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

I've spent a night in my single cab pickip a few times, once during 4th rifle at 8,500ft. The reason those guys in the Subaru froze their tails of is because they weren't smart enough to wake up from time to time and run the heater. Had all my gear but needed to go back in in the am for 1 more load. Didn't see any reason to set up a wall tent and cut and split firewood for one night. Back on topic, I wouldn't dare go in any place I've hunted the last 20yrs with an ooppty oopp, but there are plenty of places it could be managed, barring the occasional freak 2ft overnight snowstorm we get here from time to time.

I sleep in the front seat of my pickup throughout hunting season. No need to set up a fancy camp when I have no idea where I will be the next night, plus I am too damn tired when I get back to the vehicle to cook or do camp chores.

It doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Make sure there is a skid plate on the oil pan for puncture protection.

I would pull a small trailer and have a cargo carrier on the roof.

Check your pulling capacity for the transmission.

Extra insurance would be a great map, compass, and a phone.

Wench and/or come alongs are a great idea, small shovel.

Chains

A bud of mine owned a Triumph Convertible TR 4 Spitfire, we took it deer hunting in PA. Good thing we didn't kill a deer, it hardly held the guns and beer!

I much prefer the wench, especially if you can find one that cooks.

I had a good one and hunted with it, including sleeping in it. They are superb in mud and all traction situations, until ground clearance is an issue. For my hunting, I need more ground clearance. However, I could get it done in the Forester. They are great vehicles.

What tires do you recommend i get. Bear in mind that i need to drive 1800 miles to get to most parts of wyoming where i am hunting. While there i may need to handle snow mud and even dry conditions.

I am on my second Forester. The first was a 2009 with manual transmission. I had a dedicated set of winter tires on that car, cheap Firestone Winterforce snows without studs. They were great in snow, but noisy. However, who cares about noise when you really need traction?

Last summer, I traded that car in on a 2018 Forester with CVT. I have 18,000 miles on the new car, and am getting 30 mpg overall. The old car got 27 overall due to the low final drive ratio.

At 50 mph the old car turned 2,000 rpm in fifth gear. The new one does 70 mph at 2,000 rpm. My only complaint with the Forester is small size. However, at 73 I don't need all that much room. If I were younger and went hunting and camping, it could be a problem.

In that case I think a full-size 4x4 pickup truck would be in order.

If what I had was a Forester, I would take the Forester.

The Sube's we've had got around just as good as my 4x4 pickups.

Ground clearance might be an issue, but every vehicle will have it's own limitations. Just know what yours are and act accordingly.

I ran my street tires, but have seen with Goodyear ATs and the like.

I think the OP might be overthinking this but wondering if he's looked into renting a vehicle for this excursion. I rented a Chevy Tahoe for the whole week last week and paid 700 bucks with unlimited mileage. Might be an option.

A serious hunter needs a 4WD pickup. Case closed.

A small trailer would be a big help although the Forester's towing capacity is quite low, about 1500 to 2000lb I think. Some of the really light trailers only have 8" wheels. Those things are really spinning at highway speeds and for rough roads, they have no clearance at all. I recommend 12" or larger wheels just to be easier on the bearings.

Oh really??? Please explain why that is.

Because if you ever hunted some of the places I’ve been in AZ then you would understand.

I’ve hunted in California, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho so what’s your point. If a subaru is all you have take it and be safe. When it’s no longer safe get out and walk. By the way I have a 4WD truck but know many who don’t and they would laugh in your face that they’re not serious hunters.

To each there own.

They can laugh in my face all they want as I drive on past them to get farther back in while they are walking....

Suby. How cute.

Like I said to each there own. But to say someone isn’t a serious hunter because they don’t own a 4WD truck is incredibly ignorant.