Abstract: A bale handling apparatus, particularly for loading, stacking and retrieving large rectangular bales, includes an elongated bed mounted on a vehicle adapted for forward loading of bales into a loading cradle pivotally connected to the front of the bed. The loading cradle includes two sections pivotally connected to each other such that the angle between the two sections changes during the loading cycle to support the bale and then push the bale onto the elongated bed. Curved loading forks projecting from one of the loading cradle sections are adapted to slide under a bale to be loaded and also aid in stabilizing the bales accumulated on the bed as the bed is pivoted from the horizontal loading position to a vertical position to create a bale stack that may be retrieved by the apparatus at a later time.