Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Shooting sticks and deer carts

I am in the market for a set of shooting sticks and also a deer cart. Can anybody make suggestions on models you've used? Good or bad?

For a game cart I use the el cheapo one from cabelas. replace the pins with bolts and wingnuts. wrap a small ratchet strap on it and you'll be good to go. I think mine was about 55-60 bucks or so. if you are taller, you might want a little handle extension.

this is the one, it will go on sale for much cheaper.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Primal-Vantage-Steel-Deer-Cart/847365.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dgame%2Bcart%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=game+cart&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

Thanks-that was one of the ones I was looking at. Since the heart stuff, they don't want me doing any heavy stuff, so I'm thinking one of these carts would be the way to go, as I don't own an ATV and probably won't have one before deer season.

Cabelas super mag hauler.

+1 on the cart, but be careful. I blew an ankle pulling a deer on a cart. They also work well for keeping Bro. Grizz from stealing your deer if you tie it to the cart!
As for shooting sticks - make your own - two dowels tied together w/ rope, or rubber bands if you trust them. You can wrap them in old bicycle tubes to keep them quiet. Or coat them with rubber paint for making tool handles. You can get as fancy as you would like. ANother approach is to find a walking stick you like, and add a dowel to it. If you would like, I can check, but I think trigger stick makes an appendage to attach to any walking stick. I have used both, but after using the walking stick, I am convinced that it is a better way to go. You can spend lots of $ on a bipod or tripod, (trigger stick) but most are noisy and slow to deploy. Start cheap and if those don't meet your needs, then open the wallet! If the cheap ones work, more $ for an adult fermented beverage of your choice!

Another gopher. .

I make my own also. Take two pieces of half round molding and put a bolt about 4 inches from the top. You can make it any length you want. Works well and does not cost much.

I have the original simple Stoney Point shooting sticks and a pair of Lever Locks, both of which I love. I have killed many critters off those sticks.

The Cabelas Super Mag hauler has worked well for me in the Minnesota woods.

Bring something to secure the deer to the cart though.

I have an aluminum fold up from Cabela's that someone bought me years back (10 maybe?) It is O.K., but I wish the wheels were canted. The deer rides high and I have had the thing roll over on it's side with one wheel on a rock or log.

I have made my own shooting sticks out of shock cored tent poles. You can get them at most outdoor stores even WalMart. You can cut them to length and use bicycle inner tube for the crux and they will fold up in three sections.

gophergunner: I made my own shooting sticks a number of years ago and wouldn't change much now. Bought 2 36" long 3/4" diam.hardwood dowels, wrapped them with black water pipe foam insulation using eletrical tape, and use a piece of rawhide to tie them together at the height I want. I put screws into the bottom ends of each leg to stick into the ground. By simply varying how much you spread the legs, you control the height you want. I've used these simple sticks at lot: coyote calling when I'm setting up against a tree, whitetail hunting, and even took them to Alaska on a black bear hunt where I used them to make a shot I never could have made without them. Cheap, simple, and light.

Bog-Pod. Done.

Double as a walking stick.

Arrow shafts make great shooting sticks! I ended up getting a Cabelas brand shooting sticks and like it except the rifle mount would fall off and I almost lost it. I red loctited it where it could still rotate but not come off.

I bought a cabelas super mag hauler and it works well enough... considering we drag it though popple woods and the sticks and blow downs make it a pain. I only use it when I'm alone.
Otherwise drag to a fence line and retrieve with a ATV!

Shooting sticks - look at a website called "varmit al" and he has a height chart. Lot of good solutions posted already though.


On painting them - I've seen coyote hunters paint white on one side and earthtone on the other side so they can match the condition for one coming into them.

I think I'm going to try making my own. I'm 52 now and after my recent heart issues, I find that my hands are shaking a bit. I've tried doing a lot of dry fire practice to see if I can control it, and it looks like I'll need a little help. I think as long as I have a rest, I'll be fine, so the shooting sticks will be needed. Luckily, I usually don't have too many long shot opportunities, but one needs to be prepared.

http://www.neetkart.com/index.html
This is the only cart worth any money at all!!!! Have used it to haul several elk out. Can do 1/2 an elk by myself and a whole elk w/ another guy. Deer & antelope are a piece of cake. My son & I brought out 2 4pt.(western count)mule deer in one trip +/- a mile w/ease in about 10" of snow.
For stix don't over think this! 2 fiberglass electric fence posts and a chunk of bicycle inner tube to hold them together works dandy!! You can slip the stix in the tubes to adjust the length.
Enjoy

Let me know if you want to try some "commercial" sticks. I used to use them coyote hunting sometimes, depending on how I set up.

I won't be using them anytime soon, and you are welcome to try them out. They are light, aluminum, and easy to carry around.

Thanks for the offer Goalie, but I think I'm just going to make a pair with wooden dowels. Seems easy enough even an idiot like me couldn't screw it up too royally.

I've seen those carts before, and the only thing I always end up thinking is it must take a lot out of your shoulders keeping that thing balanced and from tipping over. I can see how it would hang up less on brush due to the wheels being in line, but I don't know about keeping that thing upright, especially if you had to angle down or up a hill.

I bought one of the carts . I find it to be more of a pita rather than helpful. I have since gone out and pick up one of those roll up plastic sleds. For me it works much better than the cart did. Doesn't get hung up on stumps or tips over in mud, stuck on rocks or branches. The plastics sled is lighter, fits in my pack so I don't have to walk back to the truck and slides like grease on any terrain. As long as you tie the legs inside it will bounce around just about everything without getting hung up. JMHO