Re: Deer

From: David Settlemoir (dsettlemoir@aristotle.net)
Date: Thu Mar 19 1998 - 19:53:41 EST


When I get off during hunting season (I work for my state wildlife agency)
I get to do a few days of deer hunting from my '95 4X4 5.2L 5spd CC. The
first time I took it out when it was new (on a federal wildlife management
area,) I dropped it off into a huge rut but didn't get stuck - thank god
for the skid plate on the front diff! The stock Michelin street tires
pretty much sucked, and I almost got stuck a few times in a rice field out
duck hunting. At least if I got stuck, one of the other guys had a diesel
Power Wagon to pull me out with. ;-) I've replaced the stock 235-75R15
tires with 30 X 9.5 Dunlop Radial Rover RV's which have a much more
aggressive tread. They are a bit louder, but do much better in soft mud.

I like to haul heavy stuff sometimes in the bed, so I replaced the stock
rear shocks with NAPA (Monroe) sensa-a-trac coil-over load handling shocks.
 This rides much better with a full load of firewood, but is a bit more
stiff empty. FWIW, one of the original shocks was completely gone, with no
resistance at all pulling on the shaft(?) with only 30K miles on the truck.

I don't have a brush guard on my truck, but could have used one a few times
and have the scratches to prove it!

Watch out for those deer at night - in Arkansas if it's standing just off
the road don't shoot. It could be a radio-controlled decoy with a bunch of
Wildlife Officers hiding in the brush itching to write a night-hunting
ticket!!!

David

  

At 05:19 PM 3/19/98 EST, you wrote:
>Does anyone on this list use their trucks off-road? How good are the stock
>shocks on the 1998 Dakota? Any else do any deer hunting with their trucks?
>Know of any strong brush guards with push bars on them? thanks
>
>



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