Jeeps & Hunting

[S.McArthur]

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!

 

[lowranger]

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.

 

[lowranger]

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.

 

[Bird]

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.

 

[xackley]

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.

 

[lowranger]

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.

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.

 

[xackley]

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.

Half an hour or less to home in 20 or 30 degree weather never did any harm.

 

[lowranger]

Half an hour or less to home in 20 or 30 degree weather never did any harm.

Good....

 

[Rob5589]

Look like a couple of good eating bucks, LR. Sept is coming up soon!

 

[lowranger]

Look like a couple of good eating bucks, LR. Sept is coming up soon!

Our archery season starts this coming weekend.

 

[Rob5589]

Our archery season starts this coming weekend.

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

 

[lowranger]

What Zone are you and your daughter going to hunt?

 

[S.McArthur]

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

[S.McArthur]

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.

 

[Rob5589]

What Zone are you and your daughter going to hunt?

D3. It's been good to us except the last season which was terrible. Hopefully better this year.

 

[lowranger]

D3. It's been good to us except the last season which was terrible. Hopefully better this year.

Hopefully it is better and your daughter gets a buck.

 

[Ted]

I love to hunt but living in Washington sucks balls and buying Idaho non resident tags are out of the question. I do use my bow to thin the quail and grouse a little

 

[lowranger]

I love to hunt but living in Washington sucks balls and buying Idaho non resident tags are out of the question. I do use my bow to thin the quail and grouse a little

They have deer and elk in Washington. No good places to go? Too many people?

 

[Ted]

They have deer and elk in Washington. No good places to go? Too many people?

seasons are short, to many people. Nothing like Idaho

 

[lowranger]

seasons are short, to many people. Nothing like Idaho

Idaho will spoil you for sure.....have hunted there many times.