Sled vs Side by Side w Tracks
 

So I still have this 2010 or 08 Skandik or whatever it is, went from a low 89 km when I bought it to a whopping 150 km now. I kept it running all spring, summer, fall, winter so it wouldn't gum up, but I'm just thinking that a sled just isn't for me! I did manage to check one bait with it this winter. I really think I should just sell it.

So I think I'd have a lot more use for a side by side with tracks. Thinking of going with a mid size Honda Pioneer

When checking snares, I'm usually not far from truck, not like I have to drive 60 miles into remote trapline or nothing heroic!

Will it fit in back of a long box? Will it start in -35? Will it fit in an enclosed trailer and if I put an enclosed cab on it, will I be able to get in and out of it in the enclosed trailer?

sled/SXS
 

Marty, sled always starts in -30oC. My suzuki 500 would start down to -20. However my Arctic Cat SXS does not like starting below -10.

My suzuki king quad will start at 30 below. Not sure if they make a SxS tho.

Never will it fit in back of your truck or an enclosed with tracks. Normal car trailer would be the only way to haul. If you only used the snowmobile once why screw with tracks? The sxs will go through a lot of snow with tires.

I have short box and my rhino fits with tracks just cant close tailgate depends on your trailer mine dosnt fit in mine but fits in my buddies. but i enclosed mine and track will make machine go slower and will throw snow at door would recommend power steering aswell. A sled deck will work if you want to close box...

If you put a machine in your box where do you put the coyotes that you catch?

And don't forget the bait. I don't want to carry a trailer all the time, I'm thinking of getting a sled deck. As for the machine, I'm in the same boat, debating between buying tracks for my quad or a sled? Just going from the truck to the bait, 1/2 mile or less, several stop per day, it's not like the guys that run a line on crown land.

I fit 9 under rhino and with my cargo net 5 in box of rhino if i where to catch more would put in rhino cab. I just started using my work truck it has huge 8×12deck !

Oh valid point Davey!!!

My poor old 2003 dodge has 785,000 on it now and looks it, even tho I have spend much time doing duct tape bodywork around the fenders. Tailgate is dead and is held shut with two weather beaten tarp straps. Inside of the box, ya it looks better than outside the wheel wells, but is ugly. I’m thinking flat deck time. Then if I build some ugly sides up off the flat deck then I could even do double day trips with the extra bed space and increased wall height. Lill’ trapper tedbert manages to get 90 coyotes on an 8 foot box on his “take em to tedbert” furbuying runs with sideboards! Maybe I could have two Alberta world record days and get 110 coyotes stacked on the thing. (I think two Sask world record days is only 90 coyotes or something silly like that)

Oh yes.... machine... coyotes...

So machine goes on the back, guess a guy could pull a trailer and lock it up so no low life could come and steal. You just don’t know what kind of lowlife one might encounter when he’s out snaring a ways away from home! A truck full of $100 bills just waiting to be skinned surely would be quite a temptation for some folks out there... especially people that like to pretend they catch a lot of coyotes!!!:love0025:

So obviously enclosed and hope it’s low life proof!!! I pull a nasty trailer when I drag sled all over the country. Flat deck tho so the catch was always exposed.

It sounds like you need a new truck, not a quad with tracks. :lol:

I wish you luck but if you are hauling any amount of bait and loading coyotes I really don’t understand how you’d ever have enough room to load everything under a deck. I don’t even want to imagine loading roadkill under it.....what do you do, push it on? Then you have contorted coyotes to load under there from the end. Maybe if they freeze standing to attention they might load better. :)

I do run and gun coyote trapping with a lot of loading and off loading the sled. When there’s lots of snow it’s easy to back into a snowbank and back the sled off. When there’s not though, I have a half sheet of plywood in the box to use as a ramp (pretty high tech). It’s a pita when i’m Catching coyotes because I have to put the plywood on the bottom and the coyotes on top......always loading and unloading coyotes to get at it. This is the type of thing that I imagine happening with a deck with sides if you are loading coyotes in with the machine......unload Yotes to get it off and reload once it’s back on. Who needs that?

When the snow isn’t that deep I can drive to almost all bait sites and I don’t have to bother hooking up the trailer/sled.

Trailer for machine and box for bait and coyotes gets my vote.

So WRONG on never in back of truck eh???...er with some most slight mods!!!

Why have machine.... I use a sled heavy like once in 10 years, drag everywhere those winters. Hate it but gotta do it when the snow demands it. I swear tho that next deep snow winter I am a full time furbuyer!!! Mind you, them winters the coyotes go berserk and it’s great fun mass annilating and your biggest concern is those vile little sledders... anyways, when you need one you gotta have it!

So hard starting atv/utv’s... I was using a master diesel mechanic in Pincher Creek once upon a time for truck work and noticed they did a little quad work as well. He seemed to like the Suzuki’s and what he would do was cut the frame in the back of the machine and modify it and re-weld it to accommodate a second battery that was much larger and more powerful, as well as change out the original battery with a second the same size. His purpose was to ensure the machine wouldn’t kill the battery when pushing snow all day with a winch and blade. Now what counts... his claim was that he could start the machine with great ease in the extreme cold like even -35.

Don’t yell at me! That was his claim... I’m just an ignorant trapper!

So that is my master plan! Will I fail? I need the machine most when it’s cold, often stupid cold. The snowmobile should always start... however the prospect of a machine with a full cab and real windshield and doors really appeals to me. Can you believe that?

Had no desire to stick coyotes on truck with machine. Did say enclosed. When I do t need the machine then sidewalls and stack em.. rack em and stack em!

I have a full size Polaris Ranger with tracks and there is no way in hell you are getting it between wheel wells of truck with tracks on.flat deck definitely an option. Enclosed trailer could work but will be an expensive touch with the extra height needed. As far as starting goes never had an issue with that and have started as low as -35. Lots of wear and tear on driveline and suspension with tracks on. If you buy new UTV with cab and heater, tracks it will be over 30k. But I guess a few 100 plus coyote days and that would be chump change

Sounds like you should just retire Marty, give them old arthritic hands a brake.

Marty, like the idea of decent size 2nd battery to start any quad/sxs or sled. The little motorcycle battery is ridiculous for starting and winching anything in the winter.

Argo
 

I personally would go with an Argo with tracks. Never get stuck, room for yotes and bait is a heated cab. I do regret selling mine and I will be buying another.

No such thing as a 100 coyote day. Would take 2 record days back to back.... hypothetically speaking of course!!! It would take me at least 3 days to get it done at best, definitely doesn’t happen very often either. But them Hunter Dave Super Moons have been great for them!!!

So aren’t riding those Argo like sitting on a padded wooden box with no suspension?

Argo
 

They can be rough but not too bad if you drive accordingly. Tracks help to smooth out the ride. An 8 wheel with tracks and cab will haul a lot of gear in comfort without much worry of getting stuck. A stuck side by side on tracks equals a lot of digging. I’ve got a bad back and It wasn’t a bother in the Argo any more than a faster traveling machine with suspension. Personally I’m working on building an air boat type craft with enclosed cab so I can run the rivers without worry. We live on the Edge of the Bow River.

if the machine is mostly for deep snow, I don't think an argo will ride to rough in snow on tracks. hard pack ground, ruts, rocks, is a different story, need a back brace but snow riding should be fine

The Argo on tires is a little rough but I find after I put the tracks on its not bad at all, they go anywhere and pull like a tank. I still want tracks for my SXS because I use it a lot more than I do my Argo but also have a Skandic sled I use too. The SXS tracks are pricey and take lots of torque and cause wear and tear on suspension and drivetrain from my research...But they sure are cool.I'm debating selling the Argo this spring but still not sure if I really want to they are quite the unit.

This. Plenty of these units running around in your country I would think. Don’t cheap out, be sure to go with the leather seats.
Drove in the stubble that had 18” of snow. Talk about smooth.

That’d be a little out of my budget. I only live in the millionaire irrigation farmer belt... am NOT one myself!

I think it would look good with a coyote tail on the antenna.