Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

OK......OK! So I know the deer I'll be draggin out shouldn't tax a grown man all that much......but a man can get tired doing higher reps. as much as if he were doing heavier weights ;).

Anyways........anyone have any experience with the carts they make to help get your deer out of the woods?

I be gettin old [:-]

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I use one. I don't have a 4 wheeler and at times the drag could be up to 1 1/2 miles. NO FUN! I can't drive in to the deer unless I want to risk Mesquite thorns in my truck tires.
I am 45 YO and in good shape but why risk a heart attack?
I also use the cart to carry corn in to my feeders or to carry ladder stands around the lease. Carts are a good tool IMHO.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

YES and they work great. Have used them in PA dragging off State Game Lands. Make sure they have quality wheels, mag type (like Tuff Wheels when we were young BMX'rs) . A regular rim will be beat to a useless pancake in no time. Trust me, we built one our selves before they were on the market, and in a short time, our first attempt, turned into drag the deer, go back and drag the cart!

Another good thing I used last year was a deer sled.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

Yeah I do. I have 2, one has the wheels tilted in, I wouldnt recommend using those. I got one with the wheels straight up and down and it pulls much better. You can pull a 150 lb field dressed deer with one hand once you get it on the cart, they work real well compared to dragging especially once you get to a path but they still work pretty good in open woods with no path. Strap you bow, stand and backpack to the cart and its easy. Hope you pull a bunch out this year : )

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

We use them depending on where we hunt and they are great. I don't think I could see using them in thicker areas or if I was in really hilly terrain. I can only imagine getting up a 200 yard slope gasping for breath when it slips out of your hand. That would be the first deer in history to go from zero to sixty in under 6 seconds.:D If it's open and flat they can't be beat though. I actually walked a mile and a half to get one once then trekked it back to my buck and then back out. Those three trips combined were 10 times easier then making just one trip dragging the deer.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

Deer Carts are very good to have in some cases! A couple years ago, I arrowed a buck on public land. And since I can't drive one public land, the game cart came in extremely handy. The deer was about 1/2 mile from my truck,and since I was by myself, it would have normally taken me several hours of back-breaking work to get it to the truck. But instead, I had it to the truck in about 30 minutes with ease, with the use of the game cart.

If I never use it again, it was more than worth it just using it the one time.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

Do they make one that I could hook to my ATV onece I got it back to a trail? It would be nice to be able to just attach it to the hitch......then drive it home.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

Yea .. I use one , they do come in handy when your going over rough tarain and it's alot easyer than draging dead wheight around.
Cabela's has quiet a few diffrent ones , some that will fold up so you can back pack it out and I'm sure they have one for an ATV.
Check out there online catalog at ( www.cabelas.com ) , you might find what your looking for.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I've been looking at these too. I basically hunt by myself most of the time these days, I am 53 now, and dragging isn't much of an option. From an exhaustive search I did on some other sites..........I came to the conclusion that the Cabela's Magnum would fit the bill for me.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

We went down to Cabelas in W. Virginia a couple weeks ago. They had a couple in the "deals" room. I don't know why they were in there but they sold while I was there! Yeah.. That was me tooling around on the handicap scooter with my HNI hat and shirt on!!

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

as far as hooking on to the atv it'd be cheaper to watch craigslist for a small used trailer. you can probably find a trailer for $50 or less. the carts are for when you don't have an atv handy. they work great!

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

Here is my cart..........[8D]

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I can get the ATV "fairly" close.....I just didn't want to be crusing through their haunts in it. I just need the cart for a 300-400yd "drag" to get me back to the ATV.

Do they make one I can attach to the ATV?

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I have two atvs but I have accepted the GridIron challenge so I just use a rope and drag them bad boys.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

Is this what your looking for ... it's called a the game caddy

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

Nope, RD.....I need to get them from recovery TO the ATV. I haven't shot a deer, yet, I couldn't load into the back drop basket on my 4 wheeler!....lol

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

Your so hard to please .... like I said in my first reply , check out the link I provided and look for your self.
You might see something you can use , the back pack type should fit your needs.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I've used one, and it's awesome! You just gotta balance the weight right, and make sure you strap the deer down......But once you get that right, it's a breeze.....Big logs and such are a little tricky, but overall I would rate that piece of equipment a 9.....

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

They are nice! A 2 or 3 person plastic snow sled works also, much cheaper and keeps you from wearing all the hair off the shoulder of one your gonna get mounted!

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

It wouldn't take much to put a mounting bracket on your 4-wheeler and the cart to be able to pull it with the ATV. Just hook it to the rear rack and make sure you have a good angle so the back of the cart isn't draging.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

RD I did check them out. No way to attach to the ATV.

Not a big deal, though. I can get my utility trailer in there behind the ATV and load the cart into it pretty easily.

Thanks for the link, RD....I'm gonna likely order one, today.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

HERE .... you want me to do your shopping for you , this is the back pack type.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

Alrighty then .... :D good luck , I hope you find what your looking for.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

GMMAT: I have two 4-wheelers and i also have a deer cart.
I mainly hunt alone andwhen i takea deer that i really don`t wantmake two much noise getting him out ect..
The cart is perfect! makes the job so much more easy.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

This is a good one.It backpacks and has the 5 spoke wheels and not the bicycle type to get hung up on all the debree on the ground. Has good balence enableing you to pull with one hand. Downfall, very expensive and some reviews say the wheelsare prone tobreak off. Maybe that has been addressed, I don't know.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&a mp;langId=-1&partNumber=81285&hvarTarget=search&c mCat=SearchResults

It looks as if they have changed the wheels to correct the problem and that model is offered at Cabelas and cheaper.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=ameristep_door&rid=&in dexId=cat600536&navAction=push&masterpathi d=&navCount=0&parentType=index&parentI d=cat600536&id=0028504

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

Not being presumptuous.....but I assume I could put my stand (climber); bow; small pack; etc... on this thing and take my stuff to a place close by where I'm hunting and hide the cart every time I go in, too, couldn't I?

Anybody use them for this?

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I would suggest putting your stand etc. on the cart, cart these things in close, hide the cart and then put on the climber, backpack, etc. and go to your stand site.

I have wheels for my tree lounge and use that for a cart.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I can get within a couple hunderd yards of most of my stand sites with my truck so I will get the deer with a $20 handtruck from Menards. I can usually work it around some pre-cleared trails pretty well, so if you can work it in there without a lot of rough terrain, its another good, cheap option, that serves its purpose back at the house for other things year round as well.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I usually use a 4wheeler but occasionally I am not at my friends farm and don't have access to one.Carts work pretty well. As long as you get one that has puncture resistent tires you should be alright. It makes the job much easier but it is still very hard work. I think the hardest part is trying to get the deer onto the cart and get it strapped in. This is usually a two man job but if I am by myself it takes a little longer. Another way I use it is by strapping my ladder stand to my cart and wheel my stand in. Just strap the seat portion to the cart and pull it by the bottom of the ladder to your tree. This helps out unbelievably well. This is so much easier than dragging it by hand.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

they work great Im only 20 and in good shape but when it comes to mile long drags or more without snow you cant beat the carts. Last year me and a buddy shot two deer in one nighta big mature doe and a huge 6 point with a massive body long story short it took us 1 hr and a half to make the two trips to get the deer out they wouldnt fit on the cart at the same time. if we would of had to drag them we would still be out their. no it would of just taken about 4 hrs. They are agreat tool for long hauls and they relitivly inexpensive.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I have the ameristep and I love it. It folds up into a backpack and is so easy to put back together my 8 year old does it.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I remember laughing and saying "who in their right mind would use one of those things" a few years ago when I first saw an ad for one... then I had to drag out a 165lb deer 3/4 of a mile through an old logged area full of ruts...now I have one :)

Ken

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I use this one (Ameristep Grizzly)

It can be a little cumbersome to get the deer's center of gravity balanced right over the axels, but once you get him positioned nicely and tied in place, it's smooth sailing.

Like Bearklr said - these things are NOT good for going up steep hills, rocky areas, or through thickets. You almost need a semi-level area, like a field or a gas line or an old road bed.

One area I hunt is a legitimate 1.5 mile hike out a National Forest access road (gated shut). The road winds out across the ridge, crosses a couple small draws, but the cart rolls over it like you're pushing a shopping cart. What would normally be a 3+ hour sweatbath, miserable drag can be done in under 30 minutes with the cart - and you'll barely break sweat.

My only complaint is that when you get a full load on it, it tends to get a little top-heavy, and wants to flip over if you get it on a bind. That's really not a problem if you have the deer tied securely to the frame (I use my treestand safety harness and a ratchet strap).

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I just made one today using some old wood I had laying around the shop an old wheelbarrow tire. I draped a couple nylon straps in between. We tried it out with one of my smaller employees and it worked perfectly.
Cost $0.00

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I use one when I hunt out west every year.It has been incredibly helpful.As others have said they can be a little squirrly,especially so on slopes and uneven ground.We drag until we get to a logging road and then we use the cart.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

i converted my climber that can change into a game cart. Works great when at the end of the day you don't feel like packing your climber out, convert it to the game cart and pull all your stuff out.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I have one I got from Cabelas for around $125. It works great as I hunt public land that is foot access, no ATVs ect. but the cart is legal. I also use it whenever needed. It's great & I use ladder stands so haul them into the woods on it. This is my 51st year of Bowhunting & I have carried, drug, STRUGGLED & everything else with my kills. The cart sure does help when I don't have a dumb young Bowhunter with me just chomping at the bit to show me how strong he is to get MY Deer (old man) out.
This was ME when I was that young & dumb bowhunter haulin one out in Colorado.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

ahunter55,

I remember that picture. They used your pic in our hunter safety course.
It was during the shoot / don't shoot game, but you were just coming out of some brush. [8D]

I saw a deer loader this weekend that looked pretty cool. But it is for use with an ATV.
I don't need it since my land is private and I sling them on the back of the 4 wheeler.
But it also doubles as a gutting/skinning deal.

http://www.laguarddog.com/DEER%20LOADER.html

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

How did you do that? I have an ameristep tubular steel climber that I was going to modify to a deer cart.

RE: Anybody use one of those deer carts?
 

I don't even carry a drag rope as they have always been unlucky for me. If I have a drag I don't kill a deer. The Karma would be real bad if I took a cart in with me. Not that I don't kill one everytime I hit the woods.
My hunting bud won't even carry aknife. Says it's a jinx for him so he walks back to the truck when he needs one.
I actually don't mind dragging. It's like quality time spent with my kill. Slow and steady and enjoy a moment a little bit to rare
I did see one of the guys on TV trying to load a buck on a regular two wheel dolly.. Looked funny and did not work.