Ridge Runner

The equipment I carry when afield alone will allow me to get "unstuck" under about any conditions, if a 3 wheeler can get there, you can bet the farm a 4 wheel drive utv will.
I do not hunt off of it, I use it to transport hunters to their stands and retrieve downed game, it does however see a lot of use and abuse chasin bear dogs during our bear season.
RR

Lunkerdog

RR... I can't help but laugh at that... Not trying to be rude so I hope you don't take this the wrong way but here's the deal... You just don't get it...

There are plenty of side by sides in my region. The only ones that can go where I can go with my 3 wheeler have put track kits on their machines. Even then the weight of the UTV stops them in many areas... Peat bogs run deep... And if you never been on a floating bog, your in for a real treat when you finally do.

It's about the weight, and weight distribution, not about how much traction you can get.

I've been around my neck of the woods long enough to know what can go where, and what can't. There are many areas where quads will go where your UTV won't, let alone my relatively light 3 wheeler.

I sold my 3 wheeler back in the 90's and started running quads... I've gone back to the 3 wheeler to get me into areas that quads can't go. The reason I've got 3 machines these days is to deal with the different situations I face around here.

rockport

There is no doubt that its situational. An ATV will absolutely go where a UTV won't and a UTV will absolutely go where an ATV won't

kswild

I don't know boys ...I'm with Flags on this one. I can still remember the woods during hunting season BEFORE motorized machines...PEACEFUL ... Now hunting season sounds like the citys come to the woods. 4 wheelers EVERYWHERE.

If I get to the point where i can't walk out or ride a horse... I guess it's time to quit huntin sept for off the front porch
As far as retrieving A mule The 4 legged kind is still my favorite in the mountains. In flat country a Glens deer handle can usually get it to where the pickup truck can get to it to load!

Lunkerdog

Agreed Rock... There are hills in my area I don't even want to think about dealing with on my 3 wheeler, but have no worries with my quad. My quad is a 2up machine so the wheel base is about 10 inches longer than a 1up quad.

On the other hand, my quad is 800lbs dry weight. By the time I'm loaded up I'm a 1/2 ton plus. There are bogs I wouldn't dream of going into with my quad, but can get my 3 wheeler into most of them with relative ease.

Bbj270

you can get a used decent 4x4 Truck for what you can get a utv for. my 97 Toyota is not much wider then most utv.

Lunkerdog

Mules, and horses would be great if you have the know how, and facilities to deal with them. Most hunters these days don't.

The quad also has many other tasks besides hunting... Moving snow, mowing food plots and such.

kswild

Yeah that's cool BUT the question was ATV's for deer hunting. I am aware of their many uses and you can do just as much plowing and snow removal and mowing with a good team of horses or mules and I assure you a good mule CAN go in between trees a 4 or 3 wheeler can not. Also never seen a 4 wheeler walk sideways or jump a fence on command.

rockport

Seems like it would be pretty silly for me to use a mule in my situation.

9 out of 10 hunts my 4 wheeler never leaves the back of the truck. I'm not going to load up a mule or a horse and drag it around in a tailor for 9 days just to use it for 45 minutes.

I get it as far as liking doing it that way but I don't think it makes sense to "hate" 4 wheelers. 4 wheelers are clearly more efficient in some if not most cases.

If some guy is messing up the hunting with his 4 wheeler.....well I hate that to but its not the 4 wheeler doing it.

Sure a mule can do some things a 4 wheeler can't but a mule cant hang out in the back of my truck for a month waiting for me to get a deer.

Also unless you have money growing on trees using something that you use for other task is certainly a factor.

Lunkerdog

I suppose we could get into quite a discussion about a wheeler vs a mule, but I'm thinking that most today don't have the knowledge nor the ability to care for a horse or a mule. Not that many don't really have a clue about taking care of there wheelers either, but I can park my wheeler for months at a time and don't have to worry much about it. That's a pretty handy thing for the many hunters that live in an urban environment.

I'm not knocking anyone who prefers horses or mules over wheelers. I'm just thinking that it's not a good option for most of us these days.