Getting Elk out of mud pits and marshes before quartering?

[RockyBass]

Hi everyone,

This will be my first western elk season, and while scouting my prospective area, I noticed a fair amount of mud pits and marshes that the elk frequent. My concern is that if I manage to kill an elk this year, and he dumps himself in one of these hell holes, quartering in marshy mud and water doesn't sound like a good idea. Does anyone here have any ideas on how to deal with these situations? I was thinking of a block and tackle solution to get him to more favorable ground, but I'm not speaking from experience here. In the places where I am finding what appear to be mature bulls (still nubs at this point, so hard to say for sure), there is rarely easy road access.

[SuperX]

Moose hunters often have to find a way to get their moose out of the water/marsh. 

Maybe a come-along in the car or a block and tackle in the pack or make a flip-flop winch? 

[Alchase]

 Keep a block and tackle or a come-a-long with a long rope in your recovery gear. The one time I didn’t the elk I shot dove of a closed road straight down about 30 feet into a seep bog full of devils club and nettles. It took us three hours and get the quarters up and out of the bog.

Being prepared will save you tons of nasty work.

[WapitiTalk1]

First of all, don’t kill an elk in a marshy or mud pitted area    2nd, yes.. one should always have some kind of come-a-long, block-n-tackle, “winch” system in their rig or quad for various applications from a motorized kill (I should only be so lucky). For the normal elk hunting where you may be off road when you put an elk’s nose in the dirt (huge grin) check this little Jewel out (no not the singer from Alaska). https://packapull.com/. Alchase, I knew you’d dig this. This company is a sponsor on another forum I frequent on occasion.

[Platensek-po]

Just learn how to do a z-drag with a couple prusik. As a rafting guide we learned how to make z-drags with rope and a couple of biners and prusiks. It would be stuff you should have on you anyway and comes in super handy. It’s actually really easy to do.

[Alchase]

First of all, don’t kill an elk in a marshy or mud pitted area    2nd, yes.. one should always have some kind of come-a-long, block-n-tackle, “winch” system in their rig or quad for various applications from a motorized kill (I should only be so lucky). For the normal elk hunting where you may be off road (huge grin) check this little Jewel out (no not the singer from Alaska). https://packapull.com/. Alchase, I knew you’d dig this. This company is a sponsor on another forum I frequent on occasion.

Sweet! I could have put that to use so many times I couldn’t count.

I thought my elk was going to be the easiest haul out in the history of elk hunting. Shot him 50 yards off the road, he proceeded to run across the road and die as he nosedived down into the bog.
Went from the easiest haul out to the worst is a second.
 

[MADMAX]

We had a 6pt killed last year in a muddy area
We used the gutless for most of the breakdown
Got the 1/4s off and then backstraps then we flipped it over did the other side and got tenderloin's heart etc
All the loose and rib meat
It was not fun in the mud but certainly doable
 

[WapitiTalk1]

First of all, don’t kill an elk in a marshy or mud pitted area    2nd, yes.. one should always have some kind of come-a-long, block-n-tackle, “winch” system in their rig or quad for various applications from a motorized kill (I should only be so lucky). For the normal elk hunting where you may be off road (huge grin) check this little Jewel out (no not the singer from Alaska). https://packapull.com/. Alchase, I knew you’d dig this. This company is a sponsor on another forum I frequent on occasion.

Sweet! I could have put that to use so many times I couldn’t count.

I thought my elk was going to be the easiest haul out in the history of elk hunting. Shot him 50 yards off the road, he proceeded to run across the road and die as he nosedived down into the bog.
Went from the easiest haul out to the worst is a second.
 

I can relate as many can. Center punched a bull in the spud state a few years ago with a Magnus Stinger BH at 17 yards.  He was coming in hot, it was either me or him (grin). Where I shot him, he was a few hundred yards below a trail, dead on his feet pretty much. Where he collapsed “minutes” later, was 1/3 mile down in the brushiest, 10 foot high alder mess, well you know. Evening call in shot. Took buddy and I till well after dark to bone out, hang the bags. First trip out that night and I’m not $hitting you, till daybreak the next morning.  There is NOTHING like N ID/MT alder/huckleberry fields to hunt hunt/pack elk. Build character, that’s what my pop used to say.

[Alchase]

it builds character

That is does! 

[TeacherMan]

Used a chainsaw windless in Alaska on moose every year. Gets them to a better spot to work on them pretty quick. Plus using a windless you can run as long of rope as you want. My buddy that hunted the Yukon River every year carried about 600’ of rope with him.

[GWP]

Make sure you use a non stretchy rope as well. I had a brand new 'thicker than my old one' rope I picked up. The first time I used it I found with the long length and incline it would stretch very nearly the full pull of the come along before anything moved. That REALLY sucked and made for a very long day.

[pianoman9701]

Moose hunters often have to find a way to get their moose out of the water/marsh. 

Maybe a come-along in the car or a block and tackle in the pack or make a flip-flop winch?

[bearpaw]

On numerous occasions I have cut an elk in half with the hide on in order to drag out or to drag to a better location to bone out. If you carry a 5x7 tarp in your pack it's handy for working on game on the ground or for dragging game a short distance to break it down further.

[X-Force]

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,285503.msg3890425.html#msg3890425

Something like this is pretty helpful.

We used to hunt in some rugged areas and would winch elk out. We have a home made skid for it too

[RockyBass]

Tons of great resources and suggestions here. Thank you guys!

[Rugergunsite308]

Done a few elk in hell holes. What helps the most is lots of people. Additionally you can leave the hide on a quarter until you get it to higher ground. This decreases the surface area that gets contaminated. You end up with more hair on the quarter, but that's easier to get off than muddy water.

[bearpaw]

Most often my guides pack out quarters, or if elk are quite a ways form a road we just use the horses. Two other things we've used in specific circumstances:

Heavy duty mule tape with one or two pulleys, tie around the head, one guy with a handheld radio making sure the elk doesn't get hung up, the other guy in the truck pulling with a handheld radio, you have to be close enough to a road, but great for pulling out a whole elk.
https://rightrope.com/pull-tape/?sku=PT-1800-1500

Chainsaw Winch
Much more costly but has good applications at times. I've winched elk up 200 foot cliffs with one of these mounted on a good sized chainsaw. You can tie off to a tree or big sage bush, then leap frog your way to where you want to get.

https://www.amazon.com/Powerhouse-Lewis-Chainsaw-Winch-capacity/dp/B01DF9883I/ref=asc_df_B01DF9883I/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693711674086&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4692832563104153838&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033728&hvtargid=pla-349713121322&psc=1&mcid=6a0ed5dc99063b3abf3390a6c04c4601&gad

[HntnFsh]

If you get the mule tape, get the 2500 pound. It's stout. 1800 pound breaks a lot easier on elk!
I've pulled a lot of elk out with 2500 pound mule tape and a couple snat h blocks!

[James]

We have been able to drag elk out of some bad spots with 3-4 guys.  Luckily my elk hunting crew are all pretty strong, with two of them being former college football players.


Come along or winch sure is more civilized though.

[dilleytech]

I wouldn’t worry about planning to winch a bull out of whatever situation they are in. I guess for road hunters that’s a Good plan but if you kill a bull in water as un likely as that probably is. Just cut it up skin on, you can trim off a 1/4 of whatever meat touches dirty stuff. But  you should be able to gut and cut an elk in half and drag it out of a marsh also. If that situation comes up you will figure it out.

 Just don’t get scared and leave it whole over night thinking you need to have more people to not waste meat.

[bankwalker]

On numerous occasions I have cut an elk in half with the hide on in order to drag out or to drag to a better location to bone out. If you carry a 5x7 tarp in your pack it's handy for working on game on the ground or for dragging game a short distance to break it down further.

100% always have a tarp or contractor trash bag in my pack. Nothing worse than dirty meat..and it has came in very handy in muddy/marshy areas too.