Hunting archery elk with a two wheel drive

[goldenarrow]

So I am planing on hunting southwest MT with a genral tag and I am not sure what vehicle to take. The drive is +- 1000 miles then I will be base camping and hiking in each day and staying Mobile.


1. 2wd 3/4 ton suburban
Great for the drive out fine for dirt or gravel I will have chains but if I get more than a few inches of snow in will be in trouble.

2. 69 Toyota land cruiser 4x4 33" tires. Will go anywhere but 15-20 hours each way would be loud uncomfortable hot and or cold. I would drive this for sure if I was going less than 10 hours away.

3. Tow the landcruiser with the suburban. This would give me the best of both worlds but the fuel cost is prohibitive especially going solo.

4. Buy something elce. I really can't afford to do this and still have money to go hunting unless I could find something capable and reliable for around 4000. I was looking at 80 series landcruisers but they go for too much around here and they are 20 years old mostly with over 200,000 miles.

 

[WyoElk]

Might be cheaper to fly out and rent a 4WD pickup. Less travel time would allow more hunting time and you wouldn't have to stress about driving 2000 miles.

 

[goldenarrow]

Probably true if I don't kill anything but if I do shipping meat and antlers back would be really expensive.

 

[vanish]

Everybody and place is different, but I have archery elk hunted every weekend of the season in Colorado for the last 5 years from my two wheel drive RAV4.

Sure, I would love to have the perfect hunting vehicle, but that's not always practical.

I think your Suburban will be fine.

 

[bz_711]

Nothing beats a suburban for cross country travel - that would be my vote. I've taken mine 6 straight years out west...and even though 4WD, I've only put it in 4WD to go up some 4x4 roads that I shouldn't have anyway Otherwise I'd have no problem being restricted to 2WD only...plan accordingly if snow in forecast.

Good Luck, Have fun!

 

[Ridge Ghost]

When I first started elk hunting I owned an old Toyota Corolla. Of course I was limited in where I could go due to clearance and 2wd, but I made it work. I just avoided rocky and/or rutted out roads and tagged along with friends who had trucks when the snow started to fly. It worked fine and the car held several boned out elk in the trunk over the years.

It totally depends on the unit, but if the roads aren't horrible I say take the Suburban.

 

[xziang]

My vote is the suburban and plan where you hunt accordingly. Will you be able to go wherever you want probably not. You could always look for a light weight dual purpose moto and have it on a hitch hauler.

Couldn't take a basecamp in on a moto though.

 

[fngTony]

suburban, just get a set of chains for the front too. Or swing by colorado and buy my 3/4ton 4x4 suburban

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[6mm Remington]

I think you will be fine. Good set of chains - two straps - come-along - and a good shovel will be all you need..

 

[Brendan]

I've hunted Montana the last two Archery seasons, middle of September. Not to say it couldn't happen, but I don't think I've even considered putting the truck in 4wd yet.

 

[missjordan]

You should be fine during archery season with 2wd. I wouldn't think you'd see snow. Lima didn't see its first snow until the first week of November then we got 2-3ft in 24 hours

 

[goldenarrow]

Thanks guys! Sounds like suburban it is.

 

[BigDog00]

It sounds like you have it figured out, but I would just drive the Suburban and if the weather changes rent a 4WD as needed.

 

[MO_flatlander]

Granted this was Colorado, but we made it around just fine in a 2 wheel drive Tacoma. As long as your smart about it you should be fine.

Buy a come-along and/or a highlight jack and a few straps just for piece of mind.
https://youtu.be/pAGp8lizSQU


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[bcimport]

Suburban and a pair of chains.

 

[137buck]

You'll do fine, just use common sense in where you go. I live in western Montana and most of the time my suburban is in 2wd, but if it rains or snows, you'll have some "fun".

 

[LandYacht]

Suburban with a mountain bike and bike trailer

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[archer wapiti]

Yeah, that bike is a good idea. I see the born and raised outdoors crew on those rigs in their videos.
I killed my first elk out of a 2002 Hyundai Accent. I met a guy where I parked that night who was so impressed with my tenacity that he told me he'd pack my elk out on his horses if I was successful. 2 days later I went looking for him. I barely made it out due to rain that turned the roads to mud, so do be prepared with the tow strap, come-along, etc. There's usually somebody around to pull you out.

Good luck!

 

[norcal-noodler]

I rented a Ford Escape for a 5 week trip out to South Dakota a few years back. I think it was about $450 which was a no brainer. The gas savings of a new car compared to my big old F250 was far more. Plus no wear and tear and driving new cars is pretty comfortable on long drives.

Just another option

 

[orionsbrother]

If you're renting a car for a hunting trip, go to a paint store and buy a roll of carpet mask. It's similar to clear contact paper. Use the carpet mask on all of the carpet in the rental and tape some cardboard on top of it. Especially in the foot wells.

You'll thank me later.