This is topic ATV's for open country predator huntin in forum Hunting Vehicles at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on January 28, 2003, 05:00 PM:
In southwestern Idaho we have many miles of open country, much of it in sagebrush and sparse tree cover. I drive an F-350 crew cab 4x4 diesel powered truck that weighs in at over 10.000 lbs so when the mud thing happens I break out the ATV. I have a Yamaha 660 griz fully decked out for huntin the hunters. Its equiped with a 2000 lb wench, 6 ply ITP tires, front mounted tool box and extra gas cans (4 gal.) plus an extended front rack with 700 foot of 3/8 braided nylon rope, an over sized rear rack with supports to the frame. 2 rifle scabbords and a fingrip front rifle rack. a handelbar mounted spotting scope base.
In the tool box there is various wrenches, hammer, tire patch kit,electric air compressor, toe strap, zip ties, bailing wire, and a waterpump(pure) along with the nessisary evils like, food, coffee, spotting scope, extra gloves, cell phone and a clean pair of socks.
On the rear is a chainsaw mount, fence plires, shovel and axe and always a small tarp. I belive in being prepaired for anything but getting skunked. LOL
This is what I think is nessisary to go afield.One of the ranches that I'm hunting now is 15,000 acres and there is no mall out here. go prepaired or stay home.
Even when hunting public lands I use my ATV so I can cover more ground in one day. My truck is also a bulliten board on weels and if I hunted anywhere by my truck many people would be hunting there next week. One other thing is that my ATV is a lot easyer to hide than a F-350
Thats my 2 bits
slydog
[ March 08, 2003, 12:22 AM: Message edited by: 20t-n-t ]
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on January 28, 2003, 05:08 PM:
Welcome 20t-n-t, sounds like you have been there and done that. Good post.
Good hunting. LB
Posted by varmit hunter (Member # 37) on January 28, 2003, 06:09 PM:
20t-n-t, You are a man after my own heart. Have a 650 Honda. Got to admit you are ahead of me on a few things. Down here on this Gulf prarie there is one thing I have added, You may find usefull. I welded a 1 1/2"pipe on top of a mobil home tie down auger. It makes a great tree, When there is none in sight.
Heading out to add to my goodie box now. Thanks for the info.
Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on January 28, 2003, 06:33 PM:
ooooouch, burned myself with my welder makin a tree for me. Thats a darned good idea. My wife says that my ATV looks like a Jeep. I said: Good but its a one seater. The Girl won't ware camo.
Thanks Leonard and Varmit hunter, have some other tricks if you are interested?
Later
Slydog
Posted by Locohead (Member # 15) on January 28, 2003, 08:41 PM:
TNT,
Yeah, I got a trick to help you out. Break her in slow and easy, you know like buy her some camo undies first. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Posted by varmit hunter (Member # 37) on January 28, 2003, 08:59 PM:
20t-n-t keep them coming. Hunted with some guys in Southern Arkansas, That had boat racks on top for electric perioques. Thats the cajun verson of a very small canoe.
I have made a bench rest for my back rack for long range shooting. For crow, And coyote calling I just cover the hole thing with a net. Then just sit down on the ground right up against it.
Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on January 28, 2003, 09:47 PM:
Locohead,
I love the undies thing but this woman is a bambi child and huntin ain't her bag. She has been a wonderful mom to my 3 kids and puts up with my huntin real well. NO complaints. I wish I could figer out how to post a photo of my "jeep" as my wife calls it. So you all could see how its set up. It works well and I never have to go back to the truck cause I forgot something.
Up here in the southwest part of Idaho it gets perty cold so I installed hand warmers, From snowmobiles, on my 660 and when I'm traveling from stand to stand I plug in the plugin charger for my e-caller so that its always charged and ready. Not all the ATV's have the 12 volt adaptor but mine does. I don't use my e-caller much, I still use the hand calls the most, old habbits die hard.
I also carry a first aid kit in an old fannypack, straped to the back rack, With: super glue to fix cuts, moleskin, bandaids of all sizes, iodine to clean wonds, fire starter just in case, emergency blanket, asprin and advil, a backpackers stove and small pot to heat water, tea, and 1 MRE(meal ready to eat) and a plethera of other junk that I hope I never need. Better to be safe than sorry. One more thing, I always carry a wool blanket in a big ziplock tied to that fannypack. some of the country that I hunt in, if you get in a bad way you may be there for a few days till help gets there. I want to tell the story not have it told by someone who found me that way.
I love to hunt but I want to come home after I'm done. some think I'm ceazy but thats why I have that 660 to pack all my crap around.
Safe huntin and keep your powder dry
Slydog
[ March 08, 2003, 12:25 AM: Message edited by: 20t-n-t ]
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on January 29, 2003, 07:23 AM:
Slydog, do you have that picture on your computer? If so, we can have you posting it in no time. I'd like to see it.
Got a question for you about hunting off your ATV. Do you walk very far from it to setup? I know that some guys worry about the coyotes hearing the vehicle, and some don't. I can't help but worry about it, as I've seen too many heading for the next county when they see my vehicle - I have to think they might be inclined to bug out just hearing it too. Anyway, I know "I" can hear my ATV from a LOT further away than I can hear my truck. This alone is the biggest reason I have not used my ATV more for calling. Maybe I'm just too worried about it?
- DAA
Posted by UTcaller (Member # 8) on January 29, 2003, 07:48 AM:
Slydog,Yes I use ATV's 90% of the time .They are a godsend for calling.Gets you back where people aren't willing to go(walk).I usually park the ATV and walk between 50 and 100 yards before I make a stand,pretty much the same as I would by stopping the truck and going to my stand.Only difference is I can get into some pretty remote areas.Has definitely increased my success quite a bit.Works really great for night calling too. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
GOOD HUNTING Chad.....
[ January 29, 2003, 07:50 AM: Message edited by: UTcaller ]
Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on January 29, 2003, 10:21 AM:
I'm with you Chad.
UTcaller, I have a scanner and can put any pic's in this thing , just can't get them out,,,LOL As far as hunting from my ATV goes, Yes I do and no I have never seen any diffrent reaction on the lands that I hunt. 60% private and the public lands that I hunt, you have to get off the beaten path and away from roads to have any success except in the early fall when the pups are commin in.
Slydog
Posted by Barry (Member # 34) on January 29, 2003, 07:38 PM:
Speaking of ATV's,I did a delivery Monday at Ft.Carson to the 10th spec-forces and they were training on Polaris 700's.About 50 of them were raising heck all over.Funny thing though,I did'nt see any gunracks.20t-n-t,You said your truck weighed 10,000lb,have you ever weighed your grizzly fully loaded?Also I saw on ATV-TV a muffler silencer device,has anyone got one of these and do they work?
Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on January 29, 2003, 11:00 PM:
Barry,
Yes, I have weighed it and it weighs 871lbs without my ass on it. I'm 6'2" tall and 242 lbs = 1,113lbs unless it rains, LOL....
Yes again,I have used the silencer on my 600grizzly and it works fine, may load up a little when cold. don't install it till your ATV's warmed up.. They don't have one for the 660 yet, but as soon as they do I'll have one for her.
They go on and off real easy. I think anything you can do to help get in quieter is a +
Its a good thing that I have'nt put the 660 on its side yet, I'll be like a turtle and have to have help to get back on her feet. Will get the 600 back from Snake River Yamaha friday. Its funny, I never seen one bounce that high before. but let me tell you, that one little wreck cost almost 1800.00 dollars to fix.
Slydog
Posted by moses man (Member # 76) on February 01, 2003, 08:31 PM:
I dont use a atv alot , although i did buy a new polaris 400 this year . sompthing i found you can do to quiet it down is take a piece of flex conduit 1 1/4 inch( metal ) run it from the muffler out put down to the ground . about 2 inches from the ground . this reduces the exhaust volume by about 50 % or more , and doesnt load the engine up at all . it works great .mostly all i hear now is the belt drive. the few times i have used mine for calling i just walked about 50 yrds from it and did fine. I will admit it gets you into some very isolated spots , and thats a good thing .
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on February 02, 2003, 08:54 AM:
I hunt 100% public land, and unfortunately, there just isn't anywhere I could get to on my ATV I'm not already getting in my truck. I was thinking more of the speed and saving wear and tear on the truck. I'll have to see about quieting mine down some this summer and try it next year.
- DAA
Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on February 02, 2003, 12:03 PM:
This is just my expiereance but I have a 600 and a 660, the 600 has the exaust silancer and the 660 does not. since I recked the 600 I've been using the 660 full time and my take has not droped at all. My thoughts are, coyotes hear cars and trucks all the time and as long as they are not threatened they pay them no mind. I too only go a few yards(50-75) from the ATV and have great success calling them in to my setups. One coyote came within 10 yards of the ATV as he circled me. I wish all of them did that, I only had to carry him 15 yards to load him up.
I do think that with cats (maybe just our mountain cats) they tend to be more shy of the sound of my ATV. I have found that when hunting cats I have to park and walk much further as to not spook my quarry.
My only problem with hunting public land off my ATV is that(like was mentioned before) there are not many places that cant be accessed by truck, therefor makeing my ATV accessable to others while I'm on stand. With all the crap I have on my ATV, this makes me nervous. As you all know, locks only keep the honest people out, so when I hunt public lands I tend to go lighter (not as much crap to tempt the wouldbe thief).
Back to the point I was makeing, I realy don't see that makeing your ATV quiet as a church mouse makes that much diffrance. Although I will add the silancer to the 660 for cat huntin.
The ATV will save time and money over useing your truck but when your 25 miles from your truck and your cold to the bone you will ask yourself what the hell am I doing this for. There it is ,the good, the bad and the rest is up to each person and what their needs are.
Thats my 10 cents
Hunt smarter
Slydog
Posted by John/Alaska (Member # 25) on February 02, 2003, 06:49 PM:
My old suzuki 4 whlr (thats Alaskan for ATV) is set up similiar to yours. I can stay a week out if I have too. I take the stuff that I think I might use or that will keep me comfortable and alive if I get stuck. I don't have hot grips on it as usually when the temps dropwe usually have snow and I use my sno go (which has hot grips) which is also set up for being out. Just can't haul as much with the sno go even though it sports a trap box and all unless I pull a sled. When chasing bou I do. I don't have to worry about leaving my 4 whlr and hiking back in and having someone mess with it. That here is a justifiable shooting situation if by chance any one is out there.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on February 03, 2003, 01:19 PM:
First of all, I tend to leave my truck wide open, maybe the doors open, but that's hardly an open invitation as my views closly resemble John's.
Secondly, my attitude is very much like DAA, I can get everywhere I need to get in my truck, or it isn't worth the hassle. Towing a 4 wheeler is a lot of trouble, and once you drive off in it, you really have to worry about the situations possible in paragraph #1.
Good hunting. LB
Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on February 03, 2003, 11:40 PM:
John and Leonard, I agree with both of you about respecting others privicy. Like I said above, that locks only keep honest people out. I never locked anything, house, truck, shop, garage, none of it till about 4 years ago when my shop was ransacked and most of my tools were stolen, then when I contacted my insurance to file a claim, it was refused because the shop was not locked. Well $14,800.00 later after I replaced all my tools I had ADT security wire me up. My wife says I'm to trusting. My point is that we are from a diffrent time. We think diffrent than alot of todays young people and we would never think of getting into another mans truck or messing with his things without permission. To me they are no diffrent than a horse thief and should be treated as such. To us words like, trust, honor, loyalty and duty are words that still mean a great deal, I have built my hole life around them. I would rather you trust me and hate my guts (to my face) than to like me but not trust me (behind my back)
Point in fact: Leonard has earned the respect and admiration of most of the people who know him and who post here, simply by being straight forward, honest and to the point. Those are hard qualitys to find today. I admire that and lean toward that type of person. That was the kind of men that I grew up around, most of witch are gone now and are sorely missed.
Thats one reason that I would rather hunt private ground, but then you have the problem of getting around on it. This is where the ATV comes in handy. I don't ride as recklass when I hunt alone for fear of what happened in paragraph #1 and hauling my ATV is not that much trouble when I think about where I can get to safely with it that no one can get to with a truck. here in Idaho you have to get away from the beaton path away from roads to get into coyotes in any number or right on the edge of town for the urban yotes and fox.
Well thats my dimes worth
Hunt smart be safe
Slydog
[ February 03, 2003, 11:45 PM: Message edited by: 20t-n-t ]
Posted by Barry (Member # 34) on February 05, 2003, 06:19 PM:
Is this thing working?Show us a picture of you on your 660 20t-n-t.
Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on February 05, 2003, 10:48 PM:
Barry , bare with me as I am learning how to do the photo thing or at least trying to learn. when I get this damn thing figered out you'll get tired of my face and DSP's(as my wife calls them).
soon Barry soon
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
Hunt smarter and Smote the Yote
20t-n-t
Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on February 05, 2003, 10:55 PM:
I'm still not sure how my thread made it through todays e-quake...
Leonard, do you know yet if they will save any of this new stuff or are we the New New Huntmasters ,,, LOL
Later
20t-n-t
Posted by Redrider (Member # 79) on February 14, 2003, 03:15 AM:
I am red on the head and an avid motorcycle rider and have been most of my life. (Get it "redrider") I used to roadrace and so did Moses Man. At the same track, but a little before my time. I did a little dirt racing and messenger service in Seattle, gotta be well rounded ya know. Anyone out there ever ride a dirt bike to hunt on? While it's quite obvious that you can haul only a fraction of what a quad can carry, I believe that is why some hunt out of a 22 foot trailer and others take a backpack far into the hills. Fords and Chevys I guess. Have you ever heard of a "poker run"? I used to get stuck behind big wads of tangled, stuck quads and would have to wait and wait, and we would usually help push, pull and drag, damn beasts anyways. Ever since those days I say they are big, evil dirt hippos. (disclaimer to all quad riders: that is just a joke ha ha!) I think of them as a "compact Jeep" only without the benefit of being street legal. Moses Man, wasnt your Samurai small enough to get wherever your quad could go? Couldn't carry any critters out on a bike without a big hassle thats for sure. Skin and go is an option though. Now remember kids, anything with more than two wheels has too many to begin with!!! I know of a lot of riding trails that are far too narrow for a quad to get through, we call quad trails "freeways" cause they are so dang wide. We use "BarkBusters" on all of our handlebars, I use the ttees to turn. I can't carry coolers and tool boxes, but I do carry enough spares in my backpack that in almost 20 years of trail riding I have never once broke bad enough to push it out, knock on wood. I know, I know, coyotes live in the desert where its open but dont stop me now I'm on a roll, or a rant or a sumthin..... Just another angle to ponder guys.
Happy shooting.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on March 10, 2003, 04:10 PM:
BTT per request
Posted by 187Coyote (Member # 158) on March 14, 2003, 07:59 PM:
Pictures boy!
Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on March 14, 2003, 10:01 PM:
BOY?
Slydog
Posted by Crow Woman (Member # 157) on March 15, 2003, 11:47 AM:
20t-n-t... I have a Yamaha 4x4 Wolverine. Do they make silencers for them? I looked at the Grizzleys but decided it was more than I needed so I went with the wolverine. I think it would help me out a great deal when it comes to going onto my fields at 3am to set up.
Crow Woman
Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on March 15, 2003, 12:46 PM:
Crow woman,
I'm not sure but I'll check into it for ya
ASAP>
Slydog
Posted by Crow Woman (Member # 157) on March 15, 2003, 01:03 PM:
Thank You 20t-n-t! Sure would appreciate it. When I had my old Polaris, they didn't have anything like that. You know how noisy two stroke engines are!!! Why I waking the Dead! Even though my Wolverine is much quieter by more than half, I would still like to have a little advantage by knocking down the noise level.
Crow Woman
Posted by 20t-n-t (Member # 46) on March 19, 2003, 12:25 PM:
Crow woman,
I spoke with the company about your ATV. Bad news, nothing yet but they are working on one that will fit most Yamahas with factory exaust systems. Should be out in July or August. They are going to e-mail me when they offer them.
Sorry, but I will let you know as soon as they contact me with relese date.
Sly
Posted by Crow Woman (Member # 157) on March 19, 2003, 05:44 PM:
Thank You ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I appreciate it!
Crow Woman
Posted by Krustyklimber (Member # 72) on March 19, 2003, 07:46 PM:
Crow Woman,
You can easily make your quad silencer with one part from a muffler shop and the rest from your local Pep Boys...
You need to have a muffler shop make a "sleeve" that fits over the outlet of your stock muffler, with a slot so it can be clamped tightly on... a piece of flex pipe will be connected to the sleeve and then to a muffler, which you mount under the rear rack... (Chevy Turbos are cheap)
On the outlet of the "back up" muff hook another piece of flex pipe, and run it down close to the ground (but not where snow or mud might clog it)...
This should cut the exhaust noise nearly in half (maybe better).
Now I wish my uncle still had his muffler shop... I'd go into making kits for quads.
I hope I explained this well enough for you to understand... but I know you're a smart gal, you'll figure it out!
Jeff 
[ March 19, 2003, 07:53 PM: Message edited by: Krustyklimber ]
Posted by Crow Woman (Member # 157) on March 20, 2003, 03:33 AM:
Thank You Krusty, I'll give it a shot and let you know how I made out
Crow Woman
Posted by Silverfox (Member # 118) on March 21, 2003, 01:20 PM:
Crow Woman--I don't know exactly what exhaust silencing system 20t-n-t is talking about but I heard about one called the ATV Stealth Muffler. You may want to visit one of the Web sites listed below and contact them to see if a system is available for your machine. They are not cheap!!! It looks like you would spend nearly $200 by the time you figure in shipping, etc.
http://www.highlifter.com/store/stealth.html
http://www.atvoutfitters.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/exhaust.htm?E+scstore
http://www.atvsilencer.com/
and I am sure there are many other Web sites you could find by typing in "Stealth Exhaust" or "Stealth Muffler" into the Search box of Mamma.com or other search engines. By the way, I understand that Google.com is owned and run by folks who are anti-gun. They apparently do not accept advertising from folks who link to pro-gun Web sites, so I'm no longer using Google.com and am encouraging pro-gun folks to boycott them too. You can still type in "gun related" searches and find information.
Posted by Doug (Member # 31) on March 26, 2003, 06:27 PM:
I thought you fellas might like to see my ATV....American made, 4 wheel drive, high ground clearance, largest towing capacity in it's class, absolutely crushes the competition.
Doug
Posted by Silverfox (Member # 118) on March 26, 2003, 09:36 PM:
Doug--your little
quote:
ATV....American made, 4 wheel drive, high ground clearance, largest towing capacity in it's class, absolutely crushes the competition.
could definitely use a camo paint job!! Nice rig!! You will definitely need a Stealth Exhaust kit on that baby
[ March 26, 2003, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: Silverfox ]
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