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How Do I Choose the Best Deer Hoist?

Lori Kilchermann
Lori Kilchermann

In order to choose the best deer hoist, you may wish to examine and compare several features and then make a choice based on facts and experience. Features such as electric or manual hoisting, strength of rope or cable and ease of setup and use are typical areas to consider when attempting to choose the best deer hoist for yourself. Other areas you may wish to investigate are gear materials, such as plastic or metal gears, weight capacity and construction specifics, such as whether or not the deer hoist is weatherproof to enable you to hoist deer outside. One factor that should always enter into the decision-making quandary is the type of warranty available for your new hoist.

More and more deer hunters are electing to process their own deer in place of taking their harvest to a local processing plant. This entails the use of a deer hoist to hold your deer up while allowing the carcass to bleed out, as well as to be skinned and cut into processing sections. While some hunters use a rope thrown over a tree limb or a garage rafter and pull the deer up by sheer force, many others choose to purchase a deer hoist to make this task much easier.

Nylon rope, like that used for a deer hoist.
Nylon rope, like that used for a deer hoist.

When you are choosing a potential deer hoist, criteria you may wish to investigate may be the quality and type of construction. While less expensive to produce, plastic hoists are not typically known for their trouble-free operation and long duration. The best types of deer hoist are commonly made of metal components with a sealed electric motor, if the hoist is a power version. The best hand-powered versions commonly use the same galvanized construction as found in hand-operated boat winch design. This allows the hoist to be used in poor weather for a long period with fewer troubles and problems on average.

Many hunters use deer hoists rather than take deer to a processing plant.
Many hunters use deer hoists rather than take deer to a processing plant.

While steel braided cable is strong, it also breaks into small splinters that can injure a hand or other body parts. The best deer hoist designs typically use a braided nylon rope. The rope does not fray and it does not kink or rust, making it the best choice for long life in all types of weather. The best style of electric deer hoist models are also reversible. This allows a deer to be lowered automatically and in small increments to aid in the positioning of the carcass to be processed. The best hand-crank models will often have a soft rubber handle in place of the hard plastic version typically found on lesser-quality models.

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    • Nylon rope, like that used for a deer hoist.
      By: nito
      Nylon rope, like that used for a deer hoist.
    • Many hunters use deer hoists rather than take deer to a processing plant.
      By: awhelin
      Many hunters use deer hoists rather than take deer to a processing plant.