Loading an elk
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: Slider14
22-Sep-23
Just need some ideas here! Looking for pictures, ideas to load an elk into a pick up with a winch or some other ideas people have come up with! Thanks, No need to comment on how lucky we are to be able to do this, we know! We hunt a ranch that sometimes we can get a truck to it!
From: 70lbDraw
22-Sep-23
Drag it under a tree. Put the winch cable over a sturdy branch. Wrap the cable around its neck and winch it up slowly and help it with a little manpower. You can ease it into the bed without breaking the tree branch. Just be smart and pick a good solid branch for support. I watched a skinny 25 year old Native American kid do this on his own in southwestern NM. He refused to get help and managed it effortlessly on his own.
From: Aspen Ghost
23-Sep-23
1 Tractor with loader would work well. 2 It would be much easier to load onto a trailer since it would be much lower to the ground. 3 Take advantage of terrain to get the tailgate height closer to the ground (drag the elk to the right spot first). 4 Use a long ramp.
From: Zbone
23-Sep-23
How to on a car...8^)
From: Zbone
23-Sep-23
Sorry, couldn't help myself...8^)
From: Zbone
23-Sep-23
How to in a Jeep...8^)
From: BULELK1
23-Sep-23
From: rattling_junkie
23-Sep-23
I'd just 1/4 it there and load it into the truck.
From: 70lbDraw
23-Sep-23
Zbone, the OP is asking advice on how to “load” the elk. Please post videos of how your examples were ACTUALLY loaded on to the vehicle…especially the first one! Lol!
From: Slider14
23-Sep-23
You guys never disappoint ??????
From: Basil
23-Sep-23
Couple 2x12 boards on your tailgate. Fasten a chain across the front corner loups of the box. Attach the come along to the chain & winch it up the boards into the box. Electric winch on a headache rack is awesome too.
From: DonVathome
23-Sep-23
You might be able to secure neck with a rope to a tree in front of the truck, run rope over the truck. have 1 - 2 people lift and hold the head/neck over tailgate and "into" bed. Slowly back truck up and elk should slide in.
From: deserthunter
23-Sep-23
We loaded mine with a sheet of plywood and a small winch. They really are not that hard to deal with when you can get the truck there.
From: Hessticles
23-Sep-23
Buddy loaded his shiras moose whole, in the back of shis little single cab Toyota
From: JTreeman
23-Sep-23
Obviously not an elk, but this is the way to go IMO!
—Jim
From: BoggsBowhunts
23-Sep-23
If your truck has the load tie downs in the front, you can tie a rope to your animal, run it through those tie downs in the front of the bed, then run it through and tie it off to a tree or something sturdy behind you. As you pull forward slowly have somebody guide it over the tailgate and it’ll tighten the load toward the front of the bed. After it’s loaded back up a little bit and untie the rope from the tree and the elk. Hard to put into words but hopefully that makes sense. Hard to do in an open field though, as it relies on there being a sturdy object nearby that can essentially lift the elk for you
From: NM highcountry
23-Sep-23
Where are y’all hunting elk that you can drive a truck to it, high fence?
From: 70lbDraw
23-Sep-23
“Electric winch on a headache rack is awesome too.”
That’s the best way to go! I shot a cow elk in chama NM some years back. She crossed a dirt road and expired about 20’ down the embankment. It just so happened that Game and Fish was in the area. (They’re always just around the corner at the oddest times!) anyways, he had a headache rack mounted winch, and offered to haul the elk to the local processors. He made short order of hoisting the cow in the back of his truck before I was even able to offer a hand to help. I felt very spoiled that day!
From: Grey Ghost
23-Sep-23
It’s really not difficult. As Aspen Ghost said, just back the pickup into a spot where the open tailgate is near ground level, then drag the elk in. It helps a lot to remove the legs at the elbows before dragging an elk anywhere.
Matt
From: drycreek
23-Sep-23
I killed a 480 lb. cow and three of us slid it up a plywood ramp into the pickup. Then, we slid my buddy’s 420 lb. cow right up beside it. Both were turned on their backs, and nothing but elk legs sticking up. We know what they weighed because the “guide” weighed them at the ranch headquarters. Now a 600/700 lb. bull would probably take another guy or two. ;-)
From: Zbone
23-Sep-23
Yeah 70lbDraw, I'd have liked to see them load it on that car too, bet that was a hoot...8^)))
From: Basil
23-Sep-23
Was a bit of a tussle getting theses two in with a chain come along.
From: wytex
25-Sep-23
I watched a guy load a cow elk up in a truck bed using 2 carabiners and a rope, made a block an tackle like system to pull it up with the carabiners using the tie downs connected to the side of the bed. Had a board to slide it up on.
From: Zbone
25-Sep-23
Posted here or the LeatherWall years ago was shown that simple leverage system (acted like pullies) with 2 of those screw on chain link things and paracord capable of lifting an elk but sorry I can't find the info... Maybe youtube it...
From: Grey Ghost
25-Sep-23
wytex, that's like using a 2 or 3 line snatch block setup for winching a vehicle. You can double or triple the pulling power that way. Clever idea.
Matt
From: Aubs8
25-Sep-23
Here are a couple stories I have been lucky enough to have been a part.... :)
From: Aubs8
25-Sep-23
From: Aubs8
25-Sep-23
From: Medicinemann
25-Sep-23
I'll bet that some of these photos would make a PETAphile wreck their vehicle as they drove past!! LOL
From: KyleSS
25-Sep-23
John Deere works pretty good for is
From: Zbone
25-Sep-23
John Deeres are cheating...8^)))
From: bad karma
25-Sep-23
I have used a comealong attached to the front of the bed on elk several times. In older trucks, you can use the hook on the front. But if you just put a steel rod or rebar in the slot it would work great.
From: jcneng
26-Sep-23
From: wytex
26-Sep-23
Grey Ghost they used the climbing rated carabiners, worked really well surprisingly, and a climbing rope pre stretched. Check out these too: https://www.wiserprecision.com/products/pynch-pulley Bought a pair this year, 550's.
From: LeeBuzz
26-Sep-23
You could max out your ATV like this. I don't recall who posted this but it was posted here on Bowsite back in 2014.
From: Griz
26-Sep-23
Just get one of those "hay roll" beds installed and use the hydraulics like we did in 2016 on my Wyoming bull after we failed to get it in the Polaris side by side!
From: LeeBuzz
26-Sep-23
About 3 or 4 times I have used 1" tubular webbing, 10.5mm rope, 8mm prusik, and 1/4" SS quick links tied over a big tree limb. Once saw a guy anchor his jeep to a tree with the back axle block up. He had a spare rim with a chain hook welded on to attach a rope end. Used a snatch-block pulley up a tree to recover an elk up and over a steep drop off.
From: Patdel
26-Sep-23
Im with rattlin junkie. 1/4 it. Toss in truck. With my luck the branch i was using to lift would break and smash my pickup. By the time i did all the rigging id have it quartered anyway.
From: Slider14
26-Sep-23
Many thanks guys ??
From: rattling_junkie
26-Sep-23
I just don't understand the desire to bring an elk out whole.
