The old adage that any vehicle that can get you there and back home again on a hunting trip is good enough may be true on a limited basis, but in order to extract the most possible enjoyment from an outdoor experience the right vehicle plays an important role. While there is no one vehicle that is absolutely perfect as the definitive selection as the best hunting vehicle, there are particular elements that have to be present for consideration – such as mobility, seating capacity, gas mileage and towing capability. Here’s a brief look at some of the better candidates among the 2013 model year vehicles:
2013 Ford 150 XL
This model offers best in class towing with over 11,000 pounds of capability and can carry a payload of 3,120 pounds – enough to carry the largest conventional game animal and all of your hunting buddies too. This is also a great vehicle for towing a hunting blind or a boat, featuring a trailer sway control and integrated trailer brake controller.
2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab
With a 4.8 liter engine and plenty of bed and cab space this is a good selection for those in need of a hunting vehicle that can also serve duty as family transportation. The Silverado offers a towing capacity of 6,700 pounds maximum and a starting price of $27,615 – also quite a good looking truck to boot.
2013 Dodge Ram 1500 Tradesman Regular Cab 4×4
For a starting price of $27,160 this is tough to beat for use as a premier hunting vehicle. Offering 310 horsepower in a V-8 engine, the Ram 1500 Tradesman has a slick 6 speed automatic transmission and can tow over 10,000 pounds efficiently featuring a spray-in bedliner and a class 4 receiver hitch. This is also good on gas, getting 25 mpg on the highway and 17 mpg in city driving conditions.
While there are a number of other great hunting vehicles available at reasonable prices, the aforementioned appear to be the best value when pressed into service.
Photo credit: MarkGregory007 / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
