• FREE SPEECH SOCIAL MEDIA

    If you're looking for a Free Speech Social Media site, check out Blabbook.com

    - NO FACT CHECKING - NO SHADOW BANNING - NO POINT OF VIEW CENSORSHIP

Prepping A Tacoma For Big Game Hunting

awonderingdawn

Member
TTC Chicks
Alrighty Tacoma owners - I hope a few of you guys hunt.

My boyfriend and I are headed out next weekend to go moose hunting here in Alaska. I've been moose hunting quite a few times- but always in a boat. This is my first time going in a truck. How can we prep our truck for the most efficient moose hunting trip?

We have a tarp that we plan to line the bed with- and another tarp to cover the meat with. We use every single part of the moose- so we'll be bringing home a lot of meat, most of the organs, the head- antlers, and of course the hide. Along with the moose we also need to pack our tent, camping supplies, butchering supplies, gun, etc.

What are the best ways to carry these items- especially on the trip home when we have the moose in the back? It'll be a 2 hour drive one way to our hunting area, and we'll be camping (hopefully) until we get one. Any tips for making our Tacoma hunting-ready would be awesome.
 

toyotafan

Toyota Truck Club Founder
Staff member
1000 Posts
Moose hunting huh? Really? Those are very large animals you know, lol. I've seen a Moose in real like in northern Idaho and they large ... what type of Rifle and ammo are you taking for this? Plus, how are you two going to move it, or are you planning on doing field butchering on the carcas?
 

MuddyTacoma

Mechanic
1000 Posts
Never seen a moose in real life, but that's a big animal. I assume that unless there's a couple of strong men you're going to have to do your field butchering to make it managable to move.
 

awonderingdawn

Member
TTC Chicks
Moose hunting huh? Really? Those are very large animals you know, lol. I've seen a Moose in real like in northern Idaho and they large ... what type of Rifle and ammo are you taking for this? Plus, how are you two going to move it, or are you planning on doing field butchering on the carcas?
Well, I spent most of my early adulthood in a Yup'ik Eskimo village. There was no fresh meat out there, so all we had was moose. I'm not sure what kind of rifle he is using, I don't do the shooting- I do the packing. I do do field butchering. Not the 'white way', but the Yup'ik way. We cut it down the throat and across the stomach, pulling the guts out starting at the throat. Then we cut off each leg (they're probably about 90 pounds each, so we can pack them together). Then we cut the ribs in half, and the back bone, then the neck. I'll do the rest of the butchering at home, but not a single piece weighs more than 90 pounds. So we can pack it fairly easily. I've done it a dozen times, just never with a truck. Shall be interesting.
 

awonderingdawn

Member
TTC Chicks
Never seen a moose in real life, but that's a big animal. I assume that unless there's a couple of strong men you're going to have to do your field butchering to make it managable to move.
Well I'm as strong as most men- so with my boyfriend I'm sure we'll manage fine ;). If butchered correctly, it's never too heavy to move. It's all about doing it in an efficient manner, which- unfortunately, most people don't know how to do. Proper wild game care is dying knowledge.
 

awonderingdawn

Member
TTC Chicks
Well, we leave on our trip tonight! Wish us luck. We plan on hunting tonight and then tomorrow morning. Should be fun. It's pretty rainy and the daylight is at about an even 12 hours right now, so the hunting should (hopefully) not be too hard. If we don't get anything this weekend, we're out of meat for the winter- so our fingers are definitely crossed. We cleaned out the bed of the truck and we're renting an ATV up there to travel and pack the meat with. It's rainy so we plan on putting each piece of meat into game bags, then wrapping them in a tarp in the back of the truck. Any tips on keeping the meat from getting wet on the ride would be appreciated, though!
 

toyotafan

Toyota Truck Club Founder
Staff member
1000 Posts
Wow, sounds like you have led a pretty eventful life up in Alaska. I envy you, it's 93 degrees in Dallas Fort Worth and if I'm not mistaken today is September 18th, really shouldn't be this hot still and it doesn't make me feel like getting ready to go hunting this season.

Good luck on your trip, how many days are you going to be out is it an overnight trip or several days?
 

awonderingdawn

Member
TTC Chicks
We went out last Friday and got a moose within just a couple hours! The weather was fantastic- about 40 degrees F and dry outside, so the meat held up really well for the trip. It was a tiny forked bull- so the meat will be really good, and it was easy to pack. It barely took up even a portion of the truck bed (which is unique for Alaskan moose that are typically larger, but we were going for the meat, not the horns). It fit in the truck perfectly and we covered it with a tarp. Had to readjust the tarp a couple times along the trip- it kept flying up, but eventually we got it and the ride home went smooth.
 

Related Content You Might Like:

Top