Jet Sled

NYDAN

Handloader
Sep 17, 2013
2,374
2,463
Since I planned to deer hunt in a remote area this year, I decided to purchase a Jet Sled. This decision was based in part on a recommendation by JD338. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it has worked for me.

There are a few sizes and color variations of the Jet Sled. See https://eagleclaw.com/collections/jet-sled. I purchased the middle size or model JS1 in black. See https://eagleclaw.com/products/eagle-claw-jet-sled-1?variant=43074882732228.

I first used it to drag out a deer over dry leaves. Part of the drag was slightly up hill and most of it was downhill. I was surprised at how much easier it was to use the Jet Sled versus just dragging the dead deer. I could easily drag over logs, through brush, and up wooden ramps into the truck bed. Yes, it took a bit of effort going up hill, but not nearly as much as it would have been without the Jet Sled. Going downhill required very little effort.

Saturday, I used it again to drag out another deer over 3"-4" of snow. The drag was mostly down hill so it took almost no effort to pull. There were a couple of times when the sled wanted to slide faster than I was walking, but that wasn't problematic, just slightly annoying. Although I had many blow downs to navigate, I found it was easy to just push it under fallen trees that were above the ground. The colder temperatures and added lubrication of the snow, made it very easy to drag over fallen trees. It never tipped over even though I crossed several logs diagonally. Again, it easily slid up the wooden ramps into the truck bed.

An additional benefit is that the blood stays in the easy to clean Jet Sled as opposed to your truck bed. After I had the deer hung, I was able to easily clean the blood out of Jet Sled by throwing some snow in it, mixing around a bit with a broom, and then dumping it out. That was a lot easier than hosing out the truck bed.

This is a product that I would recommend to others.

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I bought the mid size one this past Wednesday for $56.99 plus Tax . the next day I got an email twisting my arm to buy one , with a Black Friday special price . . if you are thinking on getting the mid sized one now's the time . don't wait around or the special price will be over .


Shappell

Shappell Jet Multi-Purpose Utility Sled - Black, Medium​


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Buddy of mine swears by it. He always has it in the truck when I hunt with him in Montana. We’ve yet to go all the way to the kill site on an elk or a deer with it but after packing the first load out he goes back in with the sled when we’ve had access to a closed road or wider hiking/horse trails. Get as close as we can.
Last year he and his wife got a couple of cows about 800 yards from the truck. Snow on the ground. It was all sage brush and grass land. Down hill all the way to the truck. Wish I could post the video he took after loading a couple of quarters and his wife in the sled and giving her a push. Tears in your eyes funny.
Handy tool beats the heck out of walking a good trail with 60 pounds on your back, even better when you can get 3/4 quarters of an elk to the old road or trail and then drag the whole thing out, or ride it out!
 
I bought one mostly to move my trapping gear . I can load the sled and pull my gear to a central location and work out of it . right now I'm using a trappers back pack , a Leggetts trappers bag and a 5 gallon bucket in each hand , while I get my trap line in . I have found beaver about a mile walk from a gate . so I thought this would make it a lot easier on me getting my beaver equipment back in there . I contacted Dan on what size his sled is , so I would get one I could also use for deer retrieval . I have not used it yet , but it looks like it will be perfect for my needs . Dan recommend these simple upgrades , and I agree ; the included rope is fairly light duty , so I'll be replacing it with a larger diameter rope . I'll also add a PVC handle for comfort . what I've found to work well for a handle is , a 3/4" plastic conduit 90* elbow . I buy them for $1.50 at my local True Value store .


here is 3 carry handles I made , for use on my trapline .

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I have a few of them and use them for all sorts of stuff, dragging deer, ice fishing gear and we also use them hunting ducks and geese. You can haul your stuff to the blind in one, unload it and fill it with decoys and wade around with it to put them out.
 
As Jim noted above, a hard handle makes it easier on your hands. Here is a photo of the modifications I made: a heavier rope, and a piece of 1" PVC tubing for a handle. I allowed a little extra rope until I learned what length I liked. The way I show it is about right (maybe still a bit long) for pulling behind me with one hand. If I wanted to step into the loop and have it across my chest, I would let it out a knot or two.

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I have two different sizes of the JetSled.

It was developed here in Michigan, and I knew the owners of the company (Shappell). I had dinner with them at the SHOT show a few times.
Both great guys who were meticulous about details.
My Dad did all of their ice fishing shanty importing for many years, which is how I got to know them.

We took one of the sleds to Wyoming in October, and used it so that the hair of our antelope wasn't pulled out. It worked well there, and we'll use them again soon for MI deer.

Using one of these is MUCH easier than dragging out an animal any other way.
 
I use it often to move duck decoys that are too big or heavy for my back. Swan decoys in particular. Sometimes I still like the two wheeled game cart because the self can be so noisy. We just pick the best tool for the job that area that day and go to work. Jet sleds are a great tool
 
I have 3 different sleds now, very handy for loading deer when its just me and the daughter. And with the Decked drawer and topper i have on the truck they keep cleanup to a minimum. Couple year old photo. I also remember pulling into a game check station one year and the biologist thinking he was going to have to climb into the back to do his thing, then i said hold on and just slide them out, i have since also learned to have them turned the right way when loaded as seen here.
 

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I've had one for a few years and it makes getting deer out of the swamp easier.

JD338
 

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I’m on my second year with mine.
It is in my vehicle, basically, all fall.
Unfortunately I have not had a chance to use it - for a deer.
We use it quite a bit for yard work and such.
Many uses, and hopefully I’ll get a chance to use it for a deer.
 
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