Game cart on the Haul Rd?

[Lionhound1975]

I am planning a DIY caribou hunt with my 17 year-old son for next year and wanted to run a question by you all that have hunted the Haul Road. I have been reading everything I can about that area and thank everyone for putting out some really great threads on what to bring and how to hunt that area. We have hiked/camped in the Kenai and Wrangell-St. Elias country but I have never been north of Delta Junction so I am unfamiliar with that type of country. One question i had that I have never seen mentioned in doing the 5 mile "death march" to get out of the archery zone is the use of a game cart. Could a cart with 12 inch ground clearance or a single wheel game cart be used in that tussock country, especially up on the hilly areas where it is drier and the tussocks are not as plentiful? Obviously creek crossings, marshy ground, etc. would all be a factor.

I realize that there is likely a good reason why game carts are not mentioned but wanted to confirm. Thanks!

 

[KChunter71]

I would never think of a game cart. A good frame pack will be better. You might get the game cart a mile before you drop it and get it on your why out. Now I heard of people using sleds but that’s with snow

 

[mooster]

Yes the game cart might work for those 20 yd stretch’s of solid ground but once your back in the tussocks your better off planning to tote it.

 

[Lionhound1975]

I would never think of a game cart. A good frame pack will be better. You might get the game cart a mile before you drop it and get it on your why out. Now I heard of people using sleds but that’s with snow

Makes sense, thanks.

 

[DLIP]

There is no way around the suck of the death march. Backpack and boots. You couldn’t pay me to use a game cart.

 

[simpy16]

Not sure I would use anything with a wheel up there. And i have seen that soft sided "bags" are terrible. Check these out. Not cheap but I know of a place out of Fairbanks to rent them from, in fact I will be taking 2 up this fall to use if we do the death march ourselves.

Airframes Alaska Is Now Alaska Gear Company

 

[BowMan86]

My son and I hunted up there last fall and did the 5 mile hike in. Honestly I believe you would be causing yourself more heartache by dragging along a cart. I would imagine you would be constantly getting stuck on or between the tussocks. We ended up both getting a caribou. We put everything on our backs and it took us a few days in and out but still think it would be better than a cart. Good luck with your hunt!

 

[Lionhound1975]

My son and I hunted up there last fall and did the 5 mile hike in. Honestly I believe you would be causing yourself more heartache by dragging along a cart. I would imagine you would be constantly getting stuck on or between the tussocks. We ended up both getting a caribou. We put everything on our backs and it took us a few days in and out but still think it would be better than a cart. Good luck with your hunt!

Thanks, I appreciate all the comments and advice. We have good packs that fit us (SG 5900 and 7900) so we will plan on taking our time and making several trips if necessary to pack meat out.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

agreed, no wheel cart over tussocks up to 18" tall...

This is what I use, which I did as a DIY project then Northern Sledworks made it before he sold the company to AK Airframes:

Airframes Alaska Is Now Alaska Gear Company

 

[kaboku68]

I am going to run counter to everybody on here and probably make it a mess at one specific place. The Toolik Station Pipeyard would be a cool place to use for a game cart to to the almost three miles to the radio tower. You would have to do two more miles without it but 2 miles is easier than 5 miles and the game cart could work on that road.

 

[Broomd]

I used a pull sled in '05 for the death march....out of pump station 3? --"Ice Cut".. crossed the Sag.
The sled model and style is crucial. I actually bought a new one a couple years ago and have it in my gear cache. I'll dig it up and share some deets if you'd like.

My wife and I killed one 'bou on that hunt, a real stud. We bought him out in one trip. I carried 80# and pulled 60-70#. Wife carried about 65#. The massive horns stayed on the tundra. We had too many trophy caribou racks to have cared.

I wanted to do this grueling hunt before leaving AK and was glad I did.

 

[mooster]

I used a pull sled in '05 for the death march....out of pump station 3? --"Ice Cut".. crossed the Sag.
The sled model and style is crucial. I actually bought a new one a couple years ago and have it in my gear cache. I'll dig it up and share some deets if you'd like.

My wife and I killed one 'bou on that hunt, a real stud. We bought him out in one trip. I carried 80# and pulled 60-70#. Wife carried about 65#. The massive horns stayed on the tundra. We had too many trophy caribou racks to have cared.

I wanted to do this grueling hunt before leaving AK and was glad I did.

So are your weights telling us the sled comfortable max is 60-70 lbs? I would have thought instead of carrying 80 and pulling 60-70, you'd carry say 50, pull 90-100?

 

[Broomd]

So are your weights telling us the sled comfortable max is 60-70 lbs? I would have thought instead of carrying 80 and pulling 60-70, you'd carry say 50, pull 90-100?

No, it doesn't work that way. I was pulling in SEPTEMBER--not over slick, snow-covered ground.. This was in 70* temps and blue skies, a rarity north of the Brooks that time of year. We were lucky to cross the Sag on foot, although we had an Aire Traveller with us if we needed it.
Pulling 100# over brushy tussocks while carrying anything would have been impossible for me, and I was fit.

The sled I used was very condensed hard foam, very slick on the underside and rope-anchored uniformly at all four side handles. It worked flawlessly. Like I mentioned, I picked up an exact copy a couple years ago knowing how well it handled the muskeg and tussocks.

 

[mooster]

No, it doesn't work that way. I was pulling in SEPTEMBER--not over slick, snow-covered ground.. This was in 70* temps and blue skies, a rarity north of the Brooks that time of year. We were lucky to cross the Sag on foot, although we had an Aire Traveller with us if we needed it.
Pulling 100# over brushy tussocks while carrying anything would have been impossible for me, and I was fit.

The sled I used was very condensed hard foam, very slick on the underside and rope-anchored uniformly at all four side handles. It worked flawlessly. Like I mentioned, I picked up an exact copy a couple years ago knowing how well it handled the muskeg and tussocks.

Wow and kudo's to your wife. Most men couldn't handle that weigh on normal ground, nonetheless the tussocks!

 

[Broomd]

Wow and kudo's to your wife. Most men couldn't handle that weigh on normal ground, nonetheless the tussocks!

It was the hunt of a lifetime: challenging, beautiful and rewarding.

 

[Lionhound1975]

I used a pull sled in '05 for the death march....out of pump station 3? --"Ice Cut".. crossed the Sag.
The sled model and style is crucial. I actually bought a new one a couple years ago and have it in my gear cache. I'll dig it up and share some deets if you'd like.

My wife and I killed one 'bou on that hunt, a real stud. We bought him out in one trip. I carried 80# and pulled 60-70#. Wife carried about 65#. The massive horns stayed on the tundra. We had too many trophy caribou racks to have cared.

I wanted to do this grueling hunt before leaving AK and was glad I did.

Thanks, it would be interesting to see the shape and model of your sled if you get a chance. I've used a regular cheapo game drag sled but the shape got caught on every snag possible. I imagine a sled with a steep rounded front bow might let it roll over or around stuff better.

 

[Broomd]

Thanks, it would be interesting to see the shape and model of your sled if you get a chance. I've used a regular cheapo game drag sled but the shape got caught on every snag possible. I imagine a sled with a steep rounded front bow might let it roll over or around stuff better.

I'll dig it up and will post a pic for you.
Obviously no sled will slide over willows, so when you encounter them you need to go around them; we didn't have too many to contend with. But most sleds will navigate the tussoks if the front is slightly rounded up. Mine worked flawlessly, which was incredible given it was inexpensive and lightweight. The important thing is distributing the pulling to all handles equally, something I worked on before hitting the Dalton.

 

[Broomd]

I did find a pic of wife with that 13 mile-round trip 'bou, sorry for the quality, that disposable camera was beat up.

 

[Lionhound1975]

I did find a pic of wife with that 13 mile-round trip 'bou, sorry for the quality, that disposable camera was beat up.

Thanks, it sounds like a great hunt and an even better memory.