Anyone got pics or ideas on how to setup a deer hanging station pre-build?

I’m building a shop right now and will be closing up the ceiling soon. Going to be putting OSB for the ceiling.

Before that happens is there anything I should throw up on the rafters to make it better to hang a deer from? Anything you guys wish you’d done?

I want this to be a pretty efficient setup. The days of bear hugging a floppy deer and trying to get the leg tendon on the hook are hopefully behind me lol.

Unistrut with an electric hoist attached to it?

I would definitely double or triple the collar ties to hold the weight your going to have on it. Then you can put Eye bolts in numerous spots (i like variety) to hang. A few gambrels and pulleys. I also put an anchor in the floor with a beefy D ring to be able to tie off the gambrels.

I processed deer out of a shed and the single best thing I ever did was install a harbor freight hoist, easy to spin the deer if skinning or braking it down. I’ve hoisted deer,elk and black bear, also use it to skin coyotes.as WI outdoors said use unistrut and bolt it to the rafters install the hoist and go.

After I put up my osb, I put an eyebolt up into the attic and thru a fence post. The fence post stretches across multiple rafters. I’ve had 300 plus pound bear hanging from it with absolutely no problems. I don’t know the actual capacity but it is way more than I’ll ever need.

I have a long piece of angle iron attached to 8 roof rafters. I boxed it out like ADC's picture but I used a boat trailer wench mounted on the wall. I removed the handle from the wench and double bolted the end of the shaft that the handle was on so I can use my cordless drill with a deep well socket to do the cranking.
The rope goes up into the box in ceiling to a block and tackle and down to the gambrel.
It works even when the power goes out

This is my new Butcher Shop/Summer Kitchen/Fur Shed. It’s a work in progress.

These are the gambrels on pulleys that I use. The porch roof is about 12 foot high to back about 11 foot high where the gambrels attach. 10 foot in height is the absolute minimum you want for deer. Even then you’ll be crouching down to skin out the neck and cut the head off.



This is the inside. The walls are 10‘4“ high. The open area in the middle is about 14 feet at the peak.



I reinforced the framing and put three large eyebolts in the open area in the middle. I also ran Electric up there in case I ever want to use an electric winch.

Y’all Boys is fancy.

I’ve got an old John Boat winch , eye bolt in a rafter and a gambrel if I’m feeling sporty. Otherwise I dress them on the tailgate.

I really like the unistrut idea! Never heard of them before, but a quick google search and I’m sold!

Just need to figure out the best way to install and setup!

Have to find a heavy duty enough unistrut now.

My shop is 40’x60’, 12’ 4” walls. I hope hanging a deer or 2 won’t equate me having to climb way up there and start adding more bracing lol

Get the bigger harbor freight hoist the 880lb. The 440 will barely pick a deer up with the snatch. Single line it would not lift a doe. I have mine hung way up in yhe rafters, i plan on osb sheeting the ceiling soon, will just leave a small opening for the winch.

Nice pics Lugnut!



How big are the eyebolts you guys using? I’d hate to have them strip out and have a bear or deer laying on the floor

The middle one on my set up is 1/2” x 8” and the two to the side are 3/8“ x 8“.

I hang them from the top pipe in a 10x20' portable shed, so don't think you need to go crazy reinforcing rafters that much...deer aren't that terribly heavy, but you need height. 10 foot is still too low, but doable. 12 ' is better if you have it, more won't hurt.... I've been using a self locking block and tackle but you better have had your wheaties to lift even a medium deer.
With only a 10 foot height, cut the head off first thing, that gives you a few extra inches, but you'll still finish on your knees.

Just depends what your hanging it from. Having framed shops up to 50x100, sometimes we would add some engineered lumber for point loads. If you are going to go with a few specific points with eye bolts or the like I wouldn’t recommend hanging it off just one collar tie. Does it have sheething or rock on the bottom of the trusses? What is the ceiling wood dimension? Do you have a beam in the center of your 40’ spread?

This is where I’m at right now with the shop. No beam. The plan is to put 7/16” osb under the trusses for the ceiling.

I really like the idea of those unistruts mentioned above. I imagine it would be spread across 3 or 4 trusses depending on length of track I buy.

Sliding a deer down the ceiling sounds pretty sweet to me!

I would box yourself in a setup like ADC make it wide enough you can get up in it so like 4 feet wide by the 16 or 24 inch gap on the trusses

reinforce it with lumber and bolts and put the Unistrut bar in and the lift , just make it not too hard to change out the lifts should you need to work on it you could even box in 2 truss by 4 foot and make a little platform to stand on while you worked on it , insulate it add a hatch up there so you can get into your attic area any time to run wires and such
and for added insulation and hide the hole use a bit of bungee secured to a panel and let the hoist pull it right up into place and put a touch of tension on it.

…. You fancier than me lol

The unistrut is a good idea. Especially with all that space. Personally, I would probably double up the 2x4s with 2x6s in between where the webs come down to the collar tie. (Where the strut will be). Some will say its overkill but I like to build stronger than cheaper. All in all, you got a good path. There’ll be blood on the floor in no time

You wont ever regret getting a chain or cable hoist. Good luck w your season

I set a 10' piece of 1-5/8" unit strut on top of the bottom 2 x 4 chord spanning 6 trusses. I boxed out an area between trusses so my electric hoist is recessed 3-1/2". Painted the exposed 2x4 & drywall lid on either side of strut, mounted hoist & filled in open channel of strut with the plastic trim they make. I just put j channel around opening & ran my metal roof into that, looks pretty clean imo. You wont get an engineer stamp but it works fine for lifting deer & the front of my mower to get the blades off. 10' ceilings work good for me, I just cut the hind legs off before hanging. My buddies shop we got more involved with double trusses, 4x6, & 4x4 framing to get the weight on the top chord where it is preferred.

No need for us to hang up deer. All meat is taken in the field and packed out. Then cut up on a table.