Whole Elk?

[fishngamereaper]

Some guys have all the luck. I've never killed an elk that you could touch with a mile of rope. Besides by the time I run the rope, blocks and pullies I could quarter and pack the elk out and be done.

[BNAElkhntr]

Always hunt up hill and have friends

[Fletch]

We have used a capstan winch on multiple occasions to take elk as well as a moose out of the woods. This thing really makes me wonder if I should sell my pack frame!! But seriously it takes all the hard work out of it. A  hand full of snatch blocks, plenty of rope, and 2 guys. 3 people is nice but not necessary. As long as you have trees around, an elk comes out whole and clean with just a bit of effort leaving lots of energy for the skinning and butchering and also saves you enough time for some beer drinking.

I am with Jared! I have a winch like this as well.  the winch/rope/ one gallon of gas can be packed a long ways to get an animal out.  It is slow but no slower than on your back.  It also leaves you plenty of energy to hunt in the morning instead of an aching back.  We never got elk out whole until we bought the gas winch...

[DRobnsn]

We have used a capstan winch on multiple occasions to take elk as well as a moose out of the woods. This thing really makes me wonder if I should sell my pack frame!! But seriously it takes all the hard work out of it. A  hand full of snatch blocks, plenty of rope, and 2 guys. 3 people is nice but not necessary. As long as you have trees around, an elk comes out whole and clean with just a bit of effort leaving lots of energy for the skinning and butchering and also saves you enough time for some beer drinking.

I am with Jared! I have a winch like this as well.  the winch/rope/ one gallon of gas can be packed a long ways to get an animal out.  It is slow but no slower than on your back.  It also leaves you plenty of energy to hunt in the morning instead of an aching back.  We never got elk out whole until we bought the gas winch...

I'm guessing you guys gut them before pulling?

[Fletch]

We do gut them before pulling and we pull by the back legs...they drag better backward as the cheeks dont catch the ground like the nose or horns do.

[Bookworm007]

Hauled that sucker out whole on a sled 2 miles up hill because it was getting dark and we didn't want to make a second trip. Then we fit the whole thing in a subaru outback 

[beav1980]

Haywire and a block!

[grundy53]

Haywire and a block!

This!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Magnum_Willys]

I know old guys in Idaho that can only get elk out one way - capstan winch.  They take the 18# winch and 50 yards of rope and work their way out - I've seen them go miles.  Might take all day to go a few miles but these 75+ year olds get it out - whole !

[G-S]

 

[pd]

We do gut them before pulling and we pull by the back legs...they drag better backward as the cheeks dont catch the ground like the nose or horns do.

Fletch, there is a better way to do that.

Don't gut it (it will get muddy and dirty).

Tie a half hitch about 10 or 15 feet from the end of the rope (the end towards the elk).  Then, tie a noose around the elk's neck (this works for cows, but even better for bulls).  Cinch the noose tight.  Then, thread the half hitch around the elk's muzzle, making sure the line between the half hitch and the noose is tight!  When you pull the rope, the elk will come straight up the hill, nose pointed forward.  The elk will follow the rope, and even climb over logs.  The antlers will never snag.  And, because you are pulling with the fur, the hide won't suffer as much.

It really works.

[spin05]

Hauled this one out of a skid road on a game kart over about a mile in last year. Bout destroyed that poor kart

[Halo]

I've used rope, I have a 1,200' roll of 5/8" poly for the truck and a 600' roll of 1/2" poly that can mount on the back rack of my quad. I've used the quad to haul and or drag them out. We also have a mountain goat quad trailer that works pretty slick. I've floated them out with a guy on a rope on either bank and I've taken them out by boat. It's been pretty rare that we've had to quarter any out.

[RockChuck]

Draw an antlerless  tag and shoot a small one😂

[RatRodMike]

I've probably taken 8 or so out whole.  They were always fairly close and up hill from the farm so the little John Dear worked great for getting them skidded out and loaded in the pickup.  There were times it would have been easierr just to quarter them up but my dad just loves taking them out in one piece.  The best thing is being able to butcher them in the shop where it's cleaner and drier.  Having hot water and rags close it also great.

The farm is in the Stella unit so the elk numbers dried up several years ago.  I had to pack out of the Willapa hills last year and I'm hoping to get lucky enough to be packing out again this year.