Game Carts for Elk?

[MT_Chad]

My old man and I have a pair of packwheels. One is the old compact packwheel I picked up on the cheap used. 3 years ago I got a 29er packwheel and that thing is awesome. I've brought a bunch of deer out with them. Any sort of game trail or cattle trail makes it pretty nice.

 

[rogerthat]

Just cause you can doesn’t mean you should.

 

[DouglasR]

This is a great story about professional athletes overcoming career ending injuries.
Might want to give it a watch.

 

[jbseamus83]

I have a Muddy "Mule" game cart that has worked well for elk. I put a plywood bottom in it to keep the game bags from bulging through the bottom, and ratchet strap them down. Works great for areas that aren't too rocky - I've taken three quartered elk out with it. If there's snow, a jet sled is way better.

I used the jet sled this last winter. Worked great, but would be a little difficult without snow obviously.

 

[Bill Christy]

Anyone used a game cart that actually works in the kind of places elk live?

I'm a 68 year old solo DIY elk hunter in Idaho. I've had both a total knee and shoulder replacement. If it wasn't for my Hawk Crawler and Smitty Sled game carts, I could not retrieve my meat from the field. Thanks to these carts, I can haul it all out in one trip. My carts can go anywhere I can go. Due to my age and replacements' limitations, I am restricted to medium terrain hunting. I do not use a motorized hunting vehicle.

 

[Dan O]

Neet Kart | The unique 2 wheel in-line carrier and game cart

The Neet Kart is absolutely the easiest way to move game, haul backpacks, traverse rough country, go around gates, haul in rescue equipment and retrieve the injured.

www.neetkart.com

Check out this cart. I had a young guy build me a similar cart but out of angle iron and steel mesh. It uses 20 inch bike wheels and has a hand brake on it. I have hauled out 3 cow elk whole with it. "on separate occasions". Mine is too wide which makes it harder to center your load. I use rachet straps to secure the animal. 2 of the elk there were 2 of us and the last I did by myself. The 2 wheel design can be used on a steep side hill, and you can follow a game trail pretty well. If you get to a down tree it's easy to get over it by pushing down on the rear handles and lifting the front wheel over and the rest follows. I think mine is too darn heavy and wide. I need to get it narrower and lightened up some.

 

[brymoore]

I don’t kill elk in game cart accessible places.

 

[Bill Christy]

Neet Kart | The unique 2 wheel in-line carrier and game cart

The Neet Kart is absolutely the easiest way to move game, haul backpacks, traverse rough country, go around gates, haul in rescue equipment and retrieve the injured.

www.neetkart.com

Check out this cart. I had a young guy build me a similar cart but out of angle iron and steel mesh. It uses 20 inch bike wheels and has a hand brake on it. I have hauled out 3 cow elk whole with it. "on separate occasions". Mine is too wide which makes it harder to center your load. I use rachet straps to secure the animal. 2 of the elk there were 2 of us and the last I did by myself. The 2 wheel design can be used on a steep side hill, and you can follow a game trail pretty well. If you get to a down tree it's easy to get over it by pushing down on the rear handles and lifting the front wheel over and the rest follows. I think mine is too darn heavy and wide. I need to get it narrower and lightened up some.

FANTASTIC! Game Carts are a growing industry with many renovations happening everyday. Through contact with Fish & Game departments, I have been told that; although using bicycles are banned on trails and off road during hunting seasons, non-motorized game carts are the exception. With my limitations, I cannot hunt through thickly wooded forests where game carts cannot go. So, my game cart can go anywhere I can physically go. Thus, I can continue to hunt big game even in my older years saving my back, hips, and feet. If I decide to drop camp, my game cart hauls everything in for me. And if I hunt very far into the wilderness, I simply park my game cart close by when I need to shoot.

 

[Nickman123]

I have used them for deer and elk. Just like others have said, if you are on relatively flat, open ground, or have some sort of trail to go down (trail, good game path, old road, etc..), they work great. Otherwise, they are pretty useless. Where we used to hunt in Colorado there was a pretty good trail system. We'd just quarter the animal, get the quarters over to the nearest trail (this was the hard part), then cart it out.

 

[DFS]

Game carts for elk suck. Easier to pack them out on your back.

 

[Dsnow9]

Game carts for elk suck. Easier to pack them out on your back.

All depends on the hunt!

 

[LIK2HNT]

Wish they would allow game carts in the wilderness areas. Anyone try the one wheeled Game Tote?

 

[Bill Christy]

Wish they would allow game carts in the wilderness areas. Anyone try the one wheeled Game Tote?

Call your local office concerning the use of a non-motorized game cart. I bet they'll make exceptions.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Call your local office concerning the use of a non-motorized game cart. I bet they'll make exceptions.

What offices have you had success getting an exception like this from?

 

[LIK2HNT]

What offices have you had success getting an exception like this from?

Would make sure you get it in writing and signed.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Would make sure you get it in writing and signed.

On the low odds Bill Christy is not a robot, I would use that information for other purposes. Namely calling the line officer on that district and telling them they should stop that nonsense.

 

[6mm Remington]

Yep I have! Works great. Critter Carts my father and I made.

 

[LIK2HNT]

Yep I have! Works great. Critter Carts my father and I made.
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Nice, is that homemade?
Most places I have killed elk I have a problem getting myself out. Would be nice to pack meat out of the canyon to where you can get one of these in to wheel it out from there. I was looking at these


Thanks

 

[Bill Christy]

What offices have you had success getting an exception like this from?

I normally ask as I go ahead of time. So far, New Mexico and Idaho have made allowances for the use of non-motorized game carts.

 

[6mm Remington]

Nice, is that homemade?

It is homemade. My father and I built them. It's designed for two guys but if the terrain isn't terrible say you have a game trail or a two track one guy can handle a deer by himself or an antelope. The brakes are a must have as it looks like the game cart you picture has brakes also. It works well in snow (as seen in your picture) and you don't need a trail just go wherever it looks easiest.