Getting game out with an ATV or UTV
How to haul game safely with an ATV or side-by-side: rack and towing ratings, keeping loads low and secured, PLUZ trail rules, and what Alberta requires you to salvage.
The hardest part of a successful hunt is often the trip out. A machine helps, but an overloaded or badly loaded ATV is one of the easier ways to get hurt in the bush.
Stay inside the manufacturer's ratings
- Racks, beds and hitches all have ratings. Find them in the owner's manual or on the machine's labels. Rack ratings are usually much lower than towing ratings.
- Tow only from the hitch. Farm-safety guidance is clear: tow from the proper hitch point, never from a rack.
- Count everything. Your load includes you, any passenger, gear, fuel, the animal and anything on the rack.
Load it low, centred and tied down
- Keep heavy loads low and centred, and split weight between front and rear racks where the manual allows it.
- Strap everything down. A load that shifts on a side slope can tip a quad.
- Slow down. Heavier loads mean longer stopping distances and less stable turns, especially downhill.
- On slopes, go straight up or down where you can, and avoid ditches and embankments with a load on.
- For heavy or bulky loads, a side-by-side's cargo bed or a game trailer rated for your machine is usually the safer choice.
Know the trail rules on the way out
In Public Land Use Zones with designated OHV trails, you have to stay on the trails, even when you're retrieving game. Plan your retrieval before you take the shot, and know whether you'll be packing the animal out to the trail.
What Alberta requires you to keep
Alberta's hunting regulations require you to salvage the edible meat of big game. For most big-game animals, that includes the four quarters, the loins and the neck meat. The regulations also have rules about keeping evidence of sex and species attached, and about tags. Check the current regulations for the exact requirements for your species.
Bring the right gear
- Game bags, tarp and rope or ratchet straps
- A winch and tree strap if your machine has a winch
- A communication device. Canada's farm-safety association recommends telling someone where you're going and when you'll be back, and carrying a phone or radio.
See our full hunt rig checklist.
Need a rack, a winch or a machine that can haul more? Ask Borderlands (High Level and La Crete), Frontier Mitsubishi (Grande Prairie) or Frontier Auto & Imports (Whitecourt).
Sources
- General hunting regulations (Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations), checked October 25, 2026
- ATV safety for agricultural workers (SAFE Work Manitoba / Farm Safe Manitoba), checked October 25, 2026
- Toolbox Talk: All-terrain vehicle operation on farm property (Canadian Agricultural Safety Association), checked October 25, 2026
Guides in this section
Our first in-depth guides for this section are being written and fact-checked now. In the meantime, start with the overview above or browse all guides.