What's YOUR Hunting Vehicle?....

[THEBuzz]

Three and a half for gas, Diesel at or above four and I doubt we'll ever see $2.50 a gallon for fuel again, I was wondering what vehicles is everyone using, adapting, for travels to and from your elk states of choice. Or maybe a better question would be what would you like to own and why? Or better yet, "What is the best all around vehicle choice, economy, size, price, hunting rig out there?

 

[hardstalk]

Ive recently sold my blazer.
When i wanted to use it i would typically trailer it. And tow it with a 05 dodge cummins. Scouting trips and checking trail cams got a bit out of hand on fuel costs. Ive given this same idea alot of thought as to the favored all around hunting vehicle. Granted during hunts i typically use my boots as my vehicle. But i do enjoy seeing new areas and some rockcrawling thrown into the mix. My dodge is a 4 door long bed with a leveling kit and 33s. It works great for what it is. A big tow vehicle. The wheelbase is too long and paint is too nice to get me into hairy situations. I have been looking for something 4 cylinder based. Toyota, nissan, or even a samurai. But toyota and samurai seem to hold there value. Not that i care about resale of a hunt vehicle. But there pricey. I have come to the conclusion that a 4 banger standard cab short bed would be ideal for what i typically get into. Doesnt have to have the insane axles like my blazer did or lifted too high for the 4 banger to be over worked. Id say 3" lift,31s,short wheelbase,winches. Good wheel travel. Even the 2 door jeep cherokees have been getting my attention lately. I hate the cold so a rhino or quad is out of the question for me.

 

[THEBuzz]

Great thoughts...

 

[THEBuzz]

Great thoughts...keep the idea's coming....

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I have a 99 Ford Powerstroke F350. Xtra cab, short bed & 4WHD. It now has 230,000 miles on it. Absolutely the best truck I have ever owned. Never done anything to it except normal maint. It is great towing anything. I now have a 29' bumper pull trailer. Used to tow a 28' boat (13,000#). Hauled it to Cabo, Florida and Canada. I have used it off road too, but it is just too big and heavy to be really good for that. Used to have a 85 Toyota short bed 4x4 PU that would go anywhere. My son talked me out of it and it is still going strong with almost 300k miles on it.

I do take a quad in the bed of my truck when I hunt. Also have a flat bed quad trailer that I haul with my wife and my quads for local day rides. This year we took it to Wyoming and hauled all the camping stuff and camped when we were antelope hunting.

 

[Vanish]

A double reversal on your fat trucks!

30 MPGs even with the cartop carrier. Can fit more crud than I can use, but we don't use quads either.

 

[Manualman]

I like my 2010 H3 with the adventure package. It's stock with 33in tires and electric lockers front & rear. It gets me anywhere I want to go. I also get 16 MPG on the highway

 

[Timberstalker]

I use our '01 F350 4 door when I take the family, when solo I take the 'OL '98 chevy 6.5 diesel 3/4 ton standard cab. I just bought a 28' travel trailer that either truck pulls to camp. My dream hunting rig would be a 4 door toyota pick up with a 4cyl turbo diesel that had enough tourque to pull a trailer. I once had the idea to build a Toyota straight axle 4 runner with a 6.5 chevy deisel with an overdrive transmission, but I never did it, I'm sure it would have been a fairly fuel efficiant hunitng rig and have plenty of power to pull a trailer. The same engine as my '98 but about 2000 lbs lighter. Its too bad that fuel is such a big deal these days, its the highest cost for me when I look at my hunting expense.

 

[Drhorsepower]

I think the best all around hunting vehicle is a Toyota 4x4. With that said, I have a duramax diesel and a Polaris ranger. My truck gets me In the area, my ranger makes things comfortable off road.

My wife drives a Subaru outback, it is very tempting to take that to trailheads that it can make it to.

My chevrolegs gets the most use though

 

[ando_31]

Interesting thread. I recently purchased a Geo tracker for hunting only. A few weeks after I purchased the tracker my jeep grand cherokee's tranny went out. So now I'm driving the tracker full time till I find another vehicle to get me to my hunting grounds (where I will leave my tracker). I had the tracker out a couple weeks ago hunting and got between 20-27 mpg. Surprising enough the tracker gets better mpg off road than on the interstate. It has a short wheel base which is nice and it does good on gas, but it isn't meant to drive 70+ mph or drive at highway speeds on a windy day.

 

[HuntWYODon]

I never really thought about a dream machine but have 2004 Ford F250 Crew Cab short bed 4WD diesel to get me there and back.
Have a Polaris Razor that I use sometimes and either trailor it or put in in truck depending on how much room I need for gear.
I had a 1999 Ford F150 extended cab short bed 4WD before that. It was a great truck but before that I had a 1982 Ford F150 short bed 4WD that had 305,000 mi. on it. It had been everywhere and would go most anywhere. It wasn't a truck you worried about getting scratched if you know what I mean.

 

[xtreme]

I purpose bought a 99 Grand Cherokee v-8. I installed a 242 transfer case and a 4 inch lift kit, tires are Cooper Discover ST and tow bar is Blue Ox. A Dodge with Cummins or a Tiffin Allegro bus with Cummings get the job of towing the Jeep. Winch is by manual comealong and anchor is screw in earth, kinda primitive. I do have chains. If the Jeep is already in Colorado, I sometimes drive the GTO out there, problem with that is red color. Cops have just got to stop it, they usually write a warning, as a matter of fact I have never been written a ticket with a fine while driving it. Jeep gets 20mpg and GTO gets 26 mpg and dodge gets 20-22 until it gets to mountians, then it gets 25mpg.

 

[THEBuzz]

...vanish...the pic of your vehicles....their Make and Model?


...and thanks too everyone so far that has responded to the thread...

 

[mthuntress]

2009 Subaru Forester 28 MPG.Love getting the mean looks when I go where the big rigs cant go.

 

[Murdy]

Currently own an 01 Cherokee Sport (last year they made the Sport). It's my third Cherokee -- second one was a Sport, first one was a 1979 AMC made Cherokee (which was probably the best designed/worst built vehicle I ever owned). Added some suspension in the rear but not much else -- also use a manual come along. If I can't find another servicable Sport, next vehicle will probably be one of the newer F-150s (looks like they are making them a little smaller than they used to, to my eye).

 

[jenbickel]

I have a 2000 or maybe 2001 Chevy silverado and a 2001 jeep grand Cherokee v8. I usually try to use the jeep for my hunting adventures.. Although my friends have a bet as to how long it will take before I roll it. I'm kind of an adrenaline junky which can get me into trouble....

 

[HuntWYODon]

I have a 2000 or maybe 2001 Chevy silverado and a 2001 jeep grand Cherokee v8. I usually try to use the jeep for my hunting adventures.. Although my friends have a bet as to how long it will take before I roll it. I'm kind of an adrenaline junky which can get me into trouble....

I used to have an 1989 Grand Cherokee. I loved that vehicle. It would go anywhere.

 

[xtreme]

Murdy the f-150 works really well, but the gas mileage is not good. I f you go that route, the fx4 has advantages, check the difference between fx-4 and 4x4.
Gen, the jeep handles pretty well unless you have to correct two times, then body roll can be a problem.

 

[Murdy]

Murdy the f-150 works really well, but the gas mileage is not good. I f you go that route, the fx4 has advantages, check the difference between fx-4 and 4x4.

Thanks for pointing out the Fx4. In the past, I've been a Jeep guy, with one old C20 thrown in there, so not super familiar with Fords, but I like what I've read about the newer F-150s. Not really giving up that much milage from an older Cherokee to a newer F-150, but these days, I guess I should be trying to get better, not worse, lol.

 

[Vanish]

...vanish...the pic of your vehicles....their Make and Model?

They are both Toyota RAV4s, 2006+ model (big difference from older versions).

I certainly can't get into many of the places you guys are driving, I use my feet for rough road.