Jeeps & Hunting

S.McArthur

S.McArthur

TJ Addict
Original poster
Supporting Member
Joined
May 31, 2018
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1,422
Location
Greenbrier, TN
I'm sure there are some avid hunters on here, as for me, I'm a bow hunter. After years in the Army, I don't care to shoot animals with rifles, just doesn't seem to give the animals a fair chance; unless it's turkeys and shotguns, now that's fun.
Anyway, I didn't want to put this in the tech/general TJ section, but need to ask...how do you set up your Jeep for hunting? I was going to get a hitch rack for deer, seems to be the only way to get a deer loaded; is there a better way to carry a deer?
I'd like to cover the deer; I know, I know. "It's my right and I don't have to hide it from the world", yet I feel it's respectable to the animal and avoids any more negative assumptions about the hunting community if I don't parade the carcass around town. A tarp seems obvious but would get annoying. The good news is that camo is a fashion statement where I live, so it's not a big deal to show off the kill.
I'm debating getting a small winch (1000/1500lb) to mount (temporary) to the rear roll bar to help load the deer, but if the rack would sit low enough that it wouldn't be too hard getting the deer onto it. Anyone know the load capability of the rear crossbar?
As you can see, turkey fit just fine in the Jeep!
20180415_073435[1].webp
20180422_093308[1].webp
 
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The reason I bought my first Jeep (1944 flattie) back in 1973 was for hunting, and all the Jeeps I have bought since then.
The only place I have found to put a Buck is in the back of the Jeep....and that can be difficult at times depending on how big your Buck is, plus I have a box in the back where I store all the things I might need. Put a rack on top of the box to tie things to. For where I hunt with the terrain, a low rack in the hitch wouldn't work as it would drag in a lot of places.
CIMG6288.webp
 
Since I started using the nimble Suzuki Samurai for Deer hunting, I made a rack that comes out of the hitch and goes up a little ways so it doesn't drag.
DSCN2011.webp
 
Being an avid hunter and owning a wrangler go hand in hand, just does.

I too MUCH prefer archery, actually have taken twice as many deer and a few Turkey's " luck " with my bow.

I keep the back seat out and carry a tarp to and wrap the game to avoid a mess....works great.
Much bigger than a whitetail may pose a problem though.
 
Through at least the 60s they would hang the best in the town square. If you didn;t have a pickup, the dear would be on the hood. I guess that was when people actually ate what they killed. I even had deer skin gloves a couple of times.
We cut all the meat from the bone, then into thin steaks. The local grocery store had a butcher who would mix in some fat into the meat not suitable for steaks for burger.
I haven't hunted since my dad decided he was too old, but I have tested getting the jeep on the very steep hill behind my house, and am tempted to get a license this year.
 
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xackley said:
Through at least the 60s they would hang the best in the town square. If you didn;t have a pickup, the dear would be on the hood. I guess that was when people actually ate what they killed. I even had deer skin gloves a couple of times.
We cut all the meat from the bone, then into thin steaks. The local grocery store had a butcher who would mix in some fat into the meat not suitable for steaks for burger.
I haven't hunted since my dad decided he was too old, but I have tested getting the jeep on the very steep hill behind my house, and am tempted to get a license this year.
Click to expand...
We still eat what we kill.....if not....why hunt? On the hood?? Wonder how that tasted after all the engine heat backing that deer with the hide still on it? I know....I know....that's what some of them did back then......just could never understand it.
The grocery store around here still does cut up your game and add beef fat in it if you wanted it added.
 
lowranger said:
We still eat what we kill.....if not....why hunt? On the hood?? Wonder how that tasted after all the engine heat backing that deer with the hide still on it? I know....I know....that's what some of them did back then......just could never understand it.
The grocery store around here still does cut up your game and add beef fat in it if you wanted it added.
Click to expand...
Half an hour or less to home in 20 or 30 degree weather never did any harm.
 
lowranger said:
Our archery season starts this coming weekend.
Click to expand...
A zone is sooo early. Hot as well. Not archery hunting CA this yr. Gonna take my daughter up for rifle, her first year so she is pretty excited. We are doing 10 days in ID this year. Already have deer and elk tags in hand :D
 
lowranger said:
The reason I bought my first Jeep (1944 flattie) back in 1973 was for hunting, and all the Jeeps I have bought since then.
The only place I have found to put a Buck is in the back of the Jeep....and that can be difficult at times depending on how big your Buck is, plus I have a box in the back where I store all the things I might need. Put a rack on top of the box to tie things to. For where I hunt with the terrain, a low rack in the hitch wouldn't work as it would drag in a lot of places.
Click to expand...
The rack dragging the ground is one of my concerns, and if I'm picking a deer up to put in the back seat, might as well drive my truck. Might be able to use my winch idea to get it in the back, that would appear to be easier than setting up a system in the truck. Here in TN, the deer do not get too large, still big enough to injure a back.

lowranger said:
Since I started using the nimble Suzuki Samurai for Deer hunting, I made a rack that comes out of the hitch and goes up a little ways so it doesn't drag.
Click to expand...
That's a good idea, but being at that height it has to be a pain to get in there. That's a cool little samurai!

xackley said:
Through at least the 60s they would hang the best in the town square. If you didn;t have a pickup, the dear would be on the hood. I guess that was when people actually ate what they killed. I even had deer skin gloves a couple of times.
We cut all the meat from the bone, then into thin steaks. The local grocery store had a butcher who would mix in some fat into the meat not suitable for steaks for burger.
I haven't hunted since my dad decided he was too old, but I have tested getting the jeep on the very steep hill behind my house, and am tempted to get a license this year.
Click to expand...
I will only take at most 2-3 deer a year to "feed" a family of three. We eat pretty well throughout the year on these government goats; no one else touches the deer, I process everything myself. I'll even stick a few squirrels while in the stand, a squirrel is one of my favorite game animals. Times have changed and unfortunately, a bloody deer across the hood is not "normal" to this new soft generation.

Bird said:
Being an avid hunter and owning a wrangler go hand in hand, just does.

I too MUCH prefer archery, actually have taken twice as many deer and a few Turkey's " luck " with my bow.

I keep the back seat out and carry a tarp to and wrap the game to avoid a mess....works great.
Much bigger than a whitetail may pose a problem though.
Click to expand...
I have actually only taken 3 turkeys with a shotgun. I went 2 years without a bird and decided to get at least one in the freezer before I pick up my bow. It has been the best gameplan so far, the wild turkey is delicious.
 
We do not open up here until 22 Sept, we do have a "Velvet" weekend Aug24-26 but I will be in Michigan, plus it will still feel like satan's B-hole here. Way to hot/humid to be sitting in a stand, I'm still trying to figure out how to sit in the creek and not spook the wildlife in my undies.
 

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