Running deer target

[calgarychef]

Hi, I want to make a running deer target for our upcoming shoot, does anyone have any ideas.  I DONT want a "clothesline" type of affair that uses muscular power.  I'm looking at something electric or with an engine from a RC car.  Basically I'm looking for something that we can string between two stout trees and engage with the push of a button, perhaps something that goes back and forth on its own.  

I'll bet I get some good ideas here

Thanks,

[Blackhawk]

[bofish-IL]

All of ours are on steel cables from one tree to another. Then 2 pulleys roll down the cable after you pull the  release rope. The running targets take a beating from arrow retrieval and stuff. Ours are in the timber so electric is no option. Good Luck

[Roadkill]

Garage door opener.  Set the stops so it reverses.  You may have to put rollers under the chain to support the weight. I am working on one and have it head designed but not drawn out yet

[calgarychef]

Electric is an option with a nice quiet little generator  

[fujimo]

look at the roping dummies that the cowboys use- they run on a rail- (not the drag behind ones)
you could build something not as heavy or robust- use angle iron for rails.- built like a long ladder.
can be in shorter pieces for ease of transport.
on the one angle iron track, weld on an extra flat bar in height, with gear teeth cut out of it- like an electric gate works- doesnt have to be fancy- cut with a zip disc and a grinder, then a windshield wiper motor from the auto wreckers, and an inboard battery, driving a gear that meshes with the linear gear( the flat bar gears)- thats how it propels itself forward.

now if you really want to be smart- not me!!! uh uhhh - but have the deer on a center pole ( bearings)so that it can swivel( or build a two headed deer like the old "push me pull you" fable) a wiper at each end so that as it passes a point it swivels the deer target, another wiper on the track which activates a trigger to reverse polarity, and change direction on the motor, so it will run back and forth all day.
to be really fancy you can build the legs with joints, attached to cams - so the legs can Run- like the kids toy of the clown riding a bicyle.

sounds like a fun project, cheffie boy

[fujimo]

so as the wheel is turned, the pedal crank( cam!) turns and gives the legs movement.
these cams would have to be motor powered( small motor) with light bicycle chains to each cam- if your target is going to rotate- if you built the two bodied- two head model they could be ground driven- off some rubber tired castor wheels running on the angle iron rails.

just ideas- geuss this could be as complex or as simple as one would want it.

[fujimo]

maybe the whole swivel thing is too complex- just have the motor reverse polarity, with a wiper- have the deer back up along the track- and shooters can only shoot when it is travelling forward- ground drive the cams- less battery draw!

[reddogge]

Make sure you have a clear hill for a background so arrow hunting is kept to a minimum. Otherwise everyone will be hunting arrows taking up shooting time.

BTW the one I shoot is hung from a cable with rollers and a rope to pull it back. No big deal and it works great.

[KSdan]

Sounds like you are requesting something free standing?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

The coolest motorized one I've seen had two bicycle wheels and a line running around it. they basically cut an old bike in half and use the front tire on one end and hooked up a small motor to the end with the sprocket and chain. the cool part was you could shoot it coming and going from each side.... it ran down and around the post and came back..... you could just leave it running for a spell and it went around in circles.... Everyone would empty their quivers and we'd stop it when we ran out of ammo...LOL

[dhermon85]

Man that sounds cool. The rc motors probably wouldn't be strong enough to do it. But something bigger...

[fujimo]

windshield wiper motors are tough- we use them to power a pig or sheep spit roast, they handle that unbalanced weight well, and will run for hours on a single full charge

great idea on the bike wheels

[Bldtrailer]

A walking deer can be had by flipping a garage door opener        remote control and all  

[JamesV]

The running deer target was elimintaed at our shoots due to the back-up (log jam) it caused at that target. We never found a way to speed up the flow of shooters. Never had any luck shooting two targets from the same stake either.

James