Being at a Disadvantage without a SxS

[Steve300xcw]

And hunters that drive non-SXS are true stewards of the wilderness?

Where did I say that?

 

[180ls1]

Yeah, I agree, on the whole, UTV's are in no way safer than a pickup.

IMO its the nut behind the wheel that is the issue. SXS are the Jetski's of the trail.

 

[Tradchef]

I have never felt at a disadvantage. To be honest, I feel like most of the ones that I see using them bypass so much stuff. It would be nice to save some energy and to get back a good ways faster but I feel like there's so many little holes the animals go in when they hear them coming that they miss and you can capitalize on. Until I can't backpack anymore and need assistance getting from point A to point B, I'll save my money.

 

[Hnthrdr]

IMO it’s the nut behind the wheel that is the issue. SXS are the Jetski's of the trail.

Yes, this is correct

 

[HuntHarder]

Interesting.

No trucks, Jeeps, SUVs have never rolled while driving in an off camber section that is a non-issue with a SXS due to its lower center of gravity?

No doubt that happens. Typically in a vehicle its low speed. My real good buddy is a firefighter here in AZ. Offroad accidents are almost always UTV or ATV related. The factory roll cages are pure trash too. They will survive a slow speed roll over, but not a high speed one. Vehicles can not achieve the same speed thru the same sections. To be clear, I use my SxS and love it, I would never say its safer than my pickup tho. I am also willing to take my SxS up stuff I would never attempt in my pickup. IMO, a SxS is so much more capable, that guys take them into or up things they typically wouldn't a pickup.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

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[Scrappy]

Atv is more useful for us and it is very useful. Some roads where we hunt you can not get a truck down them, the atv shaves a ton of time getting back into the elk areas or for getting your harvest out.
Could we hunt without it, yes certainly we could but at our age it is a help.

My exact thoughts.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Ahh yes…jet skis. Another reason I pack heat on my boat.​

 

[intunegp]

Hunters driving by without seeing game is not a SxS issue; it happens with all vehicles.

True...and this is a discussion about SxS, whose owners seem to largely think that hunting consists of driving them around all day, having conversations that can be heard from the tops of all surrounding ridges, sometimes with the radio playing, and looking through some glass when they find a nice place to stop and surface shit.

I see plenty of trucks and jeeps pulled off the side of the road and parked where an owner has hiked in to hunt. Can't say I've ever seen a SxS doing anything besides burning gas or riding on a trailer.

And yes, it happens with all vehicles, but I'm not a gambling man and I'd take the bet that a far higher percentage of SxS users could be observed road hunting than truck drivers. Everyone who hunts is in some type of vehicle...a certain group just don't park them until they're back at camp.

 

[bracer40]

I’ve been using my quads all my life. At 65 years old, I still haven’t felt I’ve missed out on any opportunities or grounds I couldn’t reach. And for a bonus, my quads are as strong as ever. Took me through my first marathon with my kids last year.

 

[hunt1up]

Totally area dependent. Some units I barely need a truck, other than to get me to the unit boundary. Other units are smooth forest roads, and driving in a quiet and dust free truck is the way. Then there's units where I've driven my truck up the main road each day and by the end I was ready to punch someone. So rough and slow in a truck. So it depends.

 

[Duckhunterbrad]

Do you they make you a better hunter? Absolutely not. While elk hunting in New Mexico one year we had a trail camera loop that was 120 miles long. I could easily do that loop in a 1/3 the time with a UTV vs. a typical truck.

 

[MarkOrtiz]

We just picked one up for exploring our area, but I have never really felt I was at a disadvantage without one. It will be nice not beating up the truck as much getting into really tight stuff. One year my wife and I were sitting at the base of a tree glassing a basin 15-20 ft from the road. We took our Tacoma up and parked 50-75 yards away and hiked over to glass the area. As we sat there all morning we had glassed up 4 bucks feeding in this canyon. There were probably also 5-6 SXS that came buzzing up the road stopped by us and glassed for 2-3 minutes and then took off up the road probably without seeing anything. Sure they can get you to cover some ground, but they are also loud. We'll see how we like it, but I think you could go either way.

 

[Poser]

It seems that a lot of hunters with SxSs look for a way to use them when they hunt. I suppose that it makes sense if you haul one 1,000+ miles, you're going to want to use it, but the roads/trails where SxSs may be an advantage, don't necessarily equate to the best hunting for that particular season.

On years when I haven't had a late season tag, I've done some driving around to see where hunters are and where they are accessing areas. I'm having a hard time coming up with a single example of a SxS parked somewhere with the hunters out and about on foot, though I'll see plenty of them driving around. Its as if they have it, they want to keep using it to their advantage so they keep driving it around looking for an advantage.

 

[wapitibob]

This is one of the better sections of the road. You can make it to the powerline with a truck, but you’re not going much further. My atv was only slightly better than walking. A sxs with lots of suspension was the ticket.
Could you hunt elsewhere? Absolutely but this spot was covered in bulls and not enough people to be a detriment.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

This is one of the better sections of the road. You can make it to the powerline with a truck, but you’re not going much further. My atv was only slightly better than walking. A sxs with lots of suspension was the ticket.
Could you hunt elsewhere? Absolutely but this spot was covered in bulls and not enough people to be a detriment.View attachment 909546

Ah yes, ran all over some spots just like that in Wyoming a couple years back (headed back there this year). Man those are an absolute joy in a 3/4 ton, definitely could walk it faster.

 

[Blackcow]

That’s just about every road here, up on the rim.

 

[WRO]

True...and this is a discussion about SxS, whose owners seem to largely think that hunting consists of driving them around all day, having conversations that can be heard from the tops of all surrounding ridges, sometimes with the radio playing, and looking through some glass when they find a nice place to stop and surface shit.

I see plenty of trucks and jeeps pulled off the side of the road and parked where an owner has hiked in to hunt. Can't say I've ever seen a SxS doing anything besides burning gas or riding on a trailer.

And yes, it happens with all vehicles, but I'm not a gambling man and I'd take the bet that a far higher percentage of SxS users could be observed road hunting than truck drivers. Everyone who hunts is in some type of vehicle...a certain group just don't park them until they're back at camp.

We use ours to haul camp in 15 miles and hike from there.

That being said your observations are generally true.

 

[ctafoya]

I've had two different power wagons, two different FJ's, and a Tacoma TRD Pro. I got pretty much anywhere I wanted to go. I did not care about pinstriping. The only thing that is different for me using a SXS is there a few places where I could get another mile or two. Not a big deal. I don't see there being a disadvantage to not using one unless you have a disability and need assistance to get a little further down the road.

 

[Wetwork]

With all the side x sides I see during hunting season, I sometimes wonder if not having one is a big disadvantage. For those who can afford them, they can get places faster, check out larger areas looking for animals, and even make a stalk faster/smarter if spotting game from a distance. *Note: I feel this pertains to rifle elk/deer hunting more than archery.

I do not have the funds, the storage space, or live close enough to an area where it's worth having a side x side. For as much as I would LOVE having one, I just can't justify the cost.

If you really need a SXS and can't afford one, you can get a Suzuki Samurai for half to a quarter of the price of a SXS. I've had a Sami for almost a decade now and I can go any where a SXS can, plus I can drive to and from town. I have A/C, a heater, a nice stereo and I put a fold down windshield kit on it so I can run with full visibility and no dust in my face. The pic isn't mine but shows a Sami ain't no slouch. Just a thought..-WW