Help: What would you use for muskeg?

[elkfriend]

Hello all,

I am having a hard time deciding what vehicle to use this fall for hunting, ground will not be frozen yet, so lots of MUSKEG and swamp.

So I am looking for your thoughts and opinions to help me decide. Here is the conundrum:

The quad is an 800 cc, with oversize 28 inch tires, it worked decent in previous years. It is nimble, fast and fun.

Now I just got a (used) Polaris Ranger side by side, but with 6 wheels so its a 6x6. Lots of room, I converted the roof to an elevated platform to sit on to glass around, and the box is ideal to put a deer in, without having to chop it up first.

Quad: weight around 800 lbs loaded, so about 200 lbs pressure per 28 inch tire.
6x6: weight around 1600 lbs loaded, so about 260 lbs pressure pr 25 inch tire.

WHICH MACHINE WILL DO BETTER IN MUSKEG? Both have winches front and back, so if stuck, both will get out. The ATV will be easier though, because its only 1/2 the weight


What would you pick, and why?

[Bitumen]

Neither machine.

The best machines for dealing with muskeg is an Argo.

[troutbug]

Originally Posted by Bitumen

Neither machine.

The best machines for dealing with muskeg is an Argo.

This...............

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Bitumen

Neither machine.

The best machines for dealing with muskeg is an Argo.

An Argo with tracks.

[troutbug]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

An Argo with tracks.

Then when you get stuck you know you are screwed LOL

An argo with tracks will go darn near anywhere

[Talking moose]

Guy has 2 options.....every poster says nothing to help...... lol.

[Talking moose]

By yourself, the quad.
With others, either.

[elkfriend]

yes I know that tracked argos go anywhere, however unfortunately i don't have an argo in my garage, so it is not an option.

So the choice is between these two. I should also qualify my post, where we hunt, there is a mix of muskeg and non-muskeg. It would be nice to overcome the odd muskeg area, to get onto harder ground in the backcountry.

So which one would you pick?

[Bitumen]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

An Argo with tracks.

Yes, forgot thank, thanks.

A tracked Argo.

[Bitumen]

Originally Posted by elkfriend

yes I know that tracked argos go anywhere, however unfortunately i don't have an argo in my garage, so it is not an option.

So the choice is between these two. I should also qualify my post, where we hunt, there is a mix of muskeg and non-muskeg. It would be nice to overcome the odd muskeg area, to get onto harder ground in the backcountry.

So which one would you pick?

The Argo.

[elkhunter11]

Of the two choices given, the 6x6 but with the tracks that go over the tires. A friend put a set on his 6x6, and it really improved performance in the muskeg. If you must use the choices exactly ad listed, the atv, simply because it will be easier to winch out of the muskeg.

[elkfriend]

Originally Posted by Bitumen

The Argo.

Ok, but its not on the list, so your opinion is interesting, but does not help.

If I had the option to pick things that are not on the list, I'd grab a Sherp for 100K+!

[elkfriend]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Of the two choices given, the 6x6 but with the tracks that go over the tires. A friend put a set on his 6x6, and it really improved performance in the muskeg. If you must use the choices exactly ad listed, the atv, simply because it will be easier to winch out of the muskeg.

Interesting! Do you know where your buddy got the tracks for the 6x6? I have googled my butt off, but couldn't really find anything decent

[Bitumen]

Originally Posted by elkfriend

Interesting! Do you know where your buddy got the tracks for the 6x6? I have googled my butt off, but couldn't really find anything decent

Royal Distributing

[Sooner]

Go with the 800 and pray you don't bury it. That will be hard enough to get out in a swamp with no real trees to grab onto.


I would not want to try and get a side by side out of a muskeg sink hole or Loon Sheet as my dad calls it.

[Hogie135]

Sherpa

[Buckhead]

The quad with tracks.

[Talking moose]

You mentioned both have winches, keep in mind that in muskeg bogs the swamp spruce May only be a few feet high and rip right out. I hate muskeg.

[Grizzly Adams]

ground will not be frozen yet

You're hooped. Winching in muskeg is an iffy proposition and you may need a lot of cable to find a suitable tie off point. There are still some cats buried in the north country where the got stuck.

Grizz

[elkfriend]

IMG_5913.jpg


here is a pic (if it works)

[Positrac]

Originally Posted by elkfriend

WHICH MACHINE WILL DO BETTER IN MUSKEG? Both have winches front and back, so if stuck, both will get out. The ATV will be easier though, because its only 1/2 the weight

What would you pick, and why?

I spend a large portion of my time hunting areas that have mixed Muskeg and dry ground. I bought the lightest 4x4 quad I could find (Honda 350ES Rancher) and stuck the biggest tires on it I could (Mud lite’s 26x12 in back and 26x10 in front). It gets around ok in areas where the ground is still pretty firm and larger / heavier machines break through and get really stuck fast.

If it is true Muskeg and not just the odd deep mud hole neither of your options will do. In true Muskeg you need a Argo or other similar vehicle that floats. There are more than a few Muskeg holes up in these parts with a quad or sxs at the bottom of them.

That’s why I’ve been building a amphibious buggy on 52” dia X 27” wide low impact tires for the last couple years. You could buy the nicest sxs made but they still can’t go through true Muskeg and while many people try each year, most go home very disappointed in how their machines made out.

[Bigwoodsman]

Take both. When one is buried in the skeg use the other on to recover. If you can’t take both put track kits on the quad and go with it.

BW

[TrollGRG]

Take either one. Stay on solid ground. If you can't then you don't really want that animal anyway.

If for some reason you have to venture into the keg (maybe a shot animal wanders into it) then use your snowshoes.

[OL_JR]

What kind of tires do you have on the quad? Looks like the 6x6 is wearing some worn out bear claws and they don't start with a pile of lug to begin with.

[Savage Bacon]

Doesn't answer your question but I had been looking into tracks vs tires on quads in muskeg and tracks didn't seem to have any advantage.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Positrac

I spend a large portion of my time hunting areas that have mixed Muskeg and dry ground. I bought the lightest 4x4 quad I could find (Honda 350ES Rancher) and stuck the biggest tires on it I could (Mud lite’s 26x12 in back and 26x10 in front). It gets around ok in areas where the ground is still pretty firm and larger / heavier machines break through and get really stuck fast.

If it is true Muskeg and not just the odd deep mud hole neither of your options will do. In true Muskeg you need a Argo or other similar vehicle that floats. There are more than a few Muskeg holes up in these parts with a quad or sxs at the bottom of them.

That’s why I’ve been building a amphibious buggy on 52” dia X 27” wide low impact tires for the last couple years. You could buy the nicest sxs made but they still can’t go through true Muskeg and while many people try each year, most go home very disappointed in how their machines made out.

This is spot on. With either of your choices stay out of the real Muskeg. When I lived in Slave Lake there were a lot of real bad soft areas prior to freeze up. I used a real light 2 wheel drive Honda 300 with extra large medium aggressive tires. That rig would easily go where most 4x4 quads would bog down and get stuck. You need light with a lot of tire to get flotation, that quad would just about float in open water, but once that fails you best have a good winch cause you are going to be really stuck.

Take a swamp anchor for winching to so you aren't restricted to using trees because even if you can reach one it likely won't hold.
One version, there are also ones that can be collapsed and extended quickly.

[Grizzly Adams]

Gotta wonder if some of these people have ever seen a REAL muskeg ? You could stand on your sunken quad and still not see daylight.

Grizz

[fatboyz]

Definitely the quad. Those rangers are a boat anchor in soft ground. At least with the quad you might be able to wiggle around the real ugly stuff a little easier.

[rmk800]

quad.
4x4, low gear, steady on the throttle...no blips or gunning it, maintain speed, DO NOT spin your tires and break through, drive over every dwarf/bog birch you can as they will keep you from sinking, you can wrap your winch around the base of a large clump of willows or birches if you are too far from trees. Wear chestwaders

[Roadhunter]

I have a Polaris Big Boss 6 x 6 and it is pretty impressive what it will go through but i have never had it loaded up going through muskeg. I have pulled quite a few quads out with it.