A deer hauling cart can be a very handy piece of kit for your hunting.
You can show your prize off back at camp without having to take things like bone saws and struggling to tie your game to some external frame backpack that you kind of need to use to carry other things.
If you want to take your prey home without cutting it up first, a deer cart is definitely the way to go. Particularly if it’s getting dark and you don’t have a headlamp.
A typical deer weighs about 200 pounds, and using a deer cart makes carrying the prize as easy as taking a shopping cart around Walmart.
We’ve studied the best deer carts out there and reviewed them for you below, coming up with our Top 5.
And then to help you make your mind up, we’ve also got a buying guide for you. This is then followed by a very brief FAQ section.
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Our Pick
Best Deer Carts - Comparison Table
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Best Deer Carts - Reviews
This deer hauling cart from Hawk is a big hit with customers - and it’s easy to see why.
It has a great weight capacity, coming in at 500 lbs, so it’s perfect for a big deer or even two fawns.
What’s different about it though is it’s 4 large oversized tires, which means it’s great for getting Even Load Distribution for greater Stability, and Less Bounce. The tendency to tip is eliminated all together.
You get a real low centre of gravity with this cart - more on that in our buying guide.
Moreover, the tires will never go flat on you, as they’re filled with Micro-Cellular Polyurethane Foam. You can drag them over rugged terrain and even broken twigs etcetera without having to worry about punctures.
Talking about rugged terrain, check out the 360 degree dual pivot axles - they can even pull the game over logs! Or just about anything else that crosses your path.
There’s also a dura mesh sling, which might not sound particularly helpful at first, but it can come in handy for taking bait to the deer feeder at the honey spot.
Although it doesn’t come with a strapping mechanism, there’s nothing to stop you tying the game up. And with the dura mesh sling you might decide you don’t need a strapping mechanism anyway.
It folds up nice and compact for convenient transport & storage.
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Here’s a great deer cart from Goplus and it’s really popular with Amazon customers. No surprise to us as to why.
What we love the most about it is it’s large weight capacity. It’s designed to haul up to 500 pounds of weight, so it’s perfect for moving big trophy game, or even two smaller deer.
It has large dimensions, 69" x 18" so there’s plenty of room on there. And there’s 2 buckle straps to hold your haul securely in place.
The reason it can carry so much weight is down to it’s sturdy reinforced steel frame, which is strong, solid and durable. In our buying guide we talk about frame materials and why we like steel the best.
It has huge rubber wheels (more on wheel size in our buying guide) which are good for most terrain like brush or hills, or even shallow streams.
There’s a locking pin to fix the wheels to the heavy duty axle to ensure a stable haul. And there’s a good strong handle, making it easy to drag the cart along.
It’s super straightforward to assemble, you can do it in minutes, and the instructions are included.
And it folds up for convenient carrying and storage.
Goplus are so confident in their product that they offer a full warranty if for whatever reason you were unhappy with it.
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Here’s a really good deer cart from Rogers Sporting Goods.
There are two things we particularly love about it. Firstly the size of the wheels - they’re huge! 20 inches total diameter. This really helps with getting the cart over rugged terrain twigs and even logs, as you go through the woods. We talk about wheel size in our buying guide.
Better still, the wheels are puncture proof, so you won’t end up dragging the haul with a flat.
The other thing we love about it is it’s matt black no shine finish. Not only does it look good, the no shine finish means that it won’t startle any deer if it comes in line of view.
It carries a real good weight, up to 500 lbs, so again you could haul a big deer or two small fawn.
Despite it’s durable all steel construction, it’s surprisingly lightweight, coming in at just 35 lbs, and that can make a real difference once you’re lugging a big buck.
When you see the cart it looks quite narrow compared to the huge wheels, but it’s actually quite wide, 27 inches wide to be specific, which is wider than some of the other deer carts out there.
There’s also Padded backstrap carry straps included in the price.
It’s quick and easy to assemble and you won’t be needing any fancy tools.
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We love this deer cart from Best Choice Products, and it looks like Amazon customers do too.
With it’s durable steel construction, including a heavy duty steel axle, it can haul weights of up to 500 lbs - just what you need to lug a big buck.
Despite its steel construction, it’s quite lightweight and doesn’t catch the light, which might alert the deer. This is down to it’s flat brown powder finish.
It’s easy to assemble and doesn’t need any special tools.
The wheels are huge, 18.5 inches in diameter, which is great (more on wheel size in our buying guide). And they’re solid rubber, designed to withstand rugged terrain and even traverse shallow creeks.
When you’re ready to fold it up, the wheels come off too, saving you plenty of storage space.
There’s 2 buckle straps included to secure the downed game in place.
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If you’re looking for a deer cart to carry just a standard weight deer, then this deer cart will certainly do the job, it can carry 250 lbs.
What makes this cart different from the other ones we’ve looked at is it’s lightweight aluminum frame. In our buying guide we talk about how we prefer steel carts to aluminum ones, but that said, aluminum does have it’s plus points.
Not least is just how much lighter it is to wheel about, which can come in handy when you're in more rugged terrain.
Another thing we like about it is it’s low centre of gravity, which is critical when it comes to balancing the downed game, and ensuring it doesn’t tip over.
The cart is designed so that the weight of the kill will be nicely centered over the axle. We talk about the benefits of a low centre of gravity in our buying guide.
The wheels are big but not huge, coming in at 15 inch diameter. But they’re solid rubber and puncture proof, which means you can drag it over stones, small rocks, twigs, large roots, with no problems at all, including flats. Hassle free hauling.
There’s 3 lashing straps included to securely attach the haul to the cart’s frame.
It folds up completely flat, which comes in handy for easy storage and transport.
This is a good deer cart for hunter youths, eager for bragging rights.
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Best Deer Carts - Buyers Guide
For a piece of equipment that looks so straightforward, you’d imagine there’s not much to it when it comes to picking a good one. But actually, there’s plenty of different things to consider before making a purchase. Let’s start with the first.
Weight capacity
For clarification here, the weight capacity of a deer cart does not refer to the weight of the cart itself, but rather the total weight that the cart can carry.
A typical deer weighs about 200 pounds, but many of heavier, so you want to ensure that you get a cart that can carry over 200 pounds of weight. If you wanted to bring a lot of deer back however, you’ll need a big game cart that can carry up to say 750 pounds.
Dimensions
Obviously the cart has to be wide enough and long enough to carry your kill, but all carts specifically designed to haul deer will accommodate it.
Strapping mechanism
Many deer carts come with straps to cover big bucks. A good robust strapping mechanism is important to prevent your kills from topping over the cart. And having the weight as evenly distributed in the cart as possible also helps to steer it.
Incidentally, when you're not hauling a big buck the cart can come in handy for strapping your hunting gear in place, be it rifle or bow or whatever.
Large wheels
Large wheels on your deer hauling cart can be a huge help when you need to drag the cart unaided through bumpy or rugged terrain, or you risk getting stuck in the forest. Large wheels can get a full cart rolled over most logs.
The additional benefit of a cart with large wheels is that they don’t sink into muddy ground.
Low centre of gravity
A low centre of gravity in the cart is critical, as it helps you to balance the cart when you're hauling a heavy animal, and is the sign of a well constructed deer cart.
If the weight of the cart sits high above the axle, giving it too high a high centre of gravity, this makes it more likely to tip over, which is a frustrating hassle for any hunter to contend with. When you want to take the cart a fair distance, this can be a problem.
A high centre of gravity in a deer cart also causes unnecessary stress on the axles and wheels, which becomes more problematic when travelling on uneven ground.
So you should always go for a cart with a low centre of gravity, and also, if you expect uneven terrain, go for a cart with angled wheels to avoid tipping over should you run into a molehill or something similar.
Two wheeled carts are more likely to have a lower center of gravity than their one wheeled counterparts. But some hunters prefer one wheeled carts as they can be easier to maneuver.
Solid metal frame
The cart’s frame can make all the difference. Always go for a solid frame and sturdy wheels. The frames tend to be made from one of two materials, specifically aluminum and steel.
Aluminum frames can be popular due to being so lightweight, which means you can lug them very easily through rugged terrain. And aluminum doesn’t rust the way steel does.
However, of the two we would recommend that you go with steel. It may be that bit heavier, but it will be worth it. Steel frames are harder and tougher than aluminum and are very tough and resilient to harsh conditions.
Where a steel frame really comes into its own however, is when hauling big game. Steel is twice as dense than aluminum, which means it’s less likely to warp, bend or deform under a large weight.
Collapsible
When transporting the cart to the honey spot, a longer frame can be hard to maneuver if you’re not using it to carry gear, so ideally you should look out for one that you can fold up. This will also help with getting it in your truck too. Deer carts can usually be folded into two or three parts. Sometimes the wheels are removable, so that can really help with storage and transport too.
Quiet
It’s so important not to startle any deer if you can help it, so make sure your deer cart is as quiet as it can possibly be. Ensure all moving parts are fully oiled prior to lugging the cart anywhere.
Easy to assemble
Albeit, not nearly as important as the other factors we’ve covered, it’s always a plus when a piece of equipment is easy to assemble. You don’t want to give yourself your headache trying to set up a complicated cart and then discover you don’t have the necessary tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a deer weigh?
A buck can have a weight ranging from as little as 130 pounds all the way up to 350 pounds. So if buck is what you’re going for, please ensure that your deer cart has a big enough weight capacity. Female deer meanwhile come in at 90 to 200 pounds. The first 4 of our Top 4 deer carts all have a 500 lbs weight capacity, so each of them will be strong enough to haul a buck.
