# Game hoist for Polaris Ranger



## MackerelMan (Aug 16, 2005)

I am getting up in years and am having a harder and harder time getting deer up into the Ranger bed. My wife used to be able to help but she has a herniated disk in her lower back and I don't want her to get any worse. So I am thinking that some sort of arm welded onto the roll cage with an electric winch on the end would take care of that issue. This would allow me to raise the deer's head up above the bed, then only having to manually swing the back legs in to load it. I have thought of a couple designs that would work but wanted to see if any of you had done the same and could offer a few suggestions. Thanks in advance. Drawings or pictures of your set up would be appreciated.


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## StinkBait (May 31, 2004)

Mack, how far will you be hauling the deer? I use one of these occassionally to clean my deer. Mine does not swivel like you are thinking but I am sure any welding shop can modify that. 
http://foreverlastonline.3dcartstores.com/Hitch-Hoist_p_49.html

Also, how concerned with costs are you? You can get a small winch mounted on the top/back of your roll bar, use a strap and winch the deer up into the bed.

The possibilities are endless with the Ranger and if you do not get enough responses here then go over to the general forum at www.prcforums.com and ask your question, very nice group of folks over there.


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## StinkBait (May 31, 2004)

I did a quick search over there and found this

http://www.prcforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=20644&highlight=winch+deer+roll

http://www.prcforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=7482&highlight=winch+deer+roll

http://www.prcforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=6073&highlight=winch+deer+roll

http://www.prcforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=5078


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## jdickey (Jan 30, 2009)

My set up is not quite that elaborate. I have a ratcheting pulley fastened by a U bolt attached to that headache bar. I will tilt the bed, and can pull enough of the deer into the bed to get it loaded. A ratcheting pulley works a little easier than a come-along.


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## asolde (May 22, 2004)

I need something to. I had a heck of a time pulling a buck up into my polaris ranger. Infact I pulled my grion pretty bad this season doing that. Hope to see some ideas/pictures. If you got a drawing please share


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

http://foreverlastonline.3dcartstore...oist_p_49.html

would make this

you will need a class III receiver hitch

take some bungee cords , so the animals don't swing


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## StinkBait (May 31, 2004)

CoastalOutfitters said:


> http://foreverlastonline.3dcartstore...oist_p_49.html
> 
> would make this
> 
> ...


Lol, great idea


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## Bluewaterbound (Aug 3, 2006)

Contact Darren in Alvin Texas. He will build anything you want to suit your needs.

www.whitetailtrucks.com

Great folks over there and they will work with any budget you may have.

Give them a holler.


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## berto (Oct 14, 2004)

I know its not a lift but I plan on doing this.

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=310558&highlight=granger

I had a hell of a time lifting my buck on the back of the 4 wheeler and its lower then my atv.. Def not fun.

im willing to bet marsh jr or boatlift could build you something.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

My dad just had 1 of them thing-a-ma-jigs installed on his Ranger you use to raise small elect wheelchairs for loading in the back of a truck or van, use it last nite on a hog, if I get over there today I'll post some pics....WW


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## boatlift (Jun 23, 2009)

MackerelMan said:


> I am getting up in years and am having a harder and harder time getting deer up into the Ranger bed. My wife used to be able to help but she has a herniated disk in her lower back and I don't want her to get any worse. So I am thinking that some sort of arm welded onto the roll cage with an electric winch on the end would take care of that issue. This would allow me to raise the deer's head up above the bed, then only having to manually swing the back legs in to load it. I have thought of a couple designs that would work but wanted to see if any of you had done the same and could offer a few suggestions. Thanks in advance. Drawings or pictures of your set up would be appreciated.


We do sell game hoist & specialize in rigging out Polaris/Kawasaki/John Deer/ etc. We sell the Everlast Game Hoist (2cool price $120) product which is great BUT, the receiver on the Polaris is so far recessed that the hoist hits close to the tailgate which means you can not lower down the tailgate.

Here's another small little point of interest on these UTV's. The pulling load on most "buggies" is 2000-lbs but the vertical load down is ONLY 150-lbs. If you use a hoist & lift up a deer/hog cantilevered off by 2' or so you've just way overloaded the manufacturer specifications for the receiver.

Big Country solved that by offering a rear basket with a receiver  (2cool price $200) welded on the back of that to slide in a deer feeder & or game hoist. In order for our system to work, & to not overload the manufacturer specification, we have to use ratchet straps tied back to the Polaris to keep from getting deflection. Now we can use a game feeder & or winch. With the winch you can lay the animal on the back rack & still free up plenty of room in the bed of the Polaris.

Take a look at Big Country Outdoors' Polaris picture below to see what I'm talking about (I've got my feeder hooked up, not the winch). I'm heading to S. Texas this weekend on a hunt & will post up pictures with the game hoist & a deer to better illustrate what I'm trying to explain. Sorry for the lengthy response it's just important not to overload the manufacturers specification on the receiver.

Tight Lines & Happy Hunting,
Michael Fulweber
Boat Lift Distributors & Big Country Outdoors
800-657-9998
713-461-9443 (local)
www.liftboat.com
www.bigcountryoutdoors.net


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## MackerelMan (Aug 16, 2005)

*Thanks for the responses*

Guys I appreciate the ideas. The link to the Polaris ranger site is great, didn't lknow that existed. I have a game hoist that goes into the receiver hitch and as has been described here it is to much weight cantilevered out from the axle. When I put it on you could see the flex going on with the real axle assembly, so I knew I could never add a deer's weight to it without screwing something up. I eliminated the hitch haul idea as we hunt in normally dusty areas and the deer is a mess by the time we gat back to camp. I'm looking at some sort of electric winch attached to to back, top of the roll cage, as was on the Polaris site with the guy and cow moose. Not sure if I'll need an arm to extend it back or not, need to look at it closer.


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## uncle dave (Jul 27, 2008)

Mackerelman, I don't have a ranger but I do have a jeep scrambler which has a bed. I mounted a 2500# boat winch in the front of the bed' powered off the jeep battery. I cut a 2/12 board to the proper length with a 2/2 set back and screwed across one end of 2/12. Back up to the deer and put the winch cable around whatever end you want to load first and suck it right up into the bed. Bought the winch @ N. tool. You may have to reinforce the bed with a steel plate.


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## Belerlord (Sep 5, 2018)

Just my expirience...
The best home-made thing I have seen looked like old wrecker with a boom at a 45* angle
Imagine an engine cherry pickers boom that extends. This one did that. I Had $99 harbor freight winch mounted at the base. The cable was stopped at the hook end. 


Increase the boom and pin, which made it about 8 feet long.
Cable down to the deer and strap it on. 
The winch, and when the stop hit the tip of the boom, tip up raising deer off of the ground and pivoting over the bed.
The mounting plate on the base of the boom had 2 holes. When the boom is raised, I moved the pin to a higher hole and connected down.
The boom stayed up in the air, and the deer came straight down into bed. 

Very easy to make and had 4 bolts thru the bed. Id guesses that the whole thing weighs 100-150 #.


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