For the guys who use UTV's...

HuntHarder said:
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...
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We were 3-4 miles, elk were around 6 after figuring some triangulation. It was way up on a ridge and so were we so just air between us. Was still surpised we heard it from that far tho. I have ridden in one for work, so I can say it was a better ride than a pickup.
 
Biggest advantage over a truck that UTVs have is you can get up trails a lot faster and easier than in a truck. Some trails you can make it in an atv and it’s too tight are too hard for a truck unless you have a serious rock crawler.
 
Weird they stand 20 yards away and stare at my utv. They must be scared of the granola exhaust system alot of hikers run
 
I know the mountains are a different thing from mid/ northern Michigan but from what I've noticed the elk up here just don't seem to mind the utvs or ATVs or even snowmobiles but the second you shut one off and start walking around they vacate the premises for sure. Around the area I deer hunt in is 60percent ag and they are used to the sounds of equipment running and people talking as part of the daily routine of work but as soon as you try being sneaky and quite they beat feet the other direction.and I for one could see how handy one could be especially since my kids are at the age they want to go along to help with field dressing and recovery of animals. But for the 15 grand plus price tag I believe I'll be holding out for a used unit from someone getting a divorce and forced to sell cheap lol.
 
I don’t currently have a utv but can definitely see the advantage. I need my vehicle to be something I can drive out west from Tennessee with decent road manners and load capacity for a couple guys, gear, and hopefully coolers of meat. Since it has to get me back to Tennessee I tend to be more particular about what type of trails I take it on in the Rockies. Trailering a utv gives you way more flexibility and peace of mind than either driving a beater Toyota 1500 miles or taking a nicer rig through the rough stuff.
 
I used to be a truck guy also. Ive built and owned every damn truck you can imagine. Samurai's, Toyotas, Suburbans, K5 Blazer, Broncos, CJ5's, CJ7's, Cherokees, FSJ's blah blah blah, everything from 31" tires to 42" Tires. I used to hate on the UTV's till I rode in one and we were taking a bone stock UTV places where my 42" Super swamper tires and 350HP Blazer with Lockers front and rear could not go using way less effort, trail damage and waaaaay less fuel. I bought one and have done away with my offroad trucks. They are heavy, break more often, are a pain in the butt when really stuck, plus driving them to the trail is a pain or having to trailer a 5-6K LB truck. I live in Alaska and hunt here all the time. I use my UTV for everything and can honestly say in the 5 years Ive started running them Ive never broken anything or been left doing a field repair. That equates to more time hunting and less $ spent. in DEEP SWIFT water crossing an heavy truck is king, but for everything else a UTV will leave most trucks behind. It costs me 6-7 gallons of fuel for a 4-5 day hunt riding around, in my fullsizes I had to bring 20-30 gallons of extra fuel.
 
CorbLand said:
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.
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they work marginal at best. Single digit decibeles decrease at most. Most effective at idle
 
I'm with the OP. You can make a buncha ruckus and freeze your ass of in an ATV if you want but I prefer a small truck or Jeep with heater or A/C.
 
I think UTVs have their place but there should be limits. Given the focus of this forum on backpack western hunting, it is understandable why many oppose them.

I am personally a fan, as within my hunting circle we have used them to extend mobility for some older and disabled hunters. In my experience, my UTV can more easily go places a small truck might be able to go but probably not as ably and at a much higher cost.

Random Fact - back east deer don’t seem to be bothered by them as much. I know they spook when they see a person walking on the ground but I think they hear the noise and observe the visual signature of a UTV to be close to a car. I have rolled past several decent deer in a UTV and just gotten blank stares.

PSA - be careful if you use one. A friend rolled one in Texas and nearly lost his arm. Their power and limits need to be respected.
 
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40 miles back on a backpack would have been a pain in the butt with this... and that was one way, it required two trips to get everything out. UTV with a cab and heater is about the same cost as a buggy, trailer and truck. It has more uses than a buggy, is more comfortable and less prone to breakdowns plus is more easy to work on and get unstuck by myself in the middle of nowhere. Moose don’t care about machines up here. The goal is to have one of the ranger crew highlifters for next year. Find a spot to start walking and drive as far back as I can go before the trail won’t take me any farther. I couldn’t imagine backpack hunting my moose spot without a machine to get me back there.
 
Krieg Hetzen said:
View attachment 131504
40 miles back on a backpack would have been a pain in the butt with this... and that was one way, it required two trips to get everything out. UTV with a cab and heater is about the same cost as a buggy, trailer and truck. It has more uses than a buggy, is more comfortable and less prone to breakdowns plus is more easy to work on and get unstuck by myself in the middle of nowhere. Moose don’t care about machines up here. The goal is to have one of the ranger crew highlifters for next year. Find a spot to start walking and drive as far back as I can go before the trail won’t take me any farther. I couldn’t imagine backpack hunting my moose spot without a machine to get me back there.
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Hey Bud Im in Palmer, my Teryx hauls out Moose and Caribou regularly, Life savers!!
 
I am looking at getting a Honda pioneer 500. Where I am elk hunting in Wyoming I have beat the snot out of my 2015 3/4 ton pickup. Not to mention fuel. I borrowed an atv and parked my truck. That right there saved me some $$$. I think the pioneer is the best compromise.
 
After my recent hunt in Nevada I am sure considering one. It would come in handy down here in southern AZ as well. I'm fine backpacking in a handful of miles but getting back to where I want can be really slow going and it feels like my truck is getting hammered on. Guess it's time to start researching. I'll look into the Honda pioneer 500 as mentioned above.
 
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