Subaru Outback for Hunting - Crazy Idea?????

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

A friend of mine referred to the Subaru wagons as "lesbian pickups".
This thread reminded me of that.
Sorry if any lesbians are offended.

An old cowboy sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. As he sat sipping his drink, a young woman sat down next to him. She turned to the cowboy and asked, "Are you a real cowboy?"

He replied, "Well, I've spent my whole life, breaking colts, working cows, going to rodeos, fixing fences, pulling calves, bailing hay, doctoring calves, cleaning my barn, fixing flats, working on tractors, and feeding my dogs, so I guess I am a cowboy."


She said, "I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women. When I shower, I think about women. When I watch TV, I think about women. I even think about women when I eat. It seems that everything makes me think of women."

The two sat sipping in silence.

A little while later, a man sat down on the other side of the old cowboy and asked, "Are you a real cowboy?"

He replied, "I always thought I was, but I just found out I'm a lesbian."

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by Dean2

You are claiming 40 MPG out of your Forester Outback. What are these other 4000 people doing wrong cause their reported gas mileage is way off 40 mpg. The 2011 average is 22 mpg. The newer ones are showing average 24.

To be honest I find this pretty typical of people that drive small cars. Take one super highway mileage and call it that for overall. Sort of like the wallet target a lot of guys carry around to prove their gun shoots a half inch.

Full size F-150 according to the same site, pickup will average 16-19 mpg, I don't see this as a big improvement.

[IMG][/IMG]

you are looking at US figures on your chart . Smaller gallon = lower mpg. US mileage figures are always significantly lower than Canadian. My son is regularly in the 40mpg range with his Crosstrek ,but he put mostly highway miles on

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

Makes you wonder how people managed before there was a 4X4 pickup in every drive way. Hell my dad hunted out of a beetle. Alberta's love affair with 4X4 trucks is laughable.

Ive hauled deer home in the back of a Toyota mini van ( the original one) a Chevy Impala, Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla etc but it is much cleaner and more convenient in my 1/2 ton. I never let what type of vehicle I own dictate whether I am going hunting or not

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

you are looking at US figures on your chart . Smaller gallon = lower mpg. US mileage figures are always significantly lower than Canadian.

Nonsense, U.S. vs Canadian gallon is 4 vs 4.54 litres or 113.5%. 22 mpg U.S. is 24.97 Canadian if you want to be real picky.

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Nonsense, U.S. vs Canadian gallon is 4 vs 4.54 litres or 113.5%. 22 mpg U.S. is 24.97 Canadian if you want to be real picky.

well if you want to get real picky a US gallon is 3.78 litres and the Canadian galis 4.54 litres thats 26.5mpg Can.

your f150 at 16mpg can. is getting 13.5 mpg US.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

well if you want to get real picky a US gallon is 3.78 litres and the Canadian galis 4.54 litres

True, it is 3.7854 so 22 U.S. is actually 26.42328 Cdn. We still aren't anywhere near a 40 mpg average that was being talked about. Whether you do it in U.S. or Canadian the comparison I used was a pickup at around 17 U.S. on average versus a Outback at 24 U.S. To me it is still apples to apples and not a big enough difference in mileage to convince me a small SUV is the right choice based on just or even primarily on gas mileage.

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

you are looking at US figures on your chart . Smaller gallon = lower mpg. US mileage figures are always significantly lower than Canadian. My son is regularly in the 40mpg range with his Crosstrek ,but he put mostly highway miles on

Isn't that kinda like saying our cars are faster because they they go 100 vs 60? I don't know anybody who refers to MPG using imperial gallons, unless they are trying to sell the car on the merits of it's efficiency.

[sns2]

It's my thread boys... let's get back on track. Thanks

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by sns2

...let's get back on track. Thanks

That's actually a different thread.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by sns2

It's my thread boys... let's get back on track. Thanks

Sorry, I kind of thought gas mileage was the whole point of the thread. I won't post further, sorry for the inconvenience.

[Bigwoodsman]

Thanks for the laughs guys!

I went and bought myself a 1999 F250 Extended Cab for hunting total cost 1500.00. Been driving it regularly since July, besides the oil change and 100.00 repair it hasn't cost much. Insurance is 50.00 a month. Cheaper then a quad and it comes with a great heater and a/c. I average 600KM to a tank of fuel thats for work, and highway. It'll need tires next summer/fall but again I can re-tire it for 600.00

It was a crap shoot when I bought it and I looked at many before settling on this one. My plan is to drive it until I feel it's not worth keeping it on the road. Then I'll go find another for chasing trout in the foothills and ice fishing on the prairie.

I enjoy the truck box for chucking stuff in. The 4X4 for getting out on the lakes through the drifts. It's got a few dings and scratches but the interior is decent and I don't care if the dog has muddy feet or my passengers have muddy boots.

I love old trucks and old dogs, and my old lady!

I don't worry about the price of gas for this unit, as the initial cost is minimal.

BW

[mattthegorby]

I have a Forester... love it... but not for hunting. I think the quality of construction is similar to the outback.

It is fine for dirt roads and great in snow, but as soon as it gets really muddy or I do not know how deep a puddle is, I am worried about trashing my vehicle and repairs are pricey. These cars are perfect for commuting through snow storms, going skiing and exploring well maintained forestry roads. I hunt in 412/316 and do not venture off the main roads accessing popular camping areas.

They are in my mind not landcruisers or 4-runners, more on the Rav-4 or CRV end of the spectrum.

Matt

[260 Rem]

Off-road requires a truck-truck. Off-road, a car-truck will never perform like a truck-truck. In this world, there is only one “will do for everything” ... and that is a 308 Winchester.

[DoePolicyAnalyst]

Originally Posted by sns2

Hey Subaru. I am seriously thinking about replacing my pickup with a Subaru Outback. I am a city slicker who waterfowl hunts heavily in the fall, and will hunt deer a few times also. Waterfowl hunting would see me hooking up a small, lightweight trailer for decoys and layout blinds. Not a ton of weight at all. I would then be driving in farmer's fields which can sometimes be soft depending on the season. Deer hunting would see me once again driving in fields, but obviously with some snow.

Part of me feels that having a half ton as my daily driver is overkill, costly on fuel, and a pain in the rear driving a big beast all over. I know lots of guys wouldn't think of being without a pickup, but I don't tow or haul much of anything. I am torn.

Am I out to lunch on this kind of thinking? Your opinions and anecdotal stories will go a long way in helping me make up my mind.

Thanks in advance!

I drive a 2012 Outback (2.5l 6 speed) and have a 2015 Chevy truck and live in Edmonton.

The difference in fuel mileage is noticeable, especially if you head out on the highway into a headwind but around town you'll also see an improvement in the Outback. If you have an older truck I would guess the difference would be greater (my old 1994 Silverado was terrible on gas, it was an incredible jump up to a 2010 Silverado but a much smaller improvement to the 2015). Mixed highway/city driving (say ~70% Highway/30% city), I usually get around 10L/100km in the car and 14L/100km in the truck. Say each has a 80L tank for ease of calculations, you could go 800km in the car and 571km in the truck, difference being about 229km. It would take you an extra 32.06L of gas in the truck to get to 800km, so about $30-32 worth of gas per tank, give or take depending on the prices. (Hope my math is right... was never my strong suit). So that does add up over time.

As for performance, the Outback should get you down almost any road and, in certain conditions, I would trust taking the Outback out into a field. I think the trade-off here is are you willing to limit your hunting possibilities for improved day-to-day fuel mileage? There may be situations where you are not going to be able to take the Outback where you want to go, where, if you had kept the truck, you wouldn't be limited. Deep snow or really wet conditions may limit you. The Outbacks are pretty capable vehicles and there are a few YouTube videos out there showing their off-road capabilities (I watched several before making the decision to buy one, I'll list a few of them below). I have noticed that the boxer engine does like to burn oil, but I don't see that being too big of an issue as long as I remember to stay on top of changing it. The Outback is a lot of fun to drive and a great vehicle that I would recommend. I'd also like to address a previous comment about a tow-truck driver seeing them all the time: one thing to consider is that Subaru's are full-time AWD - they don't have a switch between FWD and AWD nor are they only responsive once a wheel has lost traction (like my old AWD Vibe, which only kicked the rear tires in when traction was lost). This means that if you ever need to tow the car, you need to put it up on a deck. I suspect that tow truck drivers that have a deck see a lot of these cars simply because they are the only ones that can safely tow them.

All of that said; if I were forced to choose between the 2 vehicles for a day-to-day + recreation use, I would go with the truck for a few reasons. One is space - I can just throw things in the box of the truck and not worry about room. For me, the inconvenience of parking a bit further out or having to squeeze through narrow roads and tight Tim Hortons drive-throughs is worth having a bit of space and piece of mind off-road. I also have a dog, so having her in the back of the truck is much nicer than the car. If I didn't have kids or the dog, space may not be as much of an issue and the car may be a better fit. Really comes down to what sort of trade-offs you are willing to make to save a bit of money/city driving inconvenience.

A few videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fuDwuau3qw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-ix8Xq6NJM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIXLS3_jD-E

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Sorry, I kind of thought gas mileage was the whole point of the thread. I won't post further, sorry for the inconvenience.

No, my friend. The point of the thread is can you get by waterfowl hunting, with a few days of deer thrown in, with a Subaru Outback

I agree though, people exaggerate mileage like nothing else. Well, maybe group sizes, but it's close. LOL.

[Justfishin73]

You must pack better than I do, my truck is jammed full in waterfowl season, right down to my partner holding some dekes. Trucks aren't cheap, but mine gets used for exactly what I bought it for, close to every weekend. Couldn't imagine not having it.
If it only gets used for groceries, maybe time for a change. I do put on a ton of miles during hunting season which adds up, but worth every penny.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by sns2

No, my friend. The point of the thread is can you get by waterfowl hunting, with a few days of deer thrown in, with a Subaru Outback

I agree though, people exaggerate mileage like nothing else. Well, maybe group sizes, but it's close. LOL.

Well my perspective on that is you probavly can but if you are packing a dog, a partner or two, blinds or laydowns and lots of dekes it would really suck to try and do it in a Subaru. Even with a trailer that would be some tight.

[BuckCuller]

Originally Posted by sns2

No, my friend. The point of the thread is can you get by waterfowl hunting, with a few days of deer thrown in, with a Subaru Outback

I agree though, people exaggerate mileage like nothing else. Well, maybe group sizes, but it's close. LOL.

If you want to hunt with a Subaru I think you could make it work.
Room for hunting buddies and keep your gear warm and dry.
Pull a trailer for decoys and use a calf sled in the back for hauling your deer home.
I’ve seen more than one Newfoundlander take home a moose in a Chevete or pinto.
I’ve even hunted in a mini van myself and it worked fine. We were all laughing and make my fun of ourselves going hunting with a minivan but we brought home two deer that day.
If you want to you’ll make it work.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by BuckCuller

If you want to hunt with a Subaru I think you could make it work.
Room for hunting buddies and keep your gear warm and dry.
Pull a trailer for decoys and use a calf sled in the back for hauling your deer home.
I’ve seen more than one Newfoundlander take home a moose in a Chevete or pinto.
I’ve even hunted in a mini van myself and it worked fine. We were all laughing and make my fun of ourselves going hunting with a minivan but we brought home two deer that day.
If you want to you’ll make it work.

A guy makes do with what he has. When I was first married, I fit a buck and a doe in the back of a Tercel coupe. Feet hanging out everywhere.

[elkhunter11]

I am used to you showing up with three people, a dog, extra clothes and firearms, that you want to keep dry, that would be very tight fit in a Subaru. And when we go to get a moose, it wouldn't be fun, trying to drag a trailer full of moose through close to a foot of snow, behind an AWD car. And when you head out ice fishing with three people and a dog, and an auger, and a hut, and gear, you will be trying to drag a trailer through the snow on the lake.

[6.5 shooter]

We have a Subaru outback top of the line model the wife wanted it for work seeing as she drives winter roads a lot and wanted 4 wheel drive etc.

We studied a lot of videos online and test drove a lot of other cross over vehicles....NONE compared in quality or affordability..except the Lincoln MXR or whatever which was 2- 3 times more money.

I drive a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee (the last year jeep actually made a jeep) and when my wife buys a her new Subaru I will be driving her old vehicle...yes they are that good. We got it with the largest 6 cylinder boxer motor and I would do it again. Most complaints are about being under powered but this engine is great. Fuel mileage is ~ 9 liters per hundred Km. about 2wice as good as my jeep and WAY more comfy.

PS do get the heated steering wheel you can thank me later.

[Duramaximos]

2015 Outback owner here. Mine is a 2.5.

It's doable. I would recommend the 3.6 liter to effectively tow a small trailer and a quad to get your big game out of ugly spots.

[saskbooknut]

Subaru Forester - under 8 litres, nearer 7/100 km summer highway, under10 litres /100 km winter highway, 12.5 litres per 100 km towing 1500 lbs loaded Aliner during hunting season.
I do not miss my Fix or Repair Daily F150 4x4.
Yes, I do not drive into deep mudholes, but I never did by choice in the Pickup either.
It is not a heavy duty 4x4 but it is surprisingly capable.
Zero problems In the first 50,000 km but I expected none.

[jungleboy]

After reading through this thread again I must apologize. Obviously I was wrong hauling deer home in my Matrix ,Corolla ,and mini van . As I think back on it I was probably just dreaming or worse..exaggerating . You are definitely will need a 4x4 diesel to do any kind of hunting in this province as a matter of fact anything less than a camo 1 ton dodge dually crew and you might just as well hand in your man card , get in your Subaru and politely ask your wife to
take you to the opera.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by sns2

It's my thread boys... let's get back on track. Thanks

Park the truck, insure when season starts, drive putt putt car in city, save on gas and parking issues etc to get around the big'ol city.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Park the truck, insure when season starts, drive putt putt car in city, save on gas and parking issues etc to get around the big'ol city.

I wish I could afford two vehicles, but alas I can't.

[waldedw]

Originally Posted by sns2

I wish I could afford two vehicles, but alas I can't.

We'll if the Subaru is what you want / need for an every day vehicle and if you are a die hard dedicated hunter you will make the Subaru work, because if you are a dedicated hunter you sure as he$$ won't quit hunting because the only vehicle you have is a Subaru forester, buy what's best for you and make it work and forget all the rest of the crap.

[M.C. Gusto]

Deer hunting and a wet dog in a Subaru! Your nuts, been there and will never go back. Take a look at the new ranger...

[32-40win]

I'd likely want to make sure you had something rigged up on the front end to make pulling it with another truck feasible without damaging it for the few times you may need to do that. I can see it being a problem in fields like we were in this year in October with the mud, trying to pull a trailer. Wasn't deep, just heavy and sticky, and you'll have to be careful on field entrances, some aren't all that nice. may have to be a bit pickier as to where you down an animal, as you may not be able to get a bit closer with a vehicle like that.
With my 5x8 enclosed full of dekes, I'd likely have to give it an extra 15min or 1/2 hr travel time to where I hunt birds, you wouldn't have the HP to pull the hills with the smaller car. And you wouldn't want to be leaving a few minutes late, won't be able to make any time going against the wind.
I went hunting in the Chilcotin with a 72 Corolla, deer in the trunk, same here in AB with a 81 Tercel.
I guess it is a case of think about the places you like to go, and is it practical to do it in reality, considering those places.

[AB2506]

Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

A friend of mine referred to the Subaru wagons as "lesbian pickups".
This thread reminded me of that.
Sorry if any lesbians are offended.

Not quite right. In the western USA the Subaru Outbacks are referred to as lesbian schoolteacher vehicles.