Deer winch for reds in woodland with no vehicular access

[jer]

Nah, we’d all stand round offering advice and p*ssing ourselves when he put his back out.

Now that is what I would expect from my mates, I would be dissapointed if they showed any compassion

 

[Waz77]

PTO winch fitted to the truck with 100m of synthetic rope, had one on one of my land rovers

 

[David T]

Ok on level ground but as soon as you get an incline then that’s where a winch comes into its own.
The shot, walk to the beast, gralloch and walk back and then on to the vehicle are there irrespective of if you use a winch or not.
The only additional time is back from the vehicle with the kit & time to rig up/take down
You try lugging a 60lb beast up a 1in2 slope for more than 50m and see what you think.
There are also some of us who are either getting on in years or have had serious health problems but are still keen to grass a beast. This at least helps a bit.

Tbh a 60lb beast would be over my shoulder. Fully appreciate, that for whatever reason, we all have different abilities. This is why I started off my post by saying if you are capable.

 

[rem284]

Capstan winch, rope, strops pulleys etc will probably cost 1200 to maybes 1500. Look after it and as long as it doesn't knacker then you could probably sell it for 700 to 1000 years later. To me it makes perfect sense to invest in the kit even if you are shooting only say 30 Reds a year. I said earlier that it can take a bit more time to set up the winch but probably is quicker if you have 3 or more to drag if they are lying reasonably close to each other. I have dragged a beast 2k before. Would I do that now, NO. If I could turn back time and have a good reliable capstan winch would I choose to drag by hand NO, not unless it was just a few metres. Why? Because I would want my body to last longer and not have so many aches and pains

 

[devon deer stalker]

Richard, you must have some mates locally who can give you a hand with a bit of dragging?

I did have a friend called @Orion but not anymore
Cheers
Richard

 

[countrryboy]

Are u intending to just lift ur capstan out the back of ur motor and winch from there??
If so I'd be easier just using ur motor to drag it out, all u need is an anchor or pin and a block plus ur rope
All off which u'll need anyway. U could say save itself 1 grand or more

Really depends on numbers and how often is use it.
Capstan is a lot of money for hobby use, but brilliant if ur carrying it away from ur motor.

With a bit of know how some common sense and a selection of ropes, blocks and some sort of motor ( quad, Argo, 4x4, tractor) u can easy set something up and do away with the need for a capstan winch. Esp if have some handy trees to give u some lift

 

[Jono 4]

Capstan Winch (100mtrs Dymema Rope) Snatch Blocks. I wouldn't be without mine when on the Big Deer in Scotland.
View attachment 149453

What diameter rope do you use please?

 

[awmc]

What diameter rope do you use please?

I use 12 mm (nylon braided) 100 metre length rope with PCW5000 Capstan winch

 

[sauer]

What diameter rope do you use please?

Depends on what your winch manufacturer recommends

The pcw3000 for example recommend min 10mm

I tried lower but a pain in the ar5e .... wrapping under itself on the capstan winch etc and also not as comfortable In the hand as 10mm

Obviously get better with practice too


I would stick to what the winch folks recommend for your particular bit of kit...


Paul

 

[willowbank]

Cheers Pal,
Me then.....
View attachment 149475

Me now.....
View attachment 149476

Then I could walk 3&1/5 miles in an hour and carry a hefty weight if required.
Now I’m doing well to walk a mile on even ground without additional weight.
However, desperately trying to get out to do any form of shooting as I’m starting to get cabin fever - the recent weather has not been in my favour!
I used to hold similar views to yourself but since my hospitalisation I have a very different outlook on life.
Take care & Atb
Ed

Feel for you, been there mate just keep fighting, be positive and stay as fit as you can.

Obviously don’t know the problem but see if you can get some extra calories down you everyday, any of the high calorie shakes would do it.

Just needs to be everyday, I went down from 15st to 8st and gradually put it back on after cancer treatment.

All the best. Willowbank

 

[Jono 4]

Depends on what your winch manufacturer recommends

The pcw3000 for example recommend min 10mm

I tried lower but a pain in the ar5e .... wrapping under itself on the capstan winch etc and also not as comfortable In the hand as 10mm

Obviously get better with practice too


I would stick to what the winch folks recommend for your particular bit of kit...


Paul

Thanks ive bought 10mm

 

[LuckyEddie]

Feel for you, been there mate just keep fighting, be positive and stay as fit as you can.

Obviously don’t know the problem but see if you can get some extra calories down you everyday, any of the high calorie shakes would do it.

Just needs to be everyday, I went down from 15st to 8st and gradually put it back on after cancer treatment.

All the best. Willowbank

Thanks for the support.
Acute pancreatitis followed by associated kidney and liver problems were the problems; also the gall stone that caused it all was pinging about my body for over 2yrs and caused damage to my duodenal tract
Docs said it was very unusual to get all the complications together.
On Calshakes calorie drinks plus Creon tablets for my digestive system.
Put on 2st since October but plateauing a bit at the moment.

Good to hear your doing well after your problems.
Atb
Ed

 

[willowbank]

Apols to OP for going off topic.

Willowbank.

 

[bobthenailer]

Here is my set up, 200 meters of 10mm rope wound on hand spool mounted to the front of my quad.

Capston winch rides along side it strapped on and gets secured to a nearby tree etc with 2 metre climbing sling when in use. I also carry a selection of snatch blocks incase I cannot get a straight line pull.

Expensive yes... but how much is your back worth?
Kind regards,
Bob.

 

[bobthenailer]

On the back rack of the Quad you can see the aluminium carcass tray that can be used as a sledge if the ground is particularly boggy.
Kind regards,
Bob.

 

[tuck1]

I think I may have seen a drill powered winch on the web somewhere?
Someone (mereside?) made a capstan winch I think?

I have a maasdam rope puller from the USA which is brilliant, and cheap. It wouldn’t be particularly suited to extraction though, being very slow. Would be great for hoisting a beast onto a pickup, or quad recovery though. Might be worth looking at to see if it would help in the rough stuff, maybe in conjunction with a block and tackle or something else?

 

[rem284]

I have a maasdam rope puller from the USA

That's the one I have. I only use it for bike recovery and tree work.

If I need to use the capstan winch then I walk out to the deer with rope in a rope bag. Decide whether to gralloch before or after winching strop deer to hook on rope walk back to winch with rope bag on my back, paying rope out as I do so. I have used the rope with pulley and used the pickup or bike to do the work but since have the capstan I find the winch gives you more control and less strain on the vehicle

 

[MAH]

All advice appreciated.

I've enjoyed reading the thread, both the advice and the humor.
What has surprised me, is that I've not seen folk mention horse/pony extract.
Many High Land Estates use them, (Or Argos!)
I guess in most rural areas, there will be riders who like to earn a few bob to help you extract.
Personally, I stalk Row.
So have no real experience to offer, it's just a thought.
M.

 

[countrryboy]

Just wondering, off those with capstans does anyone use them backwards??

Ie carry the winch right too deer and have it anchors at far end so winch actually moves and pulls itself to ur motor ( u might need to make skids or a mini sledge for it?) Means ur at the deer so if it hanks ur right at it to manovere it as needed.

For rope management u can just stuff it into a bag or tub/container, seems very strange not rolling coiling it the 1st time but does work very well.
U can buy proper custom made rope bags from ARB/tree surgeon suppliers but a small tub like ud use for a pheasant feeder would be ideal.
With a bit off practice ucould probably fill ur tub straight of the capstan as it winches in.

 

[bobthenailer]

Stuffing the rope I find it always somehow tangles and 200m of rope especially when wet is almost as heavy as another small deer.

I know someone who uses a tub but honestly I can recover the deer, wind up the rope onto my winder and be on my way often before he has even payed out his rope and clipped onto the deer.
Kind regards,
Bob.