Recently I was introduced to ATV riding for recreational use. It was quite a bit of fun, and exhilarating. I was lucky enough to be introduced to ATV riding at a park close to the Air Force base in Goldsboro, NC. The trails were amazing, the on-site mechanic, helped my buddy fix a small problem before riding and we were set. I had never really gone off-roading unless you count going 4x4ing in the sands at the beach going off road. After seeing the ATV I was riding go through mud pits, climb giant dunes, and just cruise along on the paths, I saw great potential taking an ATV hunting in the middle of great farm land I plan to hit up in a few weeks. Before I just run off with the ATV I had purchased, there are a few tweaks I need to do, just for the hunting part of things.
Camouflage Your Ride
My ATV is a nice hunter green, so the issue with red, blue fenders isn’t an issue for me. However, if you do have an ATV with those bright colors, have no fear there is a solution for you. Most vehicle wrap/graphics locations offer many different designs to wrap the plastic with at reasonable prices. I called around, and the highest price I was quoted was right around the $300 price range, but could have been as low as $150. Calling around will be your best bet to find the lowest price here.
Silencing the Muffler
The easiest way to scare away any game you might be looking for is to have a loud muffler. This isn’t a motorcycle, so silence is the best bet here. Most popular ATV brands offer quieter mufflers around $200.
Securing Gear
Racks will vary on each quad, but securing your gear can just save someone’s life. You can get hard rifle cases mounted onto the racks, or even in sheaths. I still recommend riding with a firearm unloaded, due to the jostling and rustling around you may encounter on the ride.
ATV Trailers
Carrying the ATV from place to place might be difficult if you have more than one or two. My ATV fits just snuggly in the back of my truck, but leaves no room for any deer I might score. So I went looking for simple utility trailers. I found an unassembled one from Harbor Freight for about $250 with coupon. This left room for my ATV in the trailer, and a nice buck in the bed of the truck…or vice versa depending on the weight of the deer. I did a little reinforcement on the trailer with thicker wood across the floor of the trailer. I saw quite a few of options on craigslist, and custom options. Now I didn’t see these options before hand, but they might be a great option for you in the future.
ATV’s can be quite a lot of fun, and when properly accessorized they can be great tools to being successful in hunting, especially for those of us not looking to carrying a deer miles back to camp.
