At the Dallas Safari Club Convention and Hunting Expo recently, none of the gizmos caught my attention like the spectrum of customized hunting vehicles.

Since my first Army surplus Willis Jeep that seemed unstoppable in rough and rocky Hill Country terrain, I’ve been fascinated by the inexorable development of increasingly better hunting vehicles.

At the DSC expo, you couldn’t get in the door without bumping into mind-boggling truck and utility vehicle conversions. In fact, a Dallas company called Extreme Hunting Trucks had its display outside the entrance.

Included were a top-drive Suburban and a top-drive heavy-duty pickup truck. If you’re not familiar with top-drive vehicles, they were invented in South Texas so hunters who drive the roads through a sea of low brush have the elevation to see over and into the brush. They’re literally driven from on top of the vehicle.

These so-called trolling rigs serve double duty as mobile hunting blinds. They’re big, luxurious and expensive.

Hummer conversion

Brad Thiessen of Addison’s Absolute Sporting displayed a military Hummer he had purchased and remodeled for a private client. Like a lot of H-1 Hummers, this one was low-mileage when purchased used for $70,000.

Thiessen invested another $70,000 remodeling it into the ultimate off-road vehicle. Revamping included a new suspension system Theissen said would allow the Hummer to be driven at high speeds on a rough ranch road.

There’s also an oversized moon roof over the backseat passenger compartment with a bass boat-style swivel seat that allows a hunter to sit about chest-high through the opening, with sandbags on the parked vehicle’s roof for a shooting rest.

Think Monster Garage for sportsmen and you get the idea. While hunting rigs of the rich and famous are fun to think about, utility vehicles are a more practical application for most sportsmen.

For under $10,000, you can get a reasonably equipped utility vehicle such as a Kawasaki Mule, Polaris Ranger, John Deere Gator, etc. These are workhorses that will go virtually anywhere and transport a considerable payload.

Their soft tires provide a comfortable ride and do not tear up ranch roads after a rain. Fill the tires with sealant and you can drive them through thorns and cactus, with just an occasional flat.

Today’s sportsmen are investing in utility vehicles and saving their expensive pickup trucks and SUVs from off-road scratches and abuse.

For most sportsmen, a $10,000 utility vehicle, properly maintained and carefully driven, is a lifetime investment.

Tom Mansell of Bedford is a commercial photographer who fell in love with Bad Boy Buggies, an electric-version of gasoline-powered utility vehicles.

No golf cart

Nowadays, Mansell spends most of his time selling the electric vehicles, which retail for about $8,000. How is this different from a golf cart?

Answer: Dual motors that total 31 horsepower and deliver 170 foot-pounds of torque.

“The Bad Boy Buggies will go anywhere you want to go and they’ll do it without any noise,” Mansell said. “You can drive right up on a deer and they’ll never hear you coming.”

Top speed on the electric utility vehicle is 22 mph, and the cruising range between battery charges is 28 miles. At the end of the day, plug in the battery charger and the rig is fully charged in about eight hours.

I know lots of people who hunt from gasoline-powered utility vehicles, and they all complain about engine noise.

An electric utility vehicle should be particularly attractive to quail hunters who keep track of their dogs with beeper collars. Information is available at www.badboybuggies.com.