Floating an Elk or Moose across a lake

[btsuga]

Last year we could have saved a lot of time and energy by floating our moose across the lake to a boat launch instead of pulling 600 metres through a cutblock. It is a point of honour in our camp to keep the carcass whole for the butcher!

Any hints or tips for rigging up a large animal for towing? Flotation devices?

What is the smallest boat you have used?

I am thinking Kayak or pontoon boat (flyfishing) might work.

[srupp]

we have used a small inflatable Zodiac type boat witha 2hp gas motor to drag a moose across a lake maybe 2 kms..worked fine..no flotation jabbed a couple sticks in the entrance holes..and away we went...didnt have any problems..Tim seemed nervous..lol

steven

[Steeleco]

I'd hate for the chest cavity to fill while your moving it across water. Bye Bye Moose!!!! But if your quick then I suppose it would work well. I'd also think you'll need a some sort of outboard on at least an inflatable.

[BernDawg]

I'd be careful with that, you just might have to convince the CO that you didn't shoot it while it was swimming....

[Phil A. Bowl]

pretty hard to put one in the lungs while its swimming. I have done it in a canoe with out a paddle (dont ask) just a ball cap

[BCHunterTV]

I floated mine, we used a kyack to haul it

[Phil]

Moose hair is hollow, they float very well without a life jacket.

[Gunner]

Did it twice on Kluachesi lake,rowed them back to camp behind a 9' Zodiac.Then we put a tarp in the boat,piled in the guts and rowed them across the lake,there was a sow grizzly with cubs hangin' around.Gunner

[levind]

yup just tie it around the neck dont gut it and it will float to where ever you want to take it. i have seen it done a couple of times. Just dont gut it lol.

[Pete]

My Friend and I pulled a down Moose 350m across a lake with a canoe. Worked really well!

[urbanhermit]

I think Evinrude has a moose sphincter mounting bracket on the market now. :)

[bucka]

Floated two gutted out moose (cow and calf) 1/2km down and from one bank to the other on the Kleena Kleene River. Floated so well I was able to ride on top of larger cow while towing the calf behind the cow with rope. Their hollow hairs are amazing. Not sure how well this would work on a bull with some antler mass.

[Tenacious Billy]

I've hauled whole moose in a canoe before and have seen pics of an entire bull elk floated down a river, strapped to the inner-tube of a skidder tire.......

[gitnadoix]

I have also seen moose that sink when dead, one was on the bottom of a crystal clear river in a pool 10 feet deep. One of the guys had strip down and to take a rope down to it and tie it off on the antlers. The water was real real cold so he made us all put our camera's away first as he did not want any ....um er false advertising getting out...might hurt future opportunities with the ladies.....any way I know they do float.....but this one died while running across the shallow part of the river drifted fifty yards down stream and sank into the pool......we were all shocked but saw it with our own eyes ?????

[SimilkameenSlayer]

moose/deer hair is hollow and super buoyant. gutted or not the moose should float.

[Fishhound]

Years ago I floated a decent sized bull across a liake with a 8hp on a 12ft aluminum, shot it in the spine, so there were no holes to plug, we had fun with 2 guys pulling by hand and 1 in the boat until we got it across 100yds of muskeg, oh to be young again

[rec]

We floated caws and bulls in muskegs and lakes never pluged holes and never had a problem ,towing a moose with a canoe is a little hairy but it works better then packing

[Glassman]

My son and a friend floated a gutted cow moose down the river in an inflatable raft. No problems there. Here is the pichttp://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae246/glassman2/Misc240.jpg

[Steeleco]

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!! All I need do now is find a moose and give it a go LOL

[srupp]

the dogs seem impressed also...

[835]

My son and a friend floated a gutted cow moose down the river in an inflatable raft. No problems there. Here is the pichttp://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae246/glassman2/Misc240.jpg

Bet ya she was clean!

[Lillypuff]

We have gutted and dragged numerous moose across a lake with a 12 foot aluminum with a 9.9. Gutted or not we have not had a problem

[gerrygoat]

Floated two gutted out moose (cow and calf) 1/2km down and from one bank to the other on the Kleena Kleene River. Floated so well I was able to ride on top of larger cow while towing the calf behind the cow with rope. Their hollow hairs are amazing. Not sure how well this would work on a bull with some antler mass.

That would have been quite a sight, can you imagine what some tourist would have thought seeing that.

[urbanhermit]

My son and a friend floated a gutted cow moose down the river in an inflatable raft. No problems there. Here is the pichttp://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae246/glassman2/Misc240.jpg

be honest, if you got a bite trolling with a moose would you try to wind it in or cut the line?? remember, be honest..