You've heard the adage many times before. "Don't take a knife to a gunfight." It's a phrase that can be handily applied to the ATV arena. We bank a lot on our ATV's ability to perform the mission assigned it, and to do it well. Giving marching orders to the wrong vehicle for the job can cause serious heartburn at best and place life and limb in jeopardy at worst. That's enough reason to make sure the ATV you purchase is up to the task and the working conditions you anticipate.

Kawasaki Brute Force 650 4x4; 633CC V-Twin Engine; Automatic Transmission; Variable Front Differential Control; 1,200 Pound Towing Capacity; 264 Pound Cargo Capacity; www.kawasaki.com

Game Retrieval
Aside from getting you to and from your stand, game retrieval with an ATV is the next most important function. For some hunters, this is the only reason an ATV even exists in camp.

When talking about game retrieval, we're obviously centering the conversation on large game--from whitetails and black bears up to the big-hoofed critters like elk. What you need in an ATV for this task depends on two things: the size of the animal you generally hunt and the condition in which you wish to bring it out of the field.

For whitetail-size game, a massive ATV is usually overkill. Using whitetail as an example, most animals are downed in grassy fields or semi-open woods. Dragging is often the easiest means of bringing a deer to your truck or camp, so long as the ground is such that dragging won't damage the hide or bruise the meat. And since a whole deer is much easier and cleaner to process, most hunters prefer to bring 'em back in one piece with the wrapping on.

Yamaha Grizzly 700 FI 4x4; 686CC Liquid-Cooled Engine; Electronic Power Steering; Fuel Injection; Ultamatic Transmission; On-Command In/Out 4WD; www.yamaha-motor.com

Given that the smaller 250-400cc class ATVs have a towing capacity of around 500 to 1,000 pounds, even an exceptional whitetail is not going to cause these ATVs to break a sweat. Heck, you can even get by with a 2WD model in most instances.

Of course, that's assuming you're running across moderate terrain that provides good traction. Get into steep hills, spongy bottom land or deep snow and you may find that smaller ATV screaming for mercy. In these cases you'll want an engine in the 500cc or better class, and most definitely will be wishing for 4WD capability if you don't have it.

Suzuki King Quad 450 4x4; 454CC Liquid-Cooled Engine; 2/4WD And Differential-Lock; Fuel Injection; Automatic Transmission; Wheel Travel: 7.1 Inches (Front), 8.1 Inches (Rear); www.suzukicycles.com

With big animals such as elk, you should forget about dragging with anything less than a 500cc ATV--and even that's pushing it. The better bet is to quarter the animal and secure it to the ATV's cargo racks. But even here you'll want a mid-size or big-bore ATV. For one, you'll need the power because, in most cases, you're going to have a long haul back to the truck or camp, and that machine will be packed to the hilt.