# Do I need 4 wheel drive on the Plateau



## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

Plan C may have me hunting doe pronghorn on the Plateau between Antimony and Bicknell. I have a generic 2 wheel drive truck. I don't plan to hunt from the truck. Will I be okay if I keep to the most traveled roads to get in and out of the area or do I need to invite someone with a 4 wheel drive and off road tires?


Thanks.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

I would recommend 4wd. Many areas are fine for 2wd but a little rain can get things dicey and there are a few spots you may want to get to that are best accessed by 4wd.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Got tire chains?




-DallanC


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## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

DallanC said:


> Got tire chains?
> -DallanC


Not yet, but that seems like a simple enough purchase if that'll do the trick.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

A set of tire chains will get you out if needed. Don't get cable type but regular chains. 

Also if you do get hit by a rainstorm sit it out for a while. The roads can turn from gumbo to hard pack in a few hours. Also stick to the main roads if a storm is brewing. The ones that I am talking about are the Loa/Bicknell road to Boulder or the road from a few miles west of Loa to Antimony. Even the road that connects the two from the top of Dry Creek above Antimony to the Loa/Bicknell road to Boulder is usually good. 

I have gone everywhere that I have wanted to go down there with my truck just in 2 wheel drive, but it is nice to have the extra two wheels pulling if needed.


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## muddydogs (Oct 7, 2007)

I hardly ever put my pickup in 4 wheel drive but would never venture out in the fall in a 2 wheel drive vehicle. It can be a simple as turning off the main road into a parking spot that's a little soft, sandy or wet and there you set spinning tires. When you get right down to it a pickup kind of sucks for off road use just because the back end is so light, just adding the extra weight of a full cab like a Suburban makes a world of difference for traction in the back end of a pickup type frame.

If you do go with a 2 wheel get some good heavy link chains like suggested and keep a couple hundred pounds of weight in the bed of the pickup to help with traction. I would consider putting a couple semi aggressive tires on the back end as well especially if you running all season radials currently. Watch the weather, pay attention to where you'r putting the tires and have a communication device in case you need it.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

You need to think back before a lot of the members on this board were born. Most hunters drove a 2 wheel drive truck, if they drove a truck. 4x4's were not very common until the mid 60's and didn't become the type of truck to have until the 70's. A lot of hunters just drove their everyday car to go hunting in. A few had jeeps to take into the hills.

But they went prepared. Chains, high lift jacks, come-a-longs, shovels, and what ever else they needed to get unstuck. Even pilling rocks into the bed of the truck or trunk of the car would add enough weight to get unstuck.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

If you have a 2 wheel drive pickup a handyman jack and chains are a must in Utah, if you have a 4 wheel drive pickup a handyman jack and chains are a must in Utah.;-)


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Your 2-wheel drive will be fine if you are smart about where you take it. Also, if we are having a lot of rainstorms and the roads are muddy, head to John's Valley and hunt around Pine Lake. That area gets a lot less hunting pressure for antelope and the animals are always there. Just keep to the east side of the road to Ruby's and you can find antelope.

The problem with the Parker is the pressure. By the time your hunt comes around, the goats on the Parker will have been pushed and probably pressured into a little harder to access areas. If you are worried about the roads with your 2-wheel drive, head to Pine Lake and hunt the areas between Pine Lake and Ruby's on the east side of the main road through John's Valley.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

If you are that concerned over it, rent a UTV for a couple days.


-DallanC


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## kdog (May 4, 2015)

Critter said:


> You need to think back before a lot of the members on this board were born. Most hunters drove a 2 wheel drive truck, if they drove a truck. 4x4's were not very common until the mid 60's and didn't become the type of truck to have until the 70's. A lot of hunters just drove their everyday car to go hunting in. A few had jeeps to take into the hills.
> 
> But they went prepared. Chains, high lift jacks, come-a-longs, shovels, and what ever else they needed to get unstuck. Even pilling rocks into the bed of the truck or trunk of the car would add enough weight to get unstuck.


I agree, my grandfather and father would go hunting in a rear wheel drive ford crown victoria sedan, and scratched the sides all up in the brush and then buff it out later. In fact he would use that same car to launch his boat and routinely filled the truck with water in the process.

I am a big 4x4 fan and love the secruity of it, but end up using 4x4 only here and there. with a weight in the back, recovery gear, chains and caution, you should do well.


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## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

Thanks all. We usually carry a shovel and sand bags to put extra weight in the back if it looks the least bit necessary. The handyman jack is a good idea, which I have not yet incorporated. 

Also thanks for the alternate hunt spot. If I go, it will be a doe hunt (not trophy) and I will be taking someone new to hunting so less pressure might be more enjoyable and less stressful for a new hunter. And that lake looks like a good place to camp and fish.

Last question regarding the roads. From the responses, it sounds like the roads are more sand as opposed to tire eating rocks. Is that a fair conclusion?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

It is a combination of all the above along with clay. 

As for Pine Lake, my brother in law says that he is never going there again. 

We pulled into the campground two years in a row and both years he ended up with a flat tire on his truck. One time it was a #10 sheet metal screw and the second time it was a rock.


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Critter said:


> It is a combination of all the above along with clay.
> 
> As for Pine Lake, my brother in law says that he is never going there again.
> 
> We pulled into the campground two years in a row and both years he ended up with a flat tire on his truck. One time it was a #10 sheet metal screw and the second time it was a rock.


Sounds like bad luck! I've never had one driving in there...but I remember getting two in one day driving from Loa across to Posey with my father as a kid. I would say the risk of a flat is much worse across the Parker than into Pine Lake.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

We had two trucks and I had no problems either. He did say that he would park down on the highway and let me drive in if I wanted to do any fishing there. 

Other than that we have put a lot of miles on our vehicles on the back roads of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Wyoming with very few tire problems. We do run 8 or 10 ply tires and make sure that they are up to the roads that we will be driving on.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

bowgy said:


> If you have a 2 wheel drive pickup a handyman jack and chains are a must in Utah, if you have a 4 wheel drive pickup a handyman jack and chains are a must in Utah.;-)


I would add a "come-along" hand winch to that set of gear, and a tow strap or two.

I slipped my truck partially off a road this past winter backing up on a steep corner in deep snow. On a scale of 1 to 10 being stuck, it was maybe a 2. But it was a great opportunity to teach my son what to do.

I had him rig the come-along, which was too short to reach a tree, so we used a couple tow straps to reach out, showed him how to tension it, keep safely out of the way, etc etc. How to re-rig once you wind up all the cable. It was actually a fun experience.

I THEN taught him how to put on tire chains. I of course being "papa bear" supervised while he got down in the cold wet snow and climbed under the truck. He got'em on eventually and I then told him in the future put'em on before you get stuck :mrgreen:

LOL... that was a pretty fun day. We were almost exactly at the elevation of the fog layer covering the Indianola valley which made for a beautiful, peaceful morning sunrise.

-DallanC


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Oh yea, a cheap $5 4x6ft blue tarp is darn HANDY to keep in the truck when you need to lay down and climb under a vehicle for any reason in muddy or snowy conditions. Just say'n


-DallanC


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

DallanC said:


> Oh yea, a cheap $5 4x6ft blue tarp is darn HANDY to keep in the truck when you need to lay down and climb under a vehicle for any reason in muddy or snowy conditions. Just say'n
> 
> -DallanC


Is there any way we could talk you into starting a "life hacks" thread?

I've seen tons of them from you on this forum over the years. It would be nice to get them into one place.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Clarq said:


> Is there any way we could talk you into starting a "life hacks" thread?
> 
> I've seen tons of them from you on this forum over the years. It would be nice to get them into one place.


That could be fun actually. Lots of knowledgeable guys here to learn from. I over think things preparation wise... but hey, it only takes getting rescued by Search and Rescue once to never want to be rescued by them ever again. 8)

I'm not the guy with a bomb shelter in the backyard ready for TEOTWAWKI, but I do like to think the family would survive a worst case natural disaster in decent shape (which IMO, here in Utah, would be a moderate to severe earthquake in the middle of a severe winter).

-DallanC


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## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

DallanC said:


> That could be fun actually. Lots of knowledgeable guys here to learn from. I over think things preparation wise... but hey, it only takes getting rescued by Search and Rescue once to never want to be rescued by them ever again. 8)
> 
> I'm not the guy with a bomb shelter in the backyard ready for TEOTWAWKI, but I do like to think the family would survive a worst case natural disaster in decent shape (which IMO, here in Utah, would be a moderate to severe earthquake in the middle of a severe winter).
> 
> -DallanC


Its a great idea. Do it. I know I would learn a lot from it.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Man this thrad has got me to thinking about the old guys growing up, my dad only owned 3 pickups that I remember and we went everywhere in them, a 1962 International, a 1972 International and a 1979 GMC all 3 were 2 wheel drive. Heck, right now I own 1 F250 extended cab 4x4, and 2 F350 4x4 crew cabs, one a long bed and one a short bed. 

The 250 is pretty much a work truck only, the long bed crew is my personal and a backup work truck and the short bed is one I inherited from my son when he died. 

All have chains, handyman or 2 and a come along (power pull) or two, at least one shovel and tow straps. Oh, and a spanner wrench for tire removal. They save a lot of time. I always have extra jackets and a backpack with food and emergency stuff like fire starting, compass, GPS etc. etc.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Oh, and back on topic, I have had to stop for pronghorns on the oiled road between Bryce canyon turn off and Widsoe Junction many times.

Also I have seen a lot of them between highway 12 and Wilson peak.

Just a couple of weeks ago I saw 27 head of elk on the Dutton just off of Highway 12 across from the turn off to Wilson Peak at the top of Red Canyon.


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## bow_dude (Aug 20, 2009)

I was just on the Parkers today, west of Loa. There was a few places with some snow still, but mostly very dry roads. I have spent a fair amount of time in the area between Bicknell and the Parkers. Never have I seen a time 4 wheel drive was necessary except today when we were trying to get to an area and had to cross some run off water. The road was greasy for a couple of hundred yards, but we got thru it unscathed. First time I have had to use 4 wheel drive in the area. The roads are pretty well groomed. Sadly, the lopers have all but disappeared there. This is my 5th time drawing the Archery permit. I will be hunting them in Mid August. I will look up the suggested area by Wyo2Utah. Not familiar with those areas. There used to be grundels of Lopers, but they are M.I.A. anymore. Any other suggestions of where to look? We used to find them all over in the Quakies on the edge of the Boulders, not so any more. I saw 1 loper today, a pretty decent buck. Up towards Fish Lake used to hold a lot also, but they are gone as well.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Bow-Dude / SteveG

I like hunting Johns Valley for antelope. During one archery buck hunt I found lots, and lots, of good bucks hanging out between the Park boundary (Bryce Canyon) and the 
Cameron Wash road -- Look for Henderson Point. This area is known as the Dipping Vats. It's a lot of Ponderosa forest -- and the antelope love it back in there. I had a blast chasing them in that area.

For does (Steve), that's a great area too. You wouldn't need to leave the highway, if you didn't want. Simply drive the highway watching for groups of goats, then go hike for them. Like Wyo said, these goats won't get near the pressure that those up on Top will -- and they'll be a little less skittish of vehicle traffic. There are a couple ponds about 1/2 mile up the Cameron Wash road (easily accessible with 2-wheel drive, unless snowy) -- that's a pretty good place to find groups of does. Lot's of goat country up there.

when your hunt gets closer, and if you need any suggestions or current updates on that area, just give me a shout...


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## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

Thanks again guys. Some recent uncertainty will prevent me for applying for this hunt this year. Hopefully I can spend those points the following year.


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