Anyone use their 3rd Gen Taco for hunting?

Hey all,

Posted this in one of the misc. forums but figured I might have better luck here. As the title states, I'm wondering if anyone here hunts big game with their 3rd gen taco? Can the taco handle hauling gear and game? Is it comfortable for those long days out in the field and the road trips to get to your hunting spot? Any mods you've added to make your 3rd gen a better hunting rig? Roof rack? shell, etc? Thanks in advance for the replies!

 

Yes, yes, yes, tires. I’m fairly new to hunting but the taco has served me well so far.

 

This thread is pretty good....

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/post-your-hunting-fishing-pics.4763/page-162#post-17209398

 

I hunt those fly hunnies, and boy do they bite!

 

I don't hunt (yet). But I do precision rifle series matches (think accurized high power hunting rifles) with buddies. We pack 4 guys worth of gear consisting of at least one rifle bag and pack with room to spare. No gear in the cab and everyone is comfortable. Only thing I added was a bed cover to keep gear dry on wet days and concealed when we need to stop for food/breaks

 

It carried my rifle out and a whitetail back just fine. I find the seats rather uncomfortable on long road trips. If you're putting an entire animal in the back without quartering it, a cap (shell) makes that a real PIA for anything over 100 lbs. - especially if you're trying to get it in there by yourself.

 

If you use a 4 wheeler I recommend a trailer. I hunt about 3 hours away this is the setup I use pulls just fine.

 

I love it. I think it works a lot better than a Jeep, and mine's been to hell and back through 2 hunting seasons so far.

 

Hunting is my #1 hobby: elk, mule deer, pig. The biggest advantage is its smaller size helps it navigate steep ledge roads and hairpin turns better than a full size truck. The downside is it can't accommodate 4 men with gear in any kind of comfort, and in steep terrain you must stick with 4 low because it absolutely doesn't have the torque to climb *steep* grades in 4 hi when fully laden.

 

Nice! Been wanting to get into some PRS matches.
OP; I think you'll be fine using it for hunting. (I'd reccomend the long bed though)

 

The Taco is great for hunting. We usually run two to a truck. Plenty of room for two hunters, gear, and two whitetails. We cut off their legs below the hock to get them in easier, because I have a shell.

 

I recommend using a gun or crossbow for hunting. Using a truck to kill an animal is just too expensive once you repair the damage.

 

Antlers cause some difficulty. Probably should get a convertible.

 

It takes a little while to get all the blood out of the tailgate handle (runs down the paint for a day or so).... but the truck did a wonderful job as a hunting rig.

 

Works really well for the size of deer I get!! 90 mile trip home. Don’t worry about the ride while thinking about the hunt.

 

This is fucking hilarious. I can't imagine the effort it required.

 

This was last year right after I bought my tacoma

 

Thank you all for your replies! Glad to see fellow hunters and outdoors enthusiasts putting their trucks to work! I think I've just about made up my mind to get a taco! I'm stoked to get better gas mileage than my current truck and have a more comfortable daily driver. Also helps that the tacoma can probably get places my Dodge can't. One thing I do have concerns about is payload. Doesn't seem much lower than my Dodge but I've heard the stock springs are pretty bad?. Anyone had any issues with too much weight from gear and game? Have you added any aftermarket springs?

@RocTaco Glad to hear it's working for you, I'm fairly new myself!

@SDAY28 Nice muley! Is the lack of torque usually an issue? I'm in Utah and a lot of the places I hunt are usually fairly steep and rocky.

 

I have killed several whitetail in the 2 Years I have had my 2016 TRDOR. Out side of towing capacity, it is s o much better for hunting than my previous 2002 Silverado. I thought crawl control was a gimic, but it pulled me out of a hole, with a small boat in tow. AWESOME as I was in a very remote area.
This is the one buck I killed this season, but he weighed 207lbs. Plenty of room in my short bed.