Transporting Harvested Deer out of SHNF?

So lets say a guy lucks into a deer out at the Sam Houston. Whats the preferred method for bringing it out of the woods? Can you quarter them in the filed and carry them out in game bags? Or do they need to be left in one piece (after field dressing)? Im imagining it's a long walk out if you have to leave them in one piece, both just being a pain in the butt & the obvious fact that a deer is moving through public lands and might just get shot at even if it's on someones back. For some reason I recall reading they cant be quartered though, but cant find where I read that...

The only restriction I have ever seen for transporting is that they can't be more than 4 quarters and 2 backstraps, until reaching final destination or game processor.

Found it!

"A deer and pronghorn may be skinned and quartered (two forequarters, two hindquarters, and two backstraps) for transport, provided the quartered deer or pronghorn is tagged and proof of sex accompanies the deer or pronghorn. See Cold Storage or Processing Facility, below, for exceptions. The four quarters and two backstraps are the only parts of a deer required by law to be kept in edible condition.

Tagging and proof-of-sex requirements continue to apply until the wildlife resource reaches a final destination AND is quartered.
Deer or pronghorn may only be processed beyond quarters at a location that qualifies as a final destination.
While in camp you may remove and prepare a part of a wildlife resource if the removal and preparation occur immediately before the part is cooked or consumed; however, all tagging and proof of sex regulations apply to remaining parts until the parts reach a final destination."


https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/general-regulations/after-killing-a-deer

I've always just gutted mine and drug them out,or used a game cart. However if you have your heart set on quartering it just use common sense on how to prove to the Game Warden its a buck or doe if he checks you. Maybe skin it in a manner that leaves the genitals attached to one of the hind legs,or just bring the genitals out along with the quarters.The latter might be good enough for the Game Warden.(maybe).

Oh by the way,someone on here mentioned all deer killed the first two days on Sam Houston must be taken to a deer check station. That's this weekend.

Thanks guys! Must have been some mashup between all of the above, and some cyber expert that let me down that path of thinking.

I know this is off topic a little but ... my cousin rigged a game cart to a mountain bike and uses it to pack in and out. He’s been pretty successful on some of the TPW draw hunts in South Texas.

A mountain bike would be fine if you were on a smooth,clear trail. Unfortunately most of the deer I've shot die way back in the woods off of any trail. You'll be dragging the deer up and down hollers,across branches(streams),over blow down trees and logs,through deep weeds and briars,etc.Good luck riding a bike through all that.

The animals head is required to prove antler or antlerless. Sex has nothing to do with tagging requirements.

I assumed the head would automatically be brought out with the quarters if it was a buck.Why would you need to bring out a does head if you can quarter it in a manner that leaves the genitals attached?

The presence (or lack of) antlers determines tagging requirements so the gender of the deer isn’t sufficient. For instance a nubbing buck that doesn’t have antlers protruding through the skin is tagged as antlerless.

Yeah I was aware button bucks need to be tagged as antlerless,thats another instance where the head would need to be brought out with the quarters.Seems that would go without saying.This is all Greek to me as I've never even considered quartering a deer in the woods,its never seemed practical,and I've killed a bunch of deer.The farthest I've ever had to drag one was probably 3/4 of a mile.

In the end the regs require the head to be present for identification purposes.

To be legal you must have all 4 quarters the backstraps and the head and of course your tag. I am typically 2 miles from the car so i bring a contractor bag and in they go. Throw them over my shoulder and walk out easy as pie.

I don't like gutting them near where I hunt. I will drag the entire deer away from the kill zone until I'm out on a trail far enough away so that when the coyotes come for the entrails they won't scare the deer out of the area. If I'm able, I'll carry them all the way back to my vehicle where I keep my knife set. Otherwise, if it's too far to walk due to temperature, or I just don't want to lug the extra weight, I'll move them out of the immediate area, gut them, and then drag them out.

I've heard some guys wrap their deer with a hunters orange vest for safety. That makes sense to me but I still would rather leave my deer on the ground and drag by back legs, or a rope tied around the deers hind legs (cut a slit between tendon & leg bone and tie rope through this hole), and then around my waist. It is TOUGH hauling deer out of Sam. Like someone else posted above, over the hills, through the trees, across gulleys, through dry creeks, and miles to walk.. This is another reason I like having a hunting buddy. If one of you shoots something it makes it so much safer, and easier, to transport all your gear, and any game you harvest, out of the woods. It also means if something happens to one of you, there is someone else there in the immediate area to assist should you need it.