Hunting with a crew cab pickup

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Are we really advocating a dually for a deer? A dually would be necessary for steer. Like a cattle trailer. But not DEER.

For but one deer, even if you are buying a VW Rabbit pickup, circa 1989, you'll have more than enough space. In a six foot box on the back of a full-size pickup, I'd be shocked if you couldn't fit at least six.

Buying your pickup around your once-a-year deer seems a mite like putting your cart before your horse. You could always throw a trailer on a truck with a too-small bed...that's what trucks are for: pulling stuff. A trailer is waaaaay cheaper than a bigger truck.


Just my thoughts. I think America mostly cracks me up with their pickups - every other truck I see has no hitch on it, and no plow rig. If you ain't pushin', and you ain't pullin', why oh why would you need a full size rig with a V8?

Real redneck trucks are 2WD - we can't afford 4 - and are tiny, and typically overloaded WELL past carrying capacity - THAT's a redneck pick-'em-up truck.

-L.
 
Goomule, you just convinced me not to buy a full size bed with a big engine.
I might still dream of 4WD, but you are right. Trailers are dirt cheap and work just as well.
 
Years ago, my bro in law put a buck in the back of his chevette and brought it home.....
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Couple years ago, I was elk hunting in a '68 Ford XL 500 (think upper trim level Galaxie). Had room in the trunk for several bodies..........er, elk I mean, and its what I had at the time (my Taurus dosen't count, I hate that car). Right now, I have an '86 Ford F-250 Extra Cab.....my issue isn't enough room in the cab or bed.......its wrestling that monster down the two-tracks and old fire roads without rearranging the body panels.
 
Can I pleeeeease go hunting with you?

Seriously though, I think your brother-in-law was concerned about the rest of your gear. Four-wheeler, stand, ice chests, ramp - not just the deer. A 5'6" bed can be a little tight for all of this. Not a real problem though. You just leave the tailgate down and use straps.

One down side is that it is a little easier to see and steal your stuff with this set-up. I used to have a long bed ford with a locking tailgate. It would have been almost impossible to steal the four-wheeler and hard to see and unload the rest without looking suspicious.
 
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Hey, you can fold a pretty dog-goned big mule deer into the trunk of a '41 Ford sedan. My father did that for right at thirty years with his old Army surplus staff car. (Plus one on each front fender and two in the back floor, one hunt.)
 
I cant figure why, if you can get a full size muley on the back of a horse, why you cant get one in the back of a short bed pickup.

Anyway, years ago I ran across two girls apparently hunting in a Toy hatch back. They had shot a deer and couldnt figure what to do with it.

Apparently they were two young single mothers who desided to supplement their meager food budget by chipping in for a deer tag, and barrowing a rifle. Neither one had ever been hunting.

They shot the deer and had no ideal what to do with it. I dressed it out for them, and gave them my deer to boot,

I got both deer into the back of the toy hatchback and sent them on their way.

I did inform them, that if they desided to go hunting again they might look into a conservation stamp and a hunter safety course, hunter orange, since all three are required.

Had to respect them for trying though.
 
i'm sure a crew cab pu will work just fine as long as you have enuff road. i prefer something that doesn't take 40 acres to turn around. i've had a nice nissan king cab pu that went anywhere, toyota extra cabs are nice too. the newer ford and chevy smaller 4x4 pu's seem nice too. i'm currently running a jeep liberty and cherokee and they go anywhere. i like to cut up my deer and put it in an ice chest so while a pu bed is nice it isn't essential. although if someone wants to give me a nice extended cab toyota i wouldn't say no.
 
Couple years ago, I was elk hunting in a '68 Ford XL 500 (think upper trim level Galaxie). Had room in the trunk for several bodies..........er, elk I mean, and its what I had at the time.
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I remember taking 2 calves to the sale with my Grandpa in one of those!
 
I have a full sized 4X4 pickup but it's no airhauler. Ballmount for trailer towing is stashed away (hard on shins!) but used most weekends these days. You can tell it's no airhauler because the inside of the bed and the skid plates have a marked paint deficiency. Fifty feet of transport grade chain and a winch are stashed away out of sight with the rubber boots, cargo netting, tie downs and rope. When we hunt we frequently do the primitive camping thing, but we don't rough it. Takes a fair bit of gear for an old fat guy to live in comfort with no RV, no running water, no permanent shelter and no electricity.
Thought about an extended cab when I ordered this bruiser, same price as the 4X4 OffRoad package. I think I made the right choice.
I think it's hauled a deer or two but lately I've been wanting to harvest a couple of hogs, butcher them out and drop them in a 100 Qt Igloo.
 
Ive thrown some good sized mulies in the back of my 66 bronco 1/2 cab. There is no reason that you cant put a big deer in the bed of your crew cab.
 
Have hauled three nice size deer at same time in a Nissan extended cab truck bed. Can't see the problem with a full size extended or crew cab truck bed.
 
Yes you can fit an elk or moose in one of those silly little beds they put on 1/2 ton crew cabs. I would buy a 1500 crew cab next if they offered the standard 6'6" bed but you have to move up to a 2500 to get a real bed. I wish they still made the 1500HD, real bed, capability right between 1500 and 2500. you can get a standard bed in the Ford 150 CC but fords gas engine is so outdated.
 
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