For the guys who use UTV's...

[S.Clancy]

This weekend we were elk hunting a roadless area nearby to an area with OHV trails. This is higher elevation, big ridges. We were glassing a big group of elk ~3 miles away when we heard the distant drone of a UTV motor. We saw the the UTV driving, at least 3-4 miles from us, and prob close to 6 from the elk. All the elk got out of their beds and stared toward the UTV, obviously nervous and pacing around. They eventually settled down, but if it was any closer, I imagine they would have buggered off.
My question, why do people use them for hunting? Is it the <50" requirement? Cause they're loud as shit snd expensive. If it were me I'd buy and old Toyota pickup, way quieter and cheaper, but i guess I'm the minority. What was everyones reason for buying theirs?

 

[MuleyFever]

I would rather beat up a UTV than my truck. I didn’t buy it for hunting though.

 

[JWP58]

Cause they're cool bro! Heck I dont know, I'm too cheap to pay 10k for a go cart.

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

subbed

 

[High Voltage]

Some trails are for off road vehicle only.

 

[MThuntr]

I remember reading somewhere that the sound of an ATV displaces elk a minimum of 1500 yards...if I can find it i'll post a link (there is a distinct possibility that I am misremembering though)

I won't argue against them as it's kind of a "to each their own" kind of things.

 

[tdhanses]

I think it’s area dependent and season dependent, I’ve seen plenty of elk within 800 yards of a trail not even flinch at an atv as it drove right on by over the year.

I use one to get back on trails anywhere from 2 miles to 10 that I wouldn’t take a vehicle on, you still have to walk plenty as you can’t just drive up and shoot.

 

[S.Clancy]

Some trails are for off road vehicle only.

Aka the <50" requirement? I'm not an OHV guy, so I don't know.

 

[MuleyFever]

Aka the <50" requirement? I'm not an OHV guy, so I don't know.

No, some trails are just only open to OHVs regardless of width.

 

[Dos Perros]

How many UTV's are <50"? Not many I'd imagine. I don't want to beat up my pickup. Honestly I run more road friendly tires because 99% of my miles are on pavement. I don't want to take my nice Michelin's across a rockslide. I also don't think all animals are as concerned with them as your elk were. I've driven right by antelope and big mule deer to no effect, and elk at longer distances (but less than 2 miles). They're not for every hunt but sometimes they are awesome.

 

[204guy]

I get a kick out of guys that think a midsize truck and a SxS are somehow interchangeable and have the same capabilities.

 

[S.Clancy]

I get a kick out of guys that think a midsize truck and a SxS are somehow interchangeable and have the same capabilities.

What are the differences, that's kind of the point of this.

 

[CorbLand]

What are the differences, that's kind of the point of this.

Generally UTV have a lower weight, easier on fuel, better turning radius, better suspension, built for off roads and a large amount of other small things that make them nice. A small or midsized pickup can have all those things but rarely come standard on it. You can build them to have these capabilities but then you come into other on road issues.

I like UTV and four wheelers for the simple reason as they are generally easier to fix and cheaper when you wreck them on slick back country roads. I dont like beating the piss out of my DD.


To the them scaring game. I have seen animals do both when one goes by but generally if you dont stop they just stare at you or slip back into cover until you leave.

 

[204guy]

Copy and paste from previous post. -"A Tacoma or a Jeep or any road legal midsize may go anywhere and do almost anything a UTV will in the high desert country. If you also use it in the mountains they won't even sniff what a UTV will do. An 800-1200lb vehicle vs 4000lb in muddy trail conditions isn't even close. Ride comfort on rocky mountain trails is going to be a huge nod to utv's also, which translates to getting where you need to go a lot quicker. There are a lot of tacomas and rubicon jeeps around here I don't think I've ever seen one on what I'd consider a typical "jeep" type trail, atv's and UTV's all the time. Midsize's are also going to require a full on carhauler trailer, utv will not. We've got a 900Xp and a 50" rzr both have served us well."

While I wouldn't say the general public as a whole is "smart" they probably deserve more credit than they get. If a Tacoma was as capable and cheaper to own and operate than a UTV a bunch of people would be using them... they aren't. Here in WY on the rough trails I'd estimate I see about 70% UTV, 29% Atv, 1% other.

 

[Anozira]

I used to be the ultimate critic of the UTV craze. I disliked them for many reasons and still call them cockroaches because they seem to infest every back country road. Then two years ago I used a two seater UTV for hunting (pictured with my old 88' Toyota), and it changed my mind. After that I sold my Toyota and bought a 4 seater- I became the greatest hypocrite of all time. If you haven't used one, they are much more capable than people give them credit for as 204guy has pointed out. I have been able to get a UTV where I couldn't squeeze my Toyota before. I still think they can be annoying and people abuse them for road hunting. I totally understand where S.Clancy is coming from. I think when used responsibly as a tool for transportation they can prove to be very useful. People just forget when to turn off the key and put boots on the ground.

 

[HuntHarder]

This topic has been beat to death. Comparing UTV's to pickups is apples to rocks. A UTV offers a much smoother, quicker ride than a pickup. Almost everyone who has a UTV used to be "that guy" who talks crap about UTVs. Then they ride in one and their mind is changed. I know here in AZ, I can get to spots 30-40 miles in, in about half the time and I am not pissing blood by the time I get there. Are there negatives to UTV's? Sure, but IMO the positves outweigh the negatives. 6 miles away and you can hear a UTV? That thing must have been straight piped off the headers...

 

[cuerro viejo]

Copy and paste from previous post. -"A Tacoma or a Jeep or any road legal midsize may go anywhere and do almost anything a UTV will in the high desert country. If you also use it in the mountains they won't even sniff what a UTV will do. An 800-1200lb vehicle vs 4000lb in muddy trail conditions isn't even close. Ride comfort on rocky mountain trails is going to be a huge nod to utv's also, which translates to getting where you need to go a lot quicker. There are a lot of tacomas and rubicon jeeps around here I don't think I've ever seen one on what I'd consider a typical "jeep" type trail, atv's and UTV's all the time. Midsize's are also going to require a full on carhauler trailer, utv will not. We've got a 900Xp and a 50" rzr both have served us well."

While I wouldn't say the general public as a whole is "smart" they probably deserve more credit than they get. If a Tacoma was as capable and cheaper to own and operate than a UTV a bunch of people would be using them... they aren't. Here in WY on the rough trails I'd estimate I see about 70% UTV, 29% Atv, 1% other.

Yelp, a good friends a houndsman and has completely rebuilt the front end of his tacoma 5 Times. Now switching to UTV.

More suspension travel, easier to get round, easier to unstick, easier to rebuild

I am amazed that my 6.7 diesel is much quieter then my mule pro. Makes zero sense to me we can’t make a UTV car quiet

I don’t take my mule pro on public ground or trailers but can tell you, it’s foot print is much more friendly then my truck on the ranch.

reason John Deere got into the UTV market full force.

 

[CorbLand]

good friends a houndsman and has completely rebuilt the front end of his tacoma 5 Times. Now switching to UTV.

More suspension travel, easier to get round, easier to unstick, easier to rebuild

I am amazed that my 6.7 diesel is much quieter then my mule pro. Makes zero sense to me we can’t make a UTV car quiet

I don’t take my mule pro on public ground or trailers but can tell you, it’s foot print is much more friendly then my truck on the ranch.

reason John Deere got into the UTV market full force.

You can, just have to modify the exhaust. I would imagine that the emission regulations on UTVs arent as strict as they are on cars/pickup so they dont come from the factory that way.

I think Kolpin makes one. You can google it, there are multiple companies that make different silencers for them.

 

[CorbLand]

This topic has been beat to death. Comparing UTV's to pickups is apples to rocks. A UTV offers a much smoother, quicker ride than a pickup. Almost everyone who has a UTV used to be "that guy" who talks crap about UTVs. Then they ride in one and their mind is changed. I know here in AZ, I can get to spots 30-40 miles in, in about half the time and I am not pissing blood by the time I get there. Are there negatives to UTV's? Sure, but IMO the positves outweigh the negatives. 6 miles away and you can hear a UTV? That thing must have been straight piped off the headers...

I have an 88 Kawasaki 220 that we cut the exhaust off about 8 inch out the motor and its not even that loud but you can wake everyone up camping along side the road pretty easy. Hahaha

 

[jmez]

Critters in the mountains hear ATV's or snowmobiles pretty much year round. The areas I've hunted have less ATV traffic during hunting season than they do in the summer with recreational riders.