After game - moose

[richmondman]

Guys,
Please give me some of your thoughts and advice!
Planning for first moose hunting and have a trouble to figure how to get the game out if I succed of course? Which option is more appealing to you?

Electrical winch is $1700 but cable length 95 ft and probably no way to bring the car closer

Manual winch is manual, less powerfull but portable

Pacheting is manual but powwerfull but chain is short.

I have no atv but game cart

You probably have some different ideas.

Please suggest!

Thank you

[greybeard]

If you have a cart and hunting partners you will do fine. Remember how far off the road you are when you pull the trigger

[moosinaround]

Game cart if it is relatively flat. Pack board if it isnot flat. I like to use the ATV, or just shoot em on the road!! Good luck!

[BiG Boar]

The winch is convienient but moost likely will not be within reach.

[richmondman]

Game cart if it is relatively flat. Pack board if it isnot flat. I like to use the ATV, or just shoot em on the road!! Good luck!


I have this cart
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0059824228304a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&QueryText=game+cart&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form23&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

Will be it fine with board or should I go with the second suggestion?

[Wild one]

It all depends on were it goes down a winch can be a big help but bring lots of extra cable. A good pack board is a must it may be the only way to retreave your moose. Chain saw can make quartering a lot easier and it is nice to have. lots of rope and a few pullies. Never used a game cart but it looks like it would be worth it.

[gary murray]

What i have is a 2000 Ib winch from Princess Auto that only cost $100.00 that i attached to a plate that i welded to a tube to fit into my trailer hitch. Ran wires from my battery to the rear of the vehicle and attached fittings that i just plug together when i need to use it. There may be a chance that your cable wont reach but i always carry a couple of good lengths of rope with me until the animal is close enough to hook to the cable. I bought this winch solely for the purpose of hauling moose and deer up the sides of a hill and i put it behind my seat when it's not in use. I bought another 1500 Ib winch for my ATV from Canadian Tire for $39.99. These winches are more than capable of hauling the weight of a moose and you don't need to spend hundreds of bucks for them. Some may disagree with me but they have worked ok for me thus far. If you ever come across any good lengths of rope laying around then grab it. You can never have too much rope when you're hauling out game. My first moose? I used a wheel barrow to get the parts back to the truck.

[richmondman]

It all depends on were it goes down a winch can be a big help but bring lots of extra cable. A good pack board is a must it may be the only way to retreave your moose. Chain saw can make quartering a lot easier and it is nice to have. lots of rope and a few pullies. Never used a game cart but it looks like it would be worth it.

Hi,
Can you suggest what is the cable/rope length, strength I should look for? Just your gues please.
Pack board - buy or just 1/2 inch 4-ply?

thank you

[richmondman]

What i have is a 2000 Ib winch from Princess Auto that only cost $100.00 that i attached to a plate that i welded to a tube to fit into my trailer hitch. Ran wires from my battery to the rear of the vehicle and attached fittings that i just plug together when i need to use it. There may be a chance that your cable wont reach but i always carry a couple of good lengths of rope with me until the animal is close enough to hook to the cable. I bought this winch solely for the purpose of hauling moose and deer up the sides of a hill and i put it behind my seat when it's not in use. I bought another 1500 Ib winch for my ATV from Canadian Tire for $39.99. These winches are more than capable of hauling the weight of a moose and you don't need to spend hundreds of bucks for them. Some may disagree with me but they have worked ok for me thus far. If you ever come across any good lengths of rope laying around then grab it. You can never have too much rope when you're hauling out game. My first moose? I used a wheel barrow to get the parts back to the truck.

I bought in Canadian tire 8500 for $400 and probably have to return it because the installation is close to $1200. I would appreciate the links or suggestions what and where to buy. I saw two gentlemans around 70 hunting last year and I fall in love with their idea of removable winch and ropes

Thank you

[M.Dean]

Before we had ATV's, Winch's etc, we simply cut the moose in 4, 2 guys to a chunk and humped it back to the truck, most places where your moose is going to fall a winch is useless to you. Man power may be the only way. Moose are big, but they do come out of the bush with a little grunt work!!! Good Luck!!!

[richmondman]

Before we had ATV's, Winch's etc, we simply cut the moose in 4, 2 guys to a chunk and humped it back to the truck, most places where your moose is going to fall a winch is useless to you. Man power may be the only way. Moose are big, but they do come out of the bush with a little grunt work!!! Good Luck!!!

That is plan A and if it will not work I will go plan B. I al slightly (!) sceptical on grunt work.

Thank you

[richmondman]

That is plan A and if it will not work I will go plan B. I al slightly (!) sceptical on grunt work.

Thank you


Sorry my grunt work

[bowhunterbruce]

1/2 braided rope and lots of it,i hunted once with an old time fisherman,he showed up in camp with a garbage can filled up with 1 length of rope(he had briaded alot of rope into 1 length).he said there was around 1000 ft in there ,he also had 4 snatch blocks with him that he ended up tying to trees when we had to recover 2 moose down in a gully.i'll be damned if he didn't place those snatch blocks straticly down towards the moose ,then fead the rope through each block to the moose and we attached the end to a quad.which could have been done with any vehicle.then proceeded zig zag the moose up to each block undo it from its tree ,then up to the next one etc until in nothing flat each of 2 moose were up onto the trail in under 1 hr
ever since then i have carried no less then 500 ft of rope to every moose hunt i have done and yes its come in very handy,i also found a couple snatch blocks at garages sales.you could probably find some real cheap around the fishing boats in steveston area of richmond ,you might just be able to buy some used rope of a crab fisherman at the same time as they have the kind of lengths and thickness's required.keep it in a plastic tub or a plastic garbage can and it always stay nice and neat and ready to use if you take the time to rewind back into its bin when your done useing it.
by far though your best option is to wait for your moose to get to the uphill side of your truck so you can just give him a lil tug into the box of the truck.ive got lucky twice that way and its awsome
if you by chance have to 1/4 your animal up and have to pack it be sure you do your first 1/2 between the 3rd and 4th rib so you dont slice your tenderloin up or waste your backstraps.in most cases 2 or 3 guys can drag a half a moose on level ground,if you need to go uphill at all your gonna need to 1/4 him and having a good meat saw is a very valuable tool,ive seen them at princess auto for under 30 bucks and they have extra blades as well.
goodluck
bruce

[300wsm]

i am huge fan of my chordless sawzall. one fully charged battery will do two moose and two deer, heads, hoofs and quartering if necessary.

the first year i brought it out my hunting partner was laughing, next year we used his.

300wsm

[kennyj]

We de-bone all of our moose and pack the meat out on pack frames.That way we can hunt where we want.Don't have to worry about being near a road.Its a lot of work for sure,but well worth it.Its also a lot less expensive getting the meat butchered.You pay by the pound and the first thing the butcher does is de- bone and toss the bones in the garbage can (100 Lbs or so).De-boning is easier than most people think and with a little practice faster than gutting and quarting.
kenny

[richmondman]

he also had 4 snatch blocks with him that he ended up tying to trees when we had to recover 2 moose down in a gully.i'll be damned if he didn't place those snatch blocks straticly down towards the moose ,then fead the rope through each block to the moose and we attached the end to a quad.

What a brilliat idea Bruce!. I difenietely will keep it my mind.
Thank you for sawzall 300wsm! It does sound less messy than chainsaw.

I will try pm to gary murray with wiring questions


Thank you very much to all of you
:grin:

[416]

1/2 braided rope and lots of it,i hunted once with an old time fisherman,he showed up in camp with a garbage can filled up with 1 length of rope(he had briaded alot of rope into 1 length).he said there was around 1000 ft in there ,he also had 4 snatch blocks with him that he ended up tying to trees when we had to recover 2 moose down in a gully.i'll be damned if he didn't place those snatch blocks straticly down towards the moose ,then fead the rope through each block to the moose and we attached the end to a quad.which could have been done with any vehicle.then proceeded zig zag the moose up to each block undo it from its tree ,then up to the next one etc until in nothing flat each of 2 moose were up onto the trail in under 1 hr

Have done the same for years. Only thing we added was radios so you can make yourself understood when you're 300 yards in the bush............moose will NOT fit through a snatch block even with a 3/4 ton pick up yanking on them :shock:

[richmondman]

moose will NOT fit through a snatch block even with a 3/4 ton pick up yanking on them :shock:

Great! I like it!.

[gary murray]

Have done the same for years. Only thing we added was radios so you can make yourself understood when you're 300 yards in the bush............moose will NOT fit through a snatch block even with a 3/4 ton pick up yanking on them :shock:
Damn and i was hoping to make burger while i was up there.:(

[behemoth]

i am huge fan of my chordless sawzall. one fully charged battery will do two moose and two deer, heads, hoofs and quartering if necessary.

the first year i brought it out my hunting partner was laughing, next year we used his.

300wsm

Great Idea. wood or metal blade?

[compton]

I am a big fan of the quartering and de-boning what ever I shoot even mulie's, like it was already mention it's going to happen right off the bat at the butcher anyways might as well knock a little weight off for the pack out. I usually don't shoot things near the road so I would spend the money on a good back board not a winch.

[sawmill]

Great Idea. wood or metal blade?


Wood blade,I use mine every year to split game in half,invaluble.

[lip_ripper00]

Great Idea. wood or metal blade?


as coarse as you can find

[ROEBUCK]

Wood blade,I use mine every year to split game in half,invaluble.
x2 on that
the metal blades clogg with fat and grissle
I also use the longer blades on moose! the demolishion size blades!

[talver]

Used the Poor mans winch Quater it and pack it out works great, hardly ever breaks down.

[pmj]

On sale Princess Auto in Coquitlam, Langley, Prince George,... and other locations http://www.princessauto.com/
They have all kinds of handy stuff.

3/16 aircraft cable. 1000 feet will weigh 64 lbs.
http://www.princessauto.com/vmchk/farm/cable/aircraft/3821063-galvanized-aircraft-cable

galvanized aircraft cable

Price$13.99Discount-$5.00 Sale Price$8.99 SKU3821063
Weight3 pounds
Excellent for winching, towing, etc.
Flexible pre-formed 7 x 19 construction
3/16" dia.
50 ft coil
Breaking strength: 4,200 lbs.

[vanislehunter1]

Lots of rope works wonders.... but works even better than that is a Power Saw winch. You can just buy the chain saw for about 500-600 dollars, then the winch part for another 500 bucks, and there ya have it!! it weighs about 40 lbs, and is pretty much the most useful tool you'll ever have!!

[lunatic]

Lots of rope works wonders.... but works even better than that is a Power Saw winch. You can just buy the chain saw for about 500-600 dollars, then the winch part for another 500 bucks, and there ya have it!! it weighs about 40 lbs, and is pretty much the most useful tool you'll ever have!!

I'll second this. Carry one on my river boat. INVALUABLE tool !. I also have been using a sawzall for years. I use the bi-metal blades and have never had a problem with them clogging up.

[Big7]

Aside from just packing it out on your back, backing into a ditch and sliding it in or just dragging it to the road (immy moose) your best friend on a moose hunt in my opinion is a quad....if you have a quad, the possibilities are endless. I would buy a used quad before I bought upteen portable winches, hundreds of feet of wire rope or nylon, game carts etc.

If all else fails, get in your truck (preferably with a hunting partner although you can get a moose out on your own - I've done it a few times), shoot a moose and be creative. They are BIG, but...there is always a way to get it into the back of your truck!

If a quad is out of the question, as stated before, bring a pack board and carry it to the truck in parts if all else fails.

[cdub]

I use a costco winch and a pile of rope. The winch is slow but is useful when in a tight spot, otherwise a snatch block on a stump or tree hooked up to the truck is a lot faster.

[bridger]

if you want to use a portable winch i suggest you get a power saw winch. they winch attaches to the motor of your chain saw with the blade off. they are a little heavy but are portable. i keep one in my river boat and find it really handy. really powerful as well. just take lot of rope and a snatch block.

[hunter1947]

If me two good back meat pack would do just fine as for a sharp hand saw ,cheese cloth ,2 sharp knifes ,one small power saw with cooking oil for the chain.
If you don't have a power saw you can just use the hand saw to get the job done.
You don't know how far you will shoot the moose from the truck or car.

[willyqbc]

If you allready have the game cart, I think all you need is your hunting knife, a filet knife and a hand saw. What we do is break down the game as shown in this video

http://www.realoutdoorproductions.com/2008vids/feilddressing/feilddressing.html

from there seeing as you are talking about a moose, trying to pack a full moose quarter can be tough so thats where your came cart will come in, and if you can't get your cart right to the downed moose at least the animal is now in managable portions so a couple guys can get each piece to the cart.

hope this helps
Chris

[308Lover]

I have packed many moose from the woods by myself--using a pack frame with padded hip belt, some rope to secure meat tightly, and cheezecloth to cover the meat. Six pieces includes the front quarters, hind quarters, "saddle", and rib/brisket section. I sawed the ribs off close to the backbone since they are huge and you may leave parts in the woods. I left the neck and hide behind, but had to carry the antlers all by themselves. They are ornery bas----'s and catch on everything. I used only a hunting knife, and a small saw for the antlers. Hinds came off at the hip joint (ball) joint. Fronts come off with a quick stroke or two--no joints.You CAN work your way through the spine with just a knife and some twisting. Done this alone--packed 1/4 mile last time--took 3 and a half hours from the shot to the last quarter in the truck. Once you've seen it done, it's not bad at all. If you're not physically capable then refer back to the winch advice. P.S. You may find it's not the end of the story just because you dragged an 800 pound moose to the truck either.
Just my 2 cents.

[Tuffcity]

Cheapest and best option (IMHO) are several (3 or 4) mountain climber pulleys, carabiners, nylon webbing and several spools of commercial fishing ground line.

Run a high lead system from moose to vehicle. Pull to road.

RC

[behemoth]

If you allready have the game cart, I think all you need is your hunting knife, a filet knife and a hand saw. What we do is break down the game as shown in this video

http://www.realoutdoorproductions.com/2008vids/feilddressing/feilddressing.html

from there seeing as you are talking about a moose, trying to pack a full moose quarter can be tough so thats where your came cart will come in, and if you can't get your cart right to the downed moose at least the animal is now in managable portions so a couple guys can get each piece to the cart.

hope this helps
Chris

Thanks for the video. I have wanted to try this for a long time, think I will start this year

[BruceW]

Breaking a moose down is not as daunting as you may think. If it's your first moose you'll be shocked at how big it is when it's on the ground. (I sure was, the pic my wife took looks like I'm smiling, but it's really shock!(ha))
If it's on it's side, we just started at the top, and worked our way down. Skin out both legs, remove the front, skin it from the chest to just below the backbone, remove the top ribs, now the entrails are all in the open, easiest gutting there is. Now roll it over and repeat. We haul it out on a 2 bycicle wheeled cart in pieces. You may find it easier to work on with the head removed.
If it's on it's belly, I'd remove the head first. Those horns are nice on the wall, but they're a real pain to work around.
I'd suggest: 2 knives, a small razor sharp hatchet, a break down bone saw, and about 50' of light rope and a plastic block and tackle. Oh, and some cheesecloth or something to keep the meat clean while on the cart.
Last fall took the wife and I about 4 hrs to get ours out the 1/2 mile or so to the road, but we were in flat muskeg.
Just break the big job down into little ones, and before you know it, you're done.
Here's a great video from Maine. It's kinda long, but lot's of good advice and shows 1/4ering in the bush: http://www.myoutdoortv.com/video/video.php?v=_wnIN5KGpiMN7bbHO1QJBEHM2UQueiPX
Best of luck, you'll be spoiled after you have moose meat.