diamond hitch
Well-known member
Every once in a while I find myself in a position where I can't get my elk out of the woods the same day. Most often I am blessed with freezing weather so I have a choice. There are a few procedures I have to follow to ensure success. Once I get my elk gutted I pull my drag rope out of my coat and move the carcass a couple hundred yards from the gut pile to a location favorable for retrieval. One of the requirements is a couple of trees 4-6 ft apart that are bigger than 6 inches in diameter. .The second task is to skin out the lower legs to where there is heavier meat. If you don't do that you may find that skin frozen and the quarters have to come into the house t thaw them out. Once they are prepped replace the skin and let it freeze. I them pack the inside of the carcass with snow to cool it. Last I prop it open with a stick to breath. To keep the predators at bay for the night, I pee on trees around the carcass and tie flagging in the limbs. Lastly I cut small fir trees and limbs and brush in all exposed meat. I've seen a flock of ravens strip the tenderloins and rump roasts out of an elk before I could get back to it in the morning. Then I get back to my horse and prepare for the next day.
The second day I bring either two or three horses depending on the conditions. On one horse I bring panniers that contain sheets, mannies, bailing twine or parachute chord, climbing spurs, a single tree and a battery operated dwalt reciprocating saw with two batteries. on another horse I have 25 ft of 5/8 hemp rope, my block and tackle and a couple of skinning knives, and a couple of lash cinches.
When I get back to the elk, I pull the brush off the carcass then put on my climbing spurs. I climb up one tree and tie off the rope. When I get back down I attach the single tree to the elk, the block and tackle to the rope and single tree and then climb up the second tree and tie the rope off. I then climb down and hoist the elk to a comfortable height and start skinning. You keep raising the elk to comfortable skinning height until finished. Then you lower the elk to a comforrtable splitting height and cut it in half with the saw. Cut the spine but don't separate the meat at the neck. It will keep the carcass steady. Raise the elk again to remove the front quarters. Cut a hand hold in the ribs about two ribs down and attach a rope on one quarter. Saw the spine but leave it attached by the meat. Now wrap the meat in sheets and tie them on. Place the front quarters on mannies and tie them up.
The front quarters are loaded on the pack saddle or saddle as shown in a previous post. You can tie up the stirrups or use a lash cinch to anchor them. Lower the hind quarters and wrap them before removal. Finally place the hind quarters in the panniers after mannying them up. The panniers are hooked onto the decker pack saddle and the lash cinch anchors everything in place. Finally you untie the rope, consolidate your tools and take the string to the truck.
If you have horns the can either go over the front quarters or tied on top of the panniers with or without a stick depending on the size.
Over the years I have only had a couple horse wrecks packing out but the sheets and mannies prevent the meat from getting dirty so the recovery is easier. What causes horse wrecks? What else- horses and bad luck. Stuff happens!!
The second day I bring either two or three horses depending on the conditions. On one horse I bring panniers that contain sheets, mannies, bailing twine or parachute chord, climbing spurs, a single tree and a battery operated dwalt reciprocating saw with two batteries. on another horse I have 25 ft of 5/8 hemp rope, my block and tackle and a couple of skinning knives, and a couple of lash cinches.
When I get back to the elk, I pull the brush off the carcass then put on my climbing spurs. I climb up one tree and tie off the rope. When I get back down I attach the single tree to the elk, the block and tackle to the rope and single tree and then climb up the second tree and tie the rope off. I then climb down and hoist the elk to a comfortable height and start skinning. You keep raising the elk to comfortable skinning height until finished. Then you lower the elk to a comforrtable splitting height and cut it in half with the saw. Cut the spine but don't separate the meat at the neck. It will keep the carcass steady. Raise the elk again to remove the front quarters. Cut a hand hold in the ribs about two ribs down and attach a rope on one quarter. Saw the spine but leave it attached by the meat. Now wrap the meat in sheets and tie them on. Place the front quarters on mannies and tie them up.
The front quarters are loaded on the pack saddle or saddle as shown in a previous post. You can tie up the stirrups or use a lash cinch to anchor them. Lower the hind quarters and wrap them before removal. Finally place the hind quarters in the panniers after mannying them up. The panniers are hooked onto the decker pack saddle and the lash cinch anchors everything in place. Finally you untie the rope, consolidate your tools and take the string to the truck.
If you have horns the can either go over the front quarters or tied on top of the panniers with or without a stick depending on the size.
Over the years I have only had a couple horse wrecks packing out but the sheets and mannies prevent the meat from getting dirty so the recovery is easier. What causes horse wrecks? What else- horses and bad luck. Stuff happens!!
