MY BUDDIE HAS THE BEST RIG! He has an older Mazda 4x4 pickup it get 30 + milels per gal. and is light. Lots of power hard to get stuck. Plenty of room also for dogs and guns and gear.He put an alum tool box in the back for all our gear and guns plus med. cooler and dog boxes. He put a cargo rack on top to tie all of our pheasants and grouse on to it. it looks cool driving down the highway with birds on top on his rig.
Ideal bird hunting rig?
- Thread starter pfc1966
- Start date
kansasbrittany
Banned
With the exception of space, this probably is the ideal bird hunting rig. It is very tough to get a Mazda 4x4 stuck and you can't beat the gas mileage. I like my space though.
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My ford focus does pretty well, at least on the gas part. I have not yet gotten it stuck and taken it through some deep mud and deep snow. It's not bad until it gets warms and cools and the snow gets slick. Had to knock the snow out from under the axle once, but this manual transmission helps for about everything else.
beaker
New member
1996 Toyota Landcruiser (stock, no modifications)- purchased used and saved a ton of $$$ by buying used
2 people, 3 dog crates enough gear for a four day bird hunt or a week long camping trip, been an absolute beast- 4x4 w/locking differentials and 16+mpg
hitch rack for extra gas and cooler, roof rack for extra gear, going to build a slide out drawer for the guns and miscellaneous stuff
great rig for just about any road conditons
2 people, 3 dog crates enough gear for a four day bird hunt or a week long camping trip, been an absolute beast- 4x4 w/locking differentials and 16+mpg
hitch rack for extra gas and cooler, roof rack for extra gear, going to build a slide out drawer for the guns and miscellaneous stuff
great rig for just about any road conditons
kiotehntr
Super Moderator
I traded in my 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4x4 with the Hemi and upgraded to a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport Crew Cab 4x4 with the Hemi. It has a ton more room than my quad cab had and stock it's pushing 390hp. I put a 2.5" Level kit on it and I'm currently running 295/65/20 Nitto Terra Grapplers and they eat the mud and sand. I don't think that I'm going to have much problem getting around this coming season. Plenty of room for dog crates and 4 men with all the gear, and it does pretty darn good on gas!
cheesy
Well-known member
We all run either ext cab or crew cab 1/2 ton Z71's. A ton of room for 2 people up front, gear in back seat, coolers and extra totes in bed, and homebuilt dog box in the back for 2 dogs. With the crew cab can go to 4 people comfortably, can go to 5 if all the gear goes in the bed. Have never added camper tops, but that would make the evenings easier by not having to haul everything into the room, but the convenience/accessibility of not having a camper top is worth it to me.
kansasbrittany
Banned
Congratulations!! That's a very nice rig. 411hp is impressive.
BritChaser
Well-known member
Great Rig
That's a great set up you have with diesel pickup and the pop top camper. What is the head room in the camper? I ask because I am 6'2".
This is about as good as I've had.
I first put this camper on a Z71 1500.
Didn't like the travel, truck was to light. Back end heavy tough in the wind.
This is the 2nd 2500 HD diesel. You don't hardly know the camper is back there. Cruise down the interstate at 80 if you want. Get 16-17 mpg for the entire trip.
You need a high center rig out West.
In the pic I have dug out a little ground to lower the back end for convenience. Especially if I plan to stay in one place for a while.
Incidentally, over the years I have spent around 400 nights in the camper. I think it's great.
That's a great set up you have with diesel pickup and the pop top camper. What is the head room in the camper? I ask because I am 6'2".
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BritChaser
Well-known member
Fast Rig
No one will beat you to a field.
I just ordered one of these. I plan to put a topper on it for the dogs. I don't know if you can beat this for ultimate pheasant hunting rig. 411hp Ford Raptor,
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No one will beat you to a field.
BritChaser
Well-known member
S-10 Blazer Still Going
A '98 S-10 Blazer I picked up in '05 is my huntin' rig. It had 90k miles then and 205k now. I just put in a new tranny that GM is warrantying for three years or 100k, so I expect to keep driving her for at least another three years. Everything works, the back holds a crate for the dog, so I'm good with it. Push button 4x4 is so nice when needed.
A '98 S-10 Blazer I picked up in '05 is my huntin' rig. It had 90k miles then and 205k now. I just put in a new tranny that GM is warrantying for three years or 100k, so I expect to keep driving her for at least another three years. Everything works, the back holds a crate for the dog, so I'm good with it. Push button 4x4 is so nice when needed.
mnmthunting
Banned
BC, one thing about the pop up it goes higher then the conventional campers.
I will measure.
I'm guessing it has 6'6" clearance. I'm 6 3 and have several inches above me. Some other features is the room above the cab, nice stretch out area with room above you.
The canvas is pretty tight also opens with screen. -20 was the coldest I've been in with it. You don't want to run out of propane.
I will measure.
I'm guessing it has 6'6" clearance. I'm 6 3 and have several inches above me. Some other features is the room above the cab, nice stretch out area with room above you.
The canvas is pretty tight also opens with screen. -20 was the coldest I've been in with it. You don't want to run out of propane.
mnmthunting
Banned
BC, 6' 8" ceiling height.
RoosterTim
New member
I agree with you on this one. My 2005 F-150 has only gotten me stuck once and I had no business being on that road. It has plenty of room with the crew cab model for four hunters and the gas mileage is not that bad. On long drives out west you are comfortable and it rides very nice. I get about 15-18 mpg depending on how hard I push it. It by far is the best truck I have owned. 115000 miles and I have done nothing but replace the brakes and plugs. Great Truck.
Ideal rig
No matter what I have something else looks better. But the problem my bunch got into was having more dogs than brains, (10) and still wanting to haul them and everything we own. But, the weather varies so much you need to be prepared. Our dilema was hunting out of this Chevy with a camper top. We could build the pens deeper but we still only could get 2 doors at the end to let them out. And it is pretty hard to get the rest of them to not charge the door when you open it. Letting one or two out at a time was a hassle. So, I built the trailer which hauls 5, each with an individual door. 2 doors on each side and one on the back end. Then I included planty of room for storage and a place for 27 gallon water tank and ice cooler. In the truck bed under the camper I built a rail system and frame to set my boxes on. We can let the two end dogs out or roll the boxes out and let out either side with a sliding door. On top of the boxes I built a shallow wooden box to hold extra shells, gun, etc.. So far, no complaints. And it is great being able to let out each individual dog, except one box holds two of the easiest to control if we take all ten. If the weather is really bad and we don't want to pull the trailer around the fields we can disconnect and lock up everything and split the dogs. We can even put them all under the top if it isn't for too many hours, they get pretty cramped. Some are Brittanies so they aren't big dogs.
No matter what I have something else looks better. But the problem my bunch got into was having more dogs than brains, (10) and still wanting to haul them and everything we own. But, the weather varies so much you need to be prepared. Our dilema was hunting out of this Chevy with a camper top. We could build the pens deeper but we still only could get 2 doors at the end to let them out. And it is pretty hard to get the rest of them to not charge the door when you open it. Letting one or two out at a time was a hassle. So, I built the trailer which hauls 5, each with an individual door. 2 doors on each side and one on the back end. Then I included planty of room for storage and a place for 27 gallon water tank and ice cooler. In the truck bed under the camper I built a rail system and frame to set my boxes on. We can let the two end dogs out or roll the boxes out and let out either side with a sliding door. On top of the boxes I built a shallow wooden box to hold extra shells, gun, etc.. So far, no complaints. And it is great being able to let out each individual dog, except one box holds two of the easiest to control if we take all ten. If the weather is really bad and we don't want to pull the trailer around the fields we can disconnect and lock up everything and split the dogs. We can even put them all under the top if it isn't for too many hours, they get pretty cramped. Some are Brittanies so they aren't big dogs.
I'm still playing with set ups but as said first and for most are tires and limited slip/locking difs. i drove my truck with street tires on it in a muddy field and pulled out a stuck 4x4 truck with mud tires. i was spinning four he was spinning two. we use my truck as the chase truck it has track locks front/rear and mud tires i pull out the 4x4 guide buss all the time.
waynemorgan
New member
this is texas bird rig