Your ideas to keep hunting in an era of rising fuel prices.

[Hunt-4-Life]

If you're at all like me, you kind of cringe when you pull pull your pickup up to the pump. It's getting more expensive to travel and that impacts us as hunters. Here's a few common sense ideas I've thought of to keep hunting in an era of expensive gas, post up your ideas as well.


-Don't road hunt. Pick a spot and hunt it thoroughly.

-Longer trips less often, 3 four day trips instead of 4 three day trips. Or 1 twelve day trip.

-truck-pool, more guys, one truck/trailer.*

[Mikey Rafiki]

I like to use my quad as much as possible even on the main forestry roads. My truck is a piece of crap so it keeps me from beating that up as well as saving gas. Plus I can quad from my back yard to a few nice places.

Also, there are a lot of great hunting spots off the main roads in some valleys, you don't have to get way back in the bush. A few of my favourite spots I park and hike from the numbered highways.

[Amphibious]

I hunt off a Honda 230cc dualsport motorcycle most of these days. I get 35ish km per liter cruising logging roads. it will go everywhere a quad will and much more. Packed out a few animals with it. very quiet. It's plated so I can ride it on paved roads too. It gets me where I want to hunt, then I pound ground from there.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Dualsport 200CC motorbike and tracker when I take the kid or someone else with me.

Truck only gets licensed for firewood and camping season.

SSS

[bighornbob]

Just picked up a quad so the fuel bill should be a lot cheaper and I wont wreck the new truck either. Can check out some spots closer to home, and also to drive those roads I know about but never wanted to take a truck down. BHB

[hare_assassin]

Last year I burned a lot of $$$ on the FSRs in my 5.7l Chevy.

I recently bought a few (6 to be precise) Honda CT70 trail bikes for my family and I to enjoy (cost me less than $2000 total). I'll be rigging one of them up with back and front racks, extra fuel tank, scabbard, etc. and using it to go more places for much, much less fuel cost. I've changed sprockets to get the gears really low for climbing and pulling. If I knock something down in the boonies I can roll it onto a tarp and drag it or motor back to the truck and grab the game cart (not purchased yet). Going to rig up a hitch for the game cart to the back of the bike.

The best part about the trail 70 is that I can almost throw the damn thing in the back of the truck, and it fits in under the canopy no problem (with room to spare for at least 2 deer and all other supplies, cooler, whatever). I can also lift it over any logs or other obstacles without issue, which makes it impossible to get stuck. It weighs 140 pounds! Reliable as anything out there, very quiet, and I can fix basically anything on the bike now that I have rebuilt 3 of them.

80 mpg!

Oh, and I am very seriously considering a full camo paint job, of course! :D

[Iron Glove]

Heck, I simply hunt from our Tulameen cabin, no need to go more than 20 or 30 km to hunt. :mrgreen:

[Ltbullken]

Buddy up, split costs. Use an ATV to get around your area. Know that most game like a specifc area, look for the prime habitat and hunt that area well.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Just picked up a quad so the fuel bill should be a lot cheaper and I wont wreck the new truck either. Can check out some spots closer to home, and also to drive those roads I know about but never wanted to take a truck down. BHB

New truck and new quad?? You should have had a few kids so I wouldn't be so jealous.

[fuzzybiscuit]

Hey Iron Glove, I shot some of my best bucks Quading from Tulameen. In the early nineties Pike was amazing!

[bighornbob]

New truck and new quad?? You should have had a few kids so I wouldn't be so jealous. If I had a few kids I wouldn't be driving the truck or the quad:) BHB

[Darksith]

I wish fuel was my biggest expense when hunting...if you gotta drive more than an hour to get to your spot, you should move!

[goinghunting]

you guys using the dual sport bikes how are you carrying your rifles on them? I've been contemplating pulling a small trailer with my quad on it behind the wife's car to make the trips more affordable or trading the quad off on a dual sport bike?

[hare_assassin]

you guys using the dual sport bikes how are you carrying your rifles on them? I've been contemplating pulling a small trailer with my quad on it behind the wife's car to make the trips more affordable or trading the quad off on a dual sport bike?

Still working on that one, but I think the solution will be as simple as buying a Kolpin Gun Boot and bolting it to the frame. The other rifle will be slung on my back.

[adriaticum]

Take a bus to work and save the money for hunting :)

[Moe.JKU]

I just get a second job during the off season, helps bank lots of money for hunting/fishing season.

[lip_ripper00]

befreind some rich hunters who don't worry about expences.:mrgreen::mrgreen:

[shadow1982]

Take a bus to work and save the money for hunting :)

I dont know if you were trying to be funny or not.. but i actually do this.. lol

[swampdonkey]

Hey Iron Glove, I shot some of my best bucks Quading from Tulameen. In the early nineties Pike was amazing!
Did you ever camp in the meadow at 20 km on pike. Late 80's where good to

[russm]

I want to get a tracker once I sell my car, anyone wanna buy a car ;) lol

[russm]

I've also got a little 140cc four stroke dirt bike that's going to be seeing a lot of hunting this year

[Moe.JKU]

You know the 2.5l 4cyl jeeps are pretty well the same on gas as a tracker as well. Just another option. And i know guys that get goo mpg with them lifted and with 33's

[squamishhunter]

Honda 450r gets me anywhere I want fast @ $10/tank. I find gas costs to be a good motivator to just get out and walk, its better all-around too.

[Amphibious]

you guys using the dual sport bikes how are you carrying your rifles on them? I've been contemplating pulling a small trailer with my quad on it behind the wife's car to make the trips more affordable or trading the quad off on a dual sport bike?

Sling the rifle across your back. I tried boots, Handlebar racks, etc. If you ever go down, it's going to be hard to keep that rifle from getting smacked around. I found the kolpin boot just to big and clumsy. Backpack gets lashed to the rear rack, rifle across my back, Simple. I'll try an take some pics tonight of my rig. I'm running the cycleracks.com system. They are a pair of hunters that started making rack to pack out elk quarters. Great company/guys to deal with.

One thing to remember is a Roostgaurd and a Helmet. Just because you're poking around slowly on a logging road doesn't mean you're not going down. hitting a rut and going over while you're staring into a roadside cutblock for Mr. Swampdonkey could easily end up a deadly. Alone, Remote, open pnumothorax when you land on a sharp twig. nasty.

Using a Bike over a quad takes a lot more skill and awareness. The rewards are far greater though.

[.300WSMImpact!]

http://www.eberlestock.com/M5HT%20gun%20and%20bow%20sm.jpg

[.300WSMImpact!]

I personally like this pack for a dual sport

[Gun Dog]

The fuel economy on my quad is no better than my 1/2T pickup (5L, auto). My friend's Jeep (4L, auto) wasn't any better either. They're all around 20L/100km. Some of the Honda quads do a lot better since they have a 4 speed auto instead of a CVT. My Samurai (1.3L, 4-speed) did pretty good too. I thnk the old Tracker/Sidekicks & Samurais are still the cheapest way to get around hunting.

[squamishhunter]

What's the brand of those packs?

[Moe.JKU]

The fuel economy on my quad is no better than my 1/2T pickup (5L, auto). My friend's Jeep (4L, auto) wasn't any better either. They're all around 20L/100km. Some of the Honda quads do a lot better since they have a 4 speed auto instead of a CVT. My Samurai (1.3L, 4-speed) did pretty good too. I thnk the old Tracker/Sidekicks & Samurais are still the cheapest way to get around hunting.
Yeah the 4L ones suck i was talking about the 4cyl its a 2.5L i believe and they are great on gas. Even my new 4 door is only 12.7L/100km not to bad but not great either. Now when I tow my friends 18ft boat its around 23L/100km. So i can only imagine with two moose on a trailer is going to get like.
But walking around is the best way to do it i find. Drive to basecamp and then set up and either spike out or just do day trips out in scouting areas.

[tuffteddyb]

Load the samuria in the back of the truck and get close to main spot and go hunting.
My sami's so friggin slow on the hiway takes forever to get anywhere,top speed wound right out is 80KMH.

[Fred1]

Fuel economy... Driving a Suzuki will not make you a better hunter. :) When I go hunting (day trips), I plan on hunting the WHOLE day - all the daylight and then some. I maximize the drive. Drive your Hummer or whatever to where you want to hunt. Get out of the wagon and walk, hike, crawl the landscape. Spend the day doing it. Get to know it. Recce your areas! Some of the best and most productive hunting grounds are literally right out your back door! You just have to quit being a "road hunter". Fuel prices are always going to suck... Dont let that curb your hunting addiction - just hunt smarter! :)

[.300WSMImpact!]

What's the brand of those packs?

eberlestock, I love it but dont own it lol, but I have my eye on it, $299 online plus delivery or $360 in stores plus tax of course

[Hunt-4-Life]

Lots of good ideas, I would add that guys often think lots about the latest greatest rifle/scope/gadget that's out there, but save and budget for the fuel of a big trip like you would save for a new rifle. Use trusty rusty and save for the fuel.

And don't have kids ;)

[fuzzybiscuit]

Originally posted by swampdonkey;

"Did you ever camp in the meadow at 20 km on pike."


I camped there up until the late nineties. I haven't been on Pike now for over ten years.

[604redneck]

I use my tracker lots and it keeps the price a bit lower

[Stone Sheep Steve]

eberlestock, I love it but dont own it lol, but I have my eye on it, $299 online plus delivery or $360 in stores plus tax of course

That's what I use on my motorbike as well. Works good enough for me.

SSS

[dana]

I find hunting is pretty darn cheap when you just walk right from your front door. :)

[squamishhunter]

eberlestock, I love it but dont own it lol, but I have my eye on it, $299 online plus delivery or $360 in stores plus tax of course


Yeah I've got my eye on a scabbard of that style, thanks for the info

[squamishhunter]

Lots of good ideas, I would add that guys often think lots about the latest greatest rifle/scope/gadget that's out there, but save and budget for the fuel of a big trip like you would save for a new rifle. Use trusty rusty and save for the fuel.

And don't have kids ;)

Yeah if you inheret your guns, hand load with your dad, and split gas, its not bad haha

[sparkes3]

samurai for this season

[Hunt-4-Life]

If that's the case you're lucky Dana, pretty tough to do for most guys.

[Hunt-4-Life]

Does anyone hunt off a mountain bike?

[Peter Pepper]

Does anyone hunt off a mountain bike?

Ya, I plan to this fall. Shotgun only zone. Boneless method, or quarter it. Did fine last year in same area on foot, but dragging a deer (even and island deer) out to the truck sucks. I'll hunt uphill, then coast down to the truck with a load of meat in my pack. Hell maybe even buy a used bike baby trailer thing and pack out with that. Wait for the mtn bikers to look in "oh you brought your baby out how sweet (glance in) oh my god! you killed bambie!!

[dana]

Instead of buying high priced outdoor clothing from hunting stores, shop at Value Village and other thrift stores to buy your outdoor clothing for a fraction of the price.

Instead of buying new outdoor gear from the outdoor stores and hunting stores, look for smoking deals from the likes of the Buy and Sell and garage sales.

[rocksteady]

Hunt closer to home...

In most communities (Cranny, Penticton, Kimberley, etc) that are having deer problems in town, hunt the "interface".... I do most of my hunting within a 30 minute drive of home. Driving for 3 hours to get to a hunting area does not fit into my budget....

Stay close and hunt it hard... They are there....

I have seen several B&C bucks in the rural Cranny area... They will go onto Crown eventually.... Plus, they are pretty tasty, after feasting on manicured lawns, gardens and flower beds in town all year...

[Gun Dog]

I find hunting is pretty darn cheap when you just walk right from your front door. :)
Now that's a humble brag.

Living in the lower mainland it's "no discharge of firearms" for an hour around my house and a crowded wilderness within three hours.

[ElectricDyck]

I guess it all depends on your standard of hunting. I stopped taking as many day trips, which prove costly living in the lower mainland. I started focusing on one 2 week hunt and a couple weekends rather than one 1 week hunt and ten day trips. I yearn for the calm, scenery and remotness of hunting northern bc so, it's a blessing in disguise. Gas money is less, success rate higher and gratification priceless:-D

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd75/ElectricDyck/IMG_0939.jpg

[.300WSMImpact!]

I guess it all depends on your standard of hunting. I stopped taking as many day trips, which prove costly living in the lower mainland. I started focusing on one 2 week hunt and a couple weekends rather than one 1 week hunt and ten day trips. I yearn for the calm, scenery and remotness of hunting northern bc so, it's a blessing in disguise. Gas money is less, success rate higher and gratification priceless:-D

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd75/ElectricDyck/IMG_0939.jpg


nice picture love the view, I hope to be on top a few times this year!!

[ElectricDyck]

It's worth the sweat! We hiked up that 750m slope twice for that billy we shot...sweat hours are free! It's amazing where you can get to with a little tenacity and taste for adventure!

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd75/ElectricDyck/IMG_0880.jpg

[hunter1947]

If you have a quad use it as much as you can this will save big time on your gas bill ,,also share your coast for fuel if you take someone else.

[decker9]

I find hunting is pretty darn cheap when you just walk right from your front door. :)

X2 pretty much all my moose hunting is from my patio lol

[boxhitch]

Turn single day trips into 1 1/2. Stay over night and hunt the morning before heading home. Not much difference , you are just going to sleep the night at home anyway.
Gives a second chance at something spotted late the first day.

[dana]

Now that's a humble brag.

Living in the lower mainland it's "no discharge of firearms" for an hour around my house and a crowded wilderness within three hours.

The point I was making is if hunting is important to ya, then move to where the hunting is. Live the rat race in the Big Smoke and bitch and complain about how expensive hunting is or live the simple life in the Interior and hunt/scout/camp/fish/enjoy the outdoors year round at very little cost. It is a matter of priorities. Tons of small towns accross the Interior where housing is affordable and you can litterly walk out your front door and be hunting.

[Wrayzer]

Stay local for the elusive game most people drive hundred and hundreds of Klicks for.

[604redneck]

I wish fuel was my biggest expense when hunting...if you gotta drive more than an hour to get to your spot, you should move!
This is how i feel....if money is a big object and you live in the lower mainland and want to hunt moose in region 6 maybe u should move to pg so u have a shorter drive, otherwise hunt blacktails, bears, and waterfowl.

[604redneck]

Fuel economy... Driving a Suzuki will not make you a better hunter. :) When I go hunting (day trips), I plan on hunting the WHOLE day - all the daylight and then some. I maximize the drive. Drive your Hummer or whatever to where you want to hunt. Get out of the wagon and walk, hike, crawl the landscape. Spend the day doing it. Get to know it. Recce your areas! Some of the best and most productive hunting grounds are literally right out your back door! You just have to quit being a "road hunter". Fuel prices are always going to suck... Dont let that curb your hunting addiction - just hunt smarter! :)Still rather drive my tracker 15 mins to my spot then my diesel. If i do that all season i probably save a few hundred $$$.

[fuzzybiscuit]

If a guy chooses to live where the big money is then fuel to drive where good hunting can be had should not be a problem.

[andrewscag]

Does anyone hunt off a mountain bike?

Yup. Went out for bear this year on a bike for the first time when my truck went down. Absolutely loved it. Best of both worlds IMO as far as covering road ground and being quiet goes. I just made sure not to get more than an hours ride from my car. After I fired, I flagged the location then rode back to the car while the bear passed away peacefully. Then drove back to field dress and drove back to camp to skin. Now that I have a 4x4 again, I'm planning to make bike hunting part of most of my future hunts. Picked up a hitch mounted bike rack at a garage sale for $10. Nice to start my hike without spooking everything that's right at the start of the trail and a great way to scout new areas. You see way more at that speed and without a floor. I'm sold

[ElectricDyck]

If a guy chooses to live where the big money is then fuel to drive where good hunting can be had should not be a problem.

That's how I feel when I spend big bucks to drive to the rockies, my favorite hunting destination. My wife and I make higher wages in the lower mainland than we would anywhere else in bc and have green grass all year. We talked of moving but decided we'd do better finacially here with less snow and would just make our vacations count.

[ElectricDyck]

Yup. Went out for bear this year on a bike for the first time when my truck went down. Absolutely loved it. Best of both worlds IMO as far as covering road ground and being quiet goes. I just made sure not to get more than an hours ride from my car. After I fired, I flagged the location then rode back to the car while the bear passed away peacefully. Then drove back to field dress and drove back to camp to skin. Now that I have a 4x4 again, I'm planning to make bike hunting part of most of my future hunts. Picked up a hitch mounted bike rack at a garage sale for $10. Nice to start my hike without spooking everything that's right at the start of the trail and a great way to scout new areas. You see way more at that speed and without a floor. I'm sold

We also tried the mountain bike hunting this year...hard on the ass if you aren't used to it, but definitely more appealing than rattling around in the truck all day and you can cover a ton of ground for bear hunting. With some biker shorts, a rack and a coouple saddle bags it would be awesome.

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd75/ElectricDyck/Pitt%20River%20Weekend%202013%20Jason%20Jerry%20Je ff/DSCN0422-Copy-Copy.jpg

[tuffteddyb]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/shades_of_green/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Fred1http://huntingbc.ca/forum/images/shades_of_green/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=1352363#post1352363)Fuel economy... Driving a Suzuki will not make you a better hunter. :smile: When I go hunting (day trips), I plan on hunting the WHOLE day - all the daylight and then some. I maximize the drive. Drive your Hummer or whatever to where you want to hunt. Get out of the wagon and walk, hike, crawl the landscape. Spend the day doing it. Get to know it. Recce your areas! Some of the best and most productive hunting grounds are literally right out your back door! You just have to quit being a "road hunter". Fuel prices are always going to suck... Dont let that curb your hunting addiction - just hunt smarter!


Pretty tough to do when your wife has a bad knees and cant go downhill hardlly at all,and loves too hunt.
My hips are getting shot,and if they do their thing i laying in a heap..So we go out back in our lil suzuki and put around looking for new areas,if find a really
promising spot,we will wait and watch.Got to bekinda carefull when we get something so we can get close enough to retrieve it.
Not the greatest way too hunt,but works for us.

[chinooker]

Stay in the southern half of the province where you belong and save the hunting for the people who live in the north because hunting is not just a hobby! Lol

[Singleshotneeded]

yeah, use a quad to prowl around...

[Moose63]

samurai for this season

Ditto, great gas mileage.....

[Redneck Rocket]

I run my truck on waste vegetable oil.

[itsy bitsy xj]

I have a jeep yj on 33's thats ok on fuel and just bought a polaris 6x6, some times I'll take my 2 wd work truck just because it has a power tailgate so loading any game is real easy and I've used my dads dodge diesel with the early cummins

[hunterdon]

Where there's water.......Canoe. Where there's dirt roads......bicycle. Where there's not.......on foot. Quiet and keeps a guy fit.

[Hodaka]

Don't overlook an older Subaru. Good mileage, AWD in some and true 4WD in the Loyale and the previous models. Cheap to fix, and lots of space inside. I picked up a 1994 Legacy wagon with just under 400,000 KM on the clock for a little over $1k, replaced the struts with Outback struts for 2" more clearance, then scored a set of Outback wheels/tires cheap for another 2". I don't have low range, but have tackled some fairly steep deactivated logging roads just fine - even after snow hit. Fold the seats down in back, and you've got a pretty good size space for your game, or set up a roof rack and sleep inside.

[Cedarstrip]

Still working on that one, but I think the solution will be as simple as buying a Kolpin Gun Boot and bolting it to the frame. The other rifle will be slung on my back.
Don't have a picture handy, but I ride a CT110 when hunting. (Cheap as Borscht to run! Can run around in the bush for a week on about 3 gallons of gas) I've mounted a Kolpin case to a very simple custom made bracket which detaches from the rear rack. Works great! Keeps gun clean and safe.

[mungojeerie]

A buddys friend just told me he has a lot of trips planned, biggest cost of course is fuel. Hes stockpiling fuel. Driving a van with a huge tank across the border, filling up, coming back and siphoning lol.

I said, why dont you just buy a used tidy tank?... he said,because thats money spent.

[jbruce]

it used to be, booze, gas then food.now it's the damn ferries then gas then food, beers still cheap.

[Neff]

I pretty much quit golfing so there are funds for the more important addictions.