Moose butchering equipment

[Ivantherussian03]

It sounds like we have some moose hunters in the forum.

I am curious how other people cope with packing their moose to their vehicles.

Here, we travel by boat to and from the hunting. The moose have to be packed in pieces to the boat. It is an argious and grueling experience. The quarters can weigh 200 lbs. The pack can be up 1/2 mile or more, and 7 or 8 hours.

I want to buy some sort of military surplus, heavy plastic, hand pulled cargo sled. Has anyone seen such a sled? I did some years back but failed to buy one. I figure one could stack two moose quarters on a sled, and pull it much easier than packing a single.

I have been doing searching on the Internet, but no luck.

[waksupi]

Ivan, around here, Walmart carries the heavy duty sleds during hunting season. Another source, is some of the better farm and ranch stores. They sell them for hauling feed to livestock in the winter. I have one, and they certainly make the job easier!

[StarMetal]

http://www.shopoutdoors.com/sleds.html

http://www.unclejoes.com/snow_sleds_for_less.htm

http://mooseutilities.com/products.jsp?action=Q&product_group_id=453&category_id=976&&colors=&details=Y

[wills]

http://www.koendersmfg.com/sled.html

http://www.galleria-e.com/cgi-bin/Colemans.storefront/en/product/340401

[BruceB]

The last moose I killed in the Northwest Territores before moving south to Nevada was an exercise of rare pleasure.

My pal and I saw a bull on the shoreline about a mile ahead of the boat. My buddy said I should put him ashore a half-mile upwind of the moose, and then go out around the next point of land and wait for the moose to come downwind away from my partner.

I did that, and got ashore at a place where willows and spruce were right down close to the water, and really a bit too thick for a good shot. I moved inland about fifty yards into somewhat more-open ground, and sat down against a scrubby little spruce to wait. Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, here comes Mr. Moose....between me and the shoreline! I picked an opening which looked clear enough for a bullet, and when the moose got there so did the Nosler. DRT!

When I made my way to the moose, he was literally lying against the boat, and we had to move it to get enough room to work on the carcass! After all the moose I've carried with a packboard on my aching back for miles, this was, as I stated above, a rare pleasure.

[MT Gianni]

I found I needed 6 pieces to carry, rear "quarters", front legs, ribs &hump and head. Gianni.

[Ivantherussian03]

I knew i asked the right people; the moose packing sled is on the way:-)

I got one question more. How do you guys deal with splitting and or cutting your rib cage into packable chunks, for a big animal? I have not found a method or tool I would use twice yet.

[waksupi]

I knew i asked people; the moose packing sled is on the way:-)

I got one question more. How do you guys deal with splitting and or cutting your rib cage into packable chunks, for a big animal? I have not found a method or tool I would use twice yet.

I have a small cruising ax that I use for chunking up elk. Works good.

[Castnblast]

I have several deep scars on my knuckles from packing moose that have been cut up with an axe. the bone shards are very sharp, even dangerous. I now use a folding saw (Gerber exchange-a-blade, bone blade not the wood one) to cut the ribs off, top & bottom, (throw away the sternum) and put them in a cotton flour sack and lash to a packframe. the hump goes in another 2x wide bag, the loins in another, each leg in one, and the neck meat can be trimmed off the bone or packed out on the bone as another piece. In 8 pieces a moose gets much more manageable, the cotton sacks keep the meat breathing and clean, much better than the crappy "cheesecloth" game bags you can buy.

[C1PNR]

Castnblast! Yahoo!! What a handle!! Welcome to you and hope you find it rewarding here!

For sure the cotton bags are much better. For years now we've been using US GI military surplus mattress covers.

Very sturdy and usually pretty cheap. Each one will accommodate a deer, or an Elk quarter.

[Ivantherussian03]

castnblast,

where are you picking up those cotton sacks?

[Nrut]

Ivan.... I know guy's that use small chain saw's using cooking oil for chain oil....
year's ago we use to halve steer carcass's with a chain saw......beats using a hand saw for sure......

[Jumptrap]

Ivan.... I know guy's that use small chain saw's using cooking oil for chain oil....
year's ago we use to halve steer carcass's with a chain saw......beats using a hand saw for sure......

Reminds me of the story a man on the railroad used to tell of his brother in law's...cutting up a hog in the kitchen with a chainsaw. They had pork wall paper.

[Ivantherussian03]

I have heard of using battery operated sawall to cut and split rib cage.

Inovative no doubt:roll:

[MT Gianni]

Chain-saws work ok with cooking oil and a frozen carcass. Gianni.

[Nrut]

I have heard of using battery operated sawall to cut and split rib cage.

Inovative no doubt:roll:

That's even a better idea!......my brother has a sawsall and it is an amazing tool...