PSA - Don't be afraid to ask for help!!

This goes for everyone, not just the people that aren't as young as they once were.

Don't try to load a deer or hog or anything heavy into your truck or ranger/sxs if you have zero business doing so. If there's any doubt, ask for help or use tools like a hitch hoist or winch.

A man I've hunted with for 35 years fell out of the bed of his ranger today trying to load a deer into it by himself. He broke his hip at the ball joint and is having surgery tomorrow morning at 7:30am.

His son (mid 30s and former A&M football player), myself (41) and another 60+ hunter were all a call or text away.

Not sure of his exact age, prolly 65-68 but he's in good shape, was training for a 100 mile bike race next summer. That is on hold for now.

PLEASE, ASK FOR HELP IF THERES ANY DOUBT!!!

Good advice. Not worth injuring yourself over a little pride.

Prayers for a full recovery...

I resembled this story a couple of evenings ago, lifting an ungutted axis. Hoist, SxS with a low hitch carrier, wife , all back at the house. You can't fix stupid.

It can be hard to realize you are not as young and able as you used to be. And when you do realize it you may already be in too deep.

Wise words.

The other day I moved a small hog trap.I used to be able to load it with a couple of grunts this time it took everything I had to load it. Next time I move it I will have some help.

Prayers for your friend, hopefully the surgery will go well and he will fully recover. This is good advice as we get older. Being on the short and light side and in my 60's and a lot of the time hunting alone I have had to get creative in loading deer. Thankfully we have a double skinning rack at out parking area now so I can skin and quarter there and go straight into a cooler.

Appreciate the prayers. Surgery went well. Doc had to put a 3rd screw in the bone because of where it broke. Said rehab and recovery will be longer. He broke the other side last year in a bike accident, this one was worse.

To cap it off, his son told me that last month his dad welded him a custom hitch hoist. Hopefully he calls for he,p,or uses the tool he made next time!

Unfortunate this could have been avoided but none of us are there yet. I bet when the time comes it will be just as hard for us to let go too.

Could happen to anyone at any age though. I cheat and use a hitch rack. Don't need blood all over my bed anyway.

Prayers.

I once thought that people who complained about having a bad back were just looking for an excuse. I eventually learned otherwise. Your spine is one of those things that can be very unforgiving when damaged due to abuse. Do yourself a favor and push your ego out of the way at a young age and ask for help.

After loading two deer by myself in 2018 I found and bought a hoist on clearance at the end of that season. I used it for the first time this season and it was great. The only time I was huffing and puffing was when I had to drag the spike the 30 to 40 yards out of the brush and Cactus to where I could load it and it with the hoist. When the lease manager saw it he asked where I got it because he wants one.

Excellent advice. I've been using a hoist for 11 years or so now. Ever since I tore my biceps tendon trying to lift a red stag (I wasn't alone, there were 4 of us but it was a dang red stag). Ever since then I don't lift deer but use the hoist. It allows me to hunt and handle a white tail or hog on my own. I wouldn't hunt without one now.

When I was in my early 20’s and lifted weights 5x’s a week I could drag a full grown south Texas whitetail into the bed of my 4x4 F-150 without much trouble. Now it hurts me just to visualize it.

It only takes one miss step.