|
Post by majyang on Sept 5, 2014 14:54:40 GMT -5
Anyone use a deer cart out there in the woods? My uncle has an older one that i used this past weekend to transport a couple of two-man stands and while wheeling through the rough stuff, i had a blow out... well sort of. The wheels are metal but the tires are of solid rubber design. Well the "blow out" was the dang rubber breaking apart, literally falling into pieces. So now (since i can't very well just give it back to him broken) I'm wondering if i can do an upgrade from those 16 inch rubber tires to something like 20 inch bike tires. Anyone done this before or maybe can advise on an upgrade option that wont break the bank. Thanks
|
|
|
Post by 76chevy on Sept 5, 2014 14:58:24 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by henson59 on Sept 5, 2014 15:40:59 GMT -5
I don't use a cart or anything but if I have a long drag ahead of me or don't want to bring the ATV into an area I use a Dead Sled.
|
|
|
Post by htownhunter on Sept 5, 2014 16:15:40 GMT -5
Yes you could. I think you'll have to take out the spindles in the bike tires. And use the axle on the deer cart. I will highly recommend that you put a tire armor type thing on. This will keep you from getting flats as easy.
|
|
|
Post by antiwheeze on Sept 5, 2014 17:39:28 GMT -5
Anyone use a deer cart out there in the woods? My uncle has an older one that i used this past weekend to transport a couple of two-man stands and while wheeling through the rough stuff, i had a blow out... well sort of. The wheels are metal but the tires are of solid rubber design. Well the "blow out" was the dang rubber breaking apart, literally falling into pieces. So now (since i can't very well just give it back to him broken) I'm wondering if i can do an upgrade from those 16 inch rubber tires to something like 20 inch bike tires. Anyone done this before or maybe can advise on an upgrade option that wont break the bank. Thanks I put solid wheel chair wheels on when mine broke. pbckt.com/pN.7CO1Ah
|
|
|
Post by 36fan on Sept 10, 2014 19:57:31 GMT -5
I made one a few years ago out of an old dolly, conduit, and a couple of bicycle wheels/tires. After dragging one for about 3/4 mile out of a state park hunt (came across another hunter with one who loaded her up and brought her out another 1/4 mile), I decided to make one.
|
|
|
Post by htownhunter on Sept 10, 2014 20:06:14 GMT -5
I made one a few years ago out of an old dolly, conduit, and a couple of bicycle wheels/tires. After dragging one for about 3/4 mile out of a state park hunt (came across another hunter with one who loaded her up and brought her out another 1/4 mile), I decided to make one. I also made one. But I used an old go cart. Put a pin style hitch and handles so I'd be able to hook to the mule. I made it to only 24 inches wide, that way I can stay between corn rows during early archery.
|
|
|
Post by esshup on Sept 10, 2014 20:32:32 GMT -5
I drilled holes in my ladder stand and made a set of axles that fit, and put 18" bicycle tires on it. I also have that Magnum deer cart from Cabelas. I'm constantly (yearly or more) having to fill up the pneumatic tires. Never had a problem with the solid rubber ones.
I'd vote for getting solid rubber ones. Less chance of a puncture and a flat a long way from the road. I've put 2 does at a time on my cart and while it wasn't fun wheeling it uphill, it was a heck of a lot better than dragging them!
|
|
|
Post by Russ Koon on Sept 11, 2014 10:01:42 GMT -5
I'd also recommend staying with the solid rubber tires. They are the most trouble-free in the long run, even though your experience indicated otherwise. I have a homemade cart with 26" bike tires on HD wheels, and even with new tires and tubes, I ended up needing to add some goop to help them hold air or inflate them gain for each trip the woods. Lots of sharp stuff in the woods, and pneumatic tires will find it all. The deer won't mind the rough ride out of the woods.
I have another smaller cart with solid rubber tires, and the only trouble ever with it was once when I had the Jeep pretty full and decided I could just tie the cart handle to the trailer hitch for the few miles home on country blacktops at slow speeds. Would have worked, but I was careless (very tired) and didn't tie up all the loose ends of the rope used to tie the deer onto the cart. One loose end fell between a wheel and the cart frame, locking that tire from turning, and I ground the tire down almost to the rim by the time I got halfway home, and checked on things back there. Hard to get a flat with a solid rubber tire, but it can be done! Took me a while to trace the manufacturer down and get an exact replacement, but the price was reasonable when I finally was able to reach them.
I looked at about every hardware and home supply store in two counties before finally tracing the manufacturer, trying to get an exact match in tire size and axle diameter, and wheel offset.
Sounds like you'd have an easier time of it replacing both as a pair, and that would be the best way to go, since the deterioration you describe sounds like it was probably due to age and maybe exposure more than wear. I found several that seemed to be pretty close to exact matches while looking, and would suggest a nearby Lowe's or similar store, where they will usually be found close to the wheelbarrows. I'd take the original axle shaft along if possible, as it wouldn't take much of a mismatch there to make the whole attempt go wrong.
For their designed usage, and maybe even some abuse like I subjected mine to in being towed behind the Jeep for a few miles with a mild load at low speeds, a dab of grease every season will take care of the friction when using wheels without bearings, but you'll want a pretty decent fit between axle and wheel.
|
|
|
Post by bart1533 on Sept 11, 2014 15:27:13 GMT -5
Got them on sale at Menard. I think they where under 70 bucks..
|
|
|
Post by StingyRog on Sept 11, 2014 18:04:23 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by beermaker on Sept 11, 2014 20:04:16 GMT -5
If you can wait, buy one AFTER deer season. Retailers like Wal-Mart, Rural King, etc. will be paractically giving them away.
I bought one many years ago from Cabela's. It has the solid tires and has saved my tail more times than I can count. I often hunt alone and it is invaluable, period. I am 40 and very fit, but I just don't have it like in years before. The cart makes life much easier when hunting solo.
As a point of caution, my brother bought one that was supposed to be better due to not having wheel spokes. However, the solid plastic wheels folded under duress while traveling down an angled hill and left us with a good 'ol drag to the truck. Junk!
|
|
|
Post by jackryan on Sept 11, 2014 22:40:41 GMT -5
I don't use a cart or anything but if I have a long drag ahead of me or don't want to bring the ATV into an area I use a Dead Sled. That looks like a good idea. I don't care for carts, at least not in the places I hunt. It near takes a road to use one and they are noisy. I prefer my wheel barrow over a two wheel cart.
|
|
|
Post by duff on Sept 12, 2014 5:10:37 GMT -5
I prefer a loader bucket over any of them but I have a mag cart and it is nice
|
|
|
Post by foamyflyer on Sept 12, 2014 5:41:41 GMT -5
I have one of the $70 models made of steel with the solid rubber wheels, got on a good deal from SG with free shipping cheaper than Menards. They make them in aluminum also for lighter weight, but also more expensive. The rubber on the wheels will stink to high heavens (Chinese rubber) so I would buy one ahead of time and let it sit outside for quite a while. It's noisy, but made it possible to get my ladder stand in and out of a state park hunt last year. Need to do some work to quiet it down.
|
|
|
Post by henson59 on Sept 12, 2014 8:05:03 GMT -5
I don't use a cart or anything but if I have a long drag ahead of me or don't want to bring the ATV into an area I use a Dead Sled. That looks like a good idea. I don't care for carts, at least not in the places I hunt. It near takes a road to use one and they are noisy. I prefer my wheel barrow over a two wheel cart. It really is a good product. I have used it to drag a lot of deer out and it makes things really easy. Plus it rolls up really nice and it comes with a case.
|
|
|
Post by chubwub on Sept 12, 2014 9:16:37 GMT -5
In my case, you just make the males do all the work! However, I will also vote for the dead sled as being very handy. I don't use the Dead Sled product per-se, but the duck decoy sleds work great for most terrain. As a plus, if you shoot the deer on top of a hill, you can put them in the sled and slide down the hill with the deer.
|
|
|
Post by trapperdave on Sept 12, 2014 16:08:58 GMT -5
kids snow sleds from wally world work in a pinch
|
|
|
Post by INhuntin on Sept 12, 2014 18:29:52 GMT -5
Last season I used a cart for the first time & it may be the last time. I had my stand about a 1/2 mile back into the woods it was fairly flat land but there was no real trail or road back there. I downed a 8 point buck early opening morning of gun season, I was by myself that is why I had the cart. I gutted the buck (180 lb +)& loaded him onto the cart. By the time I got him out to the road I was wore out, that cart caught every stick, stump, rock, root, & vine in that woods, I would have been easier to just drag him out because most of the time I was dragging him & the cart. So unless you have a clean path, or a road of some kind close to where you are hunting I would say give up on the cart & just drag out your kill.
|
|
|
Post by antiwheeze on Sept 12, 2014 19:07:59 GMT -5
Last season I used a cart for the first time & it may be the last time. I had my stand about a 1/2 mile back into the woods it was fairly flat land but there was no real trail or road back there. I downed a 8 point buck early opening morning of gun season, I was by myself that is why I had the cart. I gutted the buck (180 lb +)& loaded him onto the cart. By the time I got him out to the road I was wore out, that cart caught every stick, stump, rock, root, & vine in that woods, I would have been easier to just drag him out because most of the time I was dragging him & the cart. So unless you have a clean path, or a road of some kind close to where you are hunting I would say give up on the cart & just drag out your kill. I usually have both a sled and a cart because of this. Neither are good for pulling deer up steep hills.
|
|