Making It Easy Loading An Elk

[shrapnel]

Shooting elk is always the easy part, handling them is work. I got this cow in open country, but getting her into the back of the truck is the hard part.

I realized a few years ago, I needed something more than a good back to load elk, so I built a bracket in the back of the truck to attach a Warn recovery winch onto for pulling bigger animals into the truck.

Even then, you need as straight a pull as you can get to get the elk to slide into the back of the truck without lifting it onto the tailgate. We dragged the elk over to a hill that I could back up to and then have a more straight shot into the back of the truck...

 

[Poke 'Em]

That would be nice if you were able to shoot them on private land where you could drive right up to them.

 

[MT_elk]

That's the way to do it! Congrats!

 

[BuzzH]

That's the way to do it! Congrats!

No its not.

I'll never load, hang, or otherwise deal with another whole elk again...fact.

Like I told a friend last week while hunting elk, I don't give a chit if an elk dies in the bed of my truck, its going home only one way, in 4 pieces.

 

[onpoint]

"never load hang, or otherwise deal with another whole elk again."
+1
.............no gut method - PERIOD.

 

[JLS]

I've killed a few cows where I was able to load them whole. When I got them home, they still had to go into 4 pieces so I could hang them in my garage. In the end, I'm really not sure it was any easier than doing the gutless method in the field.

 

[idnative1948]

Way to go Shrap!
We have taken many cows to our meat packer whole or at worst halved. Just depends how things work out. Everybody has their own way of doing things.

 

[shrapnel]

This Isn't about boning or quartering, it is about getting out the whole animal...

 

[LCH]

I took my quartered cow to a processor in Medicine Bow last fall. The lady working there looked at me like I was idiot when I brought it in, and asked why I had quartered it. I guess they are used to getting them whole there..

 

[Bambistew]

Christ, why is everyone so negative about how a guy deals with an elk? Is there really a "right way?" all methods suck, IMO. The easiest way is to let them walk.

Congrats on the elk Shrapnel.

 

[BuzzH]

This Isn't about boning or quartering, it is about getting out the whole animal...

Really? Must of missed that in your first post.

Shooting elk is always the easy part, handling them is work. I got this cow in open country, but getting her into the back of the truck is the hard part.

I realized a few years ago, I needed something more than a good back to load elk.

Seems rather than an expensive winch, 8 miles of mule tape, need for dragging elk whole to a slope, herniated disks, and a whole (pun there) host of other PITA techniques required to handle whole elk..breaking them down to manageable sizes makes more sense.

http://www.amazon.com/Havalon-Bolt-Knife-60A-Blades/dp/B00M1SWJB2

$39 and a single blade...you're on the easiest of easy streets.

Some people are slower learners than others and anything worth doing, is worth doing the hard way.

 

[mtlion]

Christ, why is everyone so negative about how a guy deals with an elk? Is there really a "right way?" all methods suck, IMO. The easiest way is to let them walk.

Congrats on the elk Shrapnel.

+1

Just get 'em out. I've had it both ways this year. My bull was deboned and packed out. My cow was a leisurely stroll with a game cart. I can tell you which was funner...

 

[elkantlers]

Dealing with an elk is like dealing with BuzzH. You have to break it up into manageable pieces. Lol
Nice job on the elk. Nothing wrong with loading them whole if that's your preference.

 

[hank4elk]

I put the last 2 cows into my truck with a come-a-long after being able to drive right up to them. I drove to my hanging pinion and hoisted them for easy skinning and all under a cover in the cool. Here,at home.
Now if I had taken that bull this year in the canyon 500yrds below my truck,he would have been boned/in bags.

 

[Bugle 'Em In]

I don't have the luxury of being able to have an internal debate of bringing an elk out whole or not. It has to come out in 4 quarters + 1 extra game bag for straps, loins, and cut meat....no vehicle access on the public ground where I play.

Better order an extra blade or two if you're going to use a Havalon. I learned that I was "prying" a bit too much when I first started to use 'em. Now I don't carry anything else.

 

[Rancho Loco]

Really? Must of missed that in your first post.



Seems rather than an expensive winch, 8 miles of mule tape, need for dragging elk whole to a slope, herniated disks, and a whole (pun there) host of other PITA techniques required to handle whole elk..breaking them down to manageable sizes makes more sense.

http://www.amazon.com/Havalon-Bolt-Knife-60A-Blades/dp/B00M1SWJB2

$39 and a single blade...you're on the easiest of easy streets.

Some people are slower learners than others and anything worth doing, is worth doing the hard way.

WTF?

If I can get it into a truck whole, I'll do it. If not, I'll bone it out. But they're both work.

Done it both ways and truthfully, I'd much rather cut the critter up on my garage floor.

 

[ric]

unless you were on private property, your vehicle was not legal where you are with it. Stay on the road.

 

[TRS_Montana]

Nice! If I had a way to get them out whole and an area big enough to work on a whole elk, I would definitely take advantage of that. It is always easier for me to do clean work on an animal that is hanging. Next best option is to hang the quarters and work on them.

I think the real challenge here would be to find an elk hunting spot that allows you to drive to a dead animal!

 

[shrapnel]

unless you were on private property, your vehicle was not legal where you are with it. Stay on the road.

What is with you guys? I was wearing orange, shot the elk in the daylight, did not shoot from a motor vehicle, didn't shoot on a skyline...

For Pete's sake go somewhere else and be critical...

 

[WapitiBob]

I think the point was the driving off road, which is illegal just about everywhere.