Any one use a Subaru as a hunting buggy

[Brooks]

I guess it would work if you had a man bun and a boyfriend. Anyone trying to get where you need to go here would be doing a lot of walking !

 

[S.Clancy]

I guess it would work if you had a man bun and a boyfriend. Anyone trying to get where you need to go here would be doing a lot of walking !

Thats definitely not true. My dedicated archery antelope hunting rig is a Honda Fit. I guess if you're only driving horrible, high clearance roads in AZ, NV or something then you absolutely need a pickup. But, most people can get by with a lot less, IMO.

 

[Hunt41]

We have two Subaru’s. The wife and I took our Crosstrek out west on a vacation. I did some elk and mule deer scouting with it. It took us wherever we needed to go. Plus I was able to get thru narrow roads without getting the Rocky Mountain Pin Stripes that are all over my truck.

 

[Brooks]

You guys that say a Subaru will get you there must be hunting on the edges, half way bladed roads or hunting on prairie land . When I think hunting rig I’m thinking of a beat up Tacoma 4x4 that will go anywhere a side x side will go.I don’t see any Subaru doing that. Antelope country around here is flat and open….elk country, not so much !

 

[fngTony]

You guys that say a Subaru will get you there must be hunting on the edges, half way bladed roads or hunting on prairie land . When I think hunting rig I’m thinking of a beat up Tacoma 4x4 that will go anywhere a side x side will go.I don’t see any Subaru doing that. Antelope country around here is flat and open….elk country, not so much !

Yes, sort of. My way is getting to trail heads or any legal parking to hike in. In my state there’s pretty good access roads in most areas. Sure a pick up can get me a little farther but that’s on roads so bad that it’s quicker and easier to walk.

 

[ewade07]

You guys that say a Subaru will get you there must be hunting on the edges, half way bladed roads or hunting on prairie land . When I think hunting rig I’m thinking of a beat up Tacoma 4x4 that will go anywhere a side x side will go.I don’t see any Subaru doing that. Antelope country around here is flat and open….elk country, not so much !

Nope. I used to have a 98 Forester that I used for everything. One time my brother and I parked and got out and were getting ready to head out when a big ol jacked up pickup rolls up, rolls his window down and says “how the hell did you get that thing up here?” Some tines you just gotta know how to drive those roads.

 

[mtwarden]

this one got me around pretty good

 

[hh76]

I've got a 2017 outback, and an old Toyota pickup. The Subaru gets the nod when there are 15hrs between me and my hunting location, but it is not a truck. The Subaru does make a nice vehicle for back roads, but does not compare to a decent truck when going beyond. I wouldn't hesitate to use it as my hunting vehicle, but don't overestimate it.

 

[Mt Al]

Nope. I used to have a 98 Forester that I used for everything. One time my brother and I parked and got out and were getting ready to head out when a big ol jacked up pickup rolls up, rolls his window down and says “how the hell did you get that thing up here?” Some tines you just gotta know how to drive those roads.

I get that a lot. It's not a lifted truck, doesn't have the clearance, but it will go all kinds of places it's not supposed to. Also, when 99.9% of the trip is paved or gravel roads, or Forest Service roads for that matter, and at the end I'm going to pull into a trail head parking lot anyway, I take the Suby. In those situations the only reason not to, for me, would be if I gave a crap what others thought about what I drove.

 

[JeffP_Or]

I've been party to testing Subes in the past:








The roll cage made it tough to load gear though! The owner/driver did several Alcan events in Forester XT's with little modification; surprisingly tough. Also, as with many Japanese mfr'd vehicles, many model years share parts so the crossover for used parts can be good. Might also compare the ground clearance of some current models against the Colorado and Ranger p/u's.

 

[ETtikka]

Manual transmission models have true 50/50 torque split front/rear, which is awesome.

Auto models, at least newer models have the typical torque variability which typically favors the front wheels

They are my personal favorite car to work on as well compared to Toyota Honda ford gm dodge Volvo vw, etc
Subarus are built to be worked on, lots of little extra design considerations such as Allen key on CV axle instead of an internal snap ring

 

[coobie]

Heck no..

 

[Like2hunt]

There’s a reason my cousin sold her forester on a 2inch lift and is getting a truck. I think I’ll just stick with my truck, can’t really see a reason for a suby. Wouldn’t be fun to be sitting stuck somewhere wishing you were in a truck. Trucks are way more useful/versatile in my opinion too.

 

[Forestryguy]

You guys with the Subarus, how the hell do you hike in Birkenstocks?

They seem more comfortable than any of the boots I have tried lately.

 

[Zappaman]

They seem more comfortable than any of the boots I have tried lately.

I fought my wife for 20 years and finally got some "birks"... I LIVE in them in summer and they hold together until the soles are GONE. Although I'd not hunt in them, I might FISH in them!

 

[mtnlomo]

I have. The AWD system is capable in mud, gravel and snow, it’s not ideal but doable, ground clearance was an issue for me at times , but as a college student I did everything out of my 99’ forester and enjoyed every minute of it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[oldskool67]

They look great with a Biden Harris sticker and a 6.5 Creedmore......

Seriously though I’m sure they are more than capable

 

[PNW bow hunter]

My friends and I have used Subarus a lot for hunting rigs. They worked fine for what we used them for. Killed 2 bucks, 2 bulls, and 2 bears on week long trips, and got everything home.

Most of my hunts are backpack hunts. So the vehicle is just used to get us to where we are going to hunt. We also have minimal gear since it’s all in our pack. So a typical trip is 2 backpacks, two bows, and two large igloo coolers for meat on the way home. That fills a Subaru up pretty well.

The Outback you have pictured looks like a brand new one. If your thinking you need a lift and are buying a new one I think you would be better off just getting a Toyota tacoma or something similar. In my area the new outback’s are in the low $30’s, and the new tacomas are in the mid $30’s.

I drove some kind of Subaru from 2008 to 2016. The Tacoma works way better for all the hunts I do. With a lift you will probably eliminate the one advantage the Subaru may have, better gas mileage.

 

[NickKreutz]

I had/have a 2007 impreza wagon, i put a roof basket on it and hunted alomost everything in Saskatchewan out of it when i was a broke college kid. Baited bears, packed out a couple elk, pushed snow with the bumper hunting moose. The thing was bone stock and i thrashed the thing to pieces. Gravel roads kind of eroded the bottom out of it. I still have it, and it burns oil bad but i am curious to try lift it. Subarus are kind of like Lego and you can swap parts between them fairly easily. I guess a popular swap on my generation is to take the suspension off of a forester XT (Turbo version) and bolt it on. you have to mod a couple minor things but you get enough lift to fit bigger tires which add a bit more.

 

[bobinmi]

Best snow vehicle I have ever owned. Better than my F350 Tremor and my previous F150 for sure.

Holy cow thats a fantastic idea. I've been using a jet sled in the back of a GMC acadia. The pool would be much more convenient if I'm not dragging the deer out of the woods in the sled.