A dog-type recoil actuated auger enables holes to be drilled by using only straight line motions of a person's hand, arm, and shoulder. The recoil actuated auger is comprised of a recoil drive system connected to a shaft, which in turn is connected to an auger. The recoil drive system has a recoil mechanism that imparts unidirectional rotation to the auger in response to bidirectional rotation of the recoil mechanism. The recoil mechanism may have dogs that engage a drive cup, or clutch bearings, to unidirectionally rotate the auger. The recoil drive system has a handle that the person grasps during operation. Operation is achieved by pulling a rope wound around a rope wheel. A recoil spring rewinds the rope after a pulling motion. Multiple recoil mechanisms assembled to the shaft and a suitable handle enable more than one person to operate the recoil actuated auger at the same time.