What’s your ideal hunting truck?

[Mule3006Elk]

Do you remember what brand the cooler is? May need to copy that idea.

Igloo

 

[Steve300xcw]

You’re correct, a lot of the forest roads out here were cut with large equipment…50 years ago. But the thing about a forest is, they grow.

Oh for sure. Gets brushed in, erosion etc. The mountain always takes it back.

Spent about 8 years building those roads. Drive a crew cab long bed f350 down the roads that arent roads yet. Worm a grader over the mountain just so you dont have to road the SOB for 45 mins. Pretty impressive where a rock truck or hell even a log truck or lowboy can go with a good driver.

Yet come hunting season.......

 

[Loo.wii]

I have a 96 Toyota tacoma, single cab with a 6’ bed. 2.7L 4cyl, 5sp, 4wd. It has gotten me everywhere I needed to go, and its small enough to turn around on those forest service roads if I can go any further.

That’s my favorite part about tacos man
I can bust a infinity point turn on the narrowest of trails.

 

[summs]

Id get an F150 5.0 and a camper shell.

I think the toyota's are reliable as all hell, but a v6 with v4 power and v8 gas mileage. I think they lie more than the diesel guys about MPG. In this forum alone age a guy says he gets 18-20 all day, but toyota couldnt even get that on MPG test and its rated at 12-17.

I have a 05 cummins with a camper shell and I love it, I dont tow heavy as often as I was planning to, but when I drive gas trucks, it just isnt the same.

I don't know how any outdoors man can suggest an SUV. Have you been in one in July with a cooler full of fluke and sea biscuits? Or had a gutted bear in the back, hell even a deer on a ride home? Carpet gets bloody and muddy from boots and waders. With a truck, throw everything in the back, unpack, park on an angle and hose the bed out.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

7.3 Ford 250 Tremor with the factory winch....its lifted on 35s and has rear locker and LS front diff from the factory, trail cruise is nice to..this will be my 3rd season using it..only compliant was the small gas tank, upgraded to 58 gallon..its now perfect for getting lost on FS roads. Had an Expy EL lifted on 35s for years before the 250 it worked too. The F250 gets better gas mileage and I can hose the back out. They expy rode better on FS roads.

 

[WKB]

I don't know how any outdoors man can suggest an SUV. Have you been in one in July with a cooler full of fluke and sea biscuits? Or had a gutted bear in the back, hell even a deer on a ride home? Carpet gets bloody and muddy from boots and waders. With a truck, throw everything in the back, unpack, park on an angle and hose the bed out.

I have a absorbent cargo liner I throw in the back of the Burb. I have put many deer in the back. No blood on my carpets. I also have rubber floor mats on all the floors that I hose/brush out regularly. Put three pigs, 3 rams, and 2 other unwashed dudes in the back barely a month ago and drove from south Oklahoma to northern Kansas in the hot Great Plains weather. No stinky smells or nasty spills... Drove the Burb to the office today.

 

[Thinkingman]

Great points on running narrow tires.

You can always tell the people that really know snow country driving by the width of their tires.

 

[Ludo]

Everybody has different needs, but I just built my "hunting truck" the end of last year.

I bought this 2012 F150 new and basically wore it out as a work truck... went looking for a new truck and refused to pay $80K for a crew cab diesel.. decided I didn't need deisel.

I had this one rebuilt from the ground up... New EVERYTHING, from the engine to the last bearing and belt... 100% new drive train, added a bumper, 12k winch, decked box, inverter, lights, ...

Tows well enough for what I need.. super happy with it and only have $26K into the rebuild.... way better than a new truck.

Nice! Yeah agreed this is a great way to go. Ideally, I’d keep the 4Runner AND get a used truck, but we just don’t have the space.

 

[WKB]

You can always tell the people that really know snow country driving by the width of their tires.

yup. Everyone running 265, 285 or 305mm wide knobby tires acting like they have the ultimate off road machine just end up spinning and floating in snow. In ice or rainy conditions, its down right dangerous to run a wide, M/T tread pattern.

 

[CobraChicken]

I went from a 2021 ford ranger to a 2011 ram 2500 6spd standard. Less electronics and more space. I'm pretty tough on my vehicles so I don't feel too bad with an older hunting rig.

These new trucks are just way too damn expensive v what they offer imo

 

[sodaksooner]

Currently run a Wrangler Unlimited, Fully locked, and regeared on 37's. Pulled the rear seats last year and built a cargo/sleeping platform with storage underneath. Still pretty small. Great when you get there, but sucks on the way. Definitely have to drive it.




If I had my druthers, next vehicle would be an F150 with powerboost (hybrid but has great onboard generator system). Some type of hardshell. Have been looking at Smartcap shells as they are modular and can carry a load up top. I need some towing capacity, more than the jeep, but also want to get decent mileage. For what we do as long as it's 4wd and has some decent all terrain's I am good with that. Maybe a small lift, winch, some lights and call it good.

 

[CobraChicken]

yup. Everyone running 265, 285 or 305mm wide knobby tires acting like they have the ultimate off road machine just end up spinning and floating in snow. In ice or rainy conditions, its down right dangerous to run a wide, M/T tread pattern.

Bingo. I've made it to places in a standard tire size, at, and chains than someone with a 35 wide mt.

 

[Ludo]

Id get an F150 5.0 and a camper shell.

I think the toyota's are reliable as all hell, but a v6 with v4 power and v8 gas mileage. I think they lie more than the diesel guys about MPG. In this forum alone age a guy says he gets 18-20 all day, but toyota couldnt even get that on MPG test and its rated at 12-17.

I have a 05 cummins with a camper shell and I love it, I dont tow heavy as often as I was planning to, but when I drive gas trucks, it just isnt the same.

I don't know how any outdoors man can suggest an SUV. Have you been in one in July with a cooler full of fluke and sea biscuits? Or had a gutted bear in the back, hell even a deer on a ride home? Carpet gets bloody and muddy from boots and waders. With a truck, throw everything in the back, unpack, park on an angle and hose the bed out.

Agreed on the Toyota MPG. Granted, I didn’t help my mpg adding steel bumpers, aluminum skids, winch, regearing, etc.. the MPG was around 17 when it was stock. 12-13 now that I’ve added all the crap. Yeah, it seems like there isn’t a perfect solution. The 4Runner is extremely capable off-road and can get me most anywhere I need to go. The enclosed cab is nice for security, keeping the dog cool in the summer.. but a modern full size truck would get better MPG, more power, and an external bed…

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I have a absorbent cargo liner I throw in the back of the Burb. I have put many deer in the back. No blood on my carpets. I also have rubber floor mats on all the floors that I hose/brush out regularly. Put three pigs, 3 rams, and 2 other unwashed dudes in the back barely a month ago and drove from south Oklahoma to northern Kansas in the hot Great Plains weather. No stinky smells or nasty spills... Drove the Burb to the office today.

I did all this with my Expedition no issues..the one thing I always found myself doing was scrubbing hoof prints off the head liner...

 

[WKB]

I went from a 2021 ford ranger to a 2011 ram 2500 6spd standard. Less electronics and more space. I'm pretty tough on my vehicles so I don't feel too bad with an older hunting rig.

These new trucks are just way too damn expensive v what they offer imo

Exactly. I had a 2020 Jeep Gladiator and then couldn't work on it with all the electronics and proprietary jeep stuff. the fording depth is also incredibly low, even with a snorkel, due to the location of the PCM. I was always worried about scratching it, or people breaking into it. Sold the Jeep and went with a GMT400 Big block 3/4t Suburban. Waaay easier to work on, parts are cheap, ain't no one stealing a 25 year old Chevy. lots more room and hauling capacity. Plus, I can put all my girlfriends in there at the same time.

 

[Buckshotaz]

There have been several hunting vehicles that have been ideal for me at the time of my life, and where I lived. At 16 years old, it was a 1967 International Scout, it was all I could afford, and took me all over. At 18, it was a '76 Chevy 1/2 ton 4x4, more power, and gas was only $.50 a gallon. In college, I tried a CJ 5, and although it was good in the hills, it sucked as a daily driver, and insurance was very high. After college, I needed a pickup truck again, due to working in the construction field, but also 4x4 for hunting, so I went to a 3/4 ton Ford 4x4 and that worked well until I had children. I couldn't afford a new 4 door pickup, so I added a used 3/4 ton 4x4 Chevy Suburban. This Suburban was the best family hunting rig I ever owned. Now I am retired, and pull a trailer once a month or so, and now have a 2022 F-259 with the big gas motor. The mpg isn't bad, and there is room for kids and grand kids.

 

[sodaksooner]

Bingo. I've made it to places in a standard tire size, at, and chains than someone with a 35 wide mt.

I'd agree. My old toyota corolla did better than my jeep above on the ice. I've always subscribed to the skinnier tire theory but we don't get much weather here in OK. That said once in 4wd, the jeep is just "ok" The wider 37's are more about crawling and ground clearance. If I had a jeep for hunting/overlanding strictly, it'd be a bone stock rubicon.

 

[summs]

I have a absorbent cargo liner I throw in the back of the Burb. I have put many deer in the back. No blood on my carpets. I also have rubber floor mats on all the floors that I hose/brush out regularly. Put three pigs, 3 rams, and 2 other unwashed dudes in the back barely a month ago and drove from south Oklahoma to northern Kansas in the hot Great Plains weather. No stinky smells or nasty spills... Drove the Burb to the office today.

I had a basic tarp for my old ford explorer when I first started driving, the blood was probably 17 year old me being careless, but still stained a lot, the muddy waders I couldn't avoid. But you're a brave man driving with all that smell inside, I had a September buck stink very bad, and a late October buck that was hitting scrapes, tarsal glands rubbed the carpet and stank for a week. Windows down and 2-3 boxes of baking soda to get the smell out.

I very soon switch to a hitch rack, not my favorite especially in the winter as road grime and salt kick up on the hide.

Once I finally could afford a truck, i've never looked back.

 

[Gutshot007]

I Have a 1996 chevy 3/4 ton extended cab long box . Keep is within 50 miles of the house . Mechanically sound . Body rough . Great for hauling wood, hunting and trapping . Gets used as a truck . Long trips west and daily driver found a "cherry" 1998 suburban from arizona from an old guy (would buy 10 more of them) . Goodyear duratracs and chains out west . Its been a great truck. As i read this thread i hear of some guys running beaters and others new high dollar trucks . Do you guys with the high dollar rigs use them hard off road ? Man, im sorry but i could not use a $50,000-100,000 dollar ride like i use mine now?

 

[Beendare]

Can I add one trait for the perfect Hunting Truck?

NOT a metallic paint job