Deer cart: Muddy Mule or Hawk Crawler

[Core]

So after almost killing myself yet again recently, I figure learning the same lesson twice is enough. Time for a cart. Sleds are fine in muck, but nothing beats wheels.

Here are the two carts I can find locally. The Muddy one looks fine at $99, but the rotating wheel design of the Hawk is awesome. Also I bet it tolerates light mud a lot better due to two wheels and wider contact point. But, the cart is a lot more money, takes up more space, and is way heavier. I can't find reviews on either of these things!

I've never used a cart. Does that design on the hawk look as awesome as it seems or would it really just be a waste of money and gimmick?

Edited October 7, 2016 by Core

[GreeneHunter]

Never used one but looks like a good idea , let us know how it works out !

[Lawdwaz]

Go with a Honda.

[stoneam2006]

Go with a Honda.

Win....lol some good posts on here tonight

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Core]

Go with a Honda.

Public land.

[rachunter]

I've been using a cart for about ten plus years there great if it's flat land without to many blow downs. A few things I've learned is to cover the spokes on the wheels and bring rope and/or a tarp to secure the deer. Other then that they work great. 

Hope this helps

[Core]

2 hours ago, rachunter said:

I've been using a cart for about ten plus years there great if it's flat land without to many blow downs. A few things I've learned is to cover the spokes on the wheels and bring rope and/or a tarp to secure the deer. Other then that they work great. 

Hope this helps

Thanks. Seems a lot of people like the Cabela Super Mag, which is no longer sold. One of its upgrades involved a cover for the wheels to avoid brush getting in them. I suppose I could make the same with some plastic circles.

I'm also seriously thinking of getting something setup, be it an electric winch on a 12 V or just some block tackle (probably that) to yank this up hills. The spot I hunt is really nice for deer but has some 45 degree banks, if not more. If I could reduce that to 1/3rd with some rope and a couple of wheels I could pull a deer up basically anything.

[rachunter]

mine is a cabela's cart i made the shields out of a garbage can i cut half circles and zip tied them on.up & down hills is where a cart can cause problems the winch/pulley idea is a good one.i;d personally would go with the 4 wheeled cart seems like it would be more stable.

for me up at my new hunting area a cart is a no go,i just picked up a badlands 2200 fram pack and plain on cutting the deer up and packing it out.hopefully next weeks mz hunt i'll be able to try it out.

good luck with the cart and season.

[Core]

Learned about something called the sherpa cart. Turns a climber into a cart, but nowhere locally sells them. No cabelas in rochester. sherpahunting.com

I decided against the muddy because it is too narrow! The cart is only 16" wide cargo bed. A good sized deer's chest is more than that I believe and the last thing I need is it rubbing the wheels. I bought the crawler but haven't set it up yet. 45 lbs is a lot. Also, though the wheels claim to be flat proof with polyurethane, still....so I bought a $99 "gander mountain" brand cart. It's only about 20 lbs and 350 capacity. It seems decent but its handle is too short really. Also will need to replace all washers with nylon if I want it quiet around the wheels. Haven't decided if will keep. Probably will I guess, but the hawk really seems like decent quality. Found some thread on archerytalk and a couple guys there liked it.

[rachunter]

i just checked the one cabela's is selling it's almost the same as mine with a few improvements,they lowered the axle and added a hard midsection mine is a tarp over bars.there offering $5 shipping now.

a long handle really is the key to how the cart works

.http://www.cabelas.com/product/hunting/after-the-shot/game-carts-carriers|/pc/104791680/c/104689980/sc/104353380/cabela-s-deluxe-game-cart/1870761.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fgame-carts-carriers%2F_%2FN-1100183%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104353380%3FNS%3DCATEGORY_SEQ_104525280-0%26WTz_I%3DSBC%3BMMcat104791680%3Bcat104752080%26WTz_style%3DGNU 

Edited October 8, 2016 by rachunter
spelling

[Core]

Thanks, rac.

I have to be honest I'm thinking of cancelling my hunt tomorrow morning because that sherpa cart looks absolutely spectacular to me and I refuse to again hunt my favorite spot without a cart, ever, under any conditions! I can't get the sherpa except through the mail. It weighs 10 lbs, it even would let me roll my climber in. They say max weight limit 250 (have tested much higher), which is as big a buck as I'll ever take I'm sure. 

Just seems like such a damn good idea to roll everything in and this takes up no space. If I adopt the idea that I'll just cart everything in and not even leave the cart in the car, weight no longer matters when hunting.

Pics of it here: http://sherpahunting.com/gallery.html

Edited October 8, 2016 by Core

[Buckmaster7600]

I could not imagine rolling everything in and out every hunt. Unless you have a decent dry road I find carts to be way more work than they are worth


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Core]

On 10/8/2016 at 8:30 PM, Buckmaster7600 said:

I could not imagine rolling everything in and out every hunt. Unless you have a decent dry road I find carts to be way more work than they are worth


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It may indeed be too heavy/hassle to use it as in-and-out-every-time cart to save me carrying anything.

Last two deer I took were exactly 1/3rd of a mile off the road and each one took me two hours to drag out. I'm quite strong, but there is a significant net incline increase from where they died to where my car is, including some 45 degree gullys. I really can't do it again, it's just crazy. Some people like sleds, but the bulk of where I was looks like typical hardwood area, fairly easy to walk through. Just crazy hills.

I did end up ordering the Sherpa. It just looks like such a great idea I have to try it. Another guy on the forum likes his and reviews are pretty good for it. The wedge shape in the climber will force the center of gravity a little higher than a typical cart, but the wedge shape will also help force the mass toward the center, which is helpful.

[Buckmaster7600]

It may indeed be too heavy/hassle to use it as in-and-out-every-time cart to save me carrying anything.

Last two deer I took were exactly 1/3rd of a mile off the road and each one took me two hours to drag out. I'm quite strong, but there is a significant net incline increase from where they died to where my car is, including some 45 degree gullys. I really can't do it again, it's just crazy. Some people like sleds, but the bulk of where I was looks like typical hardwood area, fairly easy to walk through. Just crazy hills.

I did end up ordering the Sherpa. It just looks like such a great idea I have to try it. Another guy on the forum likes his and reviews are pretty good for it. The wedge shape in the climber will force the center of gravity a little higher than a typical cart, but the wedge shape will also help force the mass toward the center, which is helpful.

Good luck I hope they work for you!

I have had some ridiculous long drags over a couple miles and I tried a couple different carts and sleds and a bunch of other things. The only thing that made it easier for me withou having any form of roads to use is the plastic sheet that has eyes in it to lash the deer in. I would say it made dragging 10-20% easier but was a pain to carry and I stopped using that as well. Dragging sucks but you have 9 months to recuperate. My adk buck last year was a 9 hr over 2 mile drag and it sucked big time!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[steve863]

42 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

 

 

 My adk buck last year was a 9 hr over 2 mile drag and it sucked big time!


 

Wouldn't it have made way more sense to skin and quarter him and carry it out in a backpack?  2 miles isn't a great distance to walk, so even if you had to make a couple of trips back and forth it still wouldn't have taken you 9 hours.  I've been an idiot myself a few times where I practically killed myself trying to drag one out.  I finally smartened up with the last big one I killed and it was really no problem quartering him out in the field.  It works even better when you've got some snow on the ground to keep things nice and clean.  Even if you have to leave a few scraps of meat in the field in comparison to butchering one hanging back home, it definitely beats a 9 hour drag!

[Core]

9 hour drag, that is hardcore.

[Buckmaster7600]

Wouldn't it have made way more sense to skin and quarter him and carry it out in a backpack?  2 miles isn't a great distance to walk, so even if you had to make a couple of trips back and forth it still wouldn't have taken you 9 hours.  I've been an idiot myself a few times where I practically killed myself trying to drag one out.  I finally smartened up with the last big one I killed and it was really no problem quartering him out in the field.  It works even better when you've got some snow on the ground to keep things nice and clean.  Even if you have to leave a few scraps of meat in the field in comparison to butchering one hanging back home, it definitely beats a 9 hour drag!

I have quartered and packed out a bunch of deer but I wanted to know what he weighed as he was a very big deer. I just carry my rifle 30-40 ft drag the deer to the rifle and repeat. It's really not too bad just takes a lot of time!

One of my favorite parts of hunting is admiring a nice buck hanging on the meat pole and it's just not the same when you pack them out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[steve863]

11 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

 

One of my favorite parts of hunting is admiring a nice buck hanging on the meat pole and it's just not the same when you pack them out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ah OK.   I don't think I've ever heard that as a reason to continue to drag for 9 hours, but if you like to see them hanging, then keep on dragging!  LOL  Ain't my back that will be complaining.

 

 

 

 

 

[Core]

41 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

I have quartered and packed out a bunch of deer but I wanted to know what he weighed as he was a very big deer. I just carry my rifle 30-40 ft drag the deer to the rifle and repeat. It's really not too bad just takes a lot of time!

One of my favorite parts of hunting is admiring a nice buck hanging on the meat pole and it's just not the same when you pack them out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How do you drag? Harness? 

[Buckmaster7600]

A 12-15" long piece of a branch with a Short piece of rope wrapped around head and front feet that are tucked up in antlers. The key is to have the rope short enough so the head and front shoulders are off the ground when pulling but not so short that you are kicking it. Hold the rope with both hand in the small of my back lean forward and pull.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk