Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting subaru forester for elk hunting vehicle

I currently roll around in an 06 Subaru forester. I'm thinking that I might need to buy a truck for my trips out west. Does anyone else think that I need a vehicle with more ground clearance?

I wonder about the current “SUVs” as well. All wheel drive is nice but like the op I worry about ground clearance.

Depends on where you intend to go and what the ground conditions are at the time.

On my first big game hunt, elk in 1982, we drove though creeks and axle-deep mud getting to the spot where we parked the 4x4 truck.

My second hunt, the next year, was for deer. I could have driven my Malibu station wagon over the frozen ground to the parking spot. Coming back out that night was a totally different situation - the ground had thawed and truck traffic had chewed up the only road out, leaving axle deep ruts. My friend's International 4x4 Scout had slightly less ground clearance than the Ford/Chevy/Dodge trucks and got high-centered on the differentials. No problem, he had chains for all four tires and had used them before. He also had new and slightly larger tires and we found it impossible to put the chains on in the mud - we could get them around the tires and fasten the back sides but they were a link or two too short to connect in on the outside. We spent the night on the hillside and two jeeps in tandem pulled us out i the morning.

Since them I've used a high-clearance (full size Bronco, Suburban, F250 and now F150) 4x4 and have chains for all four, with two rubber tensioners for each wheel (and spares) and a chain repair kit which hasn't been needed since I upgraded to high-quality chains (but saved my bacon and that of others several times before the upgrade).

That said, there are places you can hunt near a paved road and even more by well-maintained county roads. There is a 1/4 sq mile patch of public land where I've taken 3 elk and could have taken more. There is a knoll about 100 yards from the pavement from which I've taken one, a ridge 50 yards from the pavement from which I've taken another and another knoll in the back from which I took yet another. Another time I took one 45 lasered yards from a gravel road.and passed on yet another. That same trip I filled my second tag while sitting 25 yards from a different gravel road.

Elk are where you find them. Getting to them (and back) can be easy or hard. I've pulled one 4x4 truck back onto a road and took a pair of hunters to town because their truck was irretrievably stuck until they could get a tow truck to winch it up and out.

If all I had was a Subaru, I'd take it. Hunting is better than not. (But I'd prefer a 4x4 truck with chains.)

Years ago my hunting vehicle was a Honda Accord hatchback. I hauled a bulk elk quartered in it. Also hauled deer as well. If it’s all you got use it. Just be smart and safe.

About 35 years ago was hunting with some friends near Bozeman, Montana during Thanksgiving week. Ended up having to drive into town for something one day, and parked in front of a local store was one of the original, squarish Subaru 4WD station wagons with a gutted but otherwise whole Shiras bull moose on top of the roof. It wasn't a very big bull but still weighed more than the roof could hold without developing a decided hollow, but that probably helped the bull stay put, since it was tied down with what appeared to be clothesline.

Dunno what this has to do with the question at hand, other than obviously somebody killed and retrieved a big, antlered animal when hunting out of a 4WD Subaru wagon.

Springcove;
Good morning to you sir, I hope this finds you well and that this last weekend in June will be a good one for you.

Although it's been put up here many times, when I read your post I was reminded of this photo of my neighbor and a buddy hunting moose when they were younger and had not one but both of their pickups apart in the shop.



He did say that the doors didn't work quite the same afterwards, but where there's a will - well most likely a BC redneck will find a way!

Well we used to be built in that fashion years ago and I hope there's still enough of that "good stuff" left in our next shift of hunters.

Seriously though as you've noted, boning and even quartering out animals gives one all sorts of options. I myself brought home a Columbia Blacktail from a Gulf Island hunt in the trunk of an '82 Nissan 200SX and the trunk in that fine auto wasn't spacious whatsoever.

Thanks for reading and allowing me to trot down a pleasant memory lane this morning sir. All the best to you as you head into your Fourth of July celebrations.

Dwayne

Why not, it seems a 223 is enough gun...

New HD tires and shocks.

Your choice in tires will be very important

I took a camaro on an elk/deer hunt because that was what I had available at the time.
The camaro had the fold down rear seat so I was able to bring home a deer on the rear deck.

I put two mulie bucks in the trunk of a 2012 Taurus.

Company car, why not.





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In my youth I had a VW Golf that I got for $1K and a pointer that I got for free. We drove all over the place and shot more birds than I have since.

That said, Subaru's have a really good AWD system so just use your head.

When my second daughter was born, we traded our 1964-1/2 Mustang for a 1968 Ford station wagon. It went on many deer hunts and family camping trips, off pavement, throughout eastern and central Texas. With some aggressive "snow treads" on the back wheels, It also made it through three back country mule deer hunts in Colorado. It got through some nasty stuff in which some 2-wheel drive pickups were mired.

I am still somewhat surprised at the number of Subaru wagons that I see during deer and elk seasons, both here in New Mexico and in the Colorado mountains. Many, if not most, have out of state plates. If that was all that I had, I wouldn't hesitate to go hunting.

Don't do anything stupid and you will be fine.

Except for one bull I killed on a fly in Alaskan hunt, I think the last 6 elk I have killed were packed out to a main, graveled road that a Prius could easily drive down and park on the side of, or at a trailhead.

Even before that, I can think of only one elk I have ever killed that I had to drive down a road that I needed 4wd and decent clearance to get to, to save me from packing it another mile or so. Higher clearance and chains may come in handy if you're hunting late season, snowed in areas I guess.

If you're hunting private ranches or have a hard draw desert kind of tag where rutted up two tracks are common then a high clearance rig could be useful, but for normal general season elk hunts in the mountains I just have not seen the need for pickups, jeeps or ATVs/UTVs other than having bed space for bloody critters. There are always exceptions (and I know some), but in many forest service areas the only roads you're allowed to drive are the main, maintained roads. Some areas have trails restricted to 50" wide or smaller ATVs where normal vehicles are not allowed, so a pickup wouldn't help you there anyway.

Maybe things are different in other states or how others hunt, but in MT, ID and WY this has been my experience.

Dwayne that picture is fantastic. The good old days for sure. Thanks for that. Made me laugh out loud. Hope the month of June is going well for you.

To all hunt in whatever gets you there and back again. Be safe.

This picture is too awesome to suffer that photofückit stamp.

I've successfully hunted antelope with a Honda CR-X and deer with a Toyota Corolla lift back but a Subaru for elk?
Ground clearance and weight capacity.... buy a truck.
My little Tacoma has done well with two elk and my hunting partner with all our gear, in late season snow!

They have 8.7" of clearance, about the same as a stock Jeep Wrangler. They can and will do a bit of off roading. They are not a big 4WD truck however. Good tires and a winch manual etc you should be OK for anything that is sane.

About 5 years ago made a trip to Budget meats in Belgrade to get my elk burger ground and a guy and his wife showed up with a nice, and whole 6x bull stuffed in the rear of a 90s Suby.
His wife was slightly bigger than the elk though.

A Subaru will go where most pickups will not. That won't be your problem to worry about.

Hauling gear and a couple of elk could be a problem if you don't go lightweight and boned out meat.

If a 223 will kill it, a Subaru will haul it 😊