Quad or SxS for hunting

[Rio56]

Had a quad all my life but am now thinking of a sxs ... Concern is the trails , pipelines and cutlines are still mostly cut for quads..... I only use it for getting game out and transportation but still run into areas where the sxs is too wide .. I see there's some models that are pretty close to 48 in's wide and will fit into the back of a 1/2 ton , how do they ride and perform ... I like the bench seat and steering wheel but does a guy give up too much maneuverability for the comfort ?

[Alberta bull hunter]

SxS is the way to go in my opinion. It's alot nicer to have the cargo space and room for a passenger if you're hunting with someone else. You can also load your animal in the box if you have the right machine. Downfall is you only have one machine out and if there is a breakdown or you get stuck bad enough that your winch can't help you out you're in a bit of a situation. Hopefully you have guys in the area/ camp with other machines if need be.

On a side note i carry a come-along in my rzr in the event that my winch fails or I need extra pulling power. I have a RzrS which is wider, about 62" with my bigger tires and i dont have too many problems getting through tight trails. My Dad has a Rhino (I think they are around 55") I find my Rzr actually maneuvers through the tighter trails better, for some reason it seems to have a better turning radius, in the end that still doesn't help you fit between a couple trees sitting 50" apart. I also ride for sport out of hunting season so that's why i chose the RzrS, it was the best of both worlds for me. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. I believe the narrowest side by side out there would be a Rzr trail model at 50" wide. Fits in your pickup and is just as narrow as most quads now a days.

[amosfella]

Mom has a Kubota RTV500. As compared to the Yamaha Grizzly quad, it's a lot less maneuverable, seems to have less traction, and has a lot less ability to pull.

[windsurf5522]

Hi stick with a quad if your hunting alone, sxs cannot get where you can on a quad, they get stuck easier and cannot get thought trees etc like a quad. If you can get a sxs where you hunt the only benefit is you can carry two/three people and more gear. I have both and prefer the quad, if your going the sxs route then look at a rhino, they fit in a truck bed easy and are very capable in the bush, I wish i had kept mine, rangers have good reviews aswell. Keep away from the Acticat Prowlers (had a 2014 hdx, never again). Have a Can Am Commander now, excellent sxs but still prefer the quad.

[NINJABABY]

I owned a Honda 500 rubicon and had too much fun with it. Great machine until I wrecked it on top of the hill and totaled it. Later I bought a Honda 500 SxS and I will never go back to quad.. So much fun sitting with your wife or kids and dragging a bull elk on the back with all your hunting gear on the rack. You can put a heater in it too, stearing wheel is great and the one if the best part it my THUMB is NOT num anymore on longer drives.

[Smokinyotes]

I had a RZRS. It was a great handling machine and rode terrific. What i hated was taking 3 hours to wash all the 'skeg out from under it. Went back to a quad with no regrets.

[Jay Kyle]

I'm noticing some areas are limiting weights to 800 lbs - meaning quads only - specifically Bob Creek, Indian Grave area, perhaps others. I have a 2009 Rhino and was thinking I needed to trade down to a quad due to more areas reducing the weight footprint.

Jay

[NINJABABY]

Originally Posted by NINJABABY

I owned a Honda 500 rubicon and had too much fun with it. Great machine until I wrecked it on top of the hill and totaled it. Later I bought a Honda 500 SxS and I will never go back to quad.. So much fun sitting with your wife or kids and dragging a bull elk on the back with all your hunting gear on the rack. You can put a heater in it too, stearing wheel is great and the one if the best part it my THUMB is NOT num anymore on longer drives.

Another good thing is that it is only 50" wide and can fit in my truck bed. No trailer needed

[graybeard]

You are getting some good advise here; determine your needs and budget.

What I would do is start a list or pros and cons. Let me start:

Side X Side:
PRO
More than one guy at a time
Storage
Dump box
Not likely to need a trailer
Some head cover

CON
If you get stuck, only one machine if your with a buddy
Just the opposite of pro's

Quad:
PRO
Smaller
Cheaper $$
Easier to maneuver
If you get stuck two machines if your with a buddy

CON
May need a trailer and maybe length of the two is a issue?
One person on a machine

Me personally I like the quad. I find the attached cargo boxes more than ample for storing my gear.

The more room you have, the more useless/extra stuff you want to carry...IMO

Good luck.

[hawk-i]

The nice thing about the sxs is they are a lot less tiring (more comfortable) to use for the day.

The Mid sized sxs's are only a few inches wider than a quad and still fit into a pickup box. Full size units will limit where you can go and what you need to haul them with.

I've had quads since the very first of the Suzuki quads came out in the 80's. Last year I bought a Polaris midsized Ranger 570 side by side (still have a quad)....I absolutely love this machine, cold wet (rainy/snowy) weather no longer makes getting to an area a trial of survival. I installed a roof, front windshield, w/s wipers, heater kit and rear glass. Warm and dry, gotta like that!

And as a bonus I can pack all the gear I need for a day and still be able to pack a moose out in one shot once it's field dressed and put into game bags.

Doubt that my quad will be getting much hunting use next year again.

[korie83]

Love my Polaris rzr 570 for hunting. Stock its 50"'s wide, so it fits in a quad track, tons of storage, and you can go with a buddy! I raised mine by 2" and put wider wheels so I'm at about 53" now, and still travel in the tightest of quad trails. The power is more than adequate (keeps up to the older 800 rzr's), and is great on fuel.

It's also a very affordable machine, in the same price range as most mid range quads.

Here is a pic of mine ice fishing, can't seem to find any of my hunting photo's of it at the moment:

[NINJABABY]

Last year solo elk hunt.


4 legs, back straps, tenderloins, neck meat, meat from the rips and between the rips all in front in game bags along with all my bow and decoys.

Man these Honda SXS are awesome.

Originally Posted by NINJABABY

[Rio56]

Originally Posted by graybeard

You are getting some good advise here; determine your needs and budget.

What I would do is start a list or pros and cons. Let me start:

Side X Side:
PRO
More than one guy at a time
Storage
Dump box
Not likely to need a trailer
Some head cover

CON
If you get stuck, only one machine if your with a buddy
Just the opposite of pro's

Quad:
PRO
Smaller
Cheaper $$
Easier to maneuver
If you get stuck two machines if your with a buddy

CON
May need a trailer and maybe length of the two is a issue?
One person on a machine

Me personally I like the quad. I find the attached cargo boxes more than ample for storing my gear.

The more room you have, the more useless/extra stuff you want to carry...IMO

Good luck.

tks graybeard ....
so true with the more storage the more junk one takes ...

[Rio56]

Originally Posted by NINJABABY

Last year solo elk hunt.


4 legs, back straps, tenderloins, neck meat, meat from the rips and between the rips all in front in game bags along with all my bow and decoys.

Man these Honda SXS are awesome.

very nice pic.. good on you and Honda sxs...

[Fordevr]

I have a quad. If you don't ride with ppl that have sxs's you will never know how awesome they are. Very very few places now a days that both units won't go. For hunting a scs is the tool hands down. Rent one for your next hunt. Polaris or brp. My vote is brp.

[Rio56]

Originally Posted by Fordevr

I have a quad. If you don't ride with ppl that have sxs's you will never know how awesome they are. Very very few places now a days that both units won't go. For hunting a scs is the tool hands down. Rent one for your next hunt. Polaris or brp. My vote is brp.

so are you talking the narrow like 50 in models or the full size .. I have rode with the brp full size , I think a 1000 maybe and they couldn't follow me for width ...lots of power but a big tree will stop that... polaris and Honda make the only 50 in wide ones , right

[Suzukisam]

I use a Polaris sportsman 6x6 has best of both worlds can hall a moose out where 4x4 can't go and quads can't get to and is still narrow like a normal quad has the dump box and 6 wheel drive a real work horse just make sure you have a 4000lb winch on it nothing smaller. Have towed a quad out that could not move his moose in winter and hooked onto him and pulled it all out in one shot. Had to go back and tow his buddy's can am out he could not make it in the snow which was fresh at about 15 inches

[ceedub]

I went from a quad to a side by side 5 years ago. This past fall I went back to a quad. There are pros and cons for each, but if you're like me and hunt mostly alone I'll take a quad and tub trailer over the side by side. I should note that we don't hunt cutlines or trails with machines, we basically have the machines to get to our hunting area where we hunt on foot. We hunt in thick bush, maneuvering a quad through the thick stuff is much easier than the wider side by sides for retrieving game, which is the biggest reason we have machines in the first place.

-Craig

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by NINJABABY

I owned a Honda 500 rubicon and had too much fun with it. Great machine until I wrecked it on top of the hill and totaled it. Later I bought a Honda 500 SxS and I will never go back to quad.. So much fun sitting with your wife or kids and dragging a bull elk on the back with all your hunting gear on the rack. You can put a heater in it too, stearing wheel is great and the one if the best part it my THUMB is NOT num anymore on longer drives.

This if you need to go away from a quad.
Small but do all machine.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by NINJABABY

Another good thing is that it is only 50" wide and can fit in my truck bed. No trailer needed

Throw a roof on it, 1/2 window, winch and one size taller more aggressive tires and well I'd say you are about perfect...nice having the flat rack on the back to personalize it as in box, no box, side rails etc.