Using Haywire to retrieve elk

[manni7mm]

i'm getting older and need to hunt smarter
for you guys who run wire to pull elk, I'd really appreciate learning your technique.  Ive seen guys using winches or cable pulleys attached around trees.  I've only ever used pack mules in Montana or my frame.  The haywire is appealing.

Send me a PM if you prefer.  hope this gets a good response.
Thanks!

 

[Woodchuck]

Two words: Mule Tape. 

[whacker1]

Haywire & Mule tape work well if you are in a clear cut, but if you are in timber they won't do you a whole lot of good.  I have several sections of haywire that I have used one time.  I don't even carry them with me anymore, because the weight and erosion of fuel economy don't make sense to carry them.  They are hung in the garage, and have for many years.  The advantage to Mule tape is that it doesn't have the weight of Haywire, and I would be more likely to pack it along and leave it in the truck.

[Bob33]

I've never tried it, but I think that plan could go haywire.

I think a lot of members would be interested in your experience and report.

Best wishes.

[Lightning_Rider]

We've used haywire lots of times, you'll never break it. Most standard sections come in 250' lengths. We have crab rope as well and use that but haywire has always been tried and true. Just make sure you know how to unravel it as I lent a coil to somebody and they brought it back with knots in it 

[C-Money]

We bought a couple 1000' rolls of mule tape on Ebay for $65 per 1000', shipping paid. All you need is a piece a rebar for the spool and take the tape to the animal.   

[Woodchuck]

I bought a 3k ft spool of 1800lb this last summer for 140 to my door.

[C-Money]

I bought a 3k ft spool of 1800lb this last summer for 140 to my door.

That's a good deal...extra 1000' for 10 bucks compared to what we paid 

[Woodchuck]

I bought a 3k ft spool of 1800lb this last summer for 140 to my door.

That's a good deal...extra 1000' for 10 bucks compared to what we paid 

http://www.amazon.com/3000-1800-Polyester-Mule-Tape/dp/B00LKN0JNE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1447872103&sr=8-5&keywords=mule+tape 

[deerhunter_98520]

  only downfall to mule tape is you can't wrap it around stumps and it stretches and loads up but a set of 2 way radios works great with someone following the animal up 

[washingtonhunter121]

We use haywire whenever we can. In the timber or clear cuts. The main thing is to never pull down or side hill the animal to much. Run your cable straight to the animal no matter what obstacles are in the way try to run between trees and you can essentially pull any bull or buck out of a hole a lot faster then quartering and packing. We have a spool that is attached to two 6x6 posts that sit in the back of the truck. It holds around 800 yards of haywire. We have two straps to hook the block to for the cable to run then a cable locker pig tail that attaches to the hitch hooks. It has worked quite well for us. Usuall can haywire almost all our bucks out then for Bulls we are able to pull about half of them out. The ones we can't pull out is just because they are too far from the truck in the timber to be able to. It is an investment for this set up but we had 4 of us total to go in on the set up to get it paid for. We like getting the animals out whole so we can get them skinned whole to keep cleaner before we put them into our freezer. For a westside hunter it is a great thing with how many roads run all over we can almost always search out a road to get us close enough to get the job done.

[ELKBURGER]

Two words: Mule Tape. 

[HntnFsh]

Couple small block to hang off trees works great for guiding mule tape. I just welded a dock cleat on a peice of square tubing to slide in my hitch and tie off the mule tape. I have a bunch of haywire hanging g up. It never leaves the shop.

[TheHunt]

My brothers us mule tape.  I have seen it work a few times.

Run radios between driver and the person walking next to the elk.

Tie off the elk at the back legs and leave about 20 feet of that tape to help you move the elk around the stumps, trees, trash. 

If you have a wheel and a loop of rope you can hook up your blocks to take angles of drag of the elk. 

Again the radios work great when you are pulling along ways. 

[Woodchuck]

My brothers us mule tape.  I have seen it work a few times.

Run radios between driver and the person walking next to the elk.

Tie off the elk at the back legs and leave about 20 feet of that tape to help you move the elk around the stumps, trees, trash. 

If you have a wheel and a loop of rope you can hook up your blocks to take angles of drag of the elk. 

Again the radios work great when you are pulling along ways.

My kid rode an elk out once, threw a heavy coat over the line just in case, he would call me to stop, use the tag end as stated to reposition, climb back on and away we would go.