Although nothing beats the camaraderie of hunting with family and friends, I honestly don’t mind hunting alone. In fact, I kind of like it. It provides me with ample time to de-stress, and there’s nothing quite like the quiet time.

However, when the real work begins — like field-dressing a deer — it can be stressful when you’re alone.

By Daniel E. Schmidt

My buddies at Viking Solutions, an Alabama-based company headed up by the Woller family (founders of Summit Treestands) made my solo-hunting efforts a heck of a lot easier when they came out with the High-Tail field-dressing tool. This device is really simple to use and saves me time, effort and strained back muscles when field-dressing my deer.

I’ve been using the High-Tail since last year and have field-dressed seven deer while using it so far, including the doe in this photo, which I took on opening weekend of archery season this month here in Wisconsin.

The tool consists of an aluminum cradle that sits upright by inserting two rods into the base. From there, simply lift the deer’s rump into the cradle, and then tie the legs down to the sides with the supplied ropes. The result is a perfectly positioned deer for field-dressing operations.

The High-Tail comes apart and folds neatly into a little pack. I keep this under the seat of my pickup truck and merely retrieve it before dragging my deer out of the field.

Besides my hunting knife, the High Tail is one item I simply will not forget when I go hunting these days. I shoot a lot of deer each year, and field-dressing tasks can become hard work and a hassle. This nifty tool helps keep the deer in a perfect position with its legs tucked in tight and to the sides. It’s really like having an extra set of hands. The High Tail also allows for easy one-step emptying of the entrails once all of your knife work is completed.

Watch how easy it is to use:

For more information on this great tool, click here.