Slaton L. White

Field Test: What's The Most Effective Turkey Call?

Sarah Smith — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:53:42 -0400

Pots are perfect for subtle clucks and purrs. Box calls belt out yelps and cackles. You wouldn’t give a mouth call to a new hunter, but you’d use one when you need both hands to aim. In short, different calls serve different purposes.

So we asked four turkey guides to spend the entire 2011 season using four distinctly different calls now on store shelves. They rated each on its own merits to determine which performs its go-to function best.

For more info on the guides who tested the calls, scroll to the bottom of the article.

Hunter's Specialties Rasp Pack
5 stars
$15
hunterspec.com
THE LOWDOWN The testers loved the sound they got out of these mouth calls. “Very realistic,” said Sabati. “Turkeys responded well all season long.” They also raved about the value. The three-call package offers versatility, added Sabati, because “each has its own unique sound.” Everyone felt these were beginner friendly, as mouth calls go: “With very little practice, proper sounds can be achieved,” said Schmid.Three out of the four were able to use the calls right out of the pack without any trimming, and all thought the Infinity Latex would last a long time.
Hits: “Three-note yelps were no problem.” —Duncan
Misses: “They’re all the same color.” —Sabati

Knight & Hale Sweet Lil' Liar
4.5 stars
$26
knightandhale.com
THE LOWDOWN The small size of this box call was not a problem for three testers, but Schmid found that it made the call more difficult to locate in his vest pocket. All four agreed that the waterproof coating was a big plus and worked well in wet weather. Sabati noted that the call required no chalking or other preparation and would be easy for a beginner to use. Duncan thought the call was well made but that its pitch was a bit too high, creating “soprano notes instead of the rasp I prefer.” Cornwall liked the different pitches he got from each side.
Hits: “Lightweight but durable.” —Cornwall
Misses: “Does not provide a full-box sound.” —Duncan

Primos Jackpot
4.5 stars
$25
primos.com
THE LOWDOWN Everybody commented favorably on the construction and durability of this glass pot call, which they felt could serve a beginner well with a little practice. “The sounds and tones were flawless,” Schmid said, so much so that he tossed out some other pot calls he’d been carrying. Sabati was also a fan; he got consistently realistic sounds, and the call responded well to varied striker pressures, delivering inviting soft calls and demanding loud ones. Duncan agreed that the call “had a very good sound,” but he complained that the placement of the lanyard hole created a bump in the frame that interfered with his admittedly large hand.
Hits: “Performed flawlessly in all conditions.” —Schmid
Misses: “Cost is a bit high for a factory run.” —Duncan

Quaker Boy H20 Easy Yelper
3.5 stars
$25
quakerboy.com
THE LOWDOWN All agreed that a raw novice could call in a tom in any weather with this waterproof push-button call. “I had an 8-year-old using it effectively,” said Schmid. However, Cornwall and Duncan had problems with the wire spring falling out of place. Cornwall added that the call “lacked the ability to modulate the pitch during a yelp.” Sabati, on the other hand, said the call was able “to produce a wide variety of calls both loud and soft.”
Hits: “Must-have beginner call.” —Sabati
Misses: “Comes apart easily.” —Schmid

From the April 2012 issue of Field & Stream magazine.

Field Test: What's The Most Effective Turkey Call?

Sarah Smith — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:53:42 -0400

For more info on the guides who tested the calls, scroll to the bottom of the article.

From the April 2012 issue of Field & Stream magazine.

Gear Test: Four New Pocket Knives

Online Editors — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:32:39 -0500

Odds are a pocket folder was your first knife, and you used it for everything, from whittling sticks to cleaning fish and skinning squirrels. The newest folders boast the latest materials and a bold, contemporary look. We asked four readers to spend an entire summer with these modern knives to determine which ones are a cut above.

Review: Jeep 2012 Wrangler Rubicon 4x4

Dave_Maccar — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:16:46 -0400

by Slaton L. White

How do you redesign an icon?

Carefully. Very carefully.

Just ask the guy responsible for the Wrangler YJ, which replaced the beloved (but slow-selling) CJ in the late 1980s. All in all, not a bad vehicle, but it was vilified for having square, instead of round, headlights.

Small beer? Not to the hard-core Jeep fan. Jeep engineers learned the lesson, and though the current model desperately needed an upgrade--especially a more powerful but fuel-efficient engine--designers knew they couldn’t change the shape or alter its iconic look in any substantial way. In other words, it had to have round headlamps, as well as the seven-slot grille, to carry on the hallowed Willys tradition.

That said, Jeep knew it would be folly to undertake an overhaul that would appeal only to the hardcore enthusiast. To meet its sales figures, the new Wrangler had to appeal to a broader base. That’s because Jeep’s customer research revealed three crucial items. First, the new Wrangler had to have offroad capability (duh); second, it had to show on-road refinement; third, the vehicle had to include certain “I Wants.”

What does “I Want” mean? It means Jeep had to create an all-new interior that combined styling, versatility, comfort, and improved features. The short list includes: automatic temperature controls, heated seats, power mirrors and power steering; larger rear windows for greater visibility; a USB port that connects to the media center, 12-volt accessory outlets located throughout, and a 115-volt AC outlet to power select two-pronged home electronics.

But before you think the vehicle has gone too far “uptown,” the Wrangler Rubicon model I drove brings it all back home with heavy-duty Dana 44 front and rear axles and the Rock-Trac NV241 two-speed transfer case with a 4:1 low-range gear ratio. The Rubicon also includes electric front and rear locking differentials, a disconnecting front sway bar, and 32-inch tires, all of which I needed when we got to the offroad trail in Oregon’s Tillamook State Forest.

After a week of test drives, the trail was a rutted mess, covered with lots of small (and not-so-small) rocks and loose dirt that compromised traction. The spotter told me, “There’s no use following the line the guy in front takes; it changes after every driver. So, keep your eyes glued on me.”

No kidding, especially since on the first hill is so steep all you see is hood and blue sky. However, with both differentials locked and in low-range, I was able to crawl successfully to the top. And that was just the opening salvo; the rest of the trail was just as bad, but when you let the gearing and suspension do the job, it’s fun. Trust me; you won’t have trouble getting to deer camp or your blind in the marsh.

It’s also nice to know you can plow through water as deep as 30 inches. And though the interior is noticeably more comfortable, it has pull-out washable carpets. A removable plug on the floor allows water to drain; it also lets you hose down the floor, if needed--something anyone who hunts in mud can appreciate.

And though the Wrangler definitely delivers a more comfortable ride on pavement, by sticking to its roots and staying with solid axles, which allow for greater suspension articulation when offroad, the Wrangler truly does seem to be at home on pavement and in the woods.

Jeep’s customer research also revealed that Wrangler owners wanted a more powerful engine. The proviso? It had to be fuel efficient as well.

To do this engineers stuffed a more powerful 3.6-liter V6 under the hood, after figuring out how to re-route the exhaust pipes to reduce back pressure. Doing so lets the engine breathe more efficiently and that means more power without additional fuel consumption. As a result, the new engine is capable of 285 horsepower and 260 pounds-feet of torque. The second half of the equation is the transmission. The base transmission is a five-speed manual, but the new 5-speed automatic is the real story.

The idea was to provide enough gearing for a smooth highway ride (no gear-hunting) without compromising offroad ability. It does both. One of the problems with the old automatic was that when you needed a robust start to get into traffic, it took an eternity to get up steam. No more. At one highway entrance—a steep hill—I waited until I saw an oncoming car and darted in front of it. When I pushed the accelerator down all the way, the Wrangler literally jumped ahead, like a 100-meter sprinter roaring out of the blocks. And this new engine-transmission combination will deliver improved fuel economy as well. Jeep figures the 4x4 will get about 16 miles per gallon in town and 20 on the highway. That works out to what you may feel is an all-too-modest gain of 2 mpg (in the two-door models), but these days any gain is good, especially if you’re also getting better performance in the bargain.

Jeep says the price for a base-level two-door Wrangler will be $22,045; four-door Unlimited models will start at $22,545. As always what you pay will depend on how many options you select. Be warned, there’s a book full of those Big Os. But, clearly, choice is what the Jeep buyer wants these days.

Review: Chevrolet Silverado 2500 4WD Crew Cab

Dave_Maccar — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:24:28 -0400

by Slaton L. White

Ten years ago I went on a week-long salmon safari in Alaska, living out of a slide-in camper in a Silverado equipped with a Duramax 6.6-liter V8 turbo diesel. It was an epic adventure, and looking at my old notes I see I raved about the truck’s performance. “Moved well from a dead stop. Quiet, even at full throttle. MPG: averaged between 11 to 14 mpg.”

A lot has happened to GM since then. After teetering on the brink of insolvency for years, it finally plunged into bankruptcy two years ago. What many people don’t know was that the company came perilously close to Chapter 11 in the 1990s. But they got a stay of execution. Know why? The Silverado. It was just about the only GM product people wanted to buy...and they bought enough of them to help keep the company afloat.

The Silverado was good then...and it’s good now.

I can say that after logging 900 miles in one recently. The 2500 4WD Crew Cab is a stout build, and boasts a maximum towing rating of 17,000 pounds. That means that when you drive it without a trailer or with an empty bed, it’s a bit rough. But when you get some weight on those rear wheels, it tames down nicely.

The biggest difference I saw, apart from the more luxurious appointments of the truck, was a nice improvement in fuel economy. I averaged 19 miles per gallon. Admittedly, that was with no trailer in tow, but for a vehicle of this size and heft to get nearly 20 mpg while still maintaining the payload required of a full-size pickup shows you just how hard GM engineers have worked at refining this engine. Of course, the Allison six-speed transmission is a good part of the story. This transmission shifts surely and smoothly with none of the irritating gear hunting found on some truck transmissions. As a result, the 2011 model I drove delivered an 11 percent increase in fuel economy (over the previous year), and coupled with a 36-gallon tank GM says you’ll get up to 680 miles of driving range. I didn’t monitor the gauge that precisely, but I know that my fuel stops were few and far between, enabling me to take advantage of cheaper fuel in another state.

The truck also benefits from four newly available standard features—intelligent brake assist, diesel exhaust brake, trailer sway control, and hill start assist. Given the loads that sportsmen pull when going into deer camp or to the lake to fish, these are all welcome additions. Intelligent brake assist consists of preloaded calipers that apply the brakes faster in a panic-braking situation. But the overall feel of the brake pedal, a long-standing issue for Silverado owners, has been corrected as well with the addition of larger rotors and calipers. The diesel exhaust brake helps the turbo create back pressure to slow the truck. The result is reduced brake fade—a big issue for hunters pulling a horse trailer—which translates into longer brake life.

Trailer sway is a big issue, especially when towing a high-profile accessory such as a boat. But GM’s StabiliTrak senses any sway and will automatically apply the truck’s brakes (with no input from the driver) to help maintain control. Finally, hill start assist automatically engages (on inclines of more than five percent) to keep the truck from moving for one second after the brake is released, giving time for you to accelerate without any movement backward.

By now, you’re likely asking, “What’s all this performance going to cost me?” The test truck topped out at $57,199. Base price was $44,645. The big hit, at $7,195, is the diesel engine. But diesel options are always expensive. On the plus side, if you take basic care of the engine, it’ll run for a very long time. The 6-speed Allison transmission is another $1,200, and the rear vision camera system is $450. When this feature started appearing on trucks a few years ago, I thought it was gimmick. But I’ve done enough towing to really appreciate this feature. And outdoorsmen who install a cap over the bed will find it’s nice to know what’s sitting behind the truck when they back up. It will save more than one mailbox, that’s for sure.

Cooper's New All-Terrain Truck Tires

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:00:25 -0500

by Slaton White

Cooper may not be the first name that pops into your head when looking at new tires, but given what I saw at the company’s test facility in Texas a couple of days ago, it should be top of mind. That’s because this Ohio-based manufacturer (meaning built in the U.S.A.) specializes in replacement tires, and one of the first lessons outdoorsmen learn--usually the hard way--is that original equipment tires are often woefully inadequate tools to meet the challenges posed by muddy trails and slick boat ramps. But two new light truck tires from Cooper are up to the challenge.

The first is the Discoverer A/T3 . T3, according to Cooper, stands for “All Traction, All Terrain, All the Time!” After slogging through a serious mud pit and executing tight turns on a wet handling course (designed to see if we could get the rear of the pickup to break loose on the slick surface), I would tend to agree. This light truck tire, which will be available in April, replaces the Discoverer ATR.

“The A/T3 uses a balanced combination of technology, compounding and design to produce a tire that provides confident all-terrain performance,” says Mike Graham, who helped design the tire. “Its silica tread compound increases tread wear, improves wet traction and helps resist cutting and chipping. The modern tread design significantly improves offroad traction without sacrificing highway performance.”

Though the tire wasn’t designed specifically with mud in mind, during prototype testing engineers discovered that it delivered superior mud performance. I saw that first-hand, when Graham invited me to try to get a Jeep stuck in their mud pit (technically the “Mud Traction Area”), a 500-foot-long irrigated soil bin fitted with sprinklers capable of delivering more than 300 gallons of water per minute. It’s truly a bottomless sea of goo, and I very nearly accomplished my mission, bogging down for a minute. A quick shift to four-wheel low, however, did the trick. This is the kind of mess that deer hunters and waterfowlers often find in late-season fields, and it’s nice to know the tire allows you to scoot through the stuff.

Another thing I like: the tire is self-cleaning, like any good mud tire, but comes without the huge lugs that make heavy-duty mud tires such a pain when driving on paved surfaces. The A/T3 will be available in 30 SUV sizes and 32 light truck sizes ranging from 15- to 20- inch rim diameters.

If you live in an area where hunting big game or upland birds takes you into tough country, you have no doubt lost a tire to a sidewall puncture or gotten stuck in a boulder field. It comes with the territory. But Cooper’s Discoverer S/T Maxx is designed to let you keep on truckin’. One way it does this is through a three-ply Armor-Tek3 carcass construction, as well as a proprietary cut- and chip-resistant compound. As you can see by the accompanying video, shot at Cooper’s test facility, it definitely can handle rocks. The design of the special course was “borrowed” from California’s infamous Rubicon Trail, considered by many serious off-roaders to be the most challenging offroad trail in the Lower 48. Most hunters won’t encounter terrain like this when going to deer camp, but it does give you an idea of how well the tire—and especially the sidewalls--stands up to tough terrain.

The Cooper test facility also has a special area set up for hill climbs with three different concrete surfaces (smooth concrete, brushed concrete and imbedded rock), all set at a 30-degree incline. The fun begins when they turned on the sprinklers, giving the smooth concrete surface all the grip (or lack thereof) offered by a steep, moss-covered boat ramp. This is a situation that gives bass anglers nightmares, but the Discoverer S/T Maxx did just fine.

To me, the most interesting part of the tire’s design is the tread pattern’s non-parallel groove walls, which speedily kick out stones. The enhanced buttress design is also a key component, as it helps provide additional offroad traction and abrasion resistance.

The S/T Maxx launched last month and is available in eight sizes, ranging from 16- to 18-inch rim diameters.

Cooper doesn’t set prices; it leaves that to its dealers. That said, you should be able to find the S/T Maxx for around $150 per tire. My best guess at this point is that the AT3 should be in the same ballpark, but the tire it replaces currently runs from $130 to $170, depending on size. For more information, go to coopertire.com

How To Shoot A Winter Coyote

Online Editors — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:43:58 -0500

December through February can be a tough time for hunters. If your tag is punched or the season has closed, you've got a long wait until spring gobblers. But with coyotes you're looking at a year-round season—no limits, no license. Outfitter Cory Lundberg (codahunts.com), who guides predator hunters in Wyoming and Utah, says, “This kind of hunting is a waiting game. A mature coyote can take a long time to come in, and you must be able to sit still the whole time. If he smells, sees, or hears you, the game is over.”

The Call Digital electronic calls from Fox pro (gofoxpro.com), especially those that mimic a distressed rabbit, are lundberg's favorites. He'll also use fox distress calls. He places the speaker 100 to 200 feet away from the hunter, mainly to keep the coyote focused on the call, not the hunter.
The Setup Lundberg often hunts in sagebrush flats. The key is to set up at an elevated position with a good vantage point—the idea being to spot the coyote before he spots you and then watch him close the distance. Since a coyote often tries to approach from downwind, try to set up in a quartering wind to reduce its chance of scenting you.
The Signs one way to tell if a coyote is approaching in thicker cover is to look for a following magpie or crow. They'll fly near a coyote to scrounge on the leavings. Spooked antelope or mule deer are also good clues of a coyote on the move.
The End game Lundberg enjoys the challenge of getting a coyote as close as possible. The shot can be anywhere from 15 to 300 yards. “When the coyote turns broadside—no matter the distance—I know something has triggered his defense mechanisms. This is when I tell the hunter to take him.”

Goodyear DuraTrac Tires

Online Editors — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:38:19 -0500

Without question, one of the fondest dreams of any hunter or angler is a four-wheel-drive truck devoted exclusively to hunting and fishing. Call it the mobile man cave, it’s always full of hunting and fishing gear, and it’s always ready to take us to our favorite woods and waters.

Reality, alas, forces us all to make compromises, and most of us require our trucks to do double duty as family haulers or work vehicles. Same goes for tires. Though we’d prefer to ride on high-performance specialty offroad tires, family resources often dictate a more economical alternative.

Goodyear, which recently introduced a premium Wrangler MT/R offroad tire with Kevlar reinforced sidewalls, also knows that these days many of its customers are on a tight budget and need a more affordable tire that can do double duty as well. It’s solution? The Wrangler DuraTrac.

For those of you who (like me) grew up riding on low-cost low-performance tires, “budget” is a dirty word, one that still conjures up images of punctures, tire jacks, and strandings. But you can now banish those thoughts; though the DuraTrac has been designed as an affordable tire, performance hasn’t been compromised. Would you run the Rubicon on it? No, but most of us need the truck to get to the trailhead and back home, and here the tire excels. At any rate, most truck owners spend most of their time on some sort of pavement, and a heavy-lugged offroad tire in this instance is simply a nuisance.

So, just what does the DuraTrac offer you? Let’s start with Goodyear’s proprietary TractiveGroove Technology. The self-cleaning, stepped shoulder blocks provide enhanced traction in deep mud and snow while the high-angled center tread blocks and zig-zag microgrooves deliver improved lateral stability and traction in rain and snow--all while reducing road noise. In addition, the tread compound resists tread block chipping, chunking, and tearing, especially during heavy loading and towing applications. That would, no doubt, help the tire survive the brutal conditions found on some construction sites. The tire also features a rim lock that helps prevent wheel slip for minimal balancing throughout the life of the tire.

Goodyear believes it has achieved a good middle ground between the hard-core offroad Wrangler MT/R and the silent-riding Wrangler SilentArmor for those truck owners who need a truck for work and play. In that sense, it reminds of the course charted by Savage Arms, which builds budget-priced rifles known for phenomenal out-of-the-box accuracy. Nothing wrong with that. Suggested retail is $140 to $240 per tire, depending on size. --Slaton White

Still Hunting Tip: Tracking Bucks Through Clear-Cuts

Online Editors — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:14:40 -0500

You won’t find Jim Lepage sitting in a treestand, waiting for a deer to show up. A vice president at Orvis, Lepage, who has stalked whitetails for 40 years, hunts the old-fashioned way—by tracking a moving deer. Lepage hunts in the Allagash wilderness of northern Maine, where the deer are less pressured, but the general principles translate to any hunter who goes after deer in big forests.

Full Circle
A big buck that has figured something is on his trail will occasionally turn off to the side to try to spot the pursuer. “This happens a lot at clear-cuts,” Lepage says. “I could be moving north, and at the clear-cut the deer will move southwest to get downwind. Be ready for that move—and be ready to shoot.

Photo by Kevin Hand

On Track
To determine if a track is worth following, Lepage lays a .30/06 cartridge across the impression. If it’s a big deer, the cartridge will fit inside the track’s width. Stride length also helps determine size. Lepage prefers to track in snow, but he’ll also track in the rain, looking for overturned leaves.

The Shot
Lepage uses a .30/06 Remington 7600 pump with a 2X–9X scope. “The shots will be in really thick cover, probably no more than 75 yards,” he says. Since he won’t have the opportunity to find a good rest, he runs through five to eight boxes of ammo during preseason practice sessions, in which he concentrates on instinctive shooting. “You had better know your gun,” he says. “It all happens real fast.”

Get The Most Out Of A New Set of Truck Tires

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:37:22 -0400

It didn’t take me very long to learn how to tell a brown trout from a rainbow or brookie. And I easily mastered the differences between a pumpkinseed and a bluegill. But when confronted with the redear, redbreast, or longear sunfish, things got a good deal more complicated. Even now, I occasionally consult a field guide to be sure.

So it is with tires for a 4x4. With so many designs available, how can you identify the correct tire for your pickup or sport utility? Consulting the simplified “field guide” below can make things easier. Use it to narrow the choice to a particular type of tire. Then go to a dealer for information on the specific model within tat tire type.

Essentially, there are four types of tires of concern to outdoorsmen: 1) highway rib; 2) highway/all-season; 3) offroad/all-terrain; and 4) maximum traction offroad.

1) Highway-rib tires usually have a four-or five-rib design. (A rib is the standing tread that circles the tire.) Each rib is siped, which means the ribs have little slahes that help provide biting edges for traction in dirt, slush, and snow.Their design provides good, even wear, low noise levels, and a smooth ride. These tires often have low rolling resistance that helps increase fuel economy.

Highway rib tires usually have a four- or five-rib design. Each rib is siped, which means the ribs have little slashes that help provide biting edges for dirt, slush, and snow traction. The grooves between the ribs can be jagged to provide even more of a bite. The shoulders (the inner and outer ribs) are wider to help cornering and braking performance. These tires are designed primarily for highway use, but will perform adequately in light to moderate snow and on level gravel and dirt roads.

2) The highway/all-season tire maintains the rib-type look, but the ribs now consist of small, independent blocks positioned around the tire, which help it deliver greater performance in dirt and rain. The zigzag sipes in the blocks also help traction on snow and ice. This type of tire is an evolutionary step up from the tire profiled above. The more aggressive tread design helps it better deal with dirt and snow, so that as loose dirt and snow are compressed into the openings, you actually end up with more traction. At the same time, the rib-type design helps the tire maintain on-road performance very close to that of a highway-rib tire. The highway/all-season tire works well on dirt roads, gravel roads, sand, and in moderate snow.

3) The offroad/all-terrain tire has as much capability on the road as it does off the road. The tire features an interlocking tread design, which means that before the leading tread block leaves the ground, the following tread block has already come into contact with it. This allows the individual blocks to work together to help maintain ride quality and promote even wear. In addition, the multi-faceted tread blocks help deliver traction from any direction on dirt, sand, and gravel; provide handling, acceleration, and stopping ability in order to avoid a rock or a stump; and help the vehicle negotiate other obstacles. The lugs on the shoulder of the tire and the pockets between each lug foster good offroad steering response and traction. This is a tire for dirt trails, rocky trails, shallow mud, and moderate to heavy snow, yet it remains fairly civilized for highway use.

4) As the designation suggests, the maximum traction offroad tire is focused mainly on offroad travel. Nonetheless, the newest designs are acceptably refined for highway travel. Notice that the interlocking tread design now features large, free-standing blocks. Also, the siping has been replaced by large gaps. The goal of this tire is to bite into loose or muddy surface areas for maximum traction and propel the vehicle forward. The very large opening between the lugs helps make the tire self-cleaning: the mud is compressed as the tire gets a grip and then expelled as the tire rolls on. (Smaller grooves allow the mud to pack in between the lugs and not be expelled.) The wide grooves also help the tire perform well on loose shale and rocks. (Grooves that are too close together can’t get a grip, sort of like a rock climber who can’t spread his fingers.)

The tire’s shoulder area has two designs to further enhance traction on loose or muddy surfaces. The varying shoulder width offers different biting edges for traction, which makes the tire the only choice when you are likely to encounter deep ruts. To take advantage of this feature, deliberately alternate right and left turns of the steering wheel; this will gently pinch the tire against the edges of deep ruts, which allows the shoulder lugs to claw at the sides of the rut and pull the vehicle forward. In effect, the tactic provides the feeling of an additional lower gear. Though it’s probably too aggressive for deep sand, this tire is best on loose surfaces, mud, and extremely deep snow.

Tire Tips
* Unless you have the luxury of using multiple sets of tires for your 4x4, select a tire design that meets the worst driving conditions you expect to face. When you’re stuck axle deep in mud, you will forget all about how comfortable your highway rib tires have been.

* Make sure to buy replacement tires that meet or exceed the original equipment tire’s load capacity. Tires that aren’t designed to carry the load will wear out faster and make the truck handle poorly, especially when fully loaded.

* Radial tires dominate the market. There are many reasons for this, but one of the most important is that the design helps the tire envelop an obstruction rather than bounce off it or be punctured. Radial tires are available in each of the tire types presented in this guide.

* Light truck tires feature beefier construction. Generally, they can handle heavier loads and rougher terrain. Depending upon the design, they may ride rougher than passenger-car tires when you drive on the highway.

* Sidewalls are a tire’s Achilles’ heel. If you routinely venture into terrain with sharp rocks or thorny vegetation that can pierce the sidewall (such damage is not repairable), consider tires with actual three-ply sidewall construction.

* Be aware that the sophisticated electronic equipment found in modern trucks can be negatively affected by a change in tire size. There is an acceptable range, but if you exceed it your truck’s performance may suffer. Consult a knowledgeable tire dealer if you’re considering changing tire size.

* A set of good tires isn’t cheap. (The range of good tires runs from $400 to $800 depending on the brand, size, and whether you buy on sale.) However, buy the best tire you can afford. Cheap tires aren’t worth the money; they’ll wear out faster and perform poorly.

A Question of Size: When many truck owners think about new tires, they often look at new wheels as well. In this case, they often opt for wheels with wide rims, to give the truck a really macho look. Well, wide rims are fine if the truck spends most of its time on pavement, but if you want the truck to be a useful offroad tool, you should actually go with narrow-width rims.

Why? Because the narrower rim causes both beads of the tire to tuck in, which minimizes sidewall exposure. The net result is additional rim and sidewall protection from rocks and other objects that could cause air loss or tire failure. Moreover, the added sidewall flex allows the tire to absorb bumps, resulting in a softer ride.

Inflation Pressures: The number one reason for premature tire failure is improper inflation pressure. For best results, keep the tires at the inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle maker. (You’ll find this in the owner’s manual.) The inflation pressure branded on the sidewall is the maximum and should be followed only when the vehicle is carrying an extremely heavy load.

There are exceptions to this rule. A common offroad tactic is to reduce tire inflation pressure to improve driving performance. This is ordinarily done when driving over sand, where airing down widens and lengthens the tire’s “footprint.” Doing so puts more tire in contact with the sand, improving traction. Airing down also works on rock- or stump-studded trails. In this case, the lower inflation pressure allows the tire to wrap itself around a rock, which reduces the chance of a sidewall puncture.

When driving through this type of terrain, impact absorption takes precedence over quick-steering response. For this reason, tire inflation pressures as low as 25 pounds per square inch (psi) may be used--as long as speeds are less than 15 mph.

Be sure the tire has adequate load-carrying capacity at these lower pressures. To be safe, don’t go below 18 psi. The disadvantage to airing down is that you increase the probability of pushing a tire off the rim. Be alert.

Always make sure the tires are returned to the proper inflation pressures before you return to the highway. Severe internal tire damage or outright tire failure can occur when an underinflated tire is driven at typical highway speeds.

Driving Tips: Joe and I had parked the 4x4 at a small pullout next to the public access area and were uncasing our shotguns. The road in was ravaged; it was full of nasty ruts and gravel mounds, and the last 100 yards were especially treacherous because it dropped so steeply. As I slipped on my game vest, I heard the sound of another engine, and when I looked up I could see the driver was having trouble coming down the trail.

“Joe,” I yelled. “Get out of the way!”

Joe leaped behind our truck as the vehicle careened by and bounced off a huge tree. Fortunately, the driver wasn’t badly hurt--but his new truck had a nasty dent in the front quarter panel. He climbed out and said, “Sorry, boys. Didn’t mean to make you jump like that. I don’t understand it. I just put new offroad tires on this thing.”

New tires or not, if you don’t pay attention to the trail, trouble will always find you. Later, when I stopped by to talk with Steve White, Light Truck Tire Marketing Manager at

Uniroyal, and tell him the story, he said, “That guy made a classic mistake. He relied on technology rather than common sense to get him out of trouble.”

“Yeah,” I said, “I see that a lot.”

“What people forget,” White said, “is that good tires are only part of the package. You also need to hone your offroad driving skills. And you begin with equipment every driver already has.”

“And that would be?”

“Your eyes. You need to know what to do with your eyes. Too many people simply stare straight ahead, focusing only on what is immediately in front of the vehicle. Wrong! You should be using your eyes to gather much more information. For instance, what’s on each side of the truck? Are there sharp rocks or overhanging tree limbs? What about cactus? You need to know this. Now, take a look down the trail. What’s coming up? Deep ruts, a blind turn? Do you have an obstacle that you need to steer around? Or can you drive over it? You need to know this too, so trail challenges don’t come as a surprise.

“Always try to keep in mind what I call ‘the picture,’ which I define as where I want the truck to go, not where it currently is. That’s a big difference, but if you can do it, you’ll avoid a lot of trouble.

“In order to see ‘the picture,’ you need to be seated comfortably in the vehicle. You shouldn’t have to strain to reach the pedals or steering wheel, and you should be able to clearly see the gauges as well as the mirrors. Drivers who aren’t comfortable will get fatigued, and this affects your ability to control the vehicle.”

The next step, according to White, is to drive the vehicle with the correct speed and rhythm. When you get it right, you should be to hold a full cup of water without spilling it as you drive.

“You need to learn how to accelerate properly. Too many offroaders employ a herky-jerky on- and off-throttle type of driving. This only upsets the balance of the vehicle. Instead, gently accelerate to a level where you can keep relatively steady pressure on the accelerator. Make only subtle adjustments to slow down or speed up.

“Do all of your braking before you get to a turn, hole, or whatever it is that is forcing you to slow the vehicle. Remember, your brakes are going to be a lot more sensitive in dirt or sand because the tires have less traction. Make the braking action as subtle and as smooth as possible. If you do encounter a crisis, brake as hard as you can until the vehicle begins to skid. At that point, gently ease off the brakes in small increments to allow the tires to regain traction, but keep enough pressure on the pedal to continue to slow down the vehicle.

“Obviously, the slower you’re going when you get in a panic situation, the easier it will be to deal with. In fact, one of the major difficulties in trying to execute turns in offroad situations is excess speed. In many cases, the driver is not aware of vehicle speed--and most are going much faster than they think. And when that happens, you’ll find that the truck wants to keep going straight ahead rather than turning in the direction you are steering.

“That’s what I call a skid,” I said.

“Right. And it’s trouble, so slow down.”