Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

RANisbet · Post by **RANisbet** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:06 pm

If you hunt any place with a stream running in a deep gully, you probably realize that dragging a deer into and back out is a big job.
I finally solved my problem by building a bridge across a 12 foot wide by 8 foot deep wash out. Here is a link to pictures that show my DIY bridge:
http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=56361

Bob Nisbet

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:24 pm

Very well done,
don't forget to weatherproof it, hate to see that hard work be ruined by rain & UV

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:40 pm

Very Nice!!

In Washington, you would not believe the permiting process to do something like that near the water.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:08 pm

BlaineG wrote:Very Nice!!

In Washington, you would not believe the permiting process to do something like that near the water.

Unless you are a beaver... or can make your bridge LOOK like a beaver made it...

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:45 pm

Very nice. You do good work.

brucew44guns · Post by **brucew44guns** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:16 pm

You could have been more resourceful, claimed to be serious handi-capped, this was a matter of life and death, and you needed stimulus money for concrete bridge with gold plated hand-rails and night lights on it. You might have also asked for more deer to be transplanted onto your property with food plots planted and maintained by the Park Service. Oh well, coulda-woulda-shoulda aside, you made a bridge that elephants can cross if they start coming thru, good job indeed

Rimfire McNutjob · Post by **Rimfire McNutjob** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:22 pm

RANisbet wrote:... you probably realize that dragging a deer into and back out is a big job.

So the issue is ... dragging the deer in, shooting it, then dragging it back out?

2571 · Post by **2571** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:55 pm

a real man would have just shouldered the deer & jumped across! :>)

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 4:00 pm

Nice Job!!

HATCHETTJACK · Post by **HATCHETTJACK** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:40 pm

2571 wrote:a real man would have just shouldered the deer & jumped across! :>)

thats what i do

bridge, dont need no stinkin bridge

rangerider7 · Post by **rangerider7** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:01 pm

Just a suggestion. If the water ever floods, make sure you have it anchored in some way or it will end up ruined down stream. I built one similar and it was gone after a 5 inch rain in an unusally wet season.

madman4570 · Post by **madman4570** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:17 pm

Thats awesome.
I am way too lazy for that over mine.
What I have been using is a 100ft mountain climbing rope
attached to my winch cable on my GRIZZLY atv.kinda works ok.
Another problem with mine is the ravine is more like a gorge.

Man you s/b proud of that!!!!!!!

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:36 pm

Good job. Get that finished with a protectant anchor it with a cable to a tree and it will serve you along time.

cas · Post by **cas** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:30 pm

Aw... that's too bad, I have one I would have sold you cheap.

FWiedner · Post by **FWiedner** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:52 pm

A smart hunter would just wait for the deer to cross the crick by his own self...

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:39 am

JReed wrote:Good job. Get that finished with a protectant anchor it with a cable to a tree and it will serve you along time.

+1 Make sure if that creek goes 18" of fast water over flood stage you don't have to go dig that beast out of a brush pile.

It looks great! I'm jealous, where I hunt in MN, we always pray for a couple of weeks of freezing so we can drag in a semi-straight line the 3 miles to the truck.

It's gonna hold 'til it rots! Speaking of which, the places where it touches dirt will be the first places to rot. I do not believe that lumber is ground-contact rated. It will take contact for 5-7 years before leeching out the preservatives and then it will BEGIN to be suceptible to fungi and critters. Another 10-15 years after that, you might start worrying about it's stability.

RANisbet · Post by **RANisbet** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 10:10 am

The bridge is built with treated lumber. I used additional treated lumber as footings that can be replaced when they begin to show signs of deterioration.
If you look closely at the 1-1/2 inch rebar, you will see a doubled steel cable that goes through it and around a nice size tree. Did this at both ends to thwart wash-away potential.
Bob Nisbet

rangerider7 · Post by **rangerider7** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 10:20 am

That answers that. Great job!

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:37 pm

You thought of every thing.

Travis Morgan · Post by **Travis Morgan** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:35 am

You could just put a pully in a tree over the crick, then used it like a rope swing. .......but, then, you wouldn't have gotten to build a real bridge! Nice work!

Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re Nice job but

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Re Nice job but

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property

Re: Had to build a bridge at my hunting property