THE BRUSH BUCKER

A convertible big game hauling device

(Design Proposal)
November 16, 2015
ENGL 321
Team Members:
Carter Krebsbach, Bruce Schneider, Adam Tjaden

Executive Summary
The Brush BUCKer was created in 2015 in hopes to enter the market of hunting
equipment and also provide a practice, versatile and durable product to millions of
hunters.

The Market
We define our market as special hunting equipment. According to the U.S. 2011
census data, there were 13.7 million active hunters in the entire United States, 85
percent of which were for big game (deer, elk, bear and wild turkey). That leaves 11.65
million potential customers for our game cart, this market is expected to grow in the
future as well. Currently on the market there are not many competitors designing game
carts. We compete directly with Cabelas, Ameristep and Sherpa Hunting.

The Problem
Currently the consumer does not have a lot of choices when looking to purchase
a game cart for their big game hunting needs. Due to the fact that there are only a few
companies producing game carts, there are just as few variations in design principles
between the available products. A typical game cart design available on the market now
consists of, a V shape frame with an axel for wheels near the angled vertex of the
frame. Some of the problems with the current design are in the wheels, current designs
have wheels with spokes that leave large holes for brush to enter and catch on the
wheel causing it to lock up. Furthermore, designs on the market do not provide alternate
forms of use, the wheels are fixed to the axel which means the only option for the user
to move the game is by rolling the cart.

The Solution:
Our goal in designing The Brush BUCKer was to provide the consumer with a product
that was easier to use along with providing additional ways to transport their game. The
Brush BUCKer comes equipped with solid rubber tires including a solid hub cap. The
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purpose for the newly designed wheels is for greater durability with the solid rubber and
providing a solid hub cap means the user does not need to worry about getting the
wheels caught in thick brush. Additionally, The Brush BUCKer is designed to convert
from a game cart to a game sled. A new innovation The Brush BUCKer is designed
around are removable wheels, this will effectively convert The Brush BUCKer from a
game cart into a game sled. By providing a hard plastic surface on the bottom of the
frame when the wheels are removed the product will be able to be used as a sled to
easily slide over snow and ice, where wheels would not be ideal. The wheels will be
able to re attach to the frame so the user does not need to carry them when using the
product as a sled. Finally, a pair of rubber stops were added near the handle of the
frame which are to be used as a pivot point for lifting the game onto a truck bed or
elevated surface.

Product Details
The frame of The Brush BUCKer will be made of hollow steel tube to provide for
the highest strength design and the lightest weight along with low manufacturing costs.
The sleds hard plastic shield will allow for a low friction surface that is durable and easy
for cleaning. The Brush BUCKer will provide a maximum load capacity of 300 pounds
while the product weight is only 40 pounds. The product will be 63 inches in length, a
wheel diameter of 20 inches which provides great stability and 9 inches of ground
clearance. Overall the Brush BUCKer will be able to be sold for under 100 dollars, which
puts the product at a very competitive cost with other manufactures. The cost factor
along with the products great versatility will make this a great product for the consumer.

Contents
Executive summary ....................................................................................................................... 1-2
Table of Contents & List of Figures ................................................................................................. 3
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 4-5
Current products designs and competitors .................................................................................. 5-8
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 8-9
References .................................................................................................................................... 10

List of Figures
Figure 1 ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Figure 2 ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Figure 3 ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Figure 4 ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Figure 5 ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Figure 6 ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Introduction
Background
The BRUSH BUCKer is a modified game cart that allows for easy transportation
of downed game. The cart combines easy and simple use with an effective design. The
strong and lightweight frame brings durability and reliability to our product. The reason
for designing the BRUSH BUCKer was to create the perfect game cart. It gives the
ability for hunters of all ages to transport up to 300 pounds in a convenient and efficient
manner. The BRUSH BUCKer was purposed specially for the older hunter who has
trouble moving very heavy animals from the field to the truck. The cart makes this task
very easy by saving time and physical energy. The market research performed showed
that there were over 10 million hunters in the U.S. for large game, and of those there
were 5 million over the age of 45 in 2011. This is our target demographic as they often
require help to move large animals. This data was provided by the U.S. census
performed in 2011. The data also showed that hunters spent over $33.7 billion on
hunting equipment with $4.4 billion spent on special equipment.

Previous Design Issues

The problem with previous designs were that they were bulky, heavy, and
awkward. They were difficult to use and dont stand up to the elements. They can rust
out and become useless after exposure to the elements. Other designs also had smaller
wheels which can prove to be unusable in mud, deep snow or thick brush. These
wheels will often lack the aggressive treads that our wheels bring. Many of them lacked
the convertible sled feature that the BRUSH BUCKer brings. The sled feature gives our
design an all-weather factor and makes sure that a hunter is never stranded or left
without the assistance of a cart.

Specifications
Max Load Capacity: 300 Lbs.

Weight: 40 Lbs.
Length: 63 inches
Width (Cart): 27 inches

Our new and unique design factors in

many new features, including: Rubber
stops, removable wheels, a hard
plastic shield backing, smooth plastic
wheel covers and ergonomic grips.

Width (Sled): 22 inches

Ground Clearance: 9 inches
Wheel Diameter: 20 inches

Constraints
Some of the limiting factors on the BRUSH BUCKer are its carrying capacity and
extreme weather conditions. The cart can carry up to 300 pounds of gear or animal.
Anything above the maximum capacity could result in bending of the frame or wheel
axles. Even though the cart is designed for snow and mud, extreme weather conditions
can cause the wheels to sink to deep into mud and cause it to bottom out. The sled
feature is most effective with use in heavy to medium snow.

The Brush BUCKer game cart will present a new solution for the age old problem
of how to transport large game, from where it was harvested, to your vehicle. Other
solutions include a strap and harness system,
game sleds, the standard folding game cart, and
a new device that turns a tree stand into a cart.
The Brush BUCKer includes ideas from the
current folding designs and the sled to provide
an improved solution to transporting large game
across a variety of terrain.

Figure 1 Heavy Hauler Deer Drag Harness

The simplest solution to this problem is the strap and harness system. This
system, like the one in Figure 1, consists of a harness worn by the hunter and a strap
that connects the large game to the harness. This design reduces the stress on the
body while dragging the game by allowing the hunter to pull without having to be in
direct contact with the game. This frees up the hunters ability to use their arms to
navigate the terrain ahead of them. It also allows them to walk forward and lean into the
harness to reduce the stress on the hunter while increasing their pulling ability. The
length of the strap finally increases the distance between the hunter and the game
preventing the game from obstructing the hunters feet and allowing the hunter to walk
easier while dragging the game.
The next solution is a sled, like the
one in Figure 2. The sled creates a barrier
between the game and the surface and the
brush it is being dragged over and through.

Figure 2 Shappell Jet Sled

This barrier, in many cases, reduces the

force required to drag the game. This also protects the game from damage, especially
when being transported through a marshy swamp, thick brush, or deep snow. The sled
can also be used to transport a variety of gear and other goods that strap and harness
system cannot. Most sleds also incorporate a string or handle system that increases
the distance between the sled and the hunter. This keeps the sled away from the
hunters legs much like the strap from the previous design.

Another solution is the standard

folding game cart, like the one in Figure
3. This cart is specialized for open
terrain with its use of wheels. These
wheels greatly reduce the force needed
to move the game across, say, an open

Figure 3 Cabela's Deluxe Game Cart

field. The design of this cart also gives the hunter more control over the cart while
pulling. This is due to the V shaped design, allowing the hunter hold onto a handle
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attached to the frame of the cart without the cart getting in the way of the legs of the
hunter. Also, the wheels of this cart lifts the frame of the cart and the game off the
ground. This and the open metal frame helps protect the game from the ground
conditions and can deflect some brush. Some carts even include rubber stops on the
frame used to turn the cart into a lever to aid in the loading of the game into the back of
a truck. Though a bit cumbersome in the brush, a swamp, or deep snow, this design is
unrivaled in the open terrain.
A new product from Sherpa Hunting,
seen in Figure 4, takes the idea of the foldable
game cart and applies it to the deer stand.
They have several different designs that are
compatible with seven leading tree stand

Figure 4 Summit Model Game Cart of Sherpa

brands. This design allows hunters that use tree stands to, at minimum, wheel their
stand in and out and, in the case they harvest an animal, they have a cart to wheel the
animal out.
In designing the Brush BUCKer, we looked at these designs and where they
were optimized for and their draw backs. The strap and harness system is by far the
lightest, but it does not noticeably improve the dragging characteristics of the game
through thick brush. The sled is well suited to
deep snow and the wet terrain of swamps and
marshes. But, the sled is quite cumbersome
when being used in thick brush. Both the
standard foldable cart and the Sherpa game
carts work very well in the open, brush free
terrain. But, the wheels and open frame tend

Figure 5 Brush BUCKer

to get hung up in thick brush.

We realized that there was not a solution to transporting game through thick
brush. The Brush BUCKer, seen in Figure 5, is the answer to that problem. The Brush
BUCKer game cart utilizes the ease of use in open terrains seen with other game carts,
but has been modified to almost make it a hybrid between the cart and sled. We are
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keeping the foldable design of older game carts, but are adding a dens plastic cover to
the bottom of the front side of the cart. This will greatly reduce the amount of area that
brush can get caught in. We have also tapered the front half of the cart to allow it to cut
through the brush by pushing it to either side. Brush BUCKer also incorporates
removable wheels and axle to further reduce what brush can be caught on, as seen in
Figure 6. With the wheels and axle removed, the cart can easily slide of the frame on
the ground while parting the brush ahead of it.
This configuration will also improve its use in
deep snow. This is because the plastic cover
will make the cart act like a sled, and allow it
to slide over the deep snow without the
wheels dragging in the snow. Once the

Figure 6 Brush BUCKer (no wheels)

Hunter has made it out of the brush or snow

to a clear area, the wheels can be installed allowing for quick and easy motion. We are
also incorporating the rubber stops near the front of the cart to allow easier loading of
the animal into the back of a truck. This design will produce a cart that is able to move
more easily through more types of terrain that previous solutions do not.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the BRUSH BUCKer has been designed with superior quality and
features. The materials are of the highest quality and bring the greatest combination of
weight and strength possible. The high strength frame and rubber wheels will support
up to 300 pounds and allow the hunter to easily transport it from the field. The superior
grip gives the best comfort and leverage point for pulling and pushing the cart. The
market research shows that it has a viable market and has an opportunity to sell
thousands of units. Our target demographic has over 5 million people, thats a huge
number and a large market. The price point of $100 gives us a good combination of
quality material and affordability. Our design is one of the best in the industry and this
product will sell. We came up with the BRUSH BUCKer idea from personal experience,
research and trial and error. With full support and a budget to start production we can
start making units. We believe in the design and we know it will be successful.
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References

"Customer Reviews for AMERISTEP Ameristep Backpack Game Cart."Cabela's. N.p., n.d. Web.
27 Oct. 2015. <http://reviews.cabelas.com/8815/226748/ameristep-backpack-game-cartreviews/reviews.htm>.

"Game Carts." Sherpa Hunting. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

<http://sherpahunting.com/products.html>.

Schneider, Richard. "Questions on Game Carts." Telephone interview. 26 Oct. 2015.

"National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR),

2011." National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Recreation (2011): 21-31. Census.gov.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
https://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/fhw11-nat.pdf

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