Elk hunt travel logistics

Bwht4x4

Bwht4x4

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I drew a premium elk tag this year in a huge unit and the groups of elk can be quite a ways apart. I need to stay as mobile as possible for this hunt. I'm trying to figure out a way to leave the trailer at home and still get my quad, two 150 quart ice chests and my hunting gear into my quad cab short bed Dodge ram 2500.

The main issue is the ice chests and getting them there and back. I've thought of various racks for the front the back and even one the quad can ride on to put the ice chests underneath. There are some cool racks i could buy but they're not cheap (Diamondback racks).

Anyone have ideas on making this happen?

Thanks
 
Did you give any thought to using a hitch hauler? You might not get two 150 quart ice chests on it but you should be able to get one of them on along with a smaller ice chest. I did this on my solo WY antelope hunt last year with my Chevy 2500 Duramax and it worked well for me. However, since I was solo I had to be careful the large ice chest wasn't too heavy to lift off by myself since you will need to remove the chests for your quad ramps to clear. I kept all my drinks and ice in the smaller chest that I could handle and reserved the larger chest for my game meat. If you absolutely need two 150 quart chests you might be able to put the second ice chest on the rack of your quad...

Horniac
 
Thanks Horniac.

I have a hitch hauler and will likely use it. I need to see if I can get a 150 qrt ice chest behind my front seats after I flip up the back seats. If I can't get a chest in there I'm going to have to bring the trailer I think.

The other option is to make a stand myself for the quad to sit on and then store the chests under it. Something like this: http://www.discountramps.com/haulall-atv-truck-rack.htm.

If I could, I'd like to not build one of these and come up with another way. I'll keep at it and see what I can come up with.
 
I just don't see a problem if you can put one 150 on hitch hauler why you cant put two on it. called stacking.Rachet straps work great. Maybe I am missing something?
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-21-13 AT 07:06AM (MST)[p] It sounds like you're worried about getting your gear to where you're hunting, but haven't given much thought for when you are headed home. If you are successful, then you will need even more room to haul gear and meat. A small inclosed trailer will keep your gear dry, and safe, locked up and out of sight, while you are out hunting. You don't have to drag it around with you. Leave it at camp, or in a convenient location, with a hitch lock, or chained to a tree. If the weather is bad, an inclosed trailer makes for a leak free sleeping and storage area.
 
>I just don't see a problem
>if you can put one
>150 on hitch hauler why
>you cant put two on
>it. called stacking.Rachet straps work
>great. Maybe I am missing
>something?

I have a TireGate (http://www.tiregate.com/hg-series/)in my hitch right now so my load rating is lower than the stock hitch. Nevertheless two ice chests with meat and ice would be close to 450 lbs. In addition, two ice chests stacked would be an odd load to strap down and I'd rather not risk the top one sliding off.
 
>LAST EDITED ON Jun-21-13
>AT 07:06?AM (MST)
>
> It sounds like you're worried
>about getting your gear to
>where you're hunting, but haven't
>given much thought for when
>you are headed home. If
>you are successful, then you
>will need even more room
>to haul gear and meat.
>A small inclosed trailer will
>keep your gear dry, and
>safe, locked up and out
>of sight, while you are
>out hunting. You don't
>have to drag it around
>with you. Leave it at
>camp, or in a convenient
>location, with a hitch lock,
>or chained to a tree.
>If the weather is bad,
>an inclosed trailer makes for
>a leak free sleeping and
>storage area.

I'm not sure your assessment is accurate. I have been thinking about how I'm going to get my meat home if I'm successful. In fact, I'm thinking about that more than other aspects of planning the trip. Not to mention, that's the purpose of my post...looking for ideas from the sharp MM members on any good ideas. Your assessment would only be valid if I went on the trip and then came on here and complained about having trouble getting all my meat home.

I do have an enclosed trailer, but the roads in the unit are rough, I want to be very mobile and not have to baby sit my trailer.

Thanks for the reply and the idea.
 
>Why do you need two 150
>qt coolers? One will hold
>a boned out elk. Is
>the other for the cape?
>

On my last elk we didn't bone it and easily filled up a 150 qt and a 100 qt. Even if boned I can see a mature bull filling a 150 qt to the point of not being able to put ice in it. Then it'd also be too heavy to lift.

Last night I tested my truck out and my 150 qt will fit behind the rear seats, which means I can fit the 100 qt on the hitch rack. This should be the best option. I'm also going to build a short platform out of square tubing and plywood for the quad to sit on in my bed so I can put additional items (e.g. folding chair, tent, water, misc gear) under the quad and not in the cab. I can strap the rack down to the quad.
 
>>I just don't see a problem
>>if you can put one
>>150 on hitch hauler why
>>you cant put two on
>>it. called stacking.Rachet straps work
>>great. Maybe I am missing
>>something?
>
>I have a TireGate (http://www.tiregate.com/hg-series/)in my
>hitch right now so my
>load rating is lower than
>the stock hitch. Nevertheless
>two ice chests with meat
>and ice would be close
>to 450 lbs. In
>addition, two ice chests stacked
>would be an odd load
>to strap down and I'd
>rather not risk the top
>one sliding off.

Yeah I agree with the top ice chest sliding off. Not what you want to see in your rearview mirror when your flying down the highway @ 70 mph! The lip around the hitch hauler prevents the lower level items from sliding off but I would be worried about anything stacked on top especially once it is loaded down. Rough roads seem to magnify the movement of all that stuff and create forces that tend to want to bend, break, and dislodge all your gear...

Horniac
 
I saw founder's and if he wasn't so far away I'd go look at it. I also can't tell if it's for a longbed truck. Mine's a shortbed.
 
Add says long bed...

I also wonder how much side-to-side whipsawing you get on rough roads with that high center of gravity?

Horniac
 
I agree on the swaying. I think it'd be like a cab over camper in the bed. My quad fully loaded is probably around 550 to 650 lbs and that much weight that high on a rough road doesn't sound good. I think I have it figured out and will end up going with the hitch rack for the 100 qrt and the 150 qrt behind the seats. I'll stuff the antlers inside or strapped them to the quad.

It'll be really nice making the 9 hour run without a trailer behind me too. Better mileage and speed. I'll be doing two scouting trips so I should be able to shake any weird things out.
 
One thing to consider if you are going to build a platform for your quad is that your ramps might then clear your ice chest on the hitch hauler. You might then be able to put your 150 quart chest on the back if you wanted to.

One other small consideration is the potential for dragging the bottom of the hitch hauler coming out of creek bottoms, ravines, etc. Also, my truck doesn't have a back-up camera and if yours doesn't either don't forget you have it on there when you are backing up!

Horniac
 
You really need a trailer for the bike. I had my 5x8 for my quad built custom with 2x6 rails on the side, you can strap ice chests down to these, the weight gets to be an issue on the trailer as far as balancing though.

The next time I go, I'm bringing a trailer for the bike, a double bike trailer if we need 2 quads. Then the heavy/bulky stuff goes in the truck bed. Its just a pain in the ass any other way you do it. That way you have room for the rack in your bed also instead of having to strap it to the bike.

We killed 2 bulls last year and could barely get each one deboned into a 150 quart ice chest and couldn't fit much ice. A 150 full of meat is hard for 2 grown men to lift without taking some of the meat out first, I'd guess close to 300 lbs.

Jed Clampet - 16 hours east on I-10- Soccoro to Houston - HA!
We had to stop and move the full ice chests inside the cab about an hour into it, all that weight behind the trailer axle was causing major trailer sway.

229846_10151282002202718_923037709_n.jpg
 
DoeKnob,

I don't want to speak for Bwht4x4 but I think he is looking for a way to do it without a trailer. It sounds like the roads in his unit are too rough to cart around a trailer and he basically wants to move around the unit with his truck being his base camp. He will then have the option to unload and use his quad on some of the rougher or brushed in two tracks so he doesn't trash his truck.

You guys have a nice set-up and did well in NM - congrats!

Horniac
 
>DoeKnob,
>
>I don't want to speak for
>Bwht4x4 but I think he
>is looking for a way
>to do it without a
>trailer. It sounds like the
>roads in his unit are
>too rough to cart around
>a trailer and he basically
>wants to move around the
>unit with his truck being
>his base camp. He will
>then have the option to
>unload and use his quad
>on some of the rougher
>or brushed in two
>tracks so he doesn't trash
>his truck.
>
>You guys have a nice set-up
>and did well in NM
>- congrats!
>
>Horniac

That is 100% correct Horniac. That is exactly what my plan is.

Besides the road beings rough, they are long. To go from one area to the next could be a 2 hour drive on dirt roads. I'm also planning on going lite weight and plan on car camping with my backpacking gear (except for my sleeping pad). Stove, tent....everything will be small and light weight so I can stuff it in to my truck. Fortunately it's just me going on this hunt.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-24-13 AT 11:32AM (MST)[p]I would highly recommend air bags for the rear when hauling loads like that. Especially, once you get a load of meat on that hitch rack. Maybe not a big deal for your 3/4 ton, though.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-24-13 AT 12:04PM (MST)[p]My meat comes home in two 120 qt coolers. One of which is always bought on location. Meat stays in those coolers after I get home and I then cut it up myself.

I take a 10' Lance and have a large hitch rack behind that, on an extension because of the camper. If you have a good frame mounted hitch, a hitch rack will work fine and will hold one of the 120 qt coolers and some other items. The 2nd 120 qt cooler would ride in the back seat.
I have a full size F350 CC so the layout is easier for me but I think a hitch rack would work for you and be a good investment. A welder friend built mine for about $125.

68121.jpg
 
I do have a hitch rack and plan on bringing that along for the trip to hold one of the two ice chests. Also, it would take a lot of weight on the hitch of my 3/4 ton to require air bags. I've put 2500 lbs of sand in the bed and it's never hit the rubber stops on the springs.
 

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