At our elk camp, we started out with a 2,000-lb winch on the headache rack of our "meat wagon" (a twenty-year old GMC 4WD pickup with an 8-foot bed). At first, we carried a 4x8 sheet of 3/4-inch plywood that laid in the floor of the bed until it was needed. The ply wood was ungainly and we had to strap it down heading back down the mountain. So about 10 years ago, we had some aluminum plate welded on a three-piece folding ATV ramp. This worked a lot better and the folded ramp nestles nicely in the back with a gutted elk.
Then, three years ago, I shot a 6x6 with a largish rack, but an absolutely huge body. We got the thing about half way into the bed and the winch started smoking and quit working. We now have a 5,000-lb winch on the headache rack and it has been up to the task so far.
We also have a 2,000-lb winch on the roll cage of one of the Polaris Rangers. Last fall, another buddy and his son-in-law managed to get his medium-sized 4x5 into the bed of the Ranger with that winch. A deer would be no problem at all.
