. The shooter guts the carcass where it lays while somebody gets the truck and runs the winch down. Recovery takes a good long while. By 1100 most everyone has decided to come in, and we've got more hands involved. We then adjourn to the processor with a carcass or two and eat lunch there. The place is usually packed with orange hats. A good time is had by all.
The other big limitation is the afternoon hunt. Let's say we get closed-out at the primary processor. The next closest is an hour away from the first. Delays stack up. I've hussled my buns on The Opener and still been late getting out to my blind for the afternoon sit. Ideally, I like to be back out by 1500. Sometimes that slips later. I've had several years where I didn't get much hunting in on Saturday, but this is what it is to be the patriarch. I don't intend on having NewGuy be burdened. I want him hunting and not worrying about all this. By second weekend, we've much more time and still have the same kind of fun. The deer are still there. In fact a lot of our best bucks have come well after that first weekend. I've also put a buck down before sunrise on The Opener, walked back to get the truck and been sitting on the porch when the rest of the crew shows up.
Why not hunt all day? There is a second rush of deer as the Orange Army mount their ATV's and drive in @0900. That usually means we get a flurry of shots at 1000 or thereabouts. After that, there is nearly no action until well after lunch. I'm 62, and all day sits just aren't my thing anymore. Normally we switch venues and I usually switch rifles. On the Opener, I'm usually in a stand in the morning with my Savage 99. In the evening the deer are usually out browsing in the pastures and I'll switch to my DX rig.
