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Does anybody hunt in a SUV? If so whats everybody like?

1964 GMC Suburban 4x4.

I've had a full sized Blazer, a Suburban, and 2 full sized Wagoneers. The extra seats are nice for a family but I'll take a truck any day. Gas cans, blood, mud, etc. just don't go well on carpet and the smell can get a bit rank. One time I hauled home an antelope hide. Before we got home, I tossed it out. The sagebrush pollen in the hair about did me in. I couldn't breath. A leaking gas can is less than pleasant, too.
Then there's hauling dirt, rocks, etc.

I highly recommend a short bed, 4 door pickup with a hard camper shell.

I use a Jeep liberty, I like it because its small and you can get into places where a FS pickup wouldn't go. Here in the east its narrow trails and tight spots and mud.

As I mostly hunt deer, throwing them up on top is no big deal, If its quartered Ill heave it in the back. On my moose hunt I brought a come-along and a trailer. BTW the liberty is light enough that that come-along will pull it out of most places I have been stuck.

Its a good size for me as I hunt alone, so its got enough room for clothes/weapons/treestands etc. If I organize things well I can sleep back there.

Things not to do.. put a bear in the back..I should have bought one of those plastic cargo liners and I had to shampoo the carpet to get the smell out.

I also have full access to a dodge 2500 4x4 so for truck stuff I can use that.

Depends on what I'm hunting, where I'm hunting it and what else I might need to do with it.
For example, for hunting desert washes, particularly the very narrow, rocky upper wash areas, nothing beats a Jeep. But for dealing with snow and ice, a heavy pickup, as long as it's not too long, is better. E

I hear Subaru Foresters mentioned alot. Don't know if that's good or bad.

Haven't ever hunted in one but do use it for transport...my 95 Dodge Cummins is losing too much weight, so am giving a Toyota 4Runner a shot...

FWIW, my excuse list:
-has a LowRange & locking center differential
-gets 20 highway
-engine has a shot at 300k
-can lock your gear inside & get at it without doing the crawl under a cap
-pretty good clearance stock
-diesel fuel price is punitive

I have never owned a pickup. My present hunting rig is a 2002 Xterra. Previously hunted with Cherokees and Grand Cherokees.

I use a tarp, never had a problem. Deer, elk, bear, pronghorn and wild hogs. I now have a basket that fits into the trailer hitch, if it really bothers me.

There are times when I would want a truck, but it sure is nice to lock rifle and bows inside when I'm getting breakfast.

Very popular in the UK and I know a few people who have them.

They are not "truck tough" but certainly a bit more heavy duty than your average car. Reliablity is good, and they have the rust thing beaten (early Subaru's rusted at the smell of rain)

Off-road, they are pretty good on forestry tracks, crossing fields, for winter driving conditions, but they are not really a serious off-roader.

I had a early Subara L series 4x4 Estate car. I was surprised at some of the places i got it off road, but it lacked ground clearance and I eventually ripped the exhaust off at the maifold! The Forester has far better ground clearnace, I would still say it was only suitable for easy to moderate offroad use...

These days, with modern 4 door pickups, we can have the best of both worlds...

Add a hard top for the rear, and I think its a great set-up for most hunting situations, short off extreme off-roading....

Hmmm, throw a couple yotes and a bobcat in the SUV with you for a couple hours... yuuummmmmyyy!!!!

I hunted out of my old '96 4Runner for years. Plenty of room with the back seats down, decent mileage compared to my current truck and with the locking differential it could go anywhere. When I had a big load I pulled a small landscape trailer.

My experience with Subaru ended with the Loyales. Those were definitely not off road cars because of the low clearance, but it was surprising how far they would go in spite of it. The newer ones have better clearance but I still wouldn't take one where I'd take a real SUV or pickup. Subarus are very reliable and their engines can normally run 300k. I've had 2 of them that went that far with very minimal repair.

The Loyales were brand as the "L Series" over here...Some models are variable suspension so you could gain and extra few inches of ground clearance...

They also did an L Series pick-up which was a firm favourite with farmers and gamekeepers over here, but again it was let down by the body work rusting badly in our climate..

Subara also did a small 4x4 box van, which had a large removeable sunroof over the back...



Old ones used to end being used for lamping rabbits and foxes as the shooter could stand with his just his head and shoulders out of the sunroof and so shot in a degree of relative comfort...

Jeep Wrangler

I feel the same about my '98 2 door Explorer sport. I've had full size trucks in the past and the Explorer goes WAY more places than any of them could. Had a couple of Ranger's too and while they were as slim and maneuverable as the Explorer, they didn't have the traction in the muck and there wasn't enough room in the cabs for all my hunting junk.

grinning...add fox to that list

roof rack...

traded a Honda CRV for the 4Runner. Like the Subaru it does goes thru a bit offroad, but I'll bet it wouldn't take much to break an axle...

tried it this fall for hunting--on the road when you got into hills or at 80per, the gas milage dropped down to 21. It squatted out pretty quickly with gear or dead stuff added.

made a nice vehicle for my wife...

The Subaru Forester is a bit more capable than the Honda, but neither will hold a candle to a 4Runner...

I prefer a SUV because of turn radius, and keeping my equipment dry. I have a Land Rover LR3.