Headache Rack with Winch. Loading moose.
 

I've been thinking about building some sort of headache rack for loading whole moose or elk. Also to make loading of a deer into the truck easier for the wife.

It's not always feasible to keep an animal whole but I much prefer it because it tends to keep everything clean when I can do all the skinning/cutting in the shop.

In the event that I can get the animal to the truck whole, I'd like a way of loading. I've started building a headache rack but am at a bit of a standstill.

What do you guys use to load WHOLE moose/elk into the truck when hunting alone with no other equipment nearby?

Once its at the truck, who cares if you split it apart between the front and rear quarters? Put a tarp around the exposed meat of each half and you will be good. Skin it out when you get home, hang it and wash it.

As for loading a front or rear half, Quad ramps, a come along, and a few extra hands will get the rears up and in.

Tricky part is getting an anchor point. I have a canopy and had to use one of the corner tie down points at the base on a very big moose. It was not a lot of fun even with help. A winch would have been nice.

Even with a winch set up mounted high on a headache rack like the f & W trucks, you still need a set of ramps.

Drewski

Sheet of plywood

Yes, planning on building a ramp of some sort.
I know you can quarter the animal but even a moose hind quarter when alone can be pretty heavy for one person with a high tailgate.

I have even loaded large mules that made me wish I had a better system.
With my wife starting to hunt more often alone while I am at work I'd like to make it easier for her too.

Sheet of plywood works poorly. No hangers to hold it to the tailgate and it spins out at the worst of times.

Trifold Quad Ramps with the slides on it work really good but are a pain to put the slides on and off.

Get yourself a 20 volt cordless recip saw and an extra battery. Buy a couple of 11 inch demolition blades, you will be impressed.

Drewski

I own both of those but haven't figured out how to use them to load a whole elk without quartering it yet...

In all seriousness I think a winch in the box with a ramp would be handy for lots of things. Its something I've wanted to build for a while (pretty much everytime I have to load something really heavy into the box of my truck).

Quad ramps, partial piece of plywood on ramps, and chain come-along. Easy

Pulling an animal in the box of a truck the size of a moose or elk is quite difficult if the winch is connected to the headache rack or front rail as you lose 1-2 feet of box with the winch and tackle. I have a sled deck on my truck and a 3500 winch that i normally use for loading/unloading quads. But it is also very useful for loading a moose onto a 12 foot trailer behind my truck. The trailer has a fold down ramp. I simple back up to moose, hook the winch cable across the bridge of the nose and pull it onto the trailer... works like a charm.

You could use the round bail method. It is slow but works.

Tie a good rope to your hitch, go over the round bail, and tie to the nose of the moose or elk.

Drive slow slowly until the animal is on to of the round bail slightly forward.

Back the truck up to the round bail and push the animal into the box or use a "came along" attached to headache rack or rail.

It is preferred that you remove the head and legs below the knee for this method or you risk losing your rear window.

A winch is good - to make it re ally work you also need an a-frame set up, called gin poles. Make them swivel at the base at the back of the truck box. Run the winch line through a sheave at the apex of the gin poles and down to the moose. As you reel in the line it will lift the moose to the poles then pull the poles up over center and lift/drag the monster moose into the bed.
I wish I could show you but the only pictures left are in my head :)

Loading a moose
 

I use my tri-fold quad ramps. I then use a 2 inch, 30' nylon tow strap, and sling it up the ramps, over the roof of the truck, over the hood and then attach the tow strap to the quad. I place an old blanket under the tow strap where it meets the roof of the truck. This prevents it from scratching the paint on the roof. I then move the quad to the front of the truck, and slowly drag the moose up the ramps into the box. It takes only a couple of minutes, even by yourself. I have even done this with the moose not gutted. I like to use the tractor to hang the moose while, gutting, cleaning, and quartering. I had an old uncle who showed me this trick, and I have done this numerous times. Its kinda red neck, but trust me it works.

wELL ;Most guys seem to have quads/winch attahed.So headache rack,a couple of shacklesto the HR, & snatch block.Qad ramps[3],pull it right in your box/with the quad winch..

My buddy and I loaded this moose whole with a jack all used as a come along attached to my headache rack. Few chains, quad ramp. And a little Mcgivering, hehe. I have also loaded moose myself whole with a snatch block connected to the headache rack then back to my quad winch with a quad ramp. Little hard by yourself but no choice. Have also used quad decks with a winch on the head ache rack right onto the deck. I don't have this truck no more but I would of mounted a winch right on top of the rail on the box right tight to the headache rack plus a little welding. I got 2 3500 lb Warn winches just sitting here.

I let the youngins hunt moose nowadays. hehe I had enough.:)

https://i.imgur.com/dkivb8m.jpg

Sheet of ply wood and a comalong, chain that runs from the tie off points at the front of the box, comalong attaches to that, crank animal in.

I'v done moose this same way.

One time I see a hunters quick rig up, put u bolts into a old atv winch plate, ran a chain through and to the box tie downs at the front of the box, booster cables and a battery and we watched him winch a moose in and up on the quad ramps. Worked slick as he could walk beside the moose as it got pulled up.

I have always wanted to do a back rack with a winch like the F & W have but I carry a sled deck in the winter and it would be 1 more thing to store in the off season and I don't have any extra space.

Pretty good setup, easier one though is to tie a snatch block to the headache rack or a tie down point, run the cable or tow strap from the moose, through the snatch block and tie the other end to a quad or other pickup and then just drive quad away to pull the moose up the ramp. You can also use the quad winch if you prefer or a jack all or come-along tied to a tree. A receiver hitch mounted winch also works if you remove the tailgate. No worries about scratching roof or hood and you can see the moose way better.

I watched someone do that exact thing, worked great until the antler started digging into the ground. The pressure on the tow strap caused the roof to buckle a little bit breaking the windshield. The windshields could not be replaced so the truck had to be written off. Hell of a way to destroy a 3 year old truck. Insurance would not cover it.

Try this - one pulley, long line, then drive and up she goes.

https://youtu.be/QbOLF1JPgPw

Another way is to use the tie down rings in the front corners of the truck box instead of anchoring the pulley to a tree. Hook a pulley centered on a chain anchored to the front corner rings. The pulley can be a 3 to 1 or up to an 8 to 1 pulley. Run a rope from the moose through the pulley and then tie the other end of the rope to a tree or anchor behind the truck. A couple ramps and have your moose on a plywood sheet. Drive away slowly and the rope pulls the moose up the ramps and into the box. The ramps can be skinned logs too. Logs can be longer creating a gentler slope.

I use a winch now cause I’m getting lazier (smarter?) the older I get. I built it to slide into the 5th wheel receiver that’s in the bed of the truck. It doesn’t give up more then 6” of box space and once an animals in the truck they’re pretty easy to slide ahead if needed. I install it when I plan on using it and most of the year it lives in the shed.
I've hand loaded many elk by myself or with another helper in one piece but a winch is much easier.

Well, I had already decided on a headache rack since I have had to replace the rear window once already ($850 :angry3:). I pretty much had it built but added a foot that bolts right to the box floor to help take some force.
Ill bolt it to the box sides and also have three plates that slip between the box and cab.

I decided to mount the winch at box height then put two 11k hoops on the top to give a better angle with a snatch block or two if needed.

I am planning to build a ramp also as my quad ramps are MIA.

I never did see this but a couple of co workers built something that used a winch,the headache rack and some added support on the box rails. They claimed that it worked really well. Have you checked out you tube? Good luck

The rack is just about finished. Going to paint it and hope to have it on the truck tomorrow and maybe install a winch.

https://i.imgur.com/p2M2LA7.jpg

Headache rack with winch
 

Sounds like an inventive idea, but of all the moose we’ve taken over the years, there’s never been a round bail nearby.

I built a low rack to mount the winch on using 1.5x3" rectangular tube. One across the back of the box and 2 3' lengths down the rails. Bolt straight on the box rails a 2500 lb winch mounted to a 1/2" thick plate welded and a 3/4" eye bolt mounted beside to act as an anchor point should I need more pulling power. This has been mounted on 3 different trucks and is still working great. For ramps I have 4 8' 2x10 PT boards put together in pairs with the largest out door hinges I could find these just sit unfolded in the bed of the truck all year. They come in handy for all kinds of things not just as ramps. I have loaded 5-6 moose and at least 10 Elk whole and have never had a hitch. I think the whole thing cost me less than the price of the winch ( which I got on sale for 150$)

Drill to 3/8-1/2" holes in the plywood on each side of one end. Tie to bumper.
I've loaded quite a few animals over the years that way. Recip saw
Try Milwaukee's The Axe blade.

vcmm

I load bison in the back of my truck with no ramp. Most I've had is 2 decent size bison cows. Guy before me had 3-4 in the truck. Granted, I have a 12000# Warn winch mounted to the deck behind the cab and my flatbed is a tilt deck. The biggest thing you need is a roller at the end of the bed. I'm supposed to get a new truck next year and I'm already looking at how to improve my next buffalo bus. My counterpart has a hydrabed on the back of his truck and while it works, the extra moving parts are a pain. Especially if/when it breaks as it did this past summer while moving hay.:thinking-006:

If I was planning on building one for my personal truck, I would put a 4000# winch 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up the headache rack, then brace it in the middle and on each side. YNP bear mgmt have the basic set up. I would add a 6" roller at the back though. My 4" roller is a bit small.... Maybe I'll have to build one for my old pick up... Could be a real good winter project.

A 2000# pound winch has lots of power on a single line , the higher you mount it the easier it has to work. Plywood works for a ramp , I have used it before, but now I have a 6 foot section of Aluminum ladder as a ramp . Start with the head on the ramp , and don't worry if the ramp comes up with the moose or elk or if the critter slides on the ramp . The object is to get the body over the tail gate.

Sometimes you need to tie off the head to the rack so it doesn't slide out ,when you winch as far as you can and it is not all in , then move to the back legs, and winch it in the rest of the way. { An 8 foot box would be much easier .}
My truck is a short box with a big toolbox in front, my winch is mounted at the back of the tool box, leaving me 4 and a half feet . It means a 1 pull load isn't happening , but a 2 pull always works .

A wireless remote makes life much easier , especially if you are alone.

Make sure that you have the winch anchored down , and the rack is anchored down so it doesn't tip under load.

I use welding cables to the winch for power leads on quick connects to carry the current, and leave the truck running to keep the battery powered up. Its a good idea to mount a light on the rack for loading in the dark.

I built a removable winch system for my brothers truck on the cheap. He didn't want anything permanent. I used a sheet of 1" plywood cut to 24"x5' ( width of his truck bed) I bolted on a 6'6" 4x4 post with through bolts nuts and washers. And mounted a hand crank winch to the 4x4. The reason I went with 6' for the 4x4 was so the hand crank was out the side of his truck and wouldn't hit it when cranking. A thick piece of carpet to cover the plywood and a eye bolt on the far end with snatch block mid line. Hook the winch Hook on the eyelet, slip the plywood between the truck box and cab, attach the critter to the snatch block with a choker cable and crank it up the ramps. Works slick and can be made for cheap. Pretty sure the system can be adapted to a powered winch with some thought... Whole thing just lifts out of place and rides in the box when not in use.

Hot shot racks are a dime a dozen. Many already have winches or if not a winch can be added easily.