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Hunting With Your Side-By-Side

Oct. 20 2020 Ownership Tips By SoCal Honda Powersports

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Your side-by-side can greatly improve your next hunting trip. Use it to easily cruise over difficult terrain, making tasks such as scouting the location easier. Take advantage of the storage space to transport your weapon, cargo, and any animals you get. It's no wonder so many hunters bring along their UTV!

Hunting with your side-by-side can be a great experience, but you'll want to take the proper precautions to ensure a safe and successful ride. Keep reading to learn more, then visit SoCal Honda Powersports if you want to shop side-by-sides for sale. Our powersports dealership is based in Carson, California, and we proudly serve those in Los Angeles and Long Beach as well.

Scout The Area In Advance

A successful hunting trip starts long before the actual excursion. Scouting the location is a key step - and it’s made easier with your side-by-side.

Bring your UTV to the location and do some exploring. See if you can spot an area full of the animal's preferred type of vegetation. It's also helpful to pick a spot where the wind will blow in your face, decreasing the chance that the prey will smell you. A side-by-side allows you to cover an impressive amount of ground in a short period of time, making it easy to find a good spot without spending hours wandering the forest.

Get The Right Equipment

A few upgrades to your side-by-side can improve the hunting experience.

For example, consider getting:

  • A rifle scabbard: protects your weapon and scope during the drive.
  • A winch: helps you drag the game to flat land so you can more easily dress it.
  • A GPS: allows you to mark key locations on the map and quickly find your way back to your tow vehicle.

Know The Laws

When you go hunting with your side-by-side, there are relevant laws you need to know. There are the laws that apply to hunting and the laws that apply to powersports riding.

For example:

  • Some parts of the land may be inaccessible, requiring you to park your side-by-side further away and walk to your deer stand.
  • Most jurisdictions don't allow riding a powersports vehicle with a loaded weapon.
  • Get the right hunting tags and permits and make sure you only hunt during the appropriate season.

Keeping Your Side-By-Side Quiet

Stealth is an important part of hunting. But standard UTVs tend to be loud and proud with their engine growls. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can upgrade your side-by-side and make it run quieter.

Start by removing or securing any loose metal. Next, add soundproofing material (such as rubber) to further dampen sounds. Then, look into aftermarket parts that reduce noise, such as an extra muffler that can dampen the sound of the exhaust.

It's also important to keep your UTV in good condition. Some noises are the results of maintenance issues. 

For example,

  • A whistling noise could be caused by a leak or crack in the exhaust
  • Squeaky brakes could be caused by sand getting caught in the brake calipers or between the brake pad and rotor. 
  • Screeching wheels could be a sign of mud caught in the wheel bearings.

Keep your side-by-side running well and it'll run quieter.

We hope you enjoyed this guide to hunting with your side-by-side! For more strategies or to shop UTVs for sale, chat with the experts at SoCal Honda Powersports. We can assist with whatever you need, from discussing financing options to scheduling a test ride. Our powersports dealership is located in Carson, California. We also proudly serve those in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.