I'm sure this has been discussed on the 'Fire, but I can't find it in the search.

Do any of you have any recommendations regarding a game hoist? You know, the ones that slip into a box hitch? I've seen a few online (Cabela's, Sportsman's Guide, etc), but most of the reviews are pretty sorry. A hoist sure would make life easier when I'm hunting alone.

Thanks

Mike

Cabelas has succumbed to the lure of cheap Chinese crap. Quality is no longer important to them.

Had one made by a local weld shop. Problem with the cheapo mass produced ones is that the piece that fits into the reciever is usually too short to allow you to drop the tailgate while in use. Tailgate makes for a handy, in my opinion - necessary, workspace. I left off the winch part because we already have pulleys and gambrels from garage processing set up we can bring along to use. If theres help around we just lift 'em up without pulleys like the pic example. Wish I had pic of seperate pieces. Insert that fits them together is about 14" and has holes evey 2" or so to allow for adjustable height. Downside is it's heavy and cost about $120 to build but it has been very handy.

That looks nice and sturdy. I'd need the pulley/winch combination as I often hunt alone. But it doesn't look like it'd be too difficult to add.

By the way, I found the discussion of game hoists on the Deer Hunting forum. Yours is about the sturdiest looking one of all.

It would be real easy to add but works well with the double pulley deals like you hang in your garage too - and saves a little more weight over the boat winch.

Probably sturdier than it needs to be but I'd rather have that than flimsy.

If you decide to have one made and want me to take some measurements I'd be happy to do so. Hopefully have it out and running next weekend in NY.

I appreciate that. Don't go out of your way, but the next time you have it out I'd appreciate it. It looks a lot sturdier than anything I've seen. What's the heaviest thing you've had on it?

I'll do that when I pack up for trip next week. Heaviest has been a large deer - 150 ish. But even with that and leaning on it to remove the hide, it's solid. I seriously would not hesitate to hang an Elk on it. Problem would be ground clearance with a long critter but weight wise I'd have no reservations.

could you make multiple middle sections to gain some height?

You really would not need a winch on a setup like this. Just run a line to a fence post, telephone pole or tree and run it through a pulley. Hoist the critter by moving the truck.

http://www.quickwinch.ca/

I bought a hitch insert exstention so that I can open the tailgate.

Try googling "deer hoist" or similar, but do it in the images tab.. you will basically bring up lots of pictures of deer hoists and you can then go to the relevant page from the picture..

Can I ask what you want it for? If its primarily for loading a carcass into a pick-up, I think there are better solutions; in fact I think their only value is to hang carcasses for gutting and/or skinning in the field in terrain which is lacking in trees..

Pete E

Not to hijack the thread..... What are your thoughts on a better way to load game in a truck? I seem to recall at one time you spoke of a winch set up.

This is a simple adjustable height skinning pole/hoist that I built for skinning deer and coyotes in the field. It is not a hoist as much as a place to skin and having the tailgate for a bench is very handy.

To have a hoist for loading, making or buying one that swivels so you can swing the critter around would be the way for easier loading.

I'm thinking I could build something similar out of uni-strut. Used it a lot at the Johnson Space Center and the stuff was stronger than all get out. Once you get home you could take it apart and store it away til next year. Incredible strength without welding.
George

I think a winch and a ramp set up is better in most respects..

If its going to be used with any regularity, I'd say get a 12V ATV winch and work out a way of mounting in the bed of the vehicle if its a pick up, preferably with a bit of height..The set up below belongs to a British stalker who posted it on a British stalking forum








Even with an SUV, you can mount on a plate / piece of wood between the front seats by clipping it to the two seat belt buckles..

Ideally the cable needs to go up to a pulley mounted in the roof to get the best angle of pull..In my old Trooper, I found that under the roof lining there was as a flat "roll bar" running across the vehicle directly over the rear seats. As the roof is "corrugated" I was able to slide a bit 1/4" steel plate between the the roll bar and the roof, and make a fixing for a removable eye-bolt..With the roof lining back in place, and the eye-bolt removed, there was just small bulge, which was hardly noticeable.

Of course, if you want to go cheap and cheerfully and equally as effective, you can use a come-along and a bit plywood for a ramp..


Regards,

Peter

Yes. To load feral pigs onto the truck when I'm alone. It also needs to be something that can be used on several vehicles.

Mike

Personally, I'd go for a set of ramps and a come-along unless you have a particular reason for prefer a hoist..

The reason I prefer ramps is that with many receiver hoists, they are smack bang in the middle of the tail gate, the very area you want clear when loading. Many do not allow the tail gate to drop, so even more height is then required to lift the carcass over it, and the loading process can be further hindered if the hoist has no swivel function...

The ramps just seem to be an easier solution..

As I like kit to have two or more functions, I am looking for some myself that will double as "sand ladders" for the vehicle should it hit a soft spot off road or need to cross drainage ditches ect..

Regards,

Pete

This is the one I use by myself. Bought it for the same reason last year.

http://deerfeeder.com/Products/HoistHogTrap/GameHoist.aspx

I purchased a similar block and tackle from this company but with 4 wheels in each pulley,sheeve unlike this picture that shows two two wheel pulley sheeves, ,back in the 1970s from a hardware store in Colorado,Ive been looking to buy a second one ever since,its packaging stated it was rated at 1000lbs
does anyone know who currently sells these?
I don,t see the company listed on line
yes I pack it in and use it to lift ELK but the one I own is rated at 1000 lbs and while small its lifted dozens of large elk over the years

Had a local fab shop build me one. It's over built, but it'll hold anything I care to get to the truck whole. IMO, there are 3 things to look for, will it fit your truck bed and does it swivel and can you let the tailgate down? Mine does all three.


We are gonna try to design an all aluminum one that has no piece longer than 2' and fits in a duffle. The one pictured worked great, but it took up quite a bit of room in the bed. For long trips that was a problem as we needed the space.

Yes, space can be a problem. If you can design one like you describe. Sell me your plans so I can build one.

I made my own using an old boat winch. Works well. May adapt a little electric to it this winter. Also considering an addition sleeve to increase the height for elk. I initially built it for 'bring-your-own-tree' antelope country in Wyoming.

This is what I use with an aluminum ramp... I load a ton of elk every year and a handfull of buffalo without a problem...

All that gear and hardware is a long way to where you want to go. I bought a Warn ATV recovery winch and then bolted a pipe mounting bracket to the front of the box. I fastened 2 "Eye" bolts to the mounting channel to bolt the winch to for pulling.

The recovery winch has cables that go to the battery with a power control that allows you to pull the animals into the back of the truck by yourself. I have pictured the "Eye" bolts in the back of my truck, although we used the winch with a friend of mine's truck and rope where we didn't have the bracket, showing how easy the recovery winch and a ramp make it for loading animals as big as elk by yourself...

elkhuntinguide,

Nice looking set up..How do those electric winches hold up being out in the weather all the while? I know they should be designed to take it, but just wondering if constant wet weather would be a problem a year or two down the line?

Regards,

Peter

Peter...

That winch in the pic has been on there for a lil over 4 years now... I've never had a problem with the Warn winches and the weather... I've burnt up a relay here and there but never a winch motor... The elements don't seem to bother it...

-A

I'll keep you posted. Our hope is to not sell the plans, but sell the hoists! My neighbor's an engineer at a metal plant, so having used this one it's got our wheels turning for a "better mousetrap".

Wyoming Game and Fish uses the same setup as Elk Hunting guide.
Here's a picture of them loading a SECOND road killed moose into the back of the truck.



Most of Game and Fishes trucks have this setup on them so I'd guess it works well and they don't have any weather issues with it.

Dude in the back of the truck is in harms way!


X-VERMINATOR

Thanks for that..no doubt buying a quality item like Warne also helps in that regard..

After talking to Shrapnel, I put together a setup just like he describes and have the same type of recovery winch (Warne). I haven't had occasion to use it to load an elk into the back of the truck just yet since my elk hunting success has been very poor over the last few years. However, I put together a similar setup in my shop along the floor joists to the second floor. I used the setup to hang my deer just last week and it didn't even grunt, hoisting it up so I could hang it. One item I added to my truck bed system was a metal roller on bearings that I can mount very quickly on the end of my tailgate. That way, the winch rope (mine is synthetic) can easily roll on the roller as it pulls the animal into the bed. This saves the rope and my tailgate from getting messed up and the animal will roll right over the roller into the bed.

Google Monarch Feeders, Arlington, Texas. They make a great one, not to expensive, works great

I built this one many years back before they were even in stores. Its height adjustable via take out lengths of tube. I can pin it in 1 place or swivel it 360*. My boat winch hand crank works great & saves my back.

Here is a pic of a serious lifter....a buddy of mine uses it. We made a two piece like most of the rest shown on here and I thought this might be of interest to some of you. CS

Boy, I bet that HE was "good eating", eh, Jim?

You bet, the blacker they are the better the eating.

CS,

Very interesting picture! I take it that crane is a commercial unit? I have seen similar although albeit simpler DIY unit that used a bottle jack to provide the power to lift the boom, although it was not telescopic as the one in the pic appears to be?

Is that trailer something thats been put together for moose hunting, or a work trailer thats just pressed into service during the hunting season?

Regards,

Peter

I believe the crane is an engine hoist...the trailer is a custom hunting trailer...note the stabilizer jacks in the front corners.

Not a hoist but a hanging bar for skinning.

Two 1" square tubes bolted to the truck bed through existing holes, one 2x4 and some pipe. Sets up in about 30 seconds or less.

Pretty creative, and portable for places with no trees to use for hanging poles. How sturdy is it?

When the pics below appeared on line in another forum, they caught my interest as I also drive a Jimny.





IIRC its made from stainless steel tube, plus stainless boat fittings..The "boom" can fold forward and lie flat over the vehicle, and again IIRC, its was supposedly strong enough to lift a decent Fallow for gralloching..

I don't recall any further details but I suppose its another solution to the lifting problem..

I never really pursued the idea of a DIY hoist as I realized I was more drawn to the idea of a "gadget" / "project" but didn't actually have any real practical need for such an item.

A truck bed extender is a good way to make your own. About $69 at Harbor Freight. Just invert the top part and you have a double tree. Easy to add a boat winch or electric and blocks. For heavier use I would reinforce it and add a swivel section for loading.

I've never tested it for maximum weight but I think it would hold a gutted elk.

I think you'd have to be careful with a heavy load that was anything other than hanging straight down..

If you wanted to lift a large whitetail for instance and fitted it with a pulley, and then rigged up a winch to the back of the pick-up bed, I suspect the angle of the pull might warrant a bit of extra bracing..

Obviously, thats a deviation from its current intended purpose, for which it looks fine..

Some here had mentioned the "Little Lifter". Here is something similar www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/grip-2-ton-rope-hoist.aspx?a=1537742

R Mike -

This one doesn't slip into a receiver box but it could be adapted.

A winch is the cat's meow.

Two stout wimmin. Need a big box tho.

If you're still looking for deer hoist recommendations then you could try Catchthemeasy

Personally I have Rage Powersports one for my truck and it's been pretty reliable tbh.

Have a welding shop build you one.

WOW

I have that same hoist....bag and all

On the back of a Pick-em-up truck






the same one mounted on a small trailer.




and a link to a ready-made.

https://www.discountramps.com/game-hoist/p/DEER-HOIST-SWIVEL/


ya!

GWB

Here is one I built for deer lease

Yep, that's the one I bought.

I looked at Viking Products last month,from an ad in Hunter magazine, looking for something for hunting the local NF's solo next year at past 70. They got a backpackable hoist rig that fastens to a tree trunk with a chain that looks good to me, and a small frame for gutting a critter on the ground that holds the legs spred and the pelvis up high enough to work on easily. One other item I'll buy asap that lifts a mesh cargo panel of up to 300 lbs as I recall high enough to rotate into the bed of a pickup using a standard hand crank...perfect for critters, bags of corn or furniture or ???

Last Season my 80 year old BinL and me at 73 & both of us in less than average much less in good health. tried to put my 150/160 lb cull buck in the back of his new Kawy double bench ATV only to watch the limp critter slide back on the ground a couple times ...that last tool would have been perfect for that job and saved both our backs.
Ron

You would be better off making your own for your specific needs. Most everything I’ve seen from sporting goods stores are junk. Go to a hardware store and pick up what you want as far as pulleys,block and tackle,rope etc then work on a support that fits your needs. Plenty of people out there that will weld something up for you out of their garage or shop.

This is the setup we have at my grandparents' to hang our deer for gutting/skinning. My uncle bought it http://huntingfishingplus.com/best-deer-hoist/ and put it up last year after Christmas, so this is the first time we've been able to use it. It's basically an electric wench mounted in the raftors of a sheet metal building. There is a switch mounted on the wall. The beams that it is mounted on have been reinforced. The other part has four hooks and rotates 360°. We can hang five deer at the same time. It's high enough and the dogs can't get to them.

nice!

Use this to put all kinds of critters on the back of my jeep, pigs, deer, Elk, and all kinds of exotics,works great. it will go up and turn over 180 degrees. Rio7

I use a block and tackle if I’m out in the woods. I built this for both leases I hunt on.

I have made dozens of gambrels. And the boat crank winch we use to skin and butcher, but I've never yet made a hitch hanger. Some interesting ideas here, keep em coming.

Edit: you can't drop the meat with my gambrels. They're made with cable and cinch around the knees.

This one might be too powerful. You pulled its head right off!

On commercial fishing boats when hunting Kodiak blacktails we used to hang them from one of the winches on deck by way of a block up in the rigging (usually the "tugger") which was plenty to lift the biggest elk or multiple deer. But we also used it to skin them with the hammer head trick and sometimes pulled them a little too hard...

For moose hunting we have gin poles rigged on the swamp buggies and what goes down will go up! No problem lifting large bull moose completely off the ground. A second winch on a rack right behind the cab pulls them into the bed easily.

I shot his head off with a 300 Win Mag.

Used this one again last weekend. About $25 in parts, but I already had some of the components. One 1" square tube cut in half and drilled; nuts/bolts/washers; two each 1" pipe, tee, elbow; six nipples and one 2x4.

Have lifted a 4x4 buck mule deer once it was gutted and on the tailgate. Car wash bent the square tubes attached to the bed of the truck and wife never lied them sticking up anyway. Yesterday I replaced them with tubes that are below the top of the bed walls so that they can't be seen unless the gate is open. Two tubes on each side, welded together. One gets bolted to the side wall using existing holes, the other holds the pipe. No more car wash damage and a happy wife. With the mods the vertical pipe are now in two sections so they fit in the short bed without extending out over the gate. Win/win/win. The 2x4 still sticks out over the tailgate but only by about 4 inches.

We skinned a total of 6 antelope on the rack last weekend, before the mods. Will try to remember to get photos of the post-mod version.

Takes longer to describe it than it does to set it up (or take it down).

I use to have one, but left it in Alaska with a friend. Never was able to find another, but I did find similar pulleys and rope at Tractor Supply and built another that rides in my hunting day pack. Been used many times.

I bought this 2 years ago. I only use it if the deer are big. It take a few minutes to set up, so if the deer are small, I don't mess with it. Please note my high tech drag rope with the ergonomic handle.

I've got a 1/2 ton chainfall built with extra long lifting and operating chains. I can hoist a Elk at least 20 ft up a tree. Any animal that wants a meal better be able to jump.

I was thinking dang them boys got a heck of coyote problem.

Caption this pic.....

Looks like your bullet way over penetrated!

I think you were using a bit too much gun!

Told you not to use those dang ballistic tips!!