Conquest transmission whine scaring away big game?

[The Swamp Donkey]

Hey!

After week 2 of hunting season, I switched to the Argo almost exclusively for the weekend hunts. I've been cruising all over northern Alberta, I've put about 50 hours on the Argo so far, mostly going between 4 km/h and 8 km/h. So let's say, conservatively, I've put on about 200 km. We have had no problem seeing Grouse, but have yet to see any big game, even when cruising back after dark with the guns back in the case.

We've seen about half a dozen deer when driving home in the Truck...

I guess my question is whether anyone has noticed the "transmission whine" of the Conquests scaring away big game? It's quite a high pitch, and often we even feel like putting in ear plugs ourselves. If we stay super slow, like under 5 km/h, it isn't as bad.

Could it be the Argo scaring away the animals? I know a lot of times big game will not run from mechanical sounds, where they otherwise would have if it was human voices or footfalls. We are very quite, typically not talking at all while on the move looking for signs of furry life.

If it's the Argo keeping them away, it may be worth considering an upgrade to a machine with an ADMIRAL tranny, but I've heard the engines are louder on them.

Anyone have first hand experience? A co-worker claims to have seen lots of big game when going slow in his 2001 Conquest..

So far the only buck we've actually seen at the right time and place to take a shot, was just after jumping back in the truck after coming back from an hour-long walk down a game trail. Just got back in, drove 20 feet, and there he was. That was before the Argo purchase, first week of September, at Noon, in +30'C..

So pretty much a fluke. The lack of big game could certainly just be coincidence, but I have to wonder if the Transmission noise has something to do with it..

Thanks!
SD

[Rock Doctor]

My 04 conquest (Low Geared) is so loud, I'm sure it scares everything away for miles. My daughters Conquest (Med Geared) is nice and quiet in comparison.

[The Swamp Donkey]

My 04 conquest (Low Geared) is so loud, I'm sure it scares everything away for miles. My daughters Conquest (Med Geared) is nice and quiet in comparison.

Rock Doctor,

Thanks for the input! That's something I had forgotten about.. They make Conquests with 3 different gear ratios in the transmission right? Any idea how a person can tell by looking, what model they've got installed? I'm assuming it'll be in the VIN, or marked on the gearbox, or measurable by rotating the input shaft a given number of times and counting the output rotations in Lo or Hi...

IF I have the loud one, maybe I can purchase a med-gear tranny..

[Twizted1]

It is stamped on top of the trans low gear is stamp GU and medium is stamped MU.

[thorn]

Try using synthetic gear lube with a 1/3 of it being Lucas Synthetic Oil conditioner. It will help quiet down the noise a bit. I think the non-synthetic Lucas Oil conditioner works even better, but you can't use that it really cold conditions. HTH

[hewtater]

I have 2 machines with GU transmissions. They are not noisy and nor do they whine. I have read where other people on this forum have said that GU transmissions are noisy. Something wrong with transmission??

[Rock Doctor]

I have a thousand hrs on my GU, always been noisy, but never had a problem with it.

[ARGOJIM]

We've seen plenty of deer over the years and the Conquest was always leading, if your running out and parking don't think it's a big deal. Also know 2 guys hunting from their Argo, though I don't know their stats.