Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives what is the perfect hunting vehicle ...

for your area?

this will vary a bit from region to region - and maybe within regions.

so, after almost a full alabama whitetail season in my �88 toyota 4x4 truck (manual tranmission, maual hubs, plain cab, 4-cylinder) here are some thoughts on what the perfect vehicle would be for my needs, in my area.

first here�s some data on where I hunt: 7,500 acres on a plateau cut by ridges and hollows. lots of crushed coal access roads, well maintained by methane drilling/pumping outfits; a passenger car can get along pretty well on many of these roads. lots of two-tracks also on clay/hardpan, some well rutted, some not, water-filled ruts hub deep; in dry weather a standard 2wd truck/suv can negotiate many of these two-tracks roads. wet weather is a whole �nother thang from a slickness standpoint, whether it�s pine needles or the clay itself; lots of sharp little rocks imbeedded in the clay, and interspersed in low-lying areas on the methan pad roads. 4wd often needed, 5-7 inches of pumpkin clearance and good approach and departure angles required.

findings:
my �98 hyundai accent can get me within a few hundred yards of anywhere I want to hunt.
my toy can get me within feet of anywhere I want to hunt; ergo, my toy is good for carcass hauling, my hyundai is not.
my hyundai has oodles of room for gear, out of the weather.
my toy only has enough protected gear room for me alone in cold weather. (I don�t like bed caps)
it�s a 20-mile one-way drive to the hunting sign-in post on roads kept in a constant state of disrepair by over-loaded coal-trucks driven by paid-by-the-load cowboys.
it�s a 24-mile one-way commute to work. the toy ain�t exactly commuter friendly with that little 22r-2 pushing 31-inch light truck tires. I drive the toy two or three days a week; my son drives it on a 18-mile one-way commute otherwise.

so the perfect hunting hevicle truck for me would have:
1) at least 5 inches of ground to pumpkin or ground to floor pan clearance.
2) 4wd or allwd.
3) room for stuff out of the weather for at least two people.
4) a bed OR receiver for elevated carcass carrying platform.
5) rugged enough to handle downtown Birmingham streets, hardpan treachery in the wet, hardpan ruts and bone-jarring gravel, coal-truck ripped secondary roads out where I live. The roads rippled, rutted and ripped by coal trucks are the worst, downtown B�ham next.
6) able to commute when it has to do so.
7) small enough to negotiate two-track without screeching the exterior paint and trim.
8) cost less than 20k if new.

what do you guys suggest? what�s perfect for your neck of the woods?

Well since I dont just hunt here and travel to other states as well I would say my '04 F350 crew cab PSD truck in 4x4.
Lots of room (4 doors and all) and gets good gas mileage too.

Suzuki Samari...

Dang thing gets decent MPG, will climb a billy goat hill, fit between tight trees, and has enough room for your buddy and all his crap.

i'm thinking new or near new, d2d.
wish they still made zukes ...

When hunting the home place it typically is a 65hp tractor with front end loader, but if that ones hooked up to an implement or in repair, about any other tractor with a loader up to 150 hp will work, and has worked. If the deer is dropped in the thick timber, the 4wheeler or gator is used.

On the out of state trips, the extended cab Z71 works well. Throw the gear in the backseat and carry two adults up front. If need be the gear can be piled together to get a third adult in the backseat. Have a large 'tote' to throw in the back as well to keep more boots, clothes, etc dry. Would prefer a crew cab and the more room it brings, but for now this will do.

Get a cap...and yea I saw.

Plane jane toyota ex-cab, put a lil more aggressive rubber under it an a bed box in the back.

My hunting partner's truck... Don't cost me nothing but some gas...

Sounds like a EFI power steering model closed cab Yamaha Rino to me.

I have purchased a Isuzu Trooper II that I leave out at our ranch, and I have become more and more impressed with it as a all-around hunting vehicle. 4 cyl., so decent gas mileage, will take 4 or even 5 guys without too much fuss. Fairly quiet running, good in 4wd, especially in low range.

mine is 88 chevy blazer 400 horse 350 pushing little 33 inch tires and not a pun they are little in off road tires terms i've built plenty of 4x4's and would suggest pick up first for hunting i like chevy best

Most places where I hunt elk, no vehicle is going beyond the parking lot, even an atv. You can use your wife soccer van if she'll let you. From there, it's vertical and rocky.

Dick

Thats kinda how the main area I hunt deer is. Minus the parking lot thing, We park on the side of the loggin road instead. You could take a mini van but those roads are bad enough that more than your exhaust would be left on the mountain.

The main concern where I hunt is slides. Its all clay and shale, If you cant go over the slide then your stuck. that an theres nothin is slick like a road that is almost solid clay with a few days worth of rain an a bunch of road hunters.

I think If a person can swing it, a winch aint a bad idea either. while not as strong a mount that can be attatched in front or to your tow hitch in the back. saved my butt more than once, also nice when clearing roads of fallen trees and mini-vans that forgot that they belong on paved roads an not loggin roads

my feet

woofer

Since it is a 200 mile trek to the hunting grounds, it takes 2 vehicles for me.

Suburban and Samarai. My Suzuki an '87, but still truckin'.
Next option would be a Polaris Ranger with an elvated Jump Seat built in the back.

stumpy

now atvs for me, guys.
gotta do double duty ...

This sure can vary by location.........but perfection varies by need and what you have. Right now anything is perfect as long as it allows me to hunt.

This season I've used the ultimate....no, not even close, but it has fit my needs. I sold my truck this past summer.

2005 toyota corolla. Pulls a 5x8 trailer that contains a Bombardier ATV. The "parking lot" is the biggest problem as it is usually the edge of a WMA road or any spot that can be found. The corolla has spun a few times, and I've had to unhook the trailer, drive the corolla out, pull the trailer out with the atv, and hook it back up, but not gotten stuck yet....the muffler is still there...right now.

I hope to pick up a used Toyota or Jeep 4x4 this summer/fall as it is only a matter of time until the corolla is stuck. .....but, it will go out tomorrow for the last trip deer hunting this season and hopefully I'll take 1 more deer.

JCM

.....without the atv mine wouldn't make it. Sorry.

The access roads on areas of some WMA's can be accessed with trucks, but it takes probably 10 times as long using a truck to navigate it, much more wear/tear on the vehicle, and much more wear/tear on the access roads if a truck is used rather than an ATV.

I really don't care much for ATV's, but in most places around here they're the best option for access.

JCM

i like the IDEA of an atv, but good ones cost more than my toy: 3k for a road-worthy vehicle.

Whatever can tow a trailer with a boat or atv's or get you to the dock.

There simply aren't many if any trails that will allow the passage of a 4X4 truck in AK, unless it's a full on moose buggy build, which will cost more than a pair of atv's and a trailer.

458 last time i drove an ole willeys it looked like the pic except had tracks for snow i used to work at the local ski slope i don't miss it i think the only thing that worked was the motor and driveline no heat not even windshield wipers or radio talk about bare bones transportation

that'll do.

in alaska ...

whew.

no in new york all though there are times i wished i was in alaska

I bought a 4X4 4 door Toyota Tacoma that has worked out great for me. I stopped using my ATV last year after buying this truck. It's light and small enough that it doesn't want to dig down in the mud like a lot of full sized trucks I've owned. The 4 door is a nice option too. Gear goes in the back but it's easy to get to when you need it. The bed is on the small side but it's big enough to haul home anything you shoot. I lifted mine 3" and put a set of 32" tires on it. The 4.0L V6 has plenty of power to turn the tires and still gets decent MPG's. The only thing is it comes in a little over budget. It's been awhile, but I think I gave about 24K for mine. Mine is the sport edition though which adds some nice options IMO, but adds nothing to it's off road abilities. I think you could probably get the regular addition for a little less. The great thing about these is they are very reliable and they hold their value very well.

Terry

tc1 nice rig glad to see you lift and add a decent sized off road tire

Thanks Tbear99. I've really enjoyed this trunk.

Terry

Your askin a lot for $20k and new.

These might fit you:

A quarter ton pick-up with chains for the rough stuff.

One of the less expensive wranglers.

My '88 Toy went down and back up a slippery, rocky, muddy little steep hill Saturday at the hunting club. This little rascal is not much bigger than some of the big ATVs. It's lighter now. Dumped the rear bumper, some leftover heavy duty hitch ends that were welded to the frame, the front valance and the mud flaps, and downsized to 235x75rx15 Primewell all terrains (they look like a bit like Nitto knock-offs).
Now, if I only had more storage room ...

Oh, do you mean one of these?



I concur.

Nice.

79 International Scout or an early 70's Bronco... find a wrecked 5.0 mustang and throw in a Borg Warner 6-speed manual... go classic!

Kidding...that would be a lot of dollars for the custom parts...

The more I drive my plain cab 4x4 Toyota, the more I think is about perfect. I can always stow stuff in plastic bins in the bed. It is stripped lean and mean now with no rear bumper, no mudflaps. But I did get rid of that horrid 20-year-old bench seat and install a pair of Honda Civic buckets.
Reckon I need to add a come-along with 100 feet of strap, and some attach points fore and aft ...

No one in their right mind would own a Samurai.

Pat

Good pics, hook. Love the quote, too.

Here is my truck, static:

Sorry about the size. Oooops. That old truck ain't worth that kind of display, nor is the shaky pic ...

Let's try this one:

fish30ought6,

Get a Jeep Wrangler. If you need more room inside take out the back seat. You can get an over the top rack or a rack added on the rear to haul stuff on.

.

First thing that caught my eye in the first photo of that toyota was what some dog thought of the truck by his tell tale mark on the front tire.

A Mule or a Horse they don't burn Gas

My 1997 GMC does well. It could use a little better MPG, all though it does well at 15 MPG. It has 124K miles, a 5.7 V8, 6" lift and 35" tires. It does well and gets me everywhere I need to be.


My old Ford was broke down, and I borrowed my cousins Toyota extra cab 4x4. It worked rather well as I was scouting for elk, all thought I didnt take it on anything too rough.

..Suzuki X-90 with lift kit. The dual range gives it the grunt needed at times, and it's size allows it to go almost anywhere an ATV will. When the hunt is over and you're back on the highway home, expect 30 miles per gallon! A carrier rack in the hitch bar gives me 500 lb. carry capacity for game meat on the trip home..