Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Which quads are most popular with outfitters?

I am thinking about purchasing a new or a used quad to facilitate my CO elk hunting on public land in 2019.
Which quads are most popular with CO outfitters? Why?
I presume their favorites are a sweet spot between serviceability for their customers and initial cost to themselves, so not necessarily the highest quality model/brands on the market.
What say ye?

To steal a line from BHA I think:
Use the quads gave you!
Those tend to be the most successful in my opinion. I've seen lots of folks drive roads and never see elk or I see them coming to me as I'm deeper in the wood and see quads rolling by down below.

Agreed. I use my quads to actually hunt. Just learned from my first elk hunt, one can more easily access different areas away from base camp more easily.

In my experience most outfitters who use 4 wheelers/UTVs/snowmachines use whatever brand they found with a 4 sale sign on it.

They'll use it till it falls apart, then they look for the next deal.

Polaris ranger by far the most popular among the guides in the outfitters I work for. Can't think of anyone who uses a "quad" anymore.

I don't know about outfitters, but I work with a SAR team and we beat the crap out of ours getting back into areas before we dismount to search. We use them to shuttle other searches, gear and dogs into more remote places. The Honda Rancher or Foreman are the most popular here. Never had one let us down and we have one guy still using a 1988 model. Never seen a Yamaha or Suzuki give any problems either. We've had to tow several Polaris back to the road.

The side-by-sides have their place and we have a couple of guys who use them. They are great when you have to get multiple people and more gear into some places. But most of the time they are simply too big to get into places we go. We don't ride trails, we make them..

I hunted Colorado elk this year for the 1st time too. Lots of people had them, I did not and having one might have helped. It snowed a couple days earlier and when it melted and got a lot of traffic some of the roads were BAD. I slid into a ditch once, but was able to get out in 4X4, but the roads were bad enough that I simply decided not to hunt certain areas. I had scouted these areas earlier before the roads got bad, but it wasn't worth the risk of damaging a vehicle to go back. Others were unloading quads and riding them back into those areas much easier than driving a full size truck.

Have had Yamaha’s for years and they are trouble free.

I seen hondas and yamahas.

Honda or Yamaha will be most reliable.......new or used

Yes and in that order.

Our friend that owns the ranch we hunt has an old clapped out Bombardier quad that is at least 15 years old that never fails and just keeps on ticking. I keep a tow strap on the Honda for the day that it croaks. Might not ever get the chance to use it! LOL!

Seriously, the two Honda Foreman’s that my buddy and I own have been super reliable and with manual chokes start in the cold when others balk. Some of the other brands that show up seem to require more work than riding time. Not so sure about the off-brand Chinese ones. Happy Trails

Myself and several ranching buddies use Yamaha 700 Grizzlies and they are tougher than hell.

I love mine.

Not a guide but I’ve been around side by sides, quads/4wheelers and yes, even three wheelers a long time. Honda’s and Yamaha’s have been around a long time and are tougher than nails. Polaris makes a decent machine too and they tend to have bigger more powerful machines.

I've seen guides in Co. use horses but a quad will be restricted to the roads just like my truck is.

The Forest Service will be all too happy to fine you for going off-road, I've seen it a number of times...just wanted you to know!

It’s getting that way everywhere it seems. The big timber companies here are gating roads to restrict access. They say it’s to prevent people from dumping on their land. I’m tempted too get a couple of big mastiffs for tracking and cart duty. I wonder if they eat less than horses. Might be close.

I would go with Quarter Horses, but some like Mules.

I’ll take an Arabian in the mountains. Will bury the Quarter Horse.

No question at all re: Arabians...Just have to have one (of any breed) that will bring the antlers/cape down with no freak. That's a valuable pack horse!!!

Yamaha Yamaha and Yamaha in that order

^
That!

I’ve got quit a bit of time on both 660 and 700 Grizzlies for ranch work and hunting and like Sam sez, they’re tough as hell.
My friend had the Grizzlies and a couple of Can Am quads and I would always grab the 700 with its power assist steering.
So much so that he simply referred to it as “your quad”.... when we needed to grab and go.
I finally just up and bought it off him 😎

The Can Am’s are a very nice ride, but seem to be in the shop for shifter issues a lot.
I have other friends that run Polaris rigs and like them a lot.
Whatever you get, try to make sure you get power steering.......it’ll make your life a lot easier.