Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: logola512c on July 23, 2021, 04:04:19 PM

Title: Mini Van Hunting Stories
Post by: logola512c on July 23, 2021, 04:04:19 PM: So for a number of reasons, I've been hunting the last few years in my mini van. Last year, I saw an older couple out for a walk about 5 miles inside the Campbell Global property near North Bend. I rolled the window down, said hello, and commented that I didn't usually see many folks just in there walking around. They said hello and noted that they don't usually see many dudes hunting in a minivan. Touche...

So yesterday, I was out scouting some forest service roads near Snoqulamie Pass in the same mini van, and I saw a bear just chowing down on some roadside berry bushes. So I stopped the van about 100 yards away and watched. After a minute or two, the bear looks my way, walks out into the road, sniffs the air a little bit, looks at the van again, and then drops a huge pile of berry turd in the road, and ambles into the woods. Seems like it was not too impressed with my mini van... And I hope it's there again in 9 days. Maybe it'll let me just drive right up and be the easiest harvest ever...
Title: Re: Mini Van Hunting Stories
Post by: HikerHunter on July 23, 2021, 04:52:55 PM: My father-in-law high centered a minivan in the snow on a late season bird hunt several years back. Luckily it was full of guys that could dig and push...
Title: Re: Mini Van Hunting Stories
Post by: SpicyTacos on July 23, 2021, 07:01:37 PM: Here’s to you the minivan guy. Cheers. Just got to get out and go is what I’ve learned no matter what gear or rig you drive.

Put some berries in the van and possibly it will jump on in.
Title: Re: Mini Van Hunting Stories
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on July 23, 2021, 07:09:36 PM: Bears aren’t worried about soccer moms in minivans.🤣
Title: Re: Mini Van Hunting Stories
Post by: Buzz2401 on July 23, 2021, 07:40:58 PM: I've had elk, deer and bears in my mini van. Been hunting out of a mini van for about 10 years love it. Mine is all wheel drive with truck tire so that helps. The passenger car tires that many come with are easy to get flats on when driving logging roads.
Title: Re: Mini Van Hunting Stories
Post by: idaho guy on July 24, 2021, 07:29:13 AM: My freind drove a mini van on a local hunt out of necessity. He came over to my house with a 370 bull packed into the mini van he killed it on an otc public land Idaho archery hunt. I wish I would have taken a picture of that rack in the mini van. I do believe road hunting out of a mini van would be the ultimate camo pattern all wildlife knows soccer moms are harmless 😂
Title: Re: Mini Van Hunting Stories
Post by: logola512c on July 26, 2021, 11:16:59 AM: Quote from: Buzz2401 on July 23, 2021, 07:40:58 PM

I've had elk, deer and bears in my mini van. Been hunting out of a mini van for about 10 years love it. Mine is all wheel drive with truck tire so that helps. The passenger car tires that many come with are easy to get flats on when driving logging roads.

Mine is AWD also, with some decent snow tires. It actually does pretty well, but some of the rutted roads worry me. I often straddle one of the tire tracks so that one wheel is on the high point between the tire tracks in the road and the other is on the side of the tire track so that I don't get high centered. So far, the van has hauled out 5 bears and a couple blacktail. Oh, and 2 giant hogs, which noticeably lowered the back end. Would love to put an elk in there also -- if I do, I might have to attach the antlers to the ski rack on the roof to get the full effect.

Love the van soccer mom jokes. Cheers.
Title: Re: Mini Van Hunting Stories
Post by: BigGoonTuna on July 26, 2021, 11:22:54 AM: I’ve been seeing some older right hand drive mini vans getting imported that look like they’d be excellent rigs for fooling around in the woods with. High ground clearance and 4wd…
Title: Re: Mini Van Hunting Stories
Post by: GASoline71 on July 27, 2021, 05:08:59 PM: Man, I hunted for years out of a 1971 El Camino SS. Even took it up in to the Colockum 2 years in a row in the early 1990's. You get a lot of weird looks from other camps when you are highballin' up Coleman Canyon trying to keep momentum up in the snow and mud in a 2 wheel drive car/truck with cable chains on the rear tires. :chuckle: Only thing that would have made it better is if we would have got an elk. :)

When that's all ya got and wanna go hunt... you got hunt!

Gary
Title: Re: Mini Van Hunting Stories
Post by: Twispriver on July 27, 2021, 05:23:12 PM: Drive what ya got to camp and go hunting - If I waited until I could afford my first 4x4 I would have missed a lot of hunting time in high school and college
Title: Re: Mini Van Hunting Stories
Post by: bustedoldman on July 27, 2021, 05:24:19 PM: With a little lift in them they are great adventure rigs I think…I’ve been trying to find the right one.