Dragging a moose by its hind leg

[Bustercluck]

This is remakable efficiency! I may be able to do it in 6-7 hours with my experience with one bull this year.

I know what you mean about cutting up animals in the dark. I did that with a couple of buddies a few years back while wolves were howling nearby. It was spooky and It’s alot of work for one guy. I ran into a fella this year who quartered his moose with the hide on. He had a chainsaw on board, but I’m not sure if he used that or a sawzall. He put the two front quarters on the back rack and dragged the two rears behind him by the hoof. He pulled it like that for a long ways to his truck, but it was a grassy road without too much abrasion. Its not what I would do, but it worked for him and there wasn’t really that much meat exposed to the elements.

At the end of the day you Dow whatever you have too. Sometimes you waste some meat and sometimes you don’t.

One word of advice. Get that hide off as quick as possible, especially if it’s big. The butcher at hunnifords showed me a couple of cuts above the rear knee and the back of the neck to prevent bone sour. I’ve never had an issue, but I skin them on site and I’ll pour creek water or whatever into the body cavity to rinse it out and cool it down.

[elker]

He had a chainsaw on board, but I’m not sure if he used that or a sawzall.
One word of advice. Get that hide off as quick as possible, especially if it’s big. The butcher at hunnifords showed me a couple of cuts above the rear knee and the back of the neck to prevent bone sour. I’ve never had an issue, but I skin them on site and I’ll pour creek water or whatever into the body cavity to rinse it out and cool it down.

The dame battery for my Dewalt sawzall died that night. I charged it the day before in the hunting lodge. It was a defect battery from the new purchase, which was disappinting. I had to use the Silky Saw to saw off those bones.
Yes, cutting open the game and release the heat is important. I am not sure whether I did it quick enought that night. anyway, live to learn.
a side note, I shot at a wolf at 60 yard but missed. a white wolf. He was sittting there amusing why a guy was making a cow moose sound and raking the willow the whole afternoon.

[ydouask]

Always drag moose by the hind legs unless you're saving the hide with fur on. Use a knife to cut the legs off at the knee like usual and put a slice between the bone and tendon same as for hanging. Put the rope through both legs with a double wrap on both and start towing. But few quads will pull a whole moose of any size and its very dangerous to tie the antlers up to the back rack. One minute you think its going pretty good and a second later your quad is pointed straight up and going over pinning you between the rack and quad.

Sounds like the voice of experience !

[srthomas75]

I've dragged a number of moose. I've had better success with the back legs. I keep an automotive tow strap in the atv [ 15 or 20' ] choked around both legs and hooked to the tow ball. I like the idea of getting the animal closer to a vehicle if there's one nearby or into a safer/ more comfortable spot to load and transport on a atv etc... 20-30 minutes of towing isn't going to make a difference to me.

[wallz]

My solo moose hunt this year.

7:10 pm taking photos of downed moose at kill site.
7:20 cutting trail for sxs to moose kill sight, and sending texts to the family.
7:30 At kill site with sxs, and starting the gutless method.
9:51 pm Packed up and texting the wife that I have everything packed on the sxs and heading back to camp.
10:16 pm Had to cut some more trees out of the way to turn around easier, and less weaving through trees. Back at camp, texting the wife. The trees were all dead burned from a previous forest fire, so no live trees damaged.

While it was an immature bull, I was still solo. A few ropes, some bungie cords, a headlamp, and the sxs headlights, I was still able to finish in under 3 hours. This still included rest, water breaks, stop to get that, this and re tie ropes. This is all bagged 1/4's and deboned the rest of the carcass. Easy to reach in afterwards and get the tenderloins.

2 or three guys can gutless in about 2 hours, or less. Been there and done that.


A bigger bull would have taken a while longer, but no more than 4 hours on site.

[835]

While it was an immature bull, I was still solo. A few ropes, some bungie cords, a headlamp, and the sxs headlights, I was still able to finish in under 3 hours. This still included rest, water breaks, stop to get that, this and re tie ropes. This is all bagged 1/4's and deboned the rest of the carcass. Easy to reach in afterwards and get the tenderloins.

2 or three guys can gutless in about 2 hours, or less. Been there and done that.


A bigger bull would have taken a while longer, but no more than 4 hours on site.

i totally dont disagree with the gutless method... but i have been "Drag whole quartered in camp" for wayyy too long to change. lol.
i admire the idea of Gutless... and one day maybe i will find myself in the shit and do it....

but for now, head first half hitch on the nose and drag. Going backwards sure you dont fight the Antlers but the drag of the hair backwards can make an ATV struggle or load up the rope and release it in a shot.