Quad versus Side by Side for hunting

First, 500 cc is enough power for hunting needs for one person.  I’ve had Polaris 500, Yamaha 450, Honda Pioneer side by side 500 and now I’ve a Honda 420 Rancher They have all been great machines.  

The advantage of the Pioneer side by side was the roof and enclosure. I was hunting a lot with a friend and two big guys riding on a quad doesn’t do it.  A little girlfriend, a dog, or a child works just fine.  The Pioneer was perfect.  We had sufficient room for us and our gear and the dog.  It was perfect in cold weather because the enclosed inside heated up from the engine heat.  The windshield was great in rain.  It was however like having a little ‘car’ in the backwoods. Before I could afford ATV’s I hunted on foot, stalking, in ambush and only had a Broncho or a Sport truck.  I felt like I was driving a little Jeep in the side by side, cut off from nature. It was the same when I had a side car motorcycle. The ‘experience’ of two wheels was missing.  With a quad I feel like I’m riding a horse.  Hunting with an enduro motorcycle required too much attention to the road whereas the quad lets me look all around.   

If one is mainly taking passengers then the 750 or 800 might be better. We found the 500 Pioneer sufficient. To my mind nothing  beats the quad as a hunting platform..  It’s has the joy of an off road  motorcycle but gives the stability for looking about while driving. It’s easier to park the quad or side by side than a two  wheel when game is sighted and you go for the bow or gun.  For comfort stick with a truck

My old cockapoo partridge hunting dog preferred the truck. When I’d unloaded the Pioneer he would jump back in the truck. He liked the comfortable seating. The side by side seats are like cafeteria chairs and probably would benefit a cushion. I can sit all day on the quad.   I definitely could hunt more comfortably in snow and rain with the Pioneer but I could dress for the Quad and be more in tune with the environment.That’s why I went back to the quad. 

I love the Honda 420 rancher because it’s lighter weight. I can do 50 km/hr  backwoods with it and 60 km/hr with the 450 and 500 but I ‘m not racing when I’m hunting.  Mostly I’m travelling at 10 to 15 km/hr. I’ve carried deer on the 450 and my friend carries moose out on his. So far I haven’t had to face the problem of carrying out moose with the 420 Rancher.   I’m hoping to put my Rancher to the test and believe it will be up to it.  So far I’ve only had it this year and it’s only had to carry me, the dog and  grouse and rabbit.

With regard to accessories, I had a windshield on the Polaris and admit that was sweet in rain and snow. I had chains for the Polaris and that was especially good in snow. I don’t like hunting in heavy snow now.  If I wanted to do this more I’d get a snowmobile though the Polaris with chains worked really well.  I don’t have a lighter /USB charging port on this Rancher and expect I’ll have one installed. That was on my previous machines and I really appreciated it. 

I did have hand guards added to the Rancher and missed the heated handles I had on the Yamaha. The Honda tires that come with their machines have all been sufficient but there’s an even more gnarly set I’ll probably upgrade to one day.  I had hard box luggage compartment on the back of the Yamaha and Polaris and loved it.  I could have gone with that again but instead chose soft Kolpin bags. The hard compartments were a thousand range whereas the soft which works great were only a couple of hundred dollars. 

I really do like having the stacking square gas tank. I used to carry a spare can buggy corded onto previous machines. This is way superior.  I have had the gun clamps on all my quads whereas the rifles and shotguns stood in the Pioneer much like they do in the truck.

I carried a chain saw mounted to the back rack but the mud splash was an issue. I used it only once or twice.  Now I’ve a folding saw and axe I take along. 

I had a muffler which reduced the sound on the Yamaha but after a couple of years it rusted out. I don’t know it was that much of an improvement. 

I did have a WARN winch installed on the front of the Rancher with the Honda kit.  It’s the third WARN winch I’ve had on my machines. I ‘ve used it to pull trees out of my path. It helped me pull up quarters of elk from down a ravine. That last deer I shot from the truck, Wel,  I had to use the winch from the Yamaha to get it from the ground into the truck bed. I’d loaded the ATV that night early and was driving out at dusk when I saw the deer and shot it. I expect I’d have had to quarter it to get it into the truck bed without the help of the ATV winch.  

I’m an older guy now.  It’s been decades since I carried a deer down a mountain side on my shoulders. When I was young I carried moose and deer on pack boards out of the woods for miles. I ranged everywhere and was in place in the dark before dawn and hunted till after dusk. Now my knee and back hurt and carrying my rifle a mile or two is work. I used to carry a pack sack too with thermos and such. I like that the ATV carries all that.   That last mule deer I shot just driving in my truck, a couple of hundred meters from the logging road, just about did me in getting it back to the road onto the truck  So now I’m ‘road hunting’. I may ride or walk but I’m looking for animals that are close to the road.  

I got more game when all I did was stalk and sit in ambush but I have a hell of a good time riding the Honda 420 Rancher on the trails.  I’d be an old fool if I shot anything too far from a road today It took me all day to get the quartered elk out to the road.  Besides the grouse and rabbits prefer the logging road.   I’m happy enough to shoot them. The dog’s just as excited.  The truth is my Honda 420 Rancher makes for a great hunting experience.  People who don’t even hunt get them to ride around in the backwoods.  That’s how much fun they are.

Bungalow Motel Cabins, Harrison Lake and the new Honda 500 Pioneer Side by Side ATV

I love Bungalow Motel at Harrison Lake.  They are a set of rustic cabins off the main drag in Harrison going towards the East Harrison Road across from the Church, right beside the boat launch. I’ve been staying here now for a quarter century, every year.  Some years I can get away more other years work has won out and I’ve only been able to get there for an overnight.  Every time has been special.  The owners are magnificent.
I purchased a Honda 500 Pioneer Side by Side ATV trading in my former quad.  With the new machine, Laura would be able to sit beside me and Gilbert, my dog, had a place to sit on a blanket at her feet.  We’d not all three been able to ride the quad and after Gilbert hurt his back last year I didn’t want him jumping up and down as before.  My hunting friend’s all approve of the ‘side by side’ seating arrangement because none of them wanted to ride in the quad’s  ‘bitch’ seat.  I’ve done it and frankly by the time we'd untangled and dismounted and got our rifles out  the game we’d seen was long gone.  The ‘side by side’ is simply the best way to go if you’re not always planning on being alone.
We drove the short ride from Vancouver to Harrison’s Friday night after picking up my new Honda from the awesome folk at Honda Centre at Boundary and First. I’ve been doing business with them for a decade at least and buying Honda for my back woods off the grid camping, hunting and exploring needs or for off shore sailing use for at least a quarter of a century too. I’ve had outboards, generators, scooters and motorcycles and now this incredible Honda 500 Pioneer. The beauty of the machine is that it’s narrow enough to sit in the truck box like a regular quad.  The minor disadvantage for hauling purposes is that like a ski doo, the length requires the gate of the truck to be down.  That’s going to affect how I hitch the RV to the truck when the Honda Pioneer is on board though it will fit in my RV Toyhauler’s garage.
Laura loves the Bungalow Motel.  When we arrived it was about 7 pm. We’d stopped in A&W in Mission where there was 50’s hot rod car rally with Elvis music going on.  We ate burgers and onion rings as we drove up the beautiful #7 highway to Harrison. Gilbert loves getting the A&W beef paddy though his favourite is MacDonald’s.  .
The particular cabin we were put up in this time has the best view of all.  It looked out on the park where Canada Geese had collected and beyond to Harrison Lake where the BC Sailing races were going on all weekend.  At the other end of the town by the Harrison Resort, the Dragonboat Festival was taking place as well.  Harrison Lake is a hopping place in the summer with bikinis galore and all the muscle men out, along with a full array of outdoor activities going on.  It’s the most interesting place that way, with a near by provincial park that caters to the outdoorsy set, the marina for sailors and all the fishing and guiding activities, and nearby backwoods. Meanwhile there are luxury hotels for those who just want to drinkie poo on balconies in the sun.  The Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa we enjoy most mid winter for the ‘waters’ is always a going concern.   The town has really built up since I began coming here in the 80’s.  The golf course is especially popular now and there are so many great restaurants.
Laura and I like the Bungalow Cabins for the rustic charm. Each has a little patio and we enjoyed sitting outside reading and drinking coffee.
After arriving and settling in and eating pizza we walked Gilbert in the park and had a fairly early night in the ultimate quiet of the surroundings. Outside the sky had cleared and the billions of stars were radiant without the city lights obscuring them.  I love sitting outside at Harrison Lake and looking across the great expanse of water to the mountains beyond.  It’s the most meditative place.
In the morning Gilbert, as usual, got me up so I took him for a walk in the park.  He loves all the scents and was the happiest I’ve seen him in months this weekend.  
Then we  walked the short distance to the down town mall where Chuck and Kitty’s cafe is. They serve the best morning coffee and egg cheese and bacon buns to die for.  I carried all this back. The dragon boat folk were gathering at this early  hour while those who’d danced up a storm in the pub were probably sleeping in.
Bringing a beautiful girl breakfast in bed definitely gets one brownie points.  It was about 11 am before we got ourselves organized to head back country.  I’d brought my Ruger Mini 14 semi auto 223 shell rifle for back woods target practice so confirmed with the "in the know” Bungalow Motel folk that the top of the lake would be the best for off the grid 4x4 ing. There’s a whole lot of logging roads up there with gravel pits where you can set up targets without fear of disturbing vegetarians.
We drove the Ford F350 with Honda Pioneer in the back past the Sasquatch Provincial Camp and the Bear Creek Camp and the Cobalt Point campsites. They were all full of young people and I remember when years past I had the last, a long beech area, all to my self, mid summer. Now they’re all full and I believe some have to booked ahead.  They all even have facilities and there’s lots of picnic tables that never existed years ago.  The Harrison east road is gravel but so good that all manner of cars and trucks and bikes had ridden up there parking along the road to access the beach.
We found a great hill to off load the Honda Pioneer at. I am always anxious at the loading and off loading phase where there’s that moment of commitment when I can’t help but fear I’m going to fall off the end of the truck or flip somehow.  I love ‘terra firms’.  As always, the unloading went just fine.  We then locked up the truck and Laura and Gilbert and I set out to explore.
What a glorious little machine!!!.  There’s an advertisement Honda uses of a man and woman, admittedly half our age, really enjoying driving along a narrow wooded trail in their Pioneer 500..  Despite their perfect hair and teeth, I thought we looked just like them and definitely were having twice the fun.  Honda’s advertising really is truthful.     I looked over at Laura and she was beaming.  I just loved driving this little mini jeep and it’s perkiness.  Lots of gears.  Great clearance.   Gilbert had lots of room on a blanket at Laura’s feet.
We even had a couple of doe cross the road in front us and I had time to find my iPhone in the pouches set under the roof and get a shot with the camera. This machine is going to be a great hunting platform for my friend and I come fall.
After driving for a bit on the main logging road we took a sketchy little road off to the beach.   Laura squealed when we slid sideways in a muddy stretched.  I noticed she had her seat belt on and at times had a hand on the bars holding herself in on turns.  This was a truly off the grid place where what we think of as kids had set up tents and were quadding and off road motorcycle camping along the beach.
“We’re not old people police! Continue what you’re doing.  We’re just stopping for coffee”.  I called out to this group of 20 year old whose youth space we’d obviously invaded.  They laughed, but clearly were at ease with the idea we’d not be staying.  At the end of the beach we stopped and pointed the Honda at the lake. I got out a thermos of coffee while Laura shared some cheese slices with Gilbert.  I sat in that perfect little Honda Pioneer 4x4 side by side looking at this most wonderful of lakes with the sky clearing, a beautiful girl beside me and Gilbert chasing bits of wood in the sand.  Life doesn’t get any better.
We drove back to the main road and took some side roads before heading up into the mountains where we found a narrow bridge which could only be crossed by ATV’s.  We were off the grid there and had a lovely drive up in  the hills. We picked berries along the road and the wild flowers were lovely   We crossed a little mountain stream by a waterfall and stopped for selfies.  Then I  set up targets and got out the Ruger Mini 14.  We’d earlier seen bear scat and as usual Laura was concerned so I’d said she needn’t be because I had the rifle.
Well, it turned out the rifle was jammed and it took me all of 10 to 15 minutes to get it working.  Naturally Laura figured a bear would have had more than enough time to eat her so I had to reassure that  Gilbert would have protected her as bear hate barking little dogs.
While we were driving up there she’d suddenly started flailing about with her hands. I stopped to see if she was alright and she said . “A great black spider landed on me.”  We couldn’t find any evidence of this hallucination but when I put on my Sturges North Hoodie I felt a crawly in my sleeve.  I won’t say I flailed about but rather that I had the hoodie off with some alacrity.  It turned out that our guest was not a big black spider but rather a very large black cricket.
We both admitted we loved crickets and enjoyed watching it fly away.  I’d turned the vehicle around using the reverse several times in the day but suddenly without any warning the reverse function didn’t work.  Laura got out and helped me push the little thousand pound machine around so I could drive a hundred yards back from the targets. I couldn’t think of any reason the reverse wouldn’t work as all the other gears did and didn’t figure on figuring out backwoods repairs. The lovely little machine would still get us back to the truck.
So I shot off 20 or 30 rounds till I was getting a good grouping in the centre of the target all the while Gilbert was ecstatically hoping that grouse would start dropping out of the skies.  Gilbert absolutely loves grouse hunting. While I was practising target shooting he was practicing sniffing and weaving and pointing. Laura was waiting patiently while the boys were having all the fun.
On the way down we had to cross the bridge.  While the one side was an easy rise the return side was a steep ramp.  Laura and Gilbert got out and I gunned it.  I remembered hearing the word ‘commitment’ from the Gaylor at Honda and from the owner of Bungalow Cabins when we’d discussed steep ramps.  I gave her and Laura said it was a thing of beauty.  “You were air born and landed perfectly.” My heart was in my throat but I only could have been a foot off the ground yet being as it was over a roaring river it all had lots of psychological significance. I swaggered with my chest out after that maneuver though it was something I’d done countless times and with much more air on my former quad. This is just what my friend Dave lives for when he goes quadding. I was even thinking of backing up the steep except with the loss of reverse I had little choice and could see nowhere to look my winch too. In for a penny in for a pound. I committed. And it was glorious!.
We drove down the mountain from there  and got the Honda Pioneer situated on the little hill for loading, having to adjust the truck to the quad because without reverse,  I couldn’t position the quad. Laura shouted directions to me watching for alignment and it was good.
With the Honda Pioneer on the back of the Ford F350 I just had to tie it down.  Then we drove back to Bungalow Motel.  We’d been riding about for maybe 6 or 7 hours and I was exhausted.  I loved the shower and Laura ordered pizza.
There was nothing on TV even though they had cable.  Both of us read and we all loved the ‘meat lovers’ pizza with cold coca colas.  Gilbert thought we’d chosen well.
We slept in.  My body is still aching.  We packed up and headed home after another magnificent weekend at Harrison’s.  I’ll get my Honda fixed this week and maybe next weekend we can do it all over again.  We were lucky to get into Bungalow with a few days notice because of a cancellation.  I can’t wait to return.  I always feel like I’m in one of those grand little places I stayed at near Boston or outside of San Francisco where movies are made of  artists who go to get close to nature.
They have an outdoor swimming pool we’ve enjoyed in the past getting a bit of that Palm Spring lying around in the sun  pool experience. It was really hot this weekend.  I did think of walking over to the beech and diving into the lake. The water is perfect this time of the year.  But there’s never enough time to do all the things you want to, as the Jim Croce song goes. I didn’t even get to the hot spring pool in town like I usually do.  It such a Gordon Lightfoot John Denver getaway.  The town is definitely becoming more a Beach Boys scene.
Back in Vancouver I feel rather than two nights away  like I’ve been away for a week. Heaven would be staying there for a week or two.   Bit I have to get back to work having had the very best of breaks.  It’s hard to believe it’s only an hour a way.

Journal:Bits and pieces

I returned from seeing my brother and sister in law and nephews, sailing on lake Ontario, being surrounded by 3 cockapoos, Pepper, Eva and Gilbert and motorcycling around the Greater Napanee area. It was a fine time.  I felt wholly different when I returned to work.  When I’d left I was feeling really overwhelmed, mostly struggling with the burden of an ongoing threat against my life and my dogs life.  It seemed like a  straw that broke the camel’s back, the lack of consideration of the authorities for it’s citizens, as evidenced at this microcosm level and the macrocosm level of Justin Trudeau.
Back at work I enjoyed seeing patients again. Loved seeing my colleagues and staff.  The fish had survived surprisingly.  Even riding the Miata back from the airport was fine. The weather wasn’t. I find the sunshine, which we’re having today, makes all the difference.  We had grey sky last week and drizzle then torrential rain at night.
Gilbert was so pleased to see all his toys. We both loved visiting Laura and walking over to Max’s for a sidewalk dinner.  There are good routines that are a joy to revisit.
Tom and I had another delicious meal at Vasili , the Greek restaurant on Kingsway with the red ferrari parked outside. A beautiful Kurdish waitress made the experience enjoyable.  Tom didn’t know about the Kurdish Women Fighting Brigade that’s been winning against ISIS. Canada had provided them air cover until ‘feminist’ Justin Trudeau withdrew Canada’s support.  Our waitress was proud of the success of the Kurdish women and happy when I noted it.  The lamb and calamari were excellent.  Tom and I talked about sailing, religion, politics and family as usual.
We’d been at Honda Centre where Lee and Lorry work.  I’d traded in the Yamaha 450 ATV for a new Honda 500 Pioneer Side by Side.  Tom was with me when we first came across it at the Sportsman Show.  It’s attraction over other side by sides is that it will fit in the box of the truck.  Since Gilbert hurt his back last year I can’t have him jumping up and down on the ATV so with this one he’ll be able to step up and down just like a car.  Besides neither Tom or I wanted to ride in the ‘bitch’ seat on the ATV when we were hunting together so this allows up both to be ready for game when we’re out hunting. Alone the ATV was a joy but I’m hunting more with Tom or taking another along when I’m hunting now as I get older or accept the lesson of when I rolled the Polaris and was injured so far from help after shooting the elk on Vancouver Island.  I’m just generally more cautious.  The roll bars on the Honda Pioneer are another attraction.  I’ve added the roof and windshield and door accessory as well as the winch and got the whole thing in camo colour. The roof and doors and windshield are rather ‘luxurious’. No more riding about exposed to rain and snow.  Laura looks forward to booting about the back woods with Gilbert and I.  Tom and I were celebrating the trade in and discussing weekend trips in the fall.
I was really happy to get on the Harley Davidson yesterday after the rain stopped. I’d been enjoying the Yamaha 250 out east. Gilbert met with Emory and Dave said ‘riding a 250 must have been like riding a scooter compared to your big bike’.  Good to see him and talk bikes. The dogs are best of friends too.  We think they’re wrestling.
My friends Aim and Alyson are pregnant and that’s just the best news!
Gilbert and I were up early this morning and walked the length of the river walk and back.  I got a picture of a bee in a flower.  Was taking the picture of the flower when the bee suddenly came out.
Watched the movie, Whiskey Foxtrot Tango (what the fuck) with Tina Rey and enjoyed it. I’ve been watching another season of Last Ship and can’t wait for next instalment.
I’ve just completed a few hours of ‘take home ‘work, which I try to avoid though can’t seem too. Patients have been calling all hours and I’m disappointed by the lack of resources.  It’s difficult for my patients and I see their plights in comparison with the propaganda of ‘perfect Canada’.
The Black Lives Matter did their grandstanding disruptive bit at the Pride Parade in Toronto. The shootings at the Gay Club in Orlando and then the sniper fire on the cops in Texas. They say there was just one shooter but it sure seemed like there were more than one.
Difficult and confusing times. Brexit in England and the Gotthard Tunnel horny goat celebration suggest strange times. Meanwhile the UN and Trudeau and Obama continue to lie about Climate Change and the scientific illiteracy is so profound that people don’t realize ‘carbon’ tax is breathing tax. They would I suspect, if someone said O2 tax but the level of stupidity politically and scientifically in this country these days has me wanting to say ‘beam me up, scotty, there’s no intelligent life here.’ The sad part is it’s just corruption all over.
Trump and Hillary are running for the American president and I’ve really been interested in politics for the first time, seriously , in almost a decade.  The last excitement was the Wall Street ‘rip off’.  Strange times.  I can’t help but remember that Freud when the Nazi’s were at the door and he was escaping said, “the paranoids were right’.  Given the politics of the day, the psychotics seem less crazy and indeed the paranoids might well be right.
Justin Trudeau seems to be doing everything in his power to have the greatest number of people stoned with his marijuana legalization and all these supervised injections sites for opiate abusers.  The message this gives to the kids is ‘drop out’.  We had that in the counter culture in the 60’s, a minority position, but now it’s mainstream.  Obama using cocaine and Justin Trudeau wine and pot affacionda.
Being ‘clean and sober’ I’m frowned upon because it really does give a ‘clarity’ that the abusers don’t like.  Not that i feel like I’ve any great insight right now. I’m just looking forward to getting out in the woods and enjoying wilderness. I also look forward to sailing again before the summer and fall are over.  Every year I just try to get enough good times to be able to survive the increasingly frightening winter months. This year 2 people died, one murdered and the other suicided. Last year it was a hanging and three overdose deaths.  I blame myself and don’t but I try my hardest to do the best.
I felt for my patient when he said “I just want to make a difference’.  His life had been one of service and care for family and others.  I feel irrelevant  We’re yesterdays news.  This aging process is physically disturbing but psychologically and intellectually it’s a challenge too.  I just want to sit in churches and pray or sit on the sides of mountains and mediate.
But there’s work to be done.  Thank you Jesus for the good times.



God bless.