I had a serious suspicion that the Rungu Electric Juggernaut was going to change how I approached my hunting this fall, but I had no idea how much it would change the experience for the better. Over the last 4 or 5 years, I have purposefully avoided some locations on the ranch that I hunt because I did not want to take a deer in one of the canyons and have to drag or pack the deer out the 2 or 3 miles to my truck.
I started looking at e-bikes with the idea that I could get into deeper locations. With a two-wheel e-bike, I fully expected that a deer or any big game animal that I took in those farther locations would have to be quartered or boned out before I attempted to throw it onto a pack frame. While researching ATV’s & e-bikes I came across the Rungu which got me thinking. This electric trike (it has three wheels) answered my concerns in a single package. The Rungu fits into my truck with no trailer, uses no gas, goes where an ATV goes and takes the burden off my back, literally.
Rungu website which got me thinking. This electric trike (it has three wheels) answered my concerns in a single package. The Rungu fits into my truck with no trailer, uses no gas, goes where an ATV goes and takes the burden off my back, literally.
I rode the Rungu into position quietly and ahead of other hunters which gave me an advantage I would not have had on an ATV. The bike got me to the back of the ranch quickly thereby reducing my wind profile in the canyon. On the first morning, I had deer within 150 yards before sunrise. On the next trip with the bike, I rode out to a blind I had set up. I grabbed the deer cart and the bike and rode out thinking it would be far easier to cart out the blind on the cart after the hunt. The blind had not been super productive over the past couple of days, so I figured I would bring it back on the cart. I rolled in at 3 pm, planning on a 2 hour sit. The cart clinked around behind the bike a bit, but I got to the blind, tipped the cart and laid the bike on the side and got into the blind. Fifteen minutes later, three does and two fawns showed up. They walked out of the canyon behind me and hung out within 15 to 30 yards for about 30 minutes before slowly wandering away into the field.
I had several doe tags, but with this group in front of me, I couldn’t tell which of the fawns was with each doe and honestly I had faith that another opportunity would come up. The next hour in the blind from that one location, I spotted over a hundred deer within three miles of the blind. One solitary doe was about 500 yards off. I figured if I got lucky, in time, she might give me a shot. She disappeared down into the canyon and reappeared about 30 minutes later. I took her at 25 yards. This doe is probably one of the biggest I have ever taken. I dragged her 15 yards over to the path, gutted her, pulled the blind, packed it up, strapped the blind to the Rungu Rear Rack, pulled the doe onto the cart, and headed back.
It was a little less than 1,300 yards to the truck, and the Rungu tracked extremely well with over 200 lbs. on the cart. Between melting snow and the mud,the dual-front fat tires on the Rungu Juggernaut kept me upright and moving forward. The trike has five different power settings. Between the cart, the snow and the mud, setting 3 worked the best. I cruised along the edge of the canyon and field at about 7 miles per hour. The guys, who had been hunting in a different canyon, had no idea I had even taken a deer, let alone been able to haul it with the blind out from so deep in. Yet here I came, riding up with the blind strapped onto the Rungu Rear Rack, all of my gear in my pack, a muzzleloader over my shoulder, my hands covered in blood, and a huge grin on my face. It was a perfect evening.
Fast forward to December 31st. When we got out to the ranch, the wind was steady at 40 mph. Over the entire day we saw five deer, none of which were on land we could hunt. The cold wind zapped us, and we were in bed by 8 pm. My last chance at a buck was over but we still had our antlerless season.
We woke up early, headed into the canyon and blew two stalks on big groups of mule deer, I was rushing and needed to slow down. We know the drill: there are a lot of eyes to keep hidden from and it just didn’t work. We headed to a little place we call Happy Canyon and dropped in. All of a sudden, we saw the deer as we walked around the corner. I pulled up the shooting sticks and, shooting up hill at a 100 yards at about a 35 degree angle, I dropped a doe and scoped myself like an amateur. We walked up on the doe, took a quick photo, and walked back to the truck to get the Juggernaut. I hooked the cart to the bike and headed off to retrieve the doe.
Here’s what I learned from my recent hunting trips with the Rungu: it is quiet. I feel confident I can get into any locations I could get to with a Quad ATV without completely announcing my arrival. The cost is much less than an ATV. I can load the e-bike by myself into the back my truck. The battery is easy to charge. The Juggernaut is easy to keep maintained at your local bike shop – I got a flat, which was easily fixed. Best of all, the bike tows out my deer which allows me to go farther and deeper. The fat tires keep me on top of mud and snow whether I am cruising across a corn field or coming up a hill on a narrow cow trail. I can strap a blind to the rack instead of packing it in on my back. I hope to cover the Rungu quite a bit this year during different seasons. I am certain I will continue to appreciate all this e-bike can do to make my hunts more successful and, honestly, less strenuous. Check out the Rungu at EbikeGeneration we think you are going to like it as much as we do.
