Favorite Hunting Vehicle (non-Truck)
General Topic
Contributors to this thread:
So what is your favorite hunting vehicle excluding pick-ups. My favorite all time was my Nissan Xterra but that is not longer made. I have a Subaru Outback that does all I want as long as I do not need true 4X4 capabilities. Im not in need of a new vehicle.
I've never owned a vehicle that wasn't a truck. I didn't know that was an option :) My wife has always driven an SUV, but she never lets me take them hunting.
I have a John Deere 8420 that is really nice for transporting people and gear to a duck blind.
Mine is my Father's 1981 CJ7 and little homemade utility trailer, that I completely restored about a decade ago, including a rebuilt 360 engine and T-19 transmission. Now, it spends more time in the garage than on the trail, but it's still my favorite vehicle and sentimental possession.
Matt
I had a right hand drive Toyota Hilux that could get me in and out of some pretty sticky situations. Ultimately throwing animals in the Mr Turtle pool overtop of the carpet was a headache and if you have pails of fryer grease spill for bear baiting it's a bummer which is why I ended up with a pickup.
Right now I guess my quad. The Honda Rubicon 500 is so darn dependable and capable of a machine.
4 of last 5 were trucks (one Ford Explorer in the mix.) Probably switch to a SUV, old bones don't care for the tacoma 'ride quality'.
A few years back a friend shows up with a deer he shot in Vermont - stuffed into the trunk of his Lexus sedan. Gotta wonder what the cleaning bill was ;-)
Still own a truck, pretty well always and have likely always will but my wife's Subaru makes for a dandy hunting/fishing vehicle.
Clearly a company car. Free gas, free oil changes, free car washes. Always said only difference between my company car and pick up truck was I'd take the company car places I wouldn't take my truck.
Well said JohnMC. The difference between a 4WD and a company car (rental car) is the company car you're not afraid to take ANYWHERE. LOL
93-97 80 series Toyota Land Cruiser with factory lockers.
A 2022 Ford Bronco I took delivery of in May 2022 then customized. It’s too small to haul a good long term camp but does tow nicely beyond the motorhome which is where “camp” was for this year’s NV spike elk hunt. Picture isn’t of NV but was taken in AZ on a trip why wife and I just returned from, mountains are the Catalina Mountains just north of Tucson.
Scott,
Is that a Discovery??
APauls - check out whistling diesel on YouTube. He does a “test” of a Hilux. I was blown away…
Wife's Hummer H2 with a cargo wrack on the back .
5 speed toyota, best hunting and fishing rig I've ever had. Gets in and out lots of places, and quietly.
IdyllwildArcher always referred to his hunt vehicle as the “lezbaru”
Any one remember his story about his Arizona Mule deer hunt and the nap he was taking in the lezbaru when the Game & Fish officer paid him a visit? Funny stuff.
This setup has worked for my sense 2013
Shiloh,
It’s a Newmar Dutch Star.
My pickup and atv are second to these.
My pickup and atv are second to these.
Hey Charlie, I don’t remember that story.............you have a link?! ;-)
I do, Charlie....frickin hilarious!
Dependable, but rather high maintenance...
Definitely my 1998 Toyota 4Runner back in the day
Years ago, a buddy and I stuffed a buck into the trunk of his '73 Chevy Nova.
I have put a few pigs in the trunk of my Honda Civic. I keep a tarp in there, for such occasions!
Old 200 Honda, only 2 wheel drive but this thing will spin circles around my bigger 4 wd. Mostly just used to get deer out of the woods, and it's just perfect for maneuvering around in Tite woods
Tracker, I bought a new XTerra in 2000. I LOVED it! It was probably my all time favorite vehicle. I kept it for 10 years. But... one time my girlfriend and I were going out to eat, a day after I got home from a week of deer hunting. She felt something on the back of her neck. It was a couple deer ticks crawling on her. That's when I decided to go with a pick-up when I traded in.
I have owned 8 4WD vehicles over the years, but the one that stands out above all others was my 1974 International Scout 2. It was a 345 V8, 4 speed with extra low, hi/lo transfer case, dual exhaust and limited slip traction rear axle. There was no place I could not go with that tank.
Heck ya Charlie...the "Lezbaru"! LOL!!!
I hope to be using this a lot to scout and eventually go to other states to hunt. My most useful nontruck vehicle is my QuietKat Apex.
Next fall it will be this, but with the full travel top
You think a drone is annoying…try a plane buzzing around your property lol
That International Scout is freak'n cool...8^)
Coworker buddy was a Scout nut, but personally like the old school fj Land Cruisers...
Apauls- I was waiting on a big nontypical to cross early last season and I couldn't figure out why a Cessna 150 wouldn't quit circling the field. 30 minutes later, the big nontypical stood up out of the soybeans where he had been laying all day, and walked into the timber. Around here, they just stare straight up and aren't alarmed.
Mine is the OP's name a Chevy Tracker. Will go anywhere, and can drive it down the freeway at 75 mph with heat and AC. Good gas mileage and cheaper than a sxs.
elkmtngear - "Years ago, a buddy and I stuffed a buck into the trunk of his '73 Chevy Nova"
Oops forgot - I stuffed a road killed big buck into a Ford Fiesta once...8^) Had to lay the passenger seat down but I got it in there... Man, should have seen the looks I got, especially from coworkers walking in the building from the parking lot at shift change...8^))) Most just looked at me and shook their heads...8^)
Was back before cell phone cameras, wish I had a picture of it...
Had one of those Scout 2's back in the 80's, thing was a bear.
I hunt a few spots where I want to be incognito so I use my Toyota corolla hatch back so I blend in with the granolas
FWIW Nissan is supposed to rerelease the Xterra.
If the rear seats fold flat that would be a pretty nice option.
needless to say the size and cost of most trucks and suv's has gotten out of hand. hopefully other manufacturers follow ford's lead with the maverick. toyota still builds a base model tacoma with the 4 cylinder.
a basic no-frills utility truck or suv with no back seat or one that folds down and has a rubber floor mat would serve most of us well. that chevy tracker and suzuki samarai posted above are two perfect examples.
Even the Samurai have gotten pricey. I have two and would sell one.
My 2016 Kia Sportage AWD. That with a jet sled in the back has been great.
Those Scout 2's are my dream machines! I've got a 68 442 convertible that I don't covet as much as those things (and the early Bronco's... I like them too).
There's a dealer near here that sells tons of used Ford Explorers, all of them police vehicles. Mileage on many is decent but no idea on the *hours* at idle while on details. Not sure I want to chance it...
Wish I would have never sold it. It could get stinky with a deer in the back. Would creep through sand in two wheel drive where a truck would sink and have a hard time in 4W. One day I’ll have another jeep.
Wish I would have never sold it. It could get stinky with a deer in the back. Would creep through sand in two wheel drive where a truck would sink and have a hard time in 4W. One day I’ll have another jeep.
beautiful old square body cherokee!
Dana, a Ford would have to be damn close to free for me to drive one.
Old Subarus worked good for me and a couple buddies. Between the three of us I have no idea how many animals we have hauled home in them. Deer,elk,bear, and cougar.
The mid 90’s wagon worked when we couldn’t afford a decent truck. The ground clearance was pretty similar to lots of cars on those. The 2010 outback’s got a huge increase in ground clearance. The rear seats folded down flat, I could slide two large coolers in the back. Each cooler callus fit a boned out bull elk.
For one or two guys that do backpack hunts they worked pretty good. Most of the ones buddies and I had were ones we bought for $1500 to $3000, and got lots of great use out of them.
I have done tons of hunts in my home state of Oregon. Have also taken old Subarus on hunts in Washington, Canada, California, Utah, and Wyoming.
On the many trips where my buddy and I both filled our tags, things get a little tricky. Packing light when you leave in the trip is key.
A buddy of mine had an old Isuzu Trooper. We/he drove that thing untold miles hunting and fishing hauling dogs, equipment, canoes and about anything else you can imagine over all sorts of terrain and through all kinds of weather.
96 jeep Cherokee. Full time 4WD. 96 TOYOTA COROLLA. beat the crap out of em
2019 GMC Yukon XL. 5 coolers, gear and a dog and still room to sleep in the back
2019 GMC Yukon XL. 5 coolers, gear and a dog and still room to sleep in the back
For some remote hunts, a quad and trailer works. This is at our caribou camp.
Maybe tuff to see but there is a small jet boat tucked in at shore.
Next to my own two legs, it would be my 2011 Suburban. 212,000 miles now and counting.
2000 jeep grand cherokee with quadra trac and lift kit. 1966 international scout. Both were amazing to get to places most would not try. Wish I still had them, just a silverado now.
my pickup is my daily driver but my hunting vehicle is a z71 '09 suburban with a small lift on it and a roof rack. It seems to work better than using my truck for hunting.
I used to go in my Samurai. Did a spring over lift and 30” tires. It’s a hardtop like altitude sickness samurai. I took out the rear seat and passenger seat. Put folded blankets in the footwells that way there was enough room for a sleeping bag. No need for a tent. Still have it.
Best deer retriever I ever had was a 1990 Subaru Legacy AWD sedan. Only negatives were ground clearance and the felt trunk mat which eventually gets soaked with dried in blood and starts to smell
can't believe no one posted about hunting from a canoe.
I've had a truck since '87. Prior to that I had a Subaru 4wd HB. That little thing went more places then it probably should have. With the rear seats folded down there was plenty of room for gear and dead critters.
Any one happen to watch Destination Elk, Corey Jacobsen video series. Well Last year the group in Oregon had a Suzuki Grand Viagra, that was lifted, all terrains, roof rack...was a bad ass little hunting rig.
Suzuki Grand VIAGRA..........................................LMBO! : )
I wish I still had pictures of my 2015 Subaru Forester loaded with treestands, and hunting gear for 3 guys. We were just driving from the campground to the farm to hunt the early season, but it was packed full with bow cases and packs etc.....................of course I had a roof rack and a hitch hauler on it.
I need one of those "Grand Viagra" s. Lol
Kinda hard to bow hunt out of but handy on high tide
Kinda hard to bow hunt out of but handy on high tide
Was the suspension stiffer than stock? Lift kit? I hear they can get you into some tight spots. (I can do this all day but if it lasts more than four hours .....)
For ten years my hunting vehicle was a 99 Saturn SL . It was also my commuter car. It had been in an accident so it was ugly . My wife wouldn't ride in it . More than a few deer rode in the trunk from the woods to the reporting station and home to be processed. I finally gave the car away. I now have a 2006 station wagon .
My 1982 Jeep Scrambler we drove it to New Mexico for archery elk hunt that year. We still joke about how it had room for 2 guys and all our gear back then.
Polaris 570 takes me to the jump off point on occasion.
That's freakn cool lv2bohunt, what year is your fj40?
DGW - so true. How much the gear "needs" have grown.
Here’s a couple pics from a weak long spring bear hunt quite a few years back a buddy and I did. We had rain snow wind fog and sunshine on that trip. We also killed 2 bears over 6ft long nose to tail.
The old Subaru was packed pretty full on the way home, and had a smashed catalytic converter from going over big snow drifts to get to a trail head where we setup camp.
That Int’l Scout pickup is freaking cool!
My Trek fat bike with 4.6” tires. I am the only motor.
Another fun Subaru week long hunt was in 2012.
We headed out for a week long hunt. I was up on a 20 ft cliff and called a bull I for a 15 yard 1/4 away shot.
That bull was about 4 miles out a finger ridge. We knew there was a herd of elk about 1.5 miles further out from my bull. So we went out there before packing meat. I called a bull in for my buddy.
A weeks with of camp stuff and two bulls in a 98 outback.
That was a tight squeeze
Iv2bohunt I had a 1973 Landcruiser. Straight 6 and it could go anywhere. I was able to get 415,000 miles before engine block blew. Really miss it. LOL
Have not decided if Canam or Polaris more reliable yet both are sweet machines.
Argos are high maintenance but can be invaluable in some conditions.
Still love the Canam Outlander Max quads they have been awesome.
Hunted with a Toyota Corolla for many years. Graduated to the Jeep about 6 years ago.
Zbone The FJ40 is a 1970 model. I’ve had it about 8 years. Had a 74 before this one.
Goelk FJ40’s are great rigs for exploring forest roads for hunting spots. Mine only has 58k miles, hope it last as long as yours.
eBike John's Link
That red Hummer is a monster! I can't afford that unfortunately. There's always an electric hunting bike for getting in and out: www.eBikeGeneration.com
I've been enjoying my ebike. Thanks John.
If money were no object, I'd honestly have to go with a helicopter. One with floats would be even better!
Converted this 48V Yamaha to run in the woods instead of the golf course. 3” lift, larger tires, camo wrapped and added a metal box on the back. Quiet as mouse when heading out to hunt.
Had a 1970 Chevy Nomad wagon, all vinyl interior, 6 cylinder. Hauled more critters in and on that than probably any vehicle I’ve owned. Lots of trapping, hunting & sleeping in the back of that. Wish I had a picture.
Have a Dodge Grand Caravan with the middle seats stowed down so the whole center section, because of the sliding side door, can carry a lot of cargo & deer.
Been in every state but two.
Bh
Bill J.'s Link
My dad bought a snow dog for ice fishing. I’d like to try it for recovery. Check out this video!
Well, I wouldn't call it my favorite but back in the 90's my tranny went out in my truck a couple days before gun season so I had to drive my Geo Metro 3 hours to my deer camp. 50mpg with a buck on the roof going down the interstate!
Some great stories and pictures on here.
Do any of you front-wheel-drive fellas have any horror stories on western backroads?
I just got a steal on a low mile 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe and am gonna retire my truck to farm-truck-only status.
I was assuming a front wheel drive suv could get back a long ways, especially with basic recovery gear (traction boards and a small shovel?) but was wondering if there was any first hand accounts giving a thumbs up or thumbs down.
Mainly got it as a commuting rig, but I don’t think I should hesitate to take it out west? I know there are some roads that once wet are impassible even with a 4x4, and obviously I would avoid those, but have any of you FWD guys gotten hung up bad where you think a 4WD would’ve cruised right on through? Do you carry with you any more recovery gear than traction boards and a shovel?
I wan one of those trucks that bull elephant was playing with...8^)
No pics, but hauled a couple of deer home in the trunk of my '95 Buick LeSabre.
Bring a long chain/strap and a come along you will need it. It is too easy to get into a situation that relieves just enough pressure off one of the front tires to make them useless. I have run into that more than once in my wife's vehicle. Once I was turning around on a gravel road and backed up a little too far. It took just enough weight off the front tires to just make them spin in the gravel. Seems like you would spend a lot of time (getting yourself out) unless on good solid roads. Then again, I could easily get stuck with my truck if I didn't have 4wd, same scenario.
Cool thread, Ricky, love that pic from last year... buck on a bike! scentman
Can't find the pics, but my grampa and his buddies rode their Indian Motorcycles rabbit hunting in the 1920s... that pic reminded me of that Ricky. scentman
Tried to send pic, I get an error message from both my phone and laptop. How to resize photo?
Owning a auto shop Honda with Toyota a very close second. Most of my high mileage costumer cars are them. Cars that my costumers buy over and over again are honda and toyota.
This was my favorite many moons ago! That's me on the right, my dad in the middle and my cousin on the left standing beside my 1979 Mazda Rx7. I had lots of one finger salutes driving over the Tobin bridge coming back from Maine. lol. The picture was taken Nov. 1981 Those were the days!
Picture won't upload. I'll try again later.
Canoe, mountain peddle bike with homemade trailer.
In its day the 2007-09 Mitsubishi Outlander couldn't be beat as a SUV. 6cyl 5 spd auto, 4 X 4 that could get 26-28 mpg on the Highway, highest ground clearance of any SUV, had a tailgate, could tow 4,500# and basically trouble free. Also held the handling on ice records for years. We have had 4 of them. The original lasted 13 years getting both kids through high school, starting college. Donated it to a school. They didn't have to work on it, went straight into their fleet.
Oh, and I hit 5 deer and one coyote with it, no damage except on some paint and the skid plate.
Canoe, peddle mountain bike and Mitsubishi Outlander (2006-08)
Picked this up last summer for my hunting vehicle. 4 wheel dr and tons of room and decent on gas , hard to beat. Love this little guy, it’s a mix of a mini copper and a hummer. If you can find one in good shape it’s a great vehicle. Sleeping in it is a snap.
Picked this up last summer for my hunting vehicle. 4 wheel dr and tons of room and decent on gas , hard to beat. Love this little guy, it’s a mix of a mini copper and a hummer. If you can find one in good shape it’s a great vehicle. Sleeping in it is a snap.
Picked this up last summer for my hunting vehicle. 4 wheel dr and tons of room and decent on gas , hard to beat. Love this little guy, it’s a mix of a mini copper and a hummer. If you can find one in good shape it’s a great vehicle. Sleeping in it is a snap.
No pic, what is it lbshooter?
Sorry not sure what’s happening I can’t upload . It a Honda Element
Sorry not sure what’s happening I can’t upload . It a Honda Element
Horn Hustler - you probably hear this frequently, but i will ask anyhow. Will you sell me the Bronco?
To all others - great rigs!
Fortunately nearly all of my adventures have involved a truck. However, occasionally i used an Expedition or an Explorer. And for a period of 2 years and 5 months i was truckless. In January 1986 i sold my F-150 and i bought a new Bronco II while finishing law school. I once loaded some gear and two deer into the back. Wife loved that vehicle, so in July 1988 she bought me a new truck and the Bronco became her baby.
We had a 1952 Willys wagon like an SUV. That thing was rough but everything worked. We used it for coon hunting and other hunting. Never registered it in my name and never bought license plates - didn’t need to, it till had plates from 1967. (We live in a very rural area.)
We have a Honda and a Yamaha 4 wheelers that are 4wd. They are great for countless things. We had a Kawasaki Mule diesel 4wd that was unreliable and top speed was 22mph. I was glad to see it go.
I bought wifey a new Honda Pioneer 1000 Special Edition. It has all the high performance suspension stuff, roof, lights, windshield, winch, special tires, and more. She likes it and says it is cute. She lets me use it so long as i keep it clean. That thing really has balls! Great traction, great speed, and very comfortable. It seems to use a lot of fuel, but i don’t care.
99 Grand Cherokee I bought in 2011 with 47k on it. Now 130k. Reliable. Quadra-Drive so it only gets stuck when high centered. And now, a 2001 Suburban with 85k on it. My longer distance hunting cruiser.
I could get by with a medium sized SUV that can still tow 2500-3000 pounds. Whatever that is. I think a Subaru Outback would do it. The best hunting vehicle that I ever owned that wasn't a pickup was a Suburban. Got sick of feeding it gas. Now own a Canyon AT4. Averaging 7 mpg better so far with the Canyon. Love it.
99 suburban for trips. Also a pickup for a lot.
The best game retrieval vehicle I ever owned was a 90 Subaru Legacy AWD 4 door sedan. I had to pull the trunk mat out every December to soak the deer blood out
We had a V6 4x4 Rav4 in 2009 or so. I put AT tires on it, and it would go anywhere. Kinda miss that rig. Never once did I have it stuck.
Nothing beat the old family car
A 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 6cyl. with a 5 speed was my hunting rig for many years has over 300,000 miles on it now , still one of the best I have ever owned.
Pretty handy to have a few of these
My wife has a white bicycle, it’s one of those one-gear beach bicycles with kind of big tires, coaster brakes, and gigantic handlebars. And to top it off, it has a bell on it that you can ring. She lets me use it to ride in certain gated access roads. It is great because anyone I encounter walking their dog, or whatever, is put at ease because they think “How bad can this guy be if he’s riding this goofy bicycle?” Only for rifle season, haven’t found a way to carry the bow that I’m comfortable with.
Had permission to hunt a golf course on rainy days. They also provided a nice pack out cart. He was on the 15th fairway, par 3 and I got a hole in one.
I really like my Toyota 4Runner. It replaced my Jeep Cherokees which were also great but I needed more space. The 4Runner size is small enough for economical year round commuting, and just big enough for my hunting trips. So a good balance for me. Has good ground clearance and dependable.
2015 Rubicon with 3.5” lift and 35” BF’s. Has taken us most anywhere we’ve wanted to go so far…
I removed the passenger seat then laid folded blankets in the footwells. Just enough room for my sleeping bag. Eliminated bringing a tent.