SALT LAKE COUNTY, UTAH. I wasn't guaranteed a buck mule deer tag this year, as most folks only get one every other year, depending on the unit you're applying for. But Utah introduced a new, extended archery-only season and unit that apparently no one knew about other than me. I applied, got the tag, and was ready to get after it when the middle of September came. But this year's mule deer hunting was one that was sort of put on the back burner of my schedule.
Not because I didn't want to chase these rad and wily animals, but because my hunting season blew up in some very cool ways.
First, there was the very unexpected boon that was my once-in-a-lifetime limited-entry elk hunt, which consumed four weeks of August and September, which cut into my scouting for mule deer. But that time spent in the woods, nine days in total over those four weeks, paid off in the most gnarly way, allowing me to harvest a bull elk that is epic in every sense of the word. Seriously, I round the corner of my hallway, entering my kitchen every morning, and am greeted by this magnificent animal that's now bolted to the wall.
Then, after three years of toying with the idea of using some EV dirt bikes to go off into the woods, it finally came together, as I set off to Oregon in October to chase blacktail deer. That, and the run-up to the hunt, ate up more time in the mule deer woods. As did the following weeks and weekends, during which I reclaimed some family time—I didn't want to be some absentee father and husband.
And so, when I finally got a chance to head into the woods to try and fill my tag, winter had already begun its early entry. The mornings were full of frost and/or freshly fallen snow, the shrubery and leaves wet and icy from the overnight precipitation. But this being Utah, once the sun was up, given our elevation, it got warm, which made me appreciate Polaris' Ranger XD 1500 side-by-side, one with a completely enclosed cab and HVAC system, that much more.
Polaris' Ranger XD 1500 is, again, basically the average truck from the late '80s or early '90s, as it's a workhorse with a handful of creature comforts. But the base of it is just an truck. If that doesn't make sense, think of it as a 1989 Ford F-150, with you getting good payload and towing, and amenities like HVAC, a radio, and some gauges to make sure everything is kosher. And that's about it.
That's oversimplifying what you get, as the Polaris is powered by a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated 3-cylinder engine that spits out 110 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. And while that may not sound like a lot compared to those old trucks and their wheezy V8s, the 6-seat Ranger XD 1500 only weighs 3,600 with fluids, which accounts for its sizable capabilities, i.e., it's 3,500-pound tow capacity, or 1,500-pound payload capacity.
And there are more updated features comparatively, too. Things like a backup camera, a winch, power rear bed box, Polaris' infotainment center, selectable four-wheel-drive, locking differentials, and a few other odds and ends. But at the end of the day, the ethos of the Polaris is those trucks of yore, and that's what makes it a great outdoors companion, whether you're out hunting mule deer in the late season, working on your farm, or just using it as a replacement for your street-legal truck (where allowed) because every modern truck now starts at $70,000, and no one wants to pay those repair bills or that monthly $900 car payment for something they're going to inevitably scratch, dent, or get bloody.
The Ranger XD 1500, however, does other things that those old trucks can't. Most importantly of which, it can literally go anywhere. And when you're chasing mule deer up big mountains, you tend to test those capabilities.
Utah's extended archery units don't have a ton of off-road trails in them, and the one I hunt is mostly wilderness zone. But, there's a section of the unit that's steep as all hell, climbing nearly four thousand feet in a few short miles, that does have some off-road trails. The climb, which is a mixture of rock face, silty dirty, and steep-ass drops, was made easy by the side-by-side's grabbing off-road tires, and given I arrive ahead of the dawn, the air was frigid, crisp, and perfect for deer movement.
It was also great because I went from my Honda Ridgeline right into the Polaris and each had its heat blasting, keeping me nice and toasty. After spending nine days in my Can-Am Maverick X3, which doesn't have HVAC, nor really even windows, and being exposed to the elements—hail, rain, heat, and cold—during my elk hunt, it was a really nice way to start a hunt. It might be a bit bougie, but when you're out in the backcountry, saving your energy and staying comfortable can go a long way in keeping you out and chasing animals.
Again, this is steep country, and despite my penchant for going deep into dark and nasty hellholes, I opted to use the Ranger as my mobile base, scurrying up to ridges, breaking out my Leupold SX-4 Pro Guide spotter, setting it up in the bed of the side-by-side, and picking apart mountain faces, timber, and tangles of overgrown oak brush, desperately searching for the gray ghosts of the forest. But given the lateness of my ability to hunt, the unit had already seen pressure from early archery season, middle and late rifle season, and all the extended archery hunters, too. The deer, as so often the case, figured out it wasn't safe to move about the cabin, and did their best to hide from the hunters still getting after it.
Chief of which, me.
Criss-crossing the ridges, I saw neither hide nor hair of them, frequently popping off to the side of the road, pulling out the spotter, and glassing whatever I could see. Neither early morning nor night did much of anything pop up. And while my gear and I were comfortable riding along in the Ranger's cabin, I couldn't fill the bed with anything but my own rear-end, using it as my spotting platform. I did, however, get into the woods and put my boots on the ground, as on one particular day out, I spotted a few does off in the distance as they moved through taller oaks and some conifers.
As I sped off toward them, finding the right turnoff using my onX Hunt app, it did dawn on me just how comfortable the whole experience had been up until that point. I was basically road hunting, though with considerably less success than those who traditionally do it with rifles and earlier during hunting season. Honestly, before I started with the Polaris, I didn't get the concept. I liked the suck-fest that is backpacking into a spot. But I sort of get it now. Maybe I'll give it more of a go next year?
Yet, I still want to be in the woods, to put boots on the ground. So when I finally got to where I could get in and check to see if this drainage held anything more than the two does I'd seen, I grabbed my gear, hopped out, and went for a heavily-armed hike. I call it that, as not only did I not see the does I'd previously seen, but there were no bucks to be found either. And soon after this particular stalk, someone with a fully automatic weapon unloaded what sounded like 30 rounds lower down the canyon, as this particular spot is replete with turnoffs doubling as gun ranges.
I feel like I may be cursed with that situation...
What I can say is that Polaris' Ranger XD 1500 Northstar, the specific model I utilized during this hunt, will set you back a cool $44,499. And while that's a good amount of money for folks to be throwing at something many consider a weekend toy, for the folks like me, as well as the farmers, ranchers, outfitters, or those who live in places where these are street-legal, as is the case for Utah, they can and will replace your truck. And they'll be far cheaper to purchase and maintain than those full-size rigs. Likewise, they'll do things that those trucks just absolutely can't. Or things their owners just won't.
Unfortunately, I was never able to put a mule deer into the bed of the Ranger XD 1500. It wouldn't have come close to maxing out the side-by-side's payload capacity, but it would've been more akin to what folks are actually using these machines for. Maybe I just suck at deer hunting and got extremely lucky last year? Or maybe, just maybe, there's far more luck and chance that goes into hunting, and even behind the wheel of something like the Polaris XD 1500 won't change that.
