What size ATV

[jrfrmn]

Opinions please.

What is the minium size ATV that can be used only to get in to a place for deer hunting and to get a deer out. I don't need one for recreation, only for this purpose.

[Graybeard]

A 250 should do it but a 350 will do it just a wee bit better. I liked my Honda Recon 250, it was smaller and lighter and more nimble than my Yamaha 350 Bruin. BUT my main use for it was pulling heavy loads in a trailer here on my small farm and the Bruin was rated to pull 1000 pounds which I already knew the Recon would not. I'd bet I've pull a ton or more with the Bruin on many occasions even up mild hills.

If you're not a big man the 250 might work fine for you and will be more nimble in getting around out in the woods. If you are a large or heavy man you might want to step up to a larger machine but really a 350 is plenty unless you're one of those types who just has to have the HP and go fast. I'm not and am perfectly happy with my 350.

[Thebear_78]

If pulling a trailer or going thru really thick muck or steep hills I would go with a 400 or 500.  Personally I run a 500 AC with 26" mudtrax tires and wouldn't want to go any smaller engine wise.   

[Lloyd Smale]

gave my dad my old 250 yamaha timberwolf 4x4 and he weights 250lbs and he just loves it. It only goes about 35mph but has plenty of power for about anything your going to do with a bike. Now if it had a low range id say it would do anything i do with my 700 but pulling deer blinks up steap hills kind of taxes it. But ive used it for that and its got the job done. Nice thing about it is its about half the size of my 700 and has a tighter turning radius so its a bit more manuverable. but with the power stearing on the 700 you dont mind jockying it around a little. To me if i was looking for a hunting machine for myself it would HAVE to have power stearing and that means your going to have to start out at the 550 class and even a 550 with powerstearing aint cheap!!

[Doug B.]

Arctic Cat makes a 336cc four wheel drive model. It's a smaller package and certainly would be much more maneuverable than the 650 I now own. I don't know how it would fit a large framed person or if you might need the additional horsepower. The extra horsepower that I've got certainly is nice for plowing the snow I have to deal with in the wintertime however.

[Oldshooter]

We've got a 450 4wd honda and a 250 2wd honda and they are hard to beat, virtually indestructible as proven by my 22 year old son. and the 4wd will pull a house with the 589 tires on it. Its a mini tractor!

My desired atv would be slow(15 mph max), powerful and by all means quiet! Did I say quiet! I hate the pop pop noise they make!

[Dave in WV]

A friend has a Honda fourtrax 300 4x4 and it has enough power to do the job. I have a Grizzly 660 but that's because of the deal I got on it. I would have stayed in the 400cc range. If you live in an area with flat terrain a 2WD will do the job. They work here but a 4x4 is better. A winch will do wonders for you helping getting a deer out. Find a thick branch and throw a line over it, pull the winch cable over it, and lift the deer so you can drive under it to load it.
 
Look around because the demand here is for the UTVs and the dealers are making some great deals on ATVs. A guy at work told me he can get a new 2010 Suzuki 450 in a solid color with a winch for $4200.  $200 more for a camo model.

[30-30man]

I own both a 2008 Kawasaki Bayou 250 and a 2006 Yamaha Bruin 350.  The 250 will surprise you with what it will do.  I've never seen a deer that the 250 wouldn't pull with me on it.  It does not have the power of the 350, but has all the power you need. I've hauled trailers full of firewood with the 250 and it has never failed me.  The only weak point on the 250s is the hitch on the back of them...They are jsut not made for a lot of tounge weight.   It will even keep up with the big atvs as the top speed is around 40mph.  I've never run it that fast, but it will if you need it to.  The Kawasaki is jsut a joy to ride as I like gears and have really not taken to the bulky automatic of the Bruin.  The nice thing about the Bayou is when you get stuck, you can pick up the back end and get out of most places if you bog down.  The Kawaski can be bought new for around 3K.  It's the best deal out there.  The motors are bullet proof and they are really good on gas.

[Lloyd Smale]

doug i love your trail 70 in your avatar. I had a trail 50 and a 70 when i was young. Id like to find a 70 for putsing around camp.

Arctic Cat makes a 336cc four wheel drive model. It's a smaller package and certainly would be much more maneuverable than the 650 I now own. I don't know how it would fit a large framed person or if you might need the additional horsepower. The extra horsepower that I've got certainly is nice for plowing the snow I have to deal with in the wintertime however.

[Doug B.]

I bought the '70 from my Aunt & Uncle's estate. Same bike I drove when I was about 15 years old. I am having more fun with it today than I had 37 years ago! It was about the same time that I had a trail 50 which I wish I had today. I have titled/registered the '70 for road use as well.

[BUCKDUSTER]

honda 420 rancher.  small, plenty powerful, super reliable, new ones are fuel injected with independent suspension and will probly last you forever.  i took 3 grown men up a step hill and it didnt miss a beat, yet still fits in the bed of ny pickum up truck with no problem.

[Lloyd Smale]

very cool. I too spend a few years of my childhood sitting on the seat of one of them.

I bought the '70 from my Aunt & Uncle's estate. Same bike I drove when I was about 15 years old. I am having more fun with it today than I had 37 years ago! It was about the same time that I had a trail 50 which I wish I had today. I have titled/registered the '70 for road use as well.

[markc]

Doug,  we had two of those CT70's when I was a kid, one for me, and one for my brother.  What a blast we used to have on those.   Brings back great memories.

[Tonk]

I am a fan of bigger is always better and know that a good 350 with 4 x 4 will take care of 90% of any needs or wants in the woods or otherwise. We have a Honda 450-Foreman 4 x 4 that is used mostly around the place for chores. It was purchased new in 04 and I now have a 700 Yamaha for our hunting needs and joyriding on the trails. The powersteering is a blessing from heaven and lets a person not think about the aches and pains 4 hours later on the trail. The wife has a 550 Yamaha also has powersteering, we are a bit spoiled by these machines compared to others we have ridden or owned. The bottom line, is don't get anything smaller than a 350 machine in 4 x 4 and you will be a happy camper ok.