Chains needed in WY?

[SherpaPhil]

I keep reading horror stories about the Wyoming mud when it gets wet and a lot of recommendations to carry chains for when it gets bad. I am heading there to antelope hunt this fall. Are chains necessary if you have a good 4x4? The reason I ask is that I have just about about the biggest tires I can fit on my rig, so I am not sure I have enough room for chains. I drive a 2004 Land Rover Discovery with a lockable differential and Yokohama Geolandar a/t-s (moderate all-terrain) tires. It is by far the most capable off road vehicle I have driven, having had Ford Explorers and most Chevy SUVs in the past.

If chains are necessary, are the low-profile cable type worth having? What about putting cables on the front and real chains on the back (I have a lot more room in the back). Thanks for the advice!

 

[Big Fin]

Chains might help you get out of a bad muck hole, but if it is raining hard, the gumbo gets slick, so in that instance just plan on parking on the pavement and walking from there. Good news is, the gumbo dries fast with a little wind and sun.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

I would at least have 4 by 4, good mud tires,, and 1 good set of chains for the back,,recovery items are a big plus ,,,a winch and a land ancor set up could also help in areas where there are no trees to winch too.It can change rather fast out there.

 

[jvanderlinde]

Having good tires and 4 wheel drive is going to do what you need to do during antelope season. Now if this was late season elk in the hi country I'd definitely pack chains. Common sense goes a long way.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Having good tires and 4 wheel drive is going to do what you need to do during antelope season. Now if this was late season elk in the hi country I'd definitely pack chains. Common sense goes a long way.

The only way I would agree with the first statement is if you don't plan to go off pavement or good gravel roads. Without chains on any of the unimproved roads out there you will be in deep dodo if it rains even if you have good tires and 4 wheel drive and that's from hunting out there all but one year since 1994! Yes, common sense goes a long way and common sense says to have at least chains for two wheels with you and many times it helps to have all 4 chained on a lot of the two tracks out there.

 

[MtnWest]

The chains I carry are for getting out, not getting in and I recommend the same to anyone without a winch or a buddy rig. I also carry a shovel, tow strap, hi lift jack and some 2x8 or 2x10 pieces of wood 4-6ft long. All of these things have saved my bacon many times.

Same clay gunk here in Idaho and even with BFG mud terrains things go south in a hurry.

 

[idnative1948]

This plus a handy man jack. Dad wore out his bumpers when he was trapping here in Idaho in the desert gumbo. Couple of times he had to walk out and hoped we could get back in the morning after it froze over night.

 

[Redwood]

Bottom line is if it rains and you have to drive around in the gumbo you are almost totally screwed. It dries fast but you turns to slime even faster. If it's wet, stay off of it. Even if you don't get stuck, at the very least you'll chew the "roads" all to hell. Not to mention it takes a years worth of car washes to get that crap off your rig.

 

[canvsbk]

The chains I carry are for getting out, not getting in and I recommend the same to anyone without a winch or a buddy rig. I also carry a shovel, tow strap, hi lift jack and some 2x8 or 2x10 pieces of wood 4-6ft long. All of these things have saved my bacon many times.

Same clay gunk here in Idaho and even with BFG mud terrains things go south in a hurry.

What he said.

 

[WapitiBob]

I don't own chains, I take my quad.

 

[hornart]

Dont forget to have atleast some food and water with you at all times out there, even during hunting season you might not see anyone for days.

 

[Muskeez]

We were there the day after the early October blizzard that killed so many cattle last fall. It was UgLy ! Drove through 2 feet of snow on the roads with slime underneath the first day, and through 4" of muck on the so called main good roads the 2nd day. Many times when we saw antelope we couldn't get out of the previous drivers ruts anyway. In summary, I wish I would have had a set of chains. I had Chevy 2500 Duramax, and it was just barely enough to get around but it wasn't pleasant and I won't even bother to drive roads like that again. I was a dumb Rookie. Glad I saw this post to remind myself to get some chains. Thanks to OP! Now, who can recommend where to buy them reasonably? Is there such a thing as a cheap brand that we should avoid?

 

[jabber]

Here is a link to a thread about chains, and in that thread are links to other threads about chains. Some good information in them.

http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=255650

 

[JWP58]

If it gets wet, yes. Honestly the bentonite clay once wet become slippery slop. Although I haven't gotten stuck yet (thanks to good AT tires and my Tacoma) I stay off the dirt roads when its raining or for a few days after if its been raining a lot (like last sept).

It gets especially bad up in the big horn basin after an early snow or big rain storm (like last October).

 

[npaden]

Bottom line is if it rains and you have to drive around in the gumbo you are almost totally screwed. It dries fast but you turns to slime even faster. If it's wet, stay off of it. Even if you don't get stuck, at the very least you'll chew the "roads" all to hell. Not to mention it takes a years worth of car washes to get that crap off your rig.

THIS!!

Some guy thinking he has to be out there the day it rains 4" and digging 6" deep ruts in the 2 track roads is what causes a lot of grief with ranchers and other locals. After it dries up the roads have huge ruts in them and really become a pain. Just wait a day or two max and it will dry out and you can drive on it easy. Sure it might mess up your plans a little, but you aren't going to get a lot of "hunting" in driving around in mud on the roads anyway.

 

[Rooster52]

I have a good four by four with good mud tires and I would not think of going to Wyoming hunting anytime of the year without tire chains.

 

[elkantlers]

Here is why my trucks ALWAYS have chains in them. I have three different trucks and they all have a complete set of HD chains that stay in the truck.

http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=256507

 

[gritz]

I hunted the same unit as canvas back and I don't think common sense is so common. I also say chains are for getting out not in.

 

[Southwind]

The only way I would agree with the first statement is if you don't plan to go off pavement or good gravel roads. Without chains on any of the unimproved roads out there you will be in deep dodo if it rains even if you have good tires and 4 wheel drive and that's from hunting out there all but one year since 1994! Yes, common sense goes a long way and common sense says to have at least chains for two wheels with you and many times it helps to have all 4 chained on a lot of the two tracks out there.

Amen to that!