Deer cart ideas: swamp, dark, long walk

[Mark Normand]

I'd like to solicit some ideas on a specific need I have. I've built a few lightweight colapsable game carts over the years. The best one I went and forgot at my host's place in Illinois a few years ago, dang it.

I've got numerous places locally on large woods tracts of public land here I usually hunt via boat. Then the walk in could be up to 1/2 mile or more thru swampy flat woods, with can get softer in wet season.

Our public land deer rules here allow only field dressing, no skinning, cutting up and quartering in bags, backpacks etc. (hogs are ok, done this many times). Deer must be taken off the property whole. My days of dragging are done, thank goodness.

Out of all my many stands and gear my little 6# Windwalker stand comes to mind. An idea is to pack in/out lightweight wheels and axle etc and convert it to cart when needed. I hunt alone, and go in/out dark usually. Trying to omit having to walk back to boat to get a cart, go back get deer, etc.

If anyone has one of the foldup aluminum carts, I'd love to know how quiet it is. I'd possibly buy one of these and haul it part ways every hunt, but only if no rattling. Or mod as needed.

Or lightweight wheel ideas are good too. I've only seen the types at Northern Tool, Harbor Freight, not quite what I wanted. My best cart had large plastic wheelchair wheels. Pretty strong too, but kinda big for this application.

I consider myself pretty experienced, and have some ideas, but lots of this crowd are pretty resourceful too. Any thoughts?

[troutbum1]

Hi, I have a folding deer cart I bought 5 years ago from Cabela. It's very good, easy to set up, light weight. Holds up to 500 lbs.  Now it's not to good on narrow trails, wheels get hung up, so get the wheel covers for yours.I don't use it for every hunt . But when I'm close to or using a logging trail, it's worth every penny. Pulls easy even with a deer on it and my gear coming out. Look at Cabelas or Bass pro, Don't get a cheap one, there only like $100 to $150 for good ones. Research them. Good luck.

[hunt it]

Look at one of the crazy carpet type plastic ones. Lite, slides on most stuff and rolls up small - no noise.

[johnnyk71]

best one i saw was one my buddy built to be pulled behind a mountain bike. great for getting far back on public land roads with no motorized access.

[LB_hntr]

i have tried 3 different game carts and find that a simple jet sled works so much better. have drug 5 deer this year on a jet sled and it is amazingly simple. heck my kids 11 and 12 took turns dragging one of my deer 7/8th of a mile on my gps and they never stopped for a break.
 if you get the smaller jet sled jr in camo you could throw your stand, sticks, etc in the sled and drag it out to about 100 yards from your stand and then stash the sled so its there if you need it or for the long way out.
30 bucks and free shipping from amazon...cant beat it.

[ChuckC]

I took a two wheel shop cart, plastic body with built in stair rails in back, with pneumatic rubber wheels, wider ones..  The metal handle was reversible, so I reversed it.  Then I built a platform, maybe 14" x 20" or so and put it onto two pieces of 2x scraps such that they could be poked beneath some cross members part way up the cart and lay across the lip of the bottom scooper thingie.  Essentially, when I hold the handle, the platform is relatively horizontal.  I have had that thru mud and sand and over fallen trees.  Works pretty dang well, and then, when I need it for a two wheel cart, I reverse the handles and go.

I posted pix before I think on an earlier thread.

   

 
ChuckC

[Caughtandhobble]

A knee board with an eye bolt on the pointed end, along with a few others for tying game to board works great in muddy conditions. I have hauled hogs out on a knee board more than a few times, some of them were alive and hog tied.

[Mark Normand]

Man this is interesting, LOL! Keep em coming! Keep in mind we're no snow/ice, only dry and/or wet hardwoods. I'd rather not drag anything if I can help it, LOL.

[DarkTimber]

Mark...I hunt in a very similar way to you.  95% of the time out of a boat then a walk anywhere from 1/4 - 1 mile to my tree.   I've finally come to the conclusion that it's best to just leave my deer cart and pack frame in the boat (we can quarter them in AR after checking which I do online via smartphone).  If it's a fairly short distance and not too thick I bring the cart.  If it's a longer distance or through thick or nasty terrain I bring the pack frame and bone them out.  

I take my stand in and out with me on every trip and trying to wheel out a deer with a stand on my back and bow in one hand is just too much.  I'd rather walk back to the boat, drop everything off and make a trip back in for the deer.    

Interesting topic though and I'll be watching to see if someone comes up with something I haven't thought about.

I think tall skinny wheels are a must, and not to wide so you can get through trees. the one I use is the one cabelas has, and works fine for me. and I all ways have to go get it. it doubles my walking and my time, but I don't want to drag it in and out every time.

[Mark Normand]

DT I usually would do what you suggest, walk back, unload, get cart, go back. And like you, my stand goes in/out too.

Did this on a big 7pt in the swamp a few years back, man that was rough. It was very wet, tons of nasty debris/logs/thickets to go over/around. I'd do it again, but always looking for a better way to eliminate 2nd trip for cart.

The other side is with one trip, I know I flipped that cart numerous times and would have broke any weapons strapped on for sure. No way I could pull it with bow in one hand.

Gotta be safe/careful too on these deals, no phone service out here in the swamps.

[ChuckC]

Arrow30, I thought that too.  I lose nothing at all with those wide tires and the low profile makes it more stable.  Those stair runners get me over fallen trees pretty easy.  It really worked well for me.

[awbowman]

Mark, I'd try a deer sled.  The one with grommets.

[babs]

I use one of the ice fishing sleds its way easier than a deer cart unless you have roads that arnt swampy or muddy than a deer cart works fine. But I like the sled because it works great in any weather  and even better in snow and the sled has a big enough lip that the deer dont slide out, plus you can load sled down with packs and clothes and etc when your dragging your game out.

[Looper]

I've got a Game Sled. It works great for pulling a deer or hog in woods. It slides really easily over logs and branches. It weighs about 7 pounds, though. If I'm going to be walking 1/2 mile or so in, I usually strap it to my pack frame. If less, I just leave it in the truck and get it when I need it.

I really need to get a cart for hauling once I get to open, flat ground or a service road.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I think the big Ice fishing sled would be the ticket for water/swamp drags. Plus I have used them in the dry leaves and over logs. Its amazing how easily something slides when it looks so big and heavy.

[Ray Hammond]

I hunt in areas with lots of cutovers, heavy brush, etc. which would make a cart impossible because you can't get it over downed logs, etc...and I bet you are in similar country in Louisiana.

In this country a plastic roll up sled, like we used in Canada on bears would also get chewed up really bad

Look up Viking deer drag sled. I really like this as an option...it's hard, so it won't tear, it has built in attachment points for roping in the deer, and its narrower than other game sleds so it will work in tighter places like I tend to hunt in. It has a raised "nose" so you can get it up over downed tree trunks and other obstacles easier, pulls great, and doesn't try to tip over or spill the deer out when moving over rough spots.

 I think they run 40 bucks....yes, you'll have to go back to the truck or boat to get it, but I think it's still the best of all options in southern thick country.

[Eric Krewson]

This sounds nuts but these are the two things I use to get deer out of the woods.

The ice fishing sled is for the rough stuff, deer pull easier in it than on the ground.

A couple of years ago I killed a huge doe at the back end of a field a long way from my truck. I had a bush hogged lane to the back of the field but had cut a lot of saplings off when I mowed the lane and knew they would puncture my tires if I tried to drive to the deer.

I had just been to a family picnic and had used the wheelbarrow to haul wood to the huge fireplace in the pavilion we rented. The wheelbarrow was still in the truck so I thought I would give it a try for hauling deer.

It was really easy to roll to the deer. I tilted the front end down, grabbed the deer's legs and pulled it pulled it into the wheelbarrow, super easy.

I headed to my truck, first down hill, then up hill all with ease.

I have a Cabella's Mag hauler that doesn't move deer all that easily with it's skinny tires. Moving one with the wheelbarrow took half the effort as the Mag Hauler. The Mag Hauler squeaks and rattles as it moves, the wheelbarrow was completely silent.

Now the Mag hauler stays under my deck and the wheelbarrow stays in my truck during deer season.

   

[str8jct]

A jet sled, like the one in Eric's photo, is awesome.  Stand, bow, extra gear can all fit inside and be drug through the woods. I leave it about 200 yds from where I hunt.  As far as noise goes, its not as loud as you would think, especially in wet woods.

[beendare]

Originally posted by arrow30:
I think tall skinny wheels are a must, and not to wide so you can get through trees. the one I use is the one cabelas has, and works fine for me.

I would agree...if its hard ground and you need to get over downed logs and such...the larger diameter is an advantage.

But on muddy or swampy ground the taller skinny wheels dig in collecting junk in the spokes...so maybe something like a quad tire for that swampy stuff....