Got Stuck While Out Bear Hunting... :(

My son of 26 years old still talks about the time we got stuck in the middle of nowhere. Took us the best part of the day to get out. I used the occasion to teach him how to use a winch, fill up ruts with logs and branches, etc. He was five years old when this happened. Still says it was one of his greatest adventures.... A bit of difficulty never hurt anybody, it just makes you stronger...:):)
 
its best to keep it in 2wd and use 4x4 to save your ass rather than givin er in 4x4 til your stuck...

I know alot of folks say this and I understand the logic but it is patently not true! driving in 4x4 high range helps keeps you out of trouble! Increased control and the ability to steer when things get unexpectedly dicey can not be considered a bad thing! Also when you do get stuck in 2x4 the chance of getting out is far less then if you had just driven through in 4x4 in the first place. Heck you lug around that extra case, axles,etc etc, etc 365 days a year why be so against using them!?

I think this Myth started when the first Dad was terrified of his kid locking into 4 low and busting another axle.LOL.
If you are careful, get out and look when not sure, don't mind scratches on the paint and are'nt against a little imromptu logging then you 'll find you end up places others would'nt think possible and all with out drama.

My paycheck depends on getting where I need to be in the bush and recovery costs/repairs/drivetrain maintenance come straight out my meager pockets so I don't make the pro 4x4 claim lightly! If the road is overgrown, rutted, non existant, or at all muddy send the wife out to lock in the hubs!
 
My son of 26 years old still talks about the time we got stuck in the middle of nowhere. Took us the best part of the day to get out. I used the occasion to teach him how to use a winch, fill up ruts with logs and branches, etc. He was five years old when this happened. Still says it was one of his greatest adventures.... A bit of difficulty never hurt anybody, it just makes you stronger...:):)

Yup, like the time I had to walk with my then 4 yr old 4 miles and carry her across a creek on my shoulders to get a farmer to pull us out. She's only 9 now, but still talks about it!!
 
I agree, have it in 4x4 before you get stuck & you may not even get stuck. The only 2 times I've jammed a truck up so bad I couldn't drive it out were in two wheel drive. 4x4 is not full proof, but its definitely better...
 
We used to go offroading outside Coldwater and I rolled my jeep into a rut, hung up there with the other guys holding me from completely rolling (I will look for the pics later), my 4 year at the time still teases me about my driving 6 years later, we go off road he asks (1/2 joking) for me to let his Mom drive - memories are made my living life not studying electron pictures on the net. I can think of a dozen stories of stuff we did as kids with my Dad and we still talk about it.

Great job on you CC
 
I just got back home last night from another couple days of hunting Jaiden stayed home this time first thing he said to me this morning when he woke up was...

"We got stuck in the mud" and how much he missed me and how much he wished that he was with me... :D

Unlike H4831 I have only been 4X4 for over 30 years when I first started I did it all including rolling my almost brand new 1981 Toyota 4X4 so guys thanks for all of the advise but I guess I should have said in the first post that I have been there done that more than most...
 
Unlike H4831 I have only been 4X4 for over 30 years when I first started I did it all including rolling my almost brand new 1981 Toyota 4X4 so guys thanks for all of the advise but I guess I should have said in the first post that I have been there done that more than most...
Not your first BBQ?:D
Kids are like sponges. My buddy brought his kids out to our camp site to go for a ride in the buggys. Both kids were shy and skittish. Took them for a run, not FAST, but quick enough to be exciting. Both kids had the same, dirt between the teeth, ear to ear smile by the time we got back to the camp site. Then I took their dad for a GOOOOD run. When we got back I told his kids "your dad screams like a girl". It was the first thing out of their mouths when they saw grampa, gramma, mom, etc, etc.
 
Jaiden loves riding on the quad he is so comfortable with it now that he even falls asleep while he sits in front of me...

Here is a pic of us getting ready for a morning hunt a few days before we got stuck...

img_9248.jpg
 
I know alot of folks say this and I understand the logic but it is patently not true! driving in 4x4 high range helps keeps you out of trouble! Increased control and the ability to steer when things get unexpectedly dicey can not be considered a bad thing! Also when you do get stuck in 2x4 the chance of getting out is far less then if you had just driven through in 4x4 in the first place. Heck you lug around that extra case, axles,etc etc, etc 365 days a year why be so against using them!?
!

Yup, I stick it in 4x4 as soon as I get into anything bumpy. Why fight your way up a bumpy hill in 2WD when you can just grind your way up in 4x4? Why get stuck if you don't need to?

Most importantly, if I think I might get stuck somewhere, I stop and get out and walk the route first, and if it's a muddy or water filled area I will probe it with a stick to make sure I can get through. 2 minutes of pre scouting can save you having to spend the rest of your day digging yourself out or having to go for help and wasting your time and money.
 
Used to have a Landrover with a PTO winch. pulled a large truck with a welding outfit on the back out of the mud. Luckily there was an overturned stump which I was able to park my bumper against. ran the cable through a hole, hooked it to the truck and put my transfer case in neutral, selected first low which means you can barely see the drum turn. Had him put his truck reverse letting the wheels turn but not spin. Ever so slowly he came out, but he came. When winching out of mud, suction is your enemy, winch as slowly as you can.
 
Got a dedicated Recovery/Hunting truck.
'73 Power Wagon 1 ton dually with a 8274 Warn. Tire chains for all the way around hanging from the headache rack( not when hunting; jiggling is too noisy ).
Everyone always has an opinion about "shouldn't have gone there " as they look at you buried frame deep in the muck. Kinda makes you want to bite your tongue.
But it happens to us all. Kind of like the lottery " If you don't play, you'll never win"
Yeah I got stuck while out having fun, and you never have...?
People that are saying they never got stuck remind me of people who have " never lost a fight " .
"That dog don't hunt" is the countrified saying that applies I think...
 
f you ever used a PTO winch you realize just how much better they are than a electric one. I was not impressed with the Warn winch I had, it let water into the gearbox, but not out. I stripped the gearbox apart, cleaned it up, cut a notch in the bottom to let water drain and then installed a grease nipple.
 
f you ever used a PTO winch you realize just how much better they are than a electric one. I was not impressed with the Warn winch I had, it let water into the gearbox, but not out. I stripped the gearbox apart, cleaned it up, cut a notch in the bottom to let water drain and then installed a grease nipple.
I had the option of going with a Spicer factory option PTO winch. The guy selling it wanted 800 $ ; too much. And my unit is set up with a PTO.
I like the fingertip control of a electric remote, and; god forbid... if you get the unit up on it's side the electric still works just fine. Although it requires (IMO) a seperate deep cycle battery dedicated to the winch alone. Connected with a seperate soleniod to the charging system. Doing a long hard pull then stalling the vehicle only to here the starter/soleniod death rattle. Bad noise, LOL.
But once you've run a winch, it's hard to go without one.
Side note. Tabor brand winches, good deal. Made by Warn, 8 K rating, relatively compact, affordable and reliable. Slow line speed but a good unit. Uses Warn remotes too. Budget winches don't work to good when your remote poops the bed. At least a Warn remote is relatively common and easy to replace.
 
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