Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Deer Carts

Does anyone use a deer cart? What type do you use? Best factory carrier? Homemade? Two wheel or single. I had a home built carrier with a big bike tire, that worked OK. No brakes so was hell on the front guy. I've been looking at the two wheel type that one guy can handle(?), but most seem to be pretty light weight construction.

I've used a wheelbarrow with an inflatable tire, works great on trails, over rocks, etc. And if you balance the load right, you're just pushing, not lifting.

I have a Super Mag Hauler that I got from Cabela's close to 20 years ago. I have taken a lot of deer out with it. At least one over 200 lbs and once we took 2 out at the same time. It has large tires so it will go over decent sized rocks and logs. Cabelas doesn’t sell them anymore but if you google it there are pictures so you can see the style.

Larger tires work better than smaller tires. Pay attention to the handles where your hands will be gripping because you’ll be both lifting and pulling (or pushing).....that aspect really makes a difference in comfort!

It seems like the larger the buck is, the more remote the kill spot is for me. Last year I had to haul out a 282# buck with my cart. It was given to me by my elk hunting partner and it’s an oldish Cabelas model made from square tubing. The square tubing cuts like a knife on the palms of my hands when hauling out a buck like that. I solved that issue with two rolls of athletic tape wrapped around the handle where my hands are...it sort of rounded off the square tubing and made things more comfortable. I really wish I had some larger wheels on it but that’s one of those things I’ve been intending to do one of these days...ie: maybe in the next ten years.

I've got a cart I bought from Cabelas probably 30 years ago . Don't remember what it's called if it even had a name. It has a frame with cross pieces that resembles a ladder and two wheels and removable handles that look like plow handles that you can get in between instead of in front or behind. I put a wider axle on it to make it more stable and it works really well . Once you get it balanced a 200 hundred pound deer is easy.

packwheel......

I use mine as a "farm cart" as much
as a deer cart. Strap some plastic
crates I found scrounging through
the neighborhood trash, and I carry
a roll of wire, fence tools, chainsaw,
gas can, sprayer, traps and baits and
such, whatever I need to wag along
that I'd otherwise have to hand carry.
Kinda built like a bent ladder with a
bicycle wheel on either side.
Been meaning to make a fitted box
to the proper dimensions, but I haven't
found the needed scrap wood in
anybody's trash pile yet.
Hauls dead animals pretty easy too

i use the standard 2 wheeled one you see in sportsman guide and such. 40-60 bucks or there abouts. it works on trails and open woods. any logs, creeks or rocks can make it flip since the deer makes it top heavy. better than dragging. you can guarantee if i haul my cart back in where i hunt and lock it to a tree, i will come out empty. but let me go in without that thing and along comes meat. i also built one using electrical conduit, big lawn mower wheels and orange snow fence. the deer kind of layed in a pouch of fencing. it worked good too but wasn't as solid as the commercial ones.

We've had ours for about a decade. The big wheels are awesome. It folds down for storage.

I use one I got from Bass Pro that’s made out of 1 inch steel tubing. It has earned its keep, have hauled multiple deer out with it several times. The only thing I have a problem with is if your side hilling a deer out and it is steep it will turn over. I’ve heard good things about the plastic otter sleds but haven’t used one.

I have 2 carts.

The first one is a one wheel travis type cart that breaks down, made of alum and bought off Cabelas about 32yrs ago. Works on semi flat trails.

The second cart is two wheels, lightweight steel tubing and best for closed roads etc. Bought this one off Bass Pro about 22yrs ago and did some custom mods to it.

Best thing about em is they don't require any feed, hay or vet bills.

Bought one last year with 4 wheels on two pivoting axle bars. Spokeless wheels. Best I’ve used.

https://www.mackspw.com/Hawk-Crawler-Deer-Cart

Only paid $120 for mine from Amazon.

That looks great. One question, can you tip the end down so you can slide a deer onto it instead of lifting?

Edit: belay that, I watched the video. I think we need one.

Spokeless wheels are good if hunting heavy brush areas, where brush gets thru the spokes and stops the wheel.

Thanks for the tips, the Hawk Crawler look good, but don't know about using in my area with steep country and side hills. I also hunt the Eastern Montana and Wyoming for antelope and would work well in that area.

I've been looking at the one wheeled Game Tote and the two wheel inline Neet Cart. Does any one have or used one. They both are better with two operators, but this type works better on side hills. They are both pricey but seem to be very well built.

Homemade

#winning

(And in a lot more ways than the cart)

My Cabela's Super Mag Hauler (sic) has evolved over the years. Those early spoked wheels were terrible and got lose all the time in brush. I had an old wheel chair that I took apart and those big wheels are on it now and work perfectly. A piece of pipe insulation zip tied around the handle saves your hands from that square tubing. My snow sled fits between the wheels and works well combining the two for snow, hills and flat ground. I made a clamp on yolk with a trailer hitch, so that I can pull it with my atv without it trying to pass me on the hills.

A few years back the state finally said that we could cut up our deer into five pieces instead of getting them out only gutted. I mounted one of the smaller wheel chair wheels under my pack frame and can pull or push that like a little wheelbarrow to rest my shoulders on a longer pack out.

I have one of those too, bought it at the market about 10 years ago.
Also have a Jet Sled.