Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Winching out Elk setup...

That 4th pic would describe our country fairly well..... there's no way to get into shape for that [bleep] other than workin the riggin or cuttin.... even greenhorn would quarter one out... haha

Dave it's totally different hunting/country for sure. Our ground is a Hodge podge of shiit, cut up by roads, because there's a lot of timber harvested here

I need a drink your pictures gave me flashbacks to hunting in the trask unit for elk in November back 96... I have buds who grew up in that country and they all ran winches with plenty of cable to yard them up out them hell holes

In the olden days when I was younger, chain saw winches were fairly common here in north Idaho. Skidded out several back in the 70's. Don't hear about them much anymore. They worked good, when they worked. Not so good when you were a mile or so from the truck and the saw wouldn't start.

Do the head/legs get caught up in brush as you're winching it out or is the winch and rope strong enough to power through everything? Does someone have to walk with it the whole way to shift it out of the way of logs, stumps or whatever else?

I can see this saving a guy's back, but it almost seems like more work getting the rope strung out and constantly shifting the elk around when winching than it would be to just quarter it up.

Forgive my ignorance, but what are you using to pull the rope back once you get it to the animal?

Boat cleat in the trucks receiver couple half hitches on it pull as far as the road allows then back up and role the loose rope back on the spool and tie to the cleat again and go. On the elk end we have an eye in the line I cut a hole between the rear leg bone and large tendon then I shove the eye through the hole in both legs once the eye is through take the line push it through the eye on the bone side of the leg then loop the rope up over the feet and pull it tight. Then half hitch from the hole you pushed The eye into to the hooves.
Do not pull from the head. It pulls the vertebrates apart and let’s the spinal fluid leak into the meat and will cause bone sour even in a cooler.
We always pull from the rear feet.

Tman if you like the horns cut off the head and carry it out the rest is fine and very seldom does the animal hang up but if the do I carry a strap and block and Pull them around said fûckhole. We use two way radios to communicate and the guy in the hole tries to keep eyes on the show looking for snags/hangups. But they are not terrible to deal with at all usually it’s just feet going under a large root or something to stout for the role to upheave.

Dave,
I was assuming there would be a lot of guys running a drum reel with rope or cable to make long pulls on large animals out of steep, ugly country. Apparently it’s more of a NW thing, maybe due to our logging history...

As for running a Capstan Winch. Personally, I think it’s the next best thing to a truck mounted reel. It may or may not help your hunt- only you’ll know if there is a situation that winching would be better than packing. Here’s the link to the outfit I used to purchase my Capstan. If you wait, just before hunting season they usually run a “Hunting Special” where you get the Honda winch and 800’ft of low stretch nylon rope with shipping for $1000. 😎

https://www.loggingsupply.com/products/simpson-capstan-winch-with-engine

I've only shot 1 elk in my life that could be loaded whole, and that was after a long slide down a steep hill in the snow and a 1/4 mile drive through sagebrush with the pickup while dodging rocks.

Gotcha.

Thanks!

You guys are killing me with this winch [bleep]. Anyone have three miles of rope?

Isn’t that the truth...

Objection, non sequitur. There are many different types of elk hunting, self righteous indignation provides little to the original question.

K, it’s all good...We all have boards in our trucks that we strap our main packs to when hiking miles into areas where deploying ropes off reels or winches can’t be run...Brad, wyo; you both know better then your comments portray... Akin, to me saying Brad, your 308 Win is a weak chambering that should be left at home...Pretty fugg’n stupid comment. You get the point. 😎

Oh take a deep breath... all in good fun.

I’m breathing just fine...Like I would be packing out an 80lb hind quarter. Slow and steady 😎
I forgot the Grin 😁

We have 1 1/2 and can get another mile maybe two with a phone call.

When brad is in your corner [bleep] in said corner and run.

Brads lips quiver when he sees such disregard for etiquette “both sets!!”

Captain elk killer boys.

Bro, hate to break the news, but that’s a Llama in a hat...🤣😎

With 1 exception, my last 4 or 5 elk have come out by llamaback.