Advantages of Hunting from a Car.
I want to think Matt for the idea for this post. His post about possibly driving a car to hunt was my motivation for writing this.
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I know that some of you were very taken aback by the title of this post. I mean, seriously, how can one hunt effectively from a car. I am hear to tell you that it can be done. It might take some swearing, some serious ribbing from your friends, and a whole lot of pride swallowing, but when your friends tell you about the $150 bucks they spent to gas up their truck it will all be worth it.
Since I was a kid I always wanted a truck. I finally got my first one when I was 19 and I couldn’t have been more happy. Sure, it was only two wheel drive, but at the time I really didn’t care, because it was a truck. My first goal was accomplished.
After that truck I upgraded to my first four wheel drive. You know you are a guy when you finally get your first four wheel drive truck. I felt a surge of testosterone that I have never felt before when I bought that truck. It was a sure thing of beauty. But once that truck started to make a sound from the engine I really didn’t like, I traded it on a four wheel drive ranger. That truck and I had some good times, but then I got a new job, and it was on to the motherload of trucks–my four-wheel drive black F-150 Supercab. That truck was absolutely gorgeous and was the dream truck I had always wanted to own. But then it all happened. Gas prices hit $3 a gallon and kept climbing. My tightwad ways just weren’t agreeing with this over zealous gas guzzler. I mean, how was I suppose to pay for hunting licenses if my money was all going towards gas. Then I did the unthinkable…I sold it….for a car!!!
I know that all of you serious macho hunters out there think I’m crazy, but before you go getting all bent out of shape listen up. Here are few advantages to hunting from a car:
You don’t have to help people move their stuff anymore.
You save a boatload of money on gas, and can afford to go longer distances to hunt if need be. Or on the other side, if your hunting property is close, you can afford to go more often.
The car payment is usually cheaper as well, so you can then afford to buy yourself a new bow (oh wait…that is what I did)
Now I know cars can’t get through the snow that well, and they sure don’t like mud that much, but for the few times that that is actually needed, it didn’t make sense for me to keep my truck for those 3 or 4 instances of mud or snow a year. I have to be honest and say that at times I do miss the truck like crazy. It had more room for gear and such, and I didn’t have to worry so much about it getting dirty, but overall the payoff is worth the little bit of agony.
I know it makes me much happier to have money in my savings account, and be able to afford new gear for hunting, then to own a four dollars a gallon gas guzzler. Plus my taurus is a hunting machine. And right now I wouldn’t trade that for the world:)
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We have a Dodge 2500 4×4 diesel - talk about a truck! For a truck it gets good mileage - but nothing like we’d get from a car. We use our truck quite a bit since we heat with wood in addition to hunting and fishing - at least half the time (if not more) that we are hunting we’re waterfowl hunting so we’re pulling a boat and hauling a dog with us. The fuel gets expensive - around here we’ve started carpooling for hunting and splitting the fuel expenses, that way everyone can still afford to go often.
For commuting my husband bought an older motorcycle. I can’t say that I’m thrilled but it was either that or another car. The motorcycle beats the car by 10 to 15 miles a gallon, takes up less space in the driveway/garage, is easier to work on and (usually) cheaper to maintain than an older car would have been. We just keep our Aflac insurance paid up and I worry until he pulls into the drive at night. When the weather is nasty he drives the truck… it isn’t a workable solution for everyone, but it is working for us.
I work from home and have since Lil Sugar was born - I still have to commute some for meetings, to pick-up or drop-off files and etc… but my gas expenses have gone from $60+ a week to about $10 a week, sometimes more - my income isn’t as stable but my expenses have sure decreased!
I’m sure you miss your truck but the cost of gas really adds up in a month. Not to mention everything else that is going up. I did the same thing back in October trading in my Durango for a Corolla for gas reason. I drive 80 miles a day. That adds up.
When I was in high school, I had an old Audi that ran on deisel - the thing was old and a piece of junk and is by far the best car I’ve ever owned. I took that thing anywhere I’ve taken my truck since. I bought the Audi for 500 bucks, so wasn’t afraid to take it anywhere! It ran like a champ, and the back end was jacked up just few inches, which gave me room to crawl over stuff that most cars wouldn’t get over. Alas, it finally stopped running like a champ, and I had to give it to the graveyard. I then bought a pickup, and use it one month a year, so am trying to get rid of it. I love it for hunting, but gas is just absolutely killing me. I plan on using my little Dodge Stratus this year…if it can get me to where I hunt. I’m hoping it can!
My 1987 Jeep Cherokee is still sitting right were it last broke down… on Cubbedge Hill.
I just haven’t had the money to fix the old thing, nor the willingness to drive a truck that only gets 10 miles to the gallon.
I have just gone to exclusively driving my toyota corolla for work and hunting. It isn’t easy getting a big buck or giant hog in the trunk, but it is possible with a little persistence.
I know that I probably don’t look as cool driving it around in a town full of BIG trucks, but that usually changes the minute I open the trunk at the deer processor. And I don’t even know why they need a monster truck to haul their spikes around in
Nothing wrong with being sensible. If a car would pull my horses and camper, I’d have one in a heartbeat. In the meantime, it’s me and the Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel…although at $5.25/gallon or thereabouts, my travel plans are under serious review.
For alternative transportation, I’ve got my main commute vehicle… a Kawasaki ZG1000 that gets around 40mpg and will take me places much faster than I really should be going. It’s great when it’s just me, but isn’t very woods-worthy.
I’ve also got Petunia, my Suzuki Samurai. She’s a woodswalking machine, and will climb anything you put in her path… just don’t ask her to do it quickly. Pending a new engine at sometime in the future, she’ll become a lot more versatile for shorter road trips too. Not sure on the mpg, but if my math was right she’s topping 30mpg, even with the worn out motor and smoky exhaust.
A car doesn’t make sense for me, but it is a good choice for a lot of hunters I know.
Bob and I had a red Ford Taurus and was able to put 8 deer in the tunk (of course not all at one time)and we also had a Ford Focus and got 4 in the back of it…now that one was a little bit tight but we managed…now we have a big GMC Sierra 4X4 truck and takes over $100.00 to fill it up now. Should have kept the Ford Taurus..was a good car…I understand where you are coming from.