Essential Skills: How to Hoist a Deer by Yourself

by T. Edward Nickens

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I used to dread the backbreaking task of getting a buck up and over the truck tailgate solo. Until I discovered this trick.

Step 1:
Throw one rope over a branch. Tie one end to the rack and the other to the trailer hitch. Tie a second rope to the rack and toss the tag end over the branch.

Step 2:
Pull the truck forward to lift the animal off the ground. Secure the free end of the second rope to the tree or another object strong enough to hold the deer.

Step 3:
Untie the first rope from the vehicle. Back up under the animal. Untie the rope from the tree and lower the deer into the truck.

From the May 2012 issue of Field & Stream magazine.

Illustration by Robert Prince