Which ATV

[Machias]

So your going to buy an ATV. Your going to use it for bear in the late spring, summer and early fall. Your going to put tracks on it for late fall, winter and early spring for lion, bobcat and bear. Which make and model would you get and why. Thanks!

[catdogs]

Yamaha Grizzly!

[FullCryHounds]

Grizzly is a great choice. Here's what I would look for. Lots of HP, tracks use it up fast. Power steering, tracks are real hard to turn without it. Locking differential! Without it, all you have is a two wheel drive quad with a sticker that says 4x4. The grizzly does have a good locking diff. However, I don't like that you have to stop to engage it.
Kawasaki's probably have the best locking diff. because you don't have to stop, all you do is pull in the lever and it locks in. So if you hit a snowdrift, just keep your momentum going and pull in the lever.
For a while, Kawasaki Brute Force and the Yamaha Grizzly where the only two with a locking diff, not sure if the others have caught up yet or not. Let me know what you end up with, I'm going to sell one of my older ones and upgrade it this year.

[Machias]

Thanks for the input, two guys I respect the most.

[BlacktailStalker]

Yes I use a yamaha grizz 700 as well.
I also have the tatou 4s tracks on it and I am very happy with the set up.
It guzzles fuel (in wet snow with tracks) but gets me where I couldnt go before and for my country, is better and more useful than a sled 90% of the time.

I recently bought a clutch kit which i think will give it more low end power, but that being said, it will literally climb anything the way it is stock.
I use a fixed 'cradle' on the back rack that my alum dog box sits in, held tight with 2 ratchet straps.
I will post a pic of the setup one day if I remember as it works quite well.
The stability is awesome, I recently had 5 dogs, 2 guys and a cat on it
A real bitch to steer with that weight but it sure beat walking 2.5km after a long day !

I'v never had to engage my diff lock ? Even with the tires its a bugger to steer in diff lock and I have the power steering model as well (I hear the king quad is a good machine and the xtra 50hp may be desirable? You can put a k&n and exhaust on the grizz for more power too apparently...)

Just steer clear of the can ams, IMO they are shit and I know several guys who have nothing but problems, the vtwin is nice but the 4wd system and braking system sucks, frames crack and the plastics (camo) are brittle and chip in sub zero temps when hit with rocks kicked up by the tires.

Hope this helps.

[DEE POWELL]

PERSONALLY I WOULD BUY A SIDE BY SIDE; A FEW MORE DOLLARS BUT YOU CAN ENCLOSE THE CAB WITH HEAT AND YOU HAVE A BED IN BACK TO PUT A DOG BOX. I HAVE HAD THE YAHAMA RHINO AND NOW HAVE THE ARTIC CAT PROWLER WHICH I HAVE PROS AND CONS ON WHICH ONE I LIKE BETTER.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE TRACKS BUT UNTIL WE GET A CAT SEASON HERE IN WASHINGTON THAT'S ALOT OF EXPENSE TO RIDE AROUND IN THE HILLS WITH.

[carlisle]

The big engine grizzlies i hear handle the tracks well...but if I was going to buy a 4 wheeler my first choice would be a honda and if i wanted to put tracks on it I would get the honda Rincon....my second choice would be a grizzly

[Machias]

Thanks everyone!

[Plotts]

Most all of the newer models are sweet.

Since you are going to be hauling dogs, maybe some xtra fuel, and all your hunting gear for at times an extended ride, you might look at more of a utility ATV, that is built for hauling more weight, and has a longer wheelbase.

Referring to the Polaris X2 series.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[BlacktailStalker]

Those side by sides are basically a truck IMO.
Several of my buddies have them and they cant get in half the places we go in our quads.
I tell them, "we'll show you the pics when we get out, don't worry "

[Machias]

[muck]

get a kawasaki, cant beat a vtwin motor. it will out run a grizzly, runs smoother than all those single cylinder big boars. no power steering but i have never really seemed to need it. oh ya i work at a kawasaki shop.

[FullCryHounds]

I was just told by a dealer here that the Kawasaki Power Steering should be out by the end of this month. That's going to make a great quad fantastic. I have two Brute Forces and was just about to upgrade one of them to a Grizzly with power steering. After hearing this, I think I'm going to wait till next month and see what happens.

[Kyle D7]

Just a little input on any machine you are going to put tracks on. I purchased the tatou 4s tracks for my 2010 arctic cat tbx the did not have power steering and week later a traded it in on the 2011 model that did. This was a costly lesson for me! I would not recommend buying tracks for a quad that does not have power steering. I know that everyone has there favorite brand of quad I like the arctic cats because of there suspension and ability to handle large amounts of extra weight. If you are looking to get a new quad take a hard look at the arctic cat tbx for dog hunting and I think you will be satisfied with what you see.

[ferjr]

My dad has a 2008 Yamaha Grizzley 660 with Tatou 4S tracks, I dont get it when you guys say it is hard to steer. It doesnt have power steering and I ride it alot, it is not hard at all to steer, especially on the snow. My dad had a 5 way by-pass, open heart surgery and has no problems with the steering, on snow dirt or pavement.




As a matter of fact I like them so much, I am going to order a set for my 2009 Grizzley 550FI, its not power steering either.