A couple of friends and i are considering building a game cart similar to those available from cabelas to handle red deer in the 175lb- 200lb weight range.
Given that these carts are fairly narrow, how easy is it for a hunter to load a carcass if he is on his own? I would imagine the carts would have a tendency to tip as they don't look too stable?

Regards

Pete

[ 04-03-2003, 14:45: Message edited by: Pete E ]

Pete,

The narrower the wheels the easier it will be to tip. You don't want to get them too wide though as it will be harder to get it through woods, brush and over rocks and logs. Kind of a damned if you do and don't situation.

I find the common hand truck "dolly" easy to load a 200 pound deer on as they are low to the ground and I can lift the animal's body by each set of legs and set the carcass into the curved frame of the dolly. I generally put the butt end of the deer at the foot of the dolly and the head up towards the handle. Once it is loaded, feet in the air, I am ready to go.

This unit is also convenient as it easily fits in my small SUV.

My hunting buddies built a cart. They used the front wheel off a dirt bike brake and all. They made it like two wheelbarrows face to face. One guy at the front and one at the back can easily transport an elk. (They made it long and wide enough.) Loading is a cinch, if loading an elk can be a cinch. We lay the cart on its side, shove the elk in then right the cart. The first time I saw the cart, I thought it was odd to have a brake on it, but the first time we went up a hill and had to stop to rest, I began to appreciate the brake. When we started down hill, I started to love the brake.

Pete,
I have a cart called a Pac'orse that is no longer made. It has a single wheel which I strongly recommend. It also has legs on the front which retract and it therefore is a 3 point platform for loading. I have carried 2 deer on it often. Mine folds and goes into a neat package about 24"x24"x5". The wheel is a 20"x2.25" from a mountain bike and it extends up into the base of the cart, keeping the center of gravity low. It has two handles on the back with caliper bike brakes and long fixed handles on the front. It is a2 man deal on uphills, a one man on the flat or downhill.

There are a couple on ebay that might give you an idea also.

[ 04-04-2003, 01:19: Message edited by: Customstox ]

Pete,

Check out www.villapc.com/stands/cart

I have one like they sell at Cabelas with two wheels and it folds down in half for storage and it is great when hunting alone. If you stand behind it and pull the deer toward you, it won't even begin to think about tipping until the butt is on it. That is the heaviest part of the deer. I have never had a deer fall off even if not tied on.

Thanks for the input folks...

Ann,

I remember you talking about your hand truck dolly; i think we call them "sack trucks" over here. I intend looking around the car boot sales for something suitable, but I suspect it will need the wheels swapping for something more akin to mountain bike wheels due to the rough terrain. I would also prefer a design which allowed more of the weight over the wheels, so the "base" might be modified/extended too. And rogers point about the brake is well taken too, so that will be another possible mod!
If you have any pics of your set up in use, i woulod be very interested in seeing them.
Also, did you ever fit your SUV with a hitch hauler? If i remember you were toying with the iidea last year?

Customstox,

Why do you prefer a single wheel unit? I did a quick search for a pic of a pac'orse but could not find one, but i have heard of them before and believe they are quite highly thought of. If you could post any pics or links to pics on ebay (I have never used ebay!)

375hnh, can you check your link as i can't view it from here....

Regards,

Pete

Pete,

Try www.villapc.com then click on stands. Sorry about that.

DGK

DKG,

Thanks for that...have you tried one of these carts? The design looks too simple to be true!

Customstox,

Is your Pack'orse anything like Cabela's One-Wheel Game Hauler on their web site?

Regards,

Pete

[ 04-04-2003, 17:47: Message edited by: Pete E ]

If the terrain isn't to rough I just use a wheelbarrow. When the terrain gets to rough for my wheelbarrow I use a pack frame and carry the meat out in several trips.

Pete E, this single wheel is a lot more manageable than a double wheel. You can just tilt the cart to the side to turn or miss obstacles, not the case with a two wheel.

I looked at the Cabellas cart and it is similar but not matching. I will get a photo of it and post on here or email it to you. The center of gravity of this one is also a lot lower.

I do a lot of night shooting for fox and rabbit, sometimes on foot and vehicle. I have thought of using a cart like this as a kit/load carrier and as a seat combined with a rifle rest.
Is the pump up tyre a bit of a liability regarding punctures ??
Does anyone use anything along these lines.

Pete,

No I haven't tried one, but I like the design. Right now I have teenagers to do the carrying I think inflatable tires would be alright, but you might want to fill them with "slime" or what ever you guys have for sealant in the UK

DGK

This is not a cart but it works great at times. I bought a heavey duty 5'x7' tarp. Tied the 7' sides together with rope through the holes privided. It can be folded up in your pack. When you want to use it all you need is 2 small tree poles at least 8 feet long. Stick them through the tarp and you have a streather. We used it to carry a 250# bear out so as not to ruin the hide. It would be great for any animal however and if the animal gets too heavey for 2 you can have 4 guys one one each pole end.

I saw a nice rig in a public hunt last year. The guy was a metal worker and made a ladder stand with wheels. It was a cart for packing your gear in, popped up into a full ladder stand (about 12 feet if I remember) and back into a cart to pack out your meat. Pretty slick. With a little ingenuity and a good machine shop one could be done for you. Good hunting. "D"

try this lihttp://www.cycletote.com/gametote/features.htmnk

Private_filer,

Thanks for that..i have passed the info over to a friend and sometime in the next couple of weeks we are going to break out the angle grinder and the welding gear!

Regards,

Pete

For anybody else interested:

http://www.cycletote.com/gametote