We will take your truck.
- Thread starter oleefish2
- Start date
Lige
Well-known member
Back in our younger years, we used to hunt out of a 1980 Honda Accord and a Mazda GLC. Wind 'em up and hit those snow drifts and mud holes as fast as you can. Had to hoof it to ranchers' place more than once. They usually just laughed, even got hot chocolate and homemade donuts out of the deal once. Much easier with a truck now. Here's a pretty funny bit by Gaffigan on guys that don't "use" their trucks.
SUVs and Pickups
SUVs and Pickups
OverlordBear
Well-known member
I took my Audi A3 to the trailhead of San Luis peak which is 45 minutes into the San Juan wilderness. It is not the rig it is how you drive.
Mtnhunter1
Well-known member
OMG! LOL!! Now that's super funny!!
You folks and using your cars for hunting reminded me of a nature couple from Oregon and their two dogs that I crossed paths with in the early 80’s. I pulled up to an end-of-road trail head the Friday morning before Montana’s general rifle Sunday opener. I was surprised to only find one vehicle parked at the pull off. That rig was a Subaru hatchback from Oregon that was plastered with national park, save the whales, hug-a-tree, yadda, yadda, bumper stickers! I remember smiling as I know knew where the fresh scraps on the road rocks had come from. I had planned on hiking to the top and spending 3 or 4 days poking around the basins trying to find a mature muley buck and watching Mtn. Goats. I figured that the nature folks would be packed into one of the high mountain lakes and that they would not disrupt my plans what so ever. The weather, all week, was Montana’s true Indian-Summer with blue bird skies and temps in the mid 60’s. It was a gorgeous sunset that evening as I made it to my goal area. Then, around 10pm the wind hit with a vengeance and the temps started to plummet! I ended up bailing off the top and holing up in a protected timbered pocket just in time as the rain began to come down in sheets. The pouring rain turned into one hell of a snow storm and the snow was piling up fast. I stayed holed up in my little sheltered area watching the snow pile up and listening to the crack and thud of trees snapping off and tipping over due to the wind. By Sunday morning, the wind had died down and the snow was lightening up. I looked over my situation, and the new 18-20 inches of snow, and decided to bail out of the high country. I reached the trail head an hour or so after dark to find that my truck was the only vehicle parked there, the little Oregon car was gone. Wet and tired, I just threw my bag across the front seat of my truck and slept hard. By the next morning, Monday, the snow had completely quit but the temps were still very chilly. I dug out my truck, chained up the front tires, and started slowly plowing down the road. I had not gone more than a half mile when I drove up on a snow covered little Oregon car right in the center of the road. WTF, was my first thought as I knew that there was not enough room to drive around either side of the abandoned road blocking car. As I got out, both of the little car’s doors opened! Well at least the car wasn’t abandoned! The Oregon road blockers turned out, as their bumper stickers stated, to be animal loving, save the planet, 100% anti-hunting folks from Portland. They had hiked back to their car during the blizzard on Saturday and tried to drive out that evening. The car had so much snow packed under it that the tires would just spin. They also had a various verity of logs and tree branches that were also stuck under the car from their attempts to get the car unstuck. I ended up pulling them back up the road until there was room enough to get around their car. I then spent the next 6 ½ hours pulling their car, shoveling snow and cutting a path through all the downed trees that had fallen across the road. The tree cutting really sucked as I had left my ax at home and only had my small carry hatchet to do the chopping. But, during our slow progression down the road, two totally different views of the world were forced to communicate with each other. I was amazed at just how much these two knew about the forest ecosystem. I think that they were amazed that I was not the knuckle dragging, blood thirsty to kill everything, hillbilly thug that fit their view of what a person that could hunt would have to be like.
During the day, the gal insisted that I wear one of her 100% homemade stocking caps. I returned it to her after our adventure was completed with all of us getting out safely. Then just before Christmas that year, I received a package with the hat, a thank you letter explaining that I had changed their views on hunters and this photo of the day.
So, you folks keep hunting out of your cars! Just don’t expect the rest of us to save you when the time comes that a car just wasn’t the right choice!!
LaSportsman
Well-known member
Lots of folks used to use VW Bugs for hunting. Wanted one myself.
D
Deleted member 28227
Guest
Discretion is the better part of valor as they say. I’ve never gotten stuck...
Mtnhunter1
Well-known member
WapitiBob
Well-known member
The wife and I hauled an elk out in my vw rabbit. Hoofs and horns sticking out every hole.
D
Deleted member 28227
Guest
MJE2083
Well-known member
I came across a guy once that refused to put anything in the bed of his truck. Dude showed up to help some mutual friends move out of their house. They wanted to move some mattresses and other furniture. Someone suggested "hey let's put this in "johns" truck". His reply was "no no, I'm just here to help carry things". We ended up doubling our trips due to this jackass.
MT.PERCHMAN
Active member
Well I cant argue who is driving because it's always me . My 4 door one ton Chevy Duramax has been chained up on all fours so many time's I couldnt tell you . Been up some trails with the 2000 lb. Camper tied down to almost 9000 ' ..but I'm just a Pickup kind a Guy !
It's doing great with almost 300,000 on it !!
It has a home made front bumper that once you see it you never forget it !! Lol
MT.PERCHMAN
It's doing great with almost 300,000 on it !!
It has a home made front bumper that once you see it you never forget it !! Lol
MT.PERCHMAN
Madman
Well-known member
I am not going to try to change anyone's mindset, but let me tell you a funny story about enclosed vehicles and elk (by which I mean anything without a bed you can dump the elk in, be it a car or suv). I mentioned in previous stories on here my old hunting buddy Harry Sprague. One particular year we hunted together we took turns driving, mainly because at that time the price of diesel was well north of $5/gal in the mountains where I lived. I'd drive my F250 crew cab one day and Harry would drive his Jeep Liberty. As fate would have it, Harry and I came across a Bull several miles back on Harry's driving day, and we finally took it down about the last 15 minutes of shooting light. We drug it off the side hill whole but ended up having to halve the carcass to get it out together. We got to his Liberty with the front half around 8 pm that night, put the back seat down, and shoved the carcass in, slammed the hatch, and headed back up for the rest.
Many hours later, we returned to the Liberty with the rear half, and crammed that thing into the back again, finally being able to relax and look forward to getting some down time (it was like 2 AM at this point). I headed to the front to get in, and made a humorous discovery...
As I crammed myself into the front seat, the first thing I noticed was an antler tine protruding well past my left shoulder near my ear, with a front hoof poking me in the area of the right shoulder as well...Harry's seat was little better, but when we got in and sat down finally, turned the vehicle and head lights on, then we found the big issue. The heat from the carcass sitting in the cool vehicle for several hours caused not only a heavy fog on all the windows, but a heavy dew build up which dripped from almost every overhead surface, all while smelling of fresh killed elk (if you've taken an elk you know what I'm talking about)....all nicely concentrated in the small cab of Harry's Jeep Liberty. Elk condensation dripped all over us, and it took A LONG TIME to get the fog off the windows so we could drive, the entire time seeing Harry and I roar with laughter about our predicament. We got to my house and hung up the elk in my shop, and Harry went home, he had to work the next couple of days but was going to come help me hunt three days later if I was still chasing elk. I told him to drive to his place with all the windows down...
Three days later Harry pulls up to get me in the morning , and as I hop in I catch the wiff of our "Elk Dew"......He looked at my face, split into a smile and thusly informed me his wife had instructed him to "Trade this SOB in on a new vehicle as soon as that BLOODY smell goes away!" (she was British)......
The next season, Harry pulled up to my house.......In a Toyota Tacoma.......
Many hours later, we returned to the Liberty with the rear half, and crammed that thing into the back again, finally being able to relax and look forward to getting some down time (it was like 2 AM at this point). I headed to the front to get in, and made a humorous discovery...
As I crammed myself into the front seat, the first thing I noticed was an antler tine protruding well past my left shoulder near my ear, with a front hoof poking me in the area of the right shoulder as well...Harry's seat was little better, but when we got in and sat down finally, turned the vehicle and head lights on, then we found the big issue. The heat from the carcass sitting in the cool vehicle for several hours caused not only a heavy fog on all the windows, but a heavy dew build up which dripped from almost every overhead surface, all while smelling of fresh killed elk (if you've taken an elk you know what I'm talking about)....all nicely concentrated in the small cab of Harry's Jeep Liberty. Elk condensation dripped all over us, and it took A LONG TIME to get the fog off the windows so we could drive, the entire time seeing Harry and I roar with laughter about our predicament. We got to my house and hung up the elk in my shop, and Harry went home, he had to work the next couple of days but was going to come help me hunt three days later if I was still chasing elk. I told him to drive to his place with all the windows down...
Three days later Harry pulls up to get me in the morning , and as I hop in I catch the wiff of our "Elk Dew"......He looked at my face, split into a smile and thusly informed me his wife had instructed him to "Trade this SOB in on a new vehicle as soon as that BLOODY smell goes away!" (she was British)......
The next season, Harry pulled up to my house.......In a Toyota Tacoma.......
D
Deleted member 28227
Guest
Not a fan of the gutless method I take it...couple lines in and started to think this was gonna be a Tommy Boy story
great topic, and so true! just browse around a truck forum for awhile and you'll see a pattern, lots of suspension upgrades for a city commute.
i have a white collar job, so i don't need a truck most days. i bought a 2009 silverado new and now a 2017 f-150 new. switched to crew cab so i could fit two car seats
it's been out to WY twice now and I love taking it. i upgraded tires and shocks just for that two week trip, really. but it sure is fun to get off the beaten path and use it as intended.
and once you get that first scratch, it's not such a big deal anymore.
i have a white collar job, so i don't need a truck most days. i bought a 2009 silverado new and now a 2017 f-150 new. switched to crew cab so i could fit two car seats
it's been out to WY twice now and I love taking it. i upgraded tires and shocks just for that two week trip, really. but it sure is fun to get off the beaten path and use it as intended.
and once you get that first scratch, it's not such a big deal anymore.
OzzyDave
Well-known member
You could duplicate same here is Aus. Been seeing a few more of the US trucks on our roads in the last few years.
My upgrades have been practical for our trips. First things that were done were 2” lift, ARB steel front bar, winch and driving lights. The front bar has saved me thousands in repairs in only a few years, I’ve bounced at least 6 kangaroos off it in the last year. I actually prefer to take my vehicle because I know it’s gunna get there and back. If we’re in the place for a few days, the solar panels on the canopy roof keep the deep cycle battery topped up - have to keep the 12v fridge operational to keep the “refreshments” cold.
My upgrades have been practical for our trips. First things that were done were 2” lift, ARB steel front bar, winch and driving lights. The front bar has saved me thousands in repairs in only a few years, I’ve bounced at least 6 kangaroos off it in the last year. I actually prefer to take my vehicle because I know it’s gunna get there and back. If we’re in the place for a few days, the solar panels on the canopy roof keep the deep cycle battery topped up - have to keep the 12v fridge operational to keep the “refreshments” cold.
Big Slick
Well-known member
I bought a 1989 Nissan pickup in 1991. That truck got put through the ringer. Firewood, gravel, hay.... I put 27 60 lb bales on it one day, she never batted an eye. My dad asked, why did you buy a wheel barrow? I let him drive while out hunting, he lived that truck.
Edwin
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2019
- Messages
- 116
sbhooper
Well-known member
I have a 2010 that is in the same condition. It has been in the dirt and mountains a lot and is banged up enough to where I no longer worry about another dent, or scratch. I live on a road that is pretty sloppy, when it rains and dusty when it is dry. I don't bother cleaning it, other than maybe knocking off the big stuff. I keep the truck serviced and repair any little thing that goes wrong. I only use Amsoil synthetic oil in the motor. I put helper springs on the back, for the purpose of pulling my 12-foot dump trailer and put on a new exhaust system.
The truck runs as good as a new one, does everything that I need and will continue doing such for a lot longer. I think about a new one, every once in a while, but that urge goes away, upon checking on the price!
One other plus, is that you don't very often hear of a dented, dirty truck being stolen!
shootbrownelk
Well-known member
Most of the fancy, lifted, huge tired, 3/4 ton diesel rigs I see around here are pristine pavement pounders and never see Off-Road duty and never had blood & hair in the bed. Where their owners use them a Prius would suffice.
