Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Best ATV for hunting ?

My suggestion would be to go to Craig's list in your immediate area and look for late large ATVs. If you end up with Honda, Suzuki, or Yamaha, I believe you will be absolutely happy and you won't have to spend the extra thousand$ it takes to buy new...

Sure like my Grizzly 700's with fuel injection and power steering. All three of them. No problems.

So I would not buy one that does not have the ability to LOCK the front, not limited slip, but selectable LOCK. The Can Am I used had some auto locker and it would engage climbing in and out of tire ruts which would rip the handlebars out of your hands and about through you over them at times. I would never choose an auto Locker on the front of an ATV! With the Selectable design you use it when needed and turn it off when not. A much better plan!
I might agree with a previous model Can-Am, but no longer. I had an '06, loved everything about it except for it's viscoloc that took forever to hook up. The new QE version locks almost instantaneously. It steers great when it's not slipping and hooks up instantly no matter what with no fuss, no selecting, no waiting, it's ALWAYS there. I believe I know why they didn't make it work so quickly before, it does pull but any locker pulls on the steering. Now that they have power steering, you can handle it. You certainly can feel it trying to have it's way when it's doing it's job, but it's very controllable and an unstoppable machine now. It's an amazing combination.


Low range is absolutely mandatory. Don't even look at an ATV that does not have a low range! Agreed!


Finally tires. Your gonna get what you get but when time comes the replace, buy The Bighorn radials. This is "the tire" for all terrain. I've had them on three different ATVs and a 2wd motorcycle now. I've never used a better tire. My week in Moab last week at least half of the ATVS and side by sides are running this tire. that says something in Moab! I've ridden in Moab, love the place. Up here, Bighorns won't do very well. It's got to be mud capable for the tank deep muskeg.

Full bottom skid plates are a must to slide over stuff. I have ricochet full bottom skid plates and they make more of a difference sliding over rocks and logs then you can imagine. The open bottom frame of an ATV gets the edges caught on everything. Amen to that. I can't believe that so many machines come without skids.

Full floor boards I think are pretty much standard now, but they are a must have too.

If you choose to get a winch, the warn with the rope cable is so nice and easy to use. I would not choose a wire cable winch lead for an ATV again.

I've Owned Hondas, amazing and unbreakable. Yamaha's equal in every way with some better 4X4 selectable features and the front LOCKER. Suzuki, great performance but nagging little stuff was always breaking. I've also used several other the hunting partners have. Polaris, way to finicky and unreliable IMO. Can Ams:........ wow........... these are spooky powerful and can launch you into space. I've never driven a more responsive and powerful ATV EVER. Great fun for trail riding but a bit too much "sport" for my taste when hunting. I'd agree except for my Max is so hunter friendly. I put the pickup bed on it and a trailer, and I'm able to carry darned near anything I want, including the meat out!

As an aside to this, I borrowed a Yamaha side by side, I don't know the name. It's the first model they ever made. It's a rental at the shop in Moab. It had 2400 hours and change. It looked old fashioned compared to the new ones for rent. I asked the guy about this old beast. He said that it has been the most reliable machine of any type they have ever had. He's only done maintenance and put on about 10 sets of tires! This is a rental with people beating the crap out of it every day. It's also the one with the recovery gear now to go rescue the ones that break down. Has an owner limited top speed of 33mph but just keeps ticking away! I was impressed with that track record. Hope these observations help