Contact Us Response

Please see note at bottom regarding halting production temporarily.

A brief history and then a solution. First, as I age, 73 y/o as I write this, I have AFIB (heart issue), Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and I am fat. At age 60 when I first designed and built the original Model I, I knew that hunting would only get harder, yet Montana style hunting is what I live for as you see in the photos and videos. I built my first model with a riding lawn mower transmission and 12 volt motor, with pulleys, belts and chains. Yes it worked, but was not good. It was heavy, belts slipped, chains and sprockets filled with chopped hay, and it just didn't cut it. It was too heavy and bulky, but it still saved me a lot of work.

So I decided to build Model II. I purchased from China and used a trans-axle that is used on disability wheelchairs complete with 12" pneumatic tires and wheels. It was 24 volts. It worked okay also, but rode too fast. Those wheelchairs can zoom, but not good in the field with deer on them. It tipped often due to rocks and badger holes. It required two 12 volt batteries wired in series which took up too much room. I used that style for two years until the motor overheated and caught fire. Definitely not good in ranch fields.

Now comes the Model III "Buck Truck" and the same one is still kicking strong after more than 10 years of use. No design changes needed, it's near perfect!! Could use an LED light for evening retrieval. I used a new style of trans-axle that is much slower speed and very strong. It is designed to push floor cleaners in warehouses at 1.5 miles per hour and can go uphill on a 30° hill with a full net load of 300 lbs. Uses a 12 volt deep cycle battery, same as a trolling motor. No need to be super heavy battery if you charge it every few weeks during hunting season. A super heavy battery will go the whole season on one single charge taking out a dozen animals at 1-2 miles per trip.

This model is the final design and has given me a solid 10 years of service with no breakdowns at all except I replaced two wheels due to wearing them out. That's how much it gets used!! They are flat-free wheels. It has forward/reverse and speed control and goes from a crawl to 1-1/2 mph (walking speed), and has full power at any speed. This cart is not designed for forested timberland, and is best used in Montana style prairie land. It can wade through 6” of hard snow, 12 inches of powder snow and 2'-3' high hay in fields. It can clear rocks to 4 inches and maneuvers well by pushing down on the handle and turning then dropping the front back down. It has a limited slip transaxle for easy turning. The larger wheels go in and out of most badger holes and you just steer to avoid the others. As I always say out loud when I have an antelope, or a deer "or two deer" on it and watching it go by itself, I say "Welcome to Walmart!!" I figured if these trans-axles can push a fat man weighing 300 lbs. with an oxygen bottle and a cart full of groceries around the Walmart, it can push a deer out of a field!! ....and it can!

Now the solution. I have an active brain and lots of vigor, but as I age and as I know my talents, I know am not a production fabricator.

I would be happy to partner with the right person to fabricate these carts in limited quantity. I am good at sourcing parts and trans-axles. I also believe there is a market for this cart as I can vouch that adding 10+ years to a hunting life is very valuable, and may also be of interest to disabled hunters who can now hunt with the assistance of this rig. I know many States, including Montana that do not allow motorized game retrieval, however I have used this all over Montana and have had "several chance encounters" with game wardens and every single one has approved use of this cart, as "motorized" is meant as gasoline powered 4-wheelers and other personnel carrier vehicles, not small electric game carts to assist old man hunters like myself. In fact they get a kick out of it. Many hunters stop out of the blue on the side of the road where I am hunting and ask me to build one for them. It gets attention.

Now the crux. The components add up, as most are shipped across the ocean, and it takes about 100-200 hours to build this cart and weld together some components once you have the components. We believe the market will support a price point of $3,000-$4,000. I know I would gladly pay that to get 10 more years of hunting! A designer/fabricator may be able to semi-mass produce some frame components to speed up the process and then make it quicker to take it from order date to delivery time.

I hope this explanation helps you know where this project stands at this time. Feel free to comment or offer suggestions.

NOTE:

Currently the Buck Truck is not in production. I was hoping to have this project going, however I am a sole proprietor of this business project and I have backed down on the project.

Not to share too much info, but I am 73 years old and having joint issues, most recently a hip replacement (all the more reason to still need my Buck Truck when hunting Montana as that still continues!). I would really like to connect with a person who is a fabricator and needs project functional guidance and an expert at sourcing of supplies. Those are my strong suits. I am not the best welder or design fabricator. This game cart has made my hunting far less work and far more pleasure. I can't say enough how much this has helped me over the past 10+ years that I have been using this very same cart. It does not break down and is as reliable as can be. I can haul two deer, two backpacks and two guns up a 30 degree incline hill without batting an eye or breaking a sweat. If I find this fabricator we may resume the project and it will sell well. I have hunters driving by and stop me on the county roads in Montana so they can tell me they want me to build them one.

In any event I am glad you visited us and wish you good luck this fall hunting!!

Regards,

Paul K Boutiette, PO Box 303, Manchaug MA 01526-0303