"OK so now you got one" & you drive an economy car...

[Brock]

I have hauled them in trucks, jeeps, 4 door compact sedans and SUVs.  In everything I did the same thing except truck that I deviated slightly..

In all conditions I would spray bug spray on the deer especially on belly and around groin area.....to chase the ticks and fleas off the deer as I either wait to start field dressing or walk out to my vehicle to come pick it up.

The 30-45 min walk gave plenty of time for the animal to cool and the bugs to run off...if warm I would field dress right afterward and prop stick in ribs to keep them open while I walk out.

When I return would load in truck and field dress if not already done.  In the cars, jeep and suv...i have a large tarp for cargo area or trunk...would put deer in the tarp...folding up sides so it forms a dish to trap any fluids that leak from animal.  If going more than 20-30 minutes from hunt location I would stop at first store and buy a bag of ice and put it in the empty body cavity to help in cooling while it was shut in trunk or cargo area of vehicle.

drive to processor....and that is it.

[xtrema312]

Back when I had a small car and hunted from it one was a hatch back with a rack.  I just hung stuff on the back of the car tied to the rack.  Another car had a trunk so I just strapped them on the trunk and tied through the windows.  Obviously I am not very PC and don’t care what anyone thinks about a dead animal in view. But, that was years ago also.  

Now I do hunt every once in a while with the Vibe.  The deck, back of seats and sides of interior are almost all hard plastic.  I just slip a jet sled in on some rubber back carpet scraps with one seat down.  I put gear in the sled for easy acces, but can toss a deer in it if needed.  That carries a dear easy with no contact with the interior and the sled holds all the liquid and ice if needed.  Given the time, I will just drive home and get a truck or get a friend with a truck, but it can be done when needed.  I will not just toss a critter in my vehicle in a tarp.  It would just be too big a mess if things went wrong. I would much rather get it quartered in the field and in a cooler if I couldn’t do the sled thing.

If I didn’t have a truck, I wouldn’t have anything but a hatch back I can put the sled or other large container in.  They are the only way to go if you don’t have a truck rater you are hunting or anything else where you need flexible storage.  

I also think a small trailer and / or a hitch hall are just too handy not to have regardless of what you have for a vehicle.  The smaller the vehicle the more you really need one or both of them for hunting and all kinds of other stuff.  Most people could easily do without a truck with the extra capacity of a small trailer.  

One last option is one I saw a couple years ago.  Late season with a lot of fresh snow on the ground and roads one day I saw a guy tie a deer to his bumper and just drag it home.  No ideas how far he went, but it was a couple miles at least.  Nothing closer than that the way he went for the farm I was hunting.

[dagwood64]

"One last option is one I saw a couple years ago. Late season with a lot of fresh snow on the ground and roads one day I saw a guy tie a deer to his bumper and just drag it home. No ideas how far he went, but it was a couple miles at least. Nothing closer than that the way he went for the farm I was hunting."

That's one way to tenderize your deer.

 

[longrifle]

Used to drive around in nothing but small station wagons Subaru's,Toyota's and Saturn's used to spend more money on the mountain bikes that were strapped to the back than on the car itself.But you would amazed at how much room you can gain by removing the front passenger seat and folding down the rear seats.I have had deer strapped in and on these cars with no problem,like someone already said " better to drive a car with a deer on it then a big truck with no deer in it".

I was going to get a new pickup, problem was it costs $15000 more than the Subaru Forester and the 4x6 enclosed trailer only costs $1500.  That was cheaper than a good topper for the pickup. I was thinking about it again last year and my friend asked "What do you get for gas mileage pulling that trailer?" I said 25 at 55. He got 15 at 55 pulling nothing with his 4x4 Dodge. So I bought a really fancy Outback, now I have two Subarus. Not to be outdone, he bought one as well. The trailer dealer here is the cheapest anywhere in the country and he only sells the better models. The same trailer that I bought for $1500 was nearly $3000 in Sioux Falls.

[Randy Koleno]

Years ago, one of my brothers, who moved out of the area, came home to hunt. He borrowed my 1985, full sized, 2-door blazer. There was a trick getting the rear window down to get the tailgate open that I neglected to tell him. (whooda thunk hed git anythin).

  This was before cell phones. He ended up bringing the buck home in the front seat of the blazer. I wish I had a picture.

  We all have pick-ups now.

[Sam McMichael]

Before I had a tuck, I draped deer across the hood. It works but engine heat is bad if you are going very far. Also, it is a good way to skin up your paint. Perhaps a small utility trailer will work better, and it will have uses all year long.

[longbowbryan]

My mom didn't know if she should be pissed or proud when I brought home my first deer. It was wrapped in a shower curtain in the back of her minivan! I've since brought home a lot more venison in vehicles that aren't necessarily considered macho.

[V I Archer]

My wife used to ahave a Ford Festiva back when we were poor college students.  Put more than a few deer in the back of that little gas miser.  Great car, super cheap on fuel.

[dnovo]

Who remembers the story the Wensels used to tell about living in Montana and knowing the guy who had a Honda Civic back then. He killed a spike bull elk and drug it off a bank onto the roof of the car. Tied it down and on the way into town hit a bump in the road. The weight of the elk collapsed the roof, so he drove to the fire dept to help him get out of the car!!!!

[DeerBacon]

I have been using a Dodge Caliber. My friends call it the "meat wagon". Always hair or scales in the back of her.  

[limbolt]

Back in the days when I was putting my kids through school I've hauled many deer home in the hatchback Subaru I used for a work car.There's no shame in saving money for important things and using what you have.