Hunting Vehicle

[Whiskey_Fish]

If you're gonna go hard in the Subie put plates under it. Then go nuts. Buy a cooler that fits perfectly across the back seat. They already have massive understeer in poor traction while.braking so hanging one out back seems like a rough idea to me.


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[Mt Al]

If you're gonna go hard in the Subie put plates under it. Then go nuts. Buy a cooler that fits perfectly across the back seat. They already have massive understeer in poor traction while.braking so hanging one out back seems like a rough idea to me.


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I've gotten by without plates for almost 25 years but have paid for a muffler fix and had to tear out one of those plastic under-cover things. I would definitely get plates if the Subie was the only thing I hunted out of - or I'd opt for a RAV4 or something with better clearance.

For what I do getting from home to where I'm on foot, 99.99% is paved roads, then either decent Forest Service or BLM access roads. I take my truck sometimes due to insecurity, but always when there's some high clearance stuff ahead or deep snow.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Just get a truck. Geez.

 

[wapitibob]

I hauled my camp, girlfriend, and a Bull Elk out with my VW Rabbit. Hair and horn sticking out every hole but it worked.

 

[Upstate SC]

I've been thinking about a small SUV/crossover too. I think something that will hold a couple of coolers and a couple of backpacks would work and have decent gas mileage too. They are also cheaper than trucks in general.

 

[Antarctica]

I've been thinking about a small SUV/crossover too..... They are also cheaper than trucks in general.

Yeah, but, they're not trucks. Face the music man. There's a late 60's or early 70's Ford Highboy in your future. Just pony up. Post pics..

 

[Pro953]

I love my truck, but why would you want a car payment if you do not need it. Unless you have the cash to blow, throw some tires if needed and a rack on top and get hunting. Sure you may not get to go everywhere and take everything but it will be nice to have the money to spend on tags and trips vs truck payments every month. New cars are fun for a few weeks until you see the next one you want...


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[elkyinzer]

I may be a lowly eastern mountaineer, but I've hunted a heck of a lot of rough country in some awful conditions and haven't found a two-track yet a stock 4 x 4 and a couple oh shits couldn't get me out of.

 

[roosiebull]

I've seen those offers....but holy cripes are trucks spendy these days! my 1991 Toyota was 13K NEW!

they are spendy, but you don't "need" a brand new one, lots of reliable rigs that aren't new. I had a 91' Toyota that was under 13k new, still bummed I sold that a few years ago.

I just got a Colorado zr2 a couple days ago, and it's sick, traded in my 18' taco trd offroad for it, and it's a huge upgrade in fun and capability, and is all around better for my needs.

I also may have a lead on an early 90's Toyota standard cab 4x4 with the 22re with 130k miles, if that works out, the price is too good not to, it's not pretty, but that's the point, they are awesome woods rigs around here with the overgrown brush choked roads, and they go pretty much anywhere.

there are lots of good options, and plenty of reasonable great hunting rigs for 10k or less, a 40k dollar rig will not get the freezer anymore full than a reliable 5k dollar pickup, and one you won't care about scratching up (I don't care about scratching any of them up, haha) i'm not buying a rig that hinders me on where i'm willing to go because it's pretty, that defeats the purpose of a hunting rig.

a friend of mine who owns the bow shop drives a Subaru, and it looks like it has a little lift, and he has some aggressive all terrains on it, cool little rig really, and i'm sure it does what it needs to in the woods. what it gives up in ground clearance it makes up for in short wheel base, he can drive through stuff most stock pickups can that are longer.

lots of good options, I don't have any real answers not knowing the type of driving you do, all of our vehicle needs are a little different.

pickups are handy in the woods, but you can improvise if you don't want to spend the money.

 

[BigGamer]

I dealt with a similar situation. I had a Jeep TJ for my dedicated hunting rig but it was worse than owning a boat! Kept breaking down on me on hunting trips. I've gone on hunting trips to new areas and encountered some pretty bad roads and conditions. I always like to over prepare/have a more capable hunting rig just to be safe. I ended up getting a used Chevy Colorado ZR2. Decent mpgs due to being midsized pickup (much better than my last lifted 1/2 ton). Comes from factory with front and rear locking differentials! Really awesome for those nasty trails. Also had factory 2 inch lift kit, awesome suspension, and other off road goodies. I'm loving it so far!

 

[Wmmichael20]

A coworker just bought a brand new Tacoma excab,4 cyl model base 4x4 pickup and he loves it other than lack of power, claims he's getting 26 mpg and said it was 26,000 otd ...for a new truck sounds reasonable to me....reminds me for the old Chevy S10 zr2 pickups.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

2 door cavalier, $40cdn in gas for 7 hours of highway driving right now...gets me to a spot I can burn boot rubber from at least and always gets the meat home with room to spare. Can't do this with the big boys but if you quarter them up you could fit some pretty big animals in this beast!

 

[roosiebull]

A coworker just bought a brand new Tacoma excab,4 cyl model base 4x4 pickup and he loves it other than lack of power, claims he's getting 26 mpg and said it was 26,000 otd ...for a new truck sounds reasonable to me....reminds me for the old Chevy S10 zr2 pickups.

those s-10 zr2's are nice woods rigs, especially if you come across the unicorn standard cab version. very smooth riding offroad, and plenty of power.

I had one for awhile (believe it was an 02') and liked it a lot. unfortunately it didn't have a long life with me, I had the transmission fluid flushed on it, and the shop left the filler cap off.... I made it a couple miles down the hwy, noticed I was smoking, found a safe place to pull off away from any trees or buildings, and lucky I did because as soon as I hopped out it caught fire..... that was the end of my s-10 zr2.

hoping I have better luck with my Colorado zr2, because it's a very fun rig, it's a big step up from my 18' taco trd I traded in on it for my taste.

always thought one of the zr2 trackers would be a cool woods rig too, don't have to worry about beating them up since they start out so ugly to begin with, haha

 

[Carlin59]

If you go with anything but a truck, I would suggest getting a Rocketbox/Cargobox of some kind. I keep my camp setup and soft duffels in it. Save the interior for cooler and hard cases. Can easily remove when not needed. For me, it has added versatility for hunting out of small and mid sized SUVs.

 

[Wmmichael20]

those s-10 zr2's are nice woods rigs, especially if you come across the unicorn standard cab version. very smooth riding offroad, and plenty of power.

I had one for awhile (believe it was an 02') and liked it a lot. unfortunately it didn't have a long life with me, I had the transmission fluid flushed on it, and the shop left the filler cap off.... I made it a couple miles down the hwy, noticed I was smoking, found a safe place to pull off away from any trees or buildings, and lucky I did because as soon as I hopped out it caught fire..... that was the end of my s-10 zr2.

hoping I have better luck with my Colorado zr2, because it's a very fun rig, it's a big step up from my 18' taco trd I traded in on it for my taste.

always thought one of the zr2 trackers would be a cool woods rig too, don't have to worry about beating them up since they start out so ugly to begin with, haha

My brother in law had an earlier model believe 96 or so with a manual transmission. In the GMC version and it had plenty of power as you mentioned.

 

[roosiebull]

My brother in law had an earlier model believe 96 or so with a manual transmission. In the GMC version and it had plenty of power as you mentioned.

yep, I think those started on 95', one of my buddies had a 95' in high school, it was a manual too, that is what got me wanting one and eventually getting one. I know the 4.3's had some head gasket issues on some, but I liked that motor, about the same HP as my first gen Tacoma I had at one time, but way more peppy than my taco was.

they didn't have the best turning radius, that was the only downfall I can think of, and it wasn't a big deal. they can be found decently priced today, and they are more comfortable than any Toyota pickup.

I have owned probably 8 or 10 Toyotas, always trusted them, but they aren't the most comfortable pickups in the hills.

another overlooked hunting rig is an older 4runner, I have had a couple and they had really good traction. my favorite was a 92' with a 22re.... so gutless and under powered, but was awesome in the woods.

liked it winter steelhead fishing too, lift the back and you have a dry spot to put waders on... comfortable enough to sleep in too

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

A middle ground if you’re shopping for a new vehicle anyways would be something like a 4 Runner. However, if you’re happy with it otherwise and can deal with the ground clearance/traction issues, I’d just get a small utility trailer.

Something like this could easily haul a couple 150qt coolers and a big storage box with your pack/tent/etc in it. Nice to just unhook it during season and keep it ready to go.

1090 lb. Capacity 40-1/2 in x 48 in Utility Trailer

Amazing deals on this 1090Lb Capacity Utility Trailer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I’ve had the larger version of this for 10 years now and abused it almost daily. Multiple motorcycles, full pallets of wood flooring and 3/4” plywood, hauled back and forth from FL to TX at 75 mph. I completely wore out a set of tires, it’s on a new set now with zero hub/axle/bearing issues.

 

[Squamch]

yep, I think those started on 95', one of my buddies had a 95' in high school, it was a manual too, that is what got me wanting one and eventually getting one. I know the 4.3's had some head gasket issues on some, but I liked that motor, about the same HP as my first gen Tacoma I had at one time, but way more peppy than my taco was.

they didn't have the best turning radius, that was the only downfall I can think of, and it wasn't a big deal. they can be found decently priced today, and they are more comfortable than any Toyota pickup.

I have owned probably 8 or 10 Toyotas, always trusted them, but they aren't the most comfortable pickups in the hills.

another overlooked hunting rig is an older 4runner, I have had a couple and they had really good traction. my favorite was a 92' with a 22re.... so gutless and under powered, but was awesome in the woods.

liked it winter steelhead fishing too, lift the back and you have a dry spot to put waders on... comfortable enough to sleep in too

92 4runners have a drop tailgate, not a lift gate, you must have had a third gen.
Only thing I don't like about s10s is the ultra cheap plastic interior, and the gigantic belly in the frame under the cab. 4.3 power is sure nice though!

 

[roosiebull]

92 4runners have a drop tailgate, not a lift gate, you must have had a third gen

you are correct, it's been awhile.. my first one was a 92', last one was a 99' which did lift up.

I had to put a new engine in my 92', and then I hit a deer with it on the way to the river, then i busted the back glass out trying to fix it and sold it to a buddy who drove it all over hell.

that was the first rig i had that i really liked, i ran 31x10.50 baja claws on it, and it was an excellent woods rig. i did almost roll it once, had to have a taco hook up to the back of me, as an anchor, and another buddy hooked up to the front with his 1 ton, and i was in my rig in 4lo trying to help the program along.... all could have been avoided if i had just put it in 4hi right when i started getting crossed up, but left it in 2 wheel and slid my back end off the side.

you are right about the S10 frames, but it was never an issue in the one i had or others i was around, but it was ugly. it's not as bad as my 18' tacoma trd i just traded in, where the exhaust pipe drops way down up by the cat, that is a fire hazard design.

the first spring i owned my 18', i was running all over the logging roads in the spring, when nothing is dry, everything is lush and green, and when there was tall grass in the road, i was always smelling burning grass, finally figured out why..... it was annoying having to be so careful where i park in September, when everything is dry. can't believe they would design an offroad pickup that way.

i will say, the new colorado zr2's fixed the problems the s10's had (unless you want to run big tires, that's still a problem, haha) i haven't had the colorado long, but it is best case scenario for my needs, their suspension is unreal, and they are geared perfect for running around the hills, and don't seem to lose grunt in 4hi like most rigs do. the ride quality on and off road is crazy. i'm bad about keeping rigs, but i can't see getting rid of this one as long as it stays reliable, it's the perfect pickup for me.... it really is built for off road driving, but really fun to drive on pavement too. the only compromise there is with that pickup is some fuel economy, but it's a good compromise, i like the instant power it has. they didn't miss much detail building it for an off road capable rig. it's set up way better for towing than my taco was too

 

[roosiebull]

A middle ground if you’re shopping for a new vehicle anyways would be something like a 4 Runner. However, if you’re happy with it otherwise and can deal with the ground clearance/traction issues, I’d just get a small utility trailer.

Something like this could easily haul a couple 150qt coolers and a big storage box with your pack/tent/etc in it. Nice to just unhook it during season and keep it ready to go.

1090 lb. Capacity 40-1/2 in x 48 in Utility Trailer

Amazing deals on this 1090Lb Capacity Utility Trailer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I’ve had the larger version of this for 10 years now and abused it almost daily. Multiple motorcycles, full pallets of wood flooring and 3/4” plywood, hauled back and forth from FL to TX at 75 mph. I completely wore out a set of tires, it’s on a new set now with zero hub/axle/bearing issues.

coolers in the back, and one of those grate things that hook into the receiver is another option, meat in the coolers, head and cape (or whole deer) on the receiver rack. there are certainly ways to make it work, and they are nicer to sleep in than a pickup if you're camping in your rig. they do handle well on slick roads well too with the extra weight in the back