Game Cart modification

[Albany Mountain]

I just spent some time on my game cart, modifying it for use in the off season. I have some prairie dog shooting close by but its not a drive to and shoot with everything you need. I have been taking a shooting mat, a small backpack with water, a small carry bag for additional rest, ammo and the gun.

I bought a super nice game cart about 10 years ago to help me with my senior hunting escapades when I turned 60. I needed something like a wheel-barrel that I could shoot off of. So I dug around and had some ¾” plywood, an extra extendable roller stand from Harbor Freight for saw tables. Everything else was in the shop.

I was going to use a 5 gallon bucket with seat, but my garage stool at 26" was really nice. So I ordered a higher folding stool from Home Depot.

 

[Field_2_Fork]

Very nice, I like it.

 

[K9TXS]

I like it. The big wheel makes it much easier to move across the uneven ground. I tried a similar one but the one wheel was just not stable enough for me. I went to a conventional 2 wheel game cart. I added a removable box on it that allows me to carry lunch folding game chair, ammo, etc.. The large wheels makes it easy to move across the terrain. I sound like a wagon train going across the plains, but the noise doesn't effect a prairie dog hunt. When the WY wind picks up, I can easily move around to shoot with or into the wind.

 

[Big Mc]

I just spent some time on my game cart, modifying it for use in the off season. I have some prairie dog shooting close by but its not a drive to and shoot with everything you need. I have been taking a shooting mat, a small backpack with water, a small carry bag for additional rest, ammo and the gun.

I bought a super nice game cart about 10 years ago to help me with my senior hunting escapades when I turned 60. I needed something like a wheel-barrel that I could shoot off of. So I dug around and had some ¾” plywood, an extra extendable roller stand from Harbor Freight for saw tables. Everything else was in the shop.

I was going to use a 5 gallon bucket with seat, but my garage stool at 26" was really nice. So I ordered a higher folding stool from Home Depot.

You know what they say necessity is a mother. Or something like that. Nice work. Tommy Mc

 

[Dimner]

A somewhat side question....

Do you guys have any luck using game carts on terrain other than fields? Specifically forest, partially forested, edge of tree line areas? I have always been skeptical of buying one, but would love having one if it worked well.

Here is the typical type of terrain. On the edge of a treeline.

 

[K9TXS]

A somewhat side question....

Do you guys have any luck using game carts on terrain other than fields? Specifically forest, partially forested, edge of tree line areas? I have always been skeptical of buying one, but would love having one if it worked well.

Here is the typical type of terrain. On the edge of a treeline.

View attachment 1585638

Google - Motorized Game Carts
There's quite a few different styles available just for this type of terrain.

Drawbacks
1. More expensive
2. Some are more bulky that a traditional game cart
3. One you like may take up a lot more room in the truck
4. Battery operated

 

[JEFFPPC]

2 wheeled carts are fine in good terrain or on trails. If in rough country with rocks and logs a 1 wheeled cart easily navigates those obstacle. Here in the Pa mountains my 1 wheeled cart is the choice 9 times out of 10.

 

[TrapperBR549]

A somewhat side question....

Do you guys have any luck using game carts on terrain other than fields? Specifically forest, partially forested, edge of tree line areas? I have always been skeptical of buying one, but would love having one if it worked well.

Here is the typical type of terrain. On the edge of a treeline.

View attachment 1585638

I would use an old bicycle. With some minor mods they work pretty well.

 

[jxb]

Nice, next upgrade to make it electric powered like those snazzy bikes and scooters we see all over? Even now I do a double take when I see a bicyclist zooming up our hill which is steep and long. Clearly they have worked out the tech on those and even battery life on some.

 

[K9TXS]

2 wheeled carts are fine in good terrain or on trails. If in rough country with rocks and logs a 1 wheeled cart easily navigates those obstacle. Here in the Pa mountains my 1 wheeled cart is the choice 9 times out of 10.

I really like the idea of a one wheel game cart, but concerned about the stability of it. When going over rocks, small logs or limbs, hitting a PD hole, etc., the cart would have a tendency to shift to one side. Once it shifts, the load would also shift unless secured. Kinda like using a wheel barrel, the load shifts and over it goes.

 

[JEFFPPC]

I really like the idea of a one wheel game cart, but concerned about the stability of it. When going over rocks, small logs or limbs, hitting a PD hole, etc., the cart would have a tendency to shift to one side. Once it shifts, the load would also shift unless secured. Kinda like using a wheel barrel, the load shifts and over it goes.

Actually it is just the opposite. When going over obstacles with a 2 wheeled cart the wheels end up on a different plane.

 

[Bugs]

I'm sort of partial to a 4-wheeled game cart myself. . . .

 

[DeerHunter82]

A somewhat side question....

Do you guys have any luck using game carts on terrain other than fields? Specifically forest, partially forested, edge of tree line areas? I have always been skeptical of buying one, but would love having one if it worked well.

Here is the typical type of terrain. On the edge of a treeline.

View attachment 1585638

I’ll be honest with you….. bought one 4 years ago. Game changer. Great on all sorts of terrain. Wish I bought it 20 years ago.

 

[Dimner]

I’ll be honest with you….. bought one 4 years ago. Game changer. Great on all sorts of terrain. Wish I bought it 20 years ago.

would you mind sharing which one you purchased?

 

[DeerHunter82]

would you mind sharing which one you purchased?

Yes sir. I do believe it was this one.

Guide Gear Aluminum Deer Cart

Sportsman's Guide carries top-quality discount Outdoor and Hunting Gear, Guns, Ammo, Fishing Supplies and more - all at great low prices!

www.sportsmansguide.com

 

[Lefty2506]

A somewhat side question....

Do you guys have any luck using game carts on terrain other than fields? Specifically forest, partially forested, edge of tree line areas? I have always been skeptical of buying one, but would love having one if it worked well.

Here is the typical type of terrain. On the edge of a treeline.

View attachment 1585638

Yeah, I love using mine as well. I don't recall what brand it is, but it does have the standard 20" wheels. If the deer is in a field like that, we can drive a truck or ATV right up to it, but when one goes down in the creek bottom, it's a pain in the rear to drag them out; especially if your buy yourself or if its a big buck. Here, our big bucks field dress at 200 lbs or more. The game carts are a game changer for getting deer out, that's for sure. Its still a pain in the rear when you have to go over a log, but MUCH better than not having something with wheels. We also have a plastic sled thing that we pull behind an ATV if we need to drag them a long way across relatively even ground. I think the sled is actually for ice fishing but I can't recall.

For something like hauling gear for Prairie Dogs, a buddy of mine usest an aluminum folding cart that resembled an rickshaw cart. It folds flat for storage and had 20" wheels. He bought a pair of them when he and his 1st wife were shooting NRA Highpower (+20 years ago). She was less than 100 lbs soaking wet, and he tipped the scales north of 300. He bought them at the Nationals because the salesman had him hop in the cart and had her push him up and down the line in it. Amazon still has them, but I think they are north of $300 now. I don't think they have enough capacity for hauling a deer of any size though. The game carts work better for that.

 

[Dimner]

Yeah, I love using mine as well. I don't recall what brand it is, but it does have the standard 20" wheels. If the deer is in a field like that, we can drive a truck or ATV right up to it, but when one goes down in the creek bottom, it's a pain in the rear to drag them out; especially if your buy yourself or if its a big buck. Here, our big bucks field dress at 200 lbs or more. The game carts are a game changer for getting deer out, that's for sure. Its still a pain in the rear when you have to go over a log, but MUCH better than not having something with wheels. We also have a plastic sled thing that we pull behind an ATV if we need to drag them a long way across relatively even ground. I think the sled is actually for ice fishing but I can't recall.

For something like hauling gear for Prairie Dogs, a buddy of mine usest an aluminum folding cart that resembled an rickshaw cart. It folds flat for storage and had 20" wheels. He bought a pair of them when he and his 1st wife were shooting NRA Highpower (+20 years ago). She was less than 100 lbs soaking wet, and he tipped the scales north of 300. He bought them at the Nationals because the salesman had him hop in the cart and had her push him up and down the line in it. Amazon still has them, but I think they are north of $300 now. I don't think they have enough capacity for hauling a deer of any size though. The game carts work better for that.

I think I will grab one this season. Sleds are our prefered mode of transportation up here in Michigan, either firewood or icefishing types. However, the past few years there has been little snowfall during the season and there are some earlier archery periods I would like to hunt. Sounds like the game cart is the ticket.

 

[Albany Mountain]

A somewhat side question....

Do you guys have any luck using game carts on terrain other than fields? Specifically forest, partially forested, edge of tree line areas? I have always been skeptical of buying one, but would love having one if it worked well.

Here is the typical type of terrain. On the edge of a treeline.

View attachment 1585638

Never only certain situations all use my game card for it worked well for that with Antelope, and even elk in one piece when the conditions are right. In other situations, I’ve got backpacks and access to a horse that works in those more extreme places that the game cart couldn’t do it. So far since I bought this cart, I’ve hauled out three elk on it and three envelope and certainly was well worth it I thought about building one man across the guy that was building them and selling them and he did a fantastic job. I never regretted buying it from him.