ATV exhaust silencer info

Pabuckhunter

Yearling... With promise
I have been looking for an exhaust silencer for my Honda Rubicon. I have found they are very expensive and get poor reviews. Has anyone fabricated their own? If so, please give details on how you built it, and how well it worked. I do have basic welding skills.
 
I was intrigued about the exhaust silencers once, until I saw the price. Then I started doing some research. I listened to multiple 4 wheelers and learned they aren't really that loud. Mostly what you hear is the valves tapping and a exhaust silencer isn't going to help with that. My hunting buddy just bought a new Honda Rubicon and I can say that machine is one of the most quite machines I've every been around.
 
Sometimes I think making more noise is better. If they hear you coming it's not as startling. I had an electric Polaris. It was cool but I did sneak up on a few bucks that turned inside out when they finally saw it/me.

I'm also starting to believe putting along with a machine into a stand is less frightening to a deer than a man walking in the dark. My son has leg weakness. This year I dropped him off and picked him up from most of his sits. There were deer on trail cameras literally only a few minutes after we left in the dark. If he had walked out and got busted the deer would have reacted much worse IMO.
 
Oh and you're right the silencers on the market are junk. I tried one and it was useless. I gave it away....
 
Sometimes I think making more noise is better. If they hear you coming it's not as startling. I had an electric Polaris. It was cool but I did sneak up on a few bucks that turned inside out when they finally saw it/me.

I'm also starting to believe putting along with a machine into a stand is less frightening to a deer than a man walking in the dark. My son has leg weakness. This year I dropped him off and picked him up from most of his sits. There were deer on trail cameras literally only a few minutes after we left in the dark. If he had walked out and got busted the deer would have reacted much worse IMO.
You may be right. I have been keeping track of the deer I see when I walk to my stand VS when I ride my 4-wheeler to within about 50 yards. There really hasn`t been much of a difference. I have also seen deer 15 minutes after parking the 4-wheeler, but they are usually yearlings. I just didn`t see any buck this year, and thought it might be because they heard the 4-wheeler.
 
You may be right. I have been keeping track of the deer I see when I walk to my stand VS when I ride my 4-wheeler to within about 50 yards. There really hasn`t been much of a difference. I have also seen deer 15 minutes after parking the 4-wheeler, but they are usually yearlings. I just didn`t see any buck this year, and thought it might be because they heard the 4-wheeler.

It could be a conditioning thing. My neighbor puts a zillion miles a year on his side by side checking on, feeding cows, etc. My neighborhood may just be used to that noise and not bothered by it.
 
Since we are on the subject.....I have an interesting question then. I have 2 neighbors - on opposite sides of my place that seem to have recently decided to turn their properties into motor cross tracks! I have had one of the worst deer seasons ever this year. I currently am thinking that these ATV's tearing thru what was once a peaceful environment has to have had an affect on the deer. I am also in farm country so I fully understand how a deer can see a noisy machine as not being a threat as well. But, that said......deer also know when and where to expect these noises and the like...... So, am I putting too much blame on the neighbors and their ATV use, or am I somewhat justified? Keep in mind - this is not leisurely riding.....this is high rev, as fast as the dang thing will go, dirt bikes and performance quads and at times nearly on a daily basis. My opinion is that these activities have pushed deer off of my place as well as the neighboring properties as well.....causing lower sightings.
 
Keep in mind - this is not leisurely riding.....this is high rev, as fast as the dang thing will go, dirt bikes and performance quads and at times nearly on a daily basis. My opinion is that these activities have pushed deer off of my place as well as the neighboring properties as well.....causing lower sightings.

I would agree. Big difference in a farmer poking along and motocross like track. Two different levels of stress for the deer. I would think fast loud machines ripping around would make for high stress levels and avoidance.

I had a neighbor once with a teenager and a bulldozer. He and his friends dozed in a track with jumps and the whole 9. Ripped around all day, it drove me nuts but I bit my tongue. I knew eventually he would move on to girls and other hobbies. Thankfully it only took about 18 months..... Bikes were sold for trucks and such and things got quiet again.
 
So, am I putting too much blame on the neighbors and their ATV use, or am I somewhat justified?

I agree with Bill. I think you are justified in your thinking. That constant loud noise and commotion has got to be unsettling to deer and a high stressor.
 
I don't use one myself. I have a buddy that has a Honda Pioneer UTV and said he is happy with the performance of this one: https://www.atvsilencer.com/index.php

He said he did have a weld break and they handled the warranty fix well.

Not an endorsement since I haven't used one myself; just an option to consider.

Thanks,

Jack
 
In my opinion, you dont want to sneak up on the deer. When I am doing work, I try to let them know I am in the area while I am on the ATV. I would much rather have them run off from a noise, rather then see a human. Most of the time when I ride my ATV, the deer just jump into the woods 10 feet, and watch me drive by, then go back to what they were doing.

Although I can see a big difference in me driving back to cut some wood, or going back to my food plots for work, or stand prep a dozen or so times a year, compared to hours of racing around daily. But, it is their land, and as Bill said, interests change fast enough. A year or 2, and it will be back to normal. Plus the deer will learn that all that noise isnt a danger to them eventually as well.
 
I don't use one myself. I have a buddy that has a Honda Pioneer UTV and said he is happy with the performance of this one: https://www.atvsilencer.com/index.php

He said he did have a weld break and they handled the warranty fix well.

Not an endorsement since I haven't used one myself; just an option to consider.

Thanks,

Jack
Thanks for the link. $187.99 is more then I am willing to spend, considering the consensus is the noise really isn`t that disturbing to the deer. That coincides with my own observations. I guess I was just looking for a reason I didn`t see any bucks this year. However, I saw plenty of doe.
 
Thanks for the link. $187.99 is more then I am willing to spend, considering the consensus is the noise really isn`t that disturbing to the deer. That coincides with my own observations. I guess I was just looking for a reason I didn`t see any bucks this year. However, I saw plenty of doe.

Our hunters didn't see many bucks this year either. A few young bucks but not many. They are out there as my cameras demonstrate, but for some reason we didn't see as many as we normally do. Personally, I'm blaming it on coyotes. Our deer in general seem to be much more skittish than they used to be before coyotes started using our farm.

Thanks,

Jack
 
I have 1 on my king quad 700. It knocks down the noise some but doesn't silence it like a golf cart. I bought it at a deer show. Got at a discounted price but no tax. Been toying around with buying a golf cart but have also been looking at the polaris rangers. If i were to buy a ranger. I would buy another silencer. It knocks the noise down enough to not scare deer around everywhere.
 
Just for giggles, I was looking at an ATV Segway, but $7000.00 is too much for my needs. They look like fun, however, the entrance to my hunting stand is on a side hill. All the videos I watched had the Segway running on level trails, not trails that sloped from left to right or visa versa. I guess I will just keep using my stock Rubicon and hope to see more buck next year.
 
I had a Benz Silent muffler on my 2006 Honda Rubicon. It definitely made it a lot quieter. worth $200? - it was to me, but stolen in 2008.

Some ATVs need it more than others. My Ranger is not too bad, but I can hear my buddy's Yamaha Rhino from 1/4 mile away.

If I ever build a "shouse" I will get an old beater electric golf cart to keep on the farm.
 
you have to wonder if this will ever hit the market.... this guy is from canada. if you haven't seen it, it's quite cool.

 
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