Off Road Tires
I have used a few different types of tires off road. I will give you some feedback of what I have found:
P (Passenger rated tires) were popping like crazy on my F150 while touring gravel logging roads. Opt instead for L/T (light truck).
Mud flinging tires look cool (M/T) with their aggressive tread pattern, but wear fast and make noise during highway use. They are good in the mud, but horrible on ice.
A/T (all terrain tires) seem to be the best of both worlds for hunters who need to drive to their hunting spot on paved roads, and dirt/gravel roads. They are quieter than M/T on the highway and wear better, while giving you better performance on ice.
I like to make sure I get A/T tires that are winter/ice rated. The snowflake on the side wall indicates this.
PRO COMP ALL TERRAIN TIRES
Price: high
On road performance: excellent
Off road performance: great
Tire life/wear: excellent
Noise while traveling: low
Pro comp A/T tires last a long time, wear evenly, and perform well off road. I have been using them on my F150 for a very long time and have never gotten a flat with them. They provide years of service and last well past their warranty of 50,000 miles.
http://www.procompusa.com/tires
General Grabber AT2
Price: moderate
On road performance: great
Off road performance: great
Tire life: great
Noise: great
These tires did test decently, but I did have one slow leak I needed to repair. I did test them with my Suzuki Samurai. I took them on some rugged trails, but only had the tires for a year and a half, so I can’t totally comment on longevity. They do have a 96,000km tread wear warranty though.
Michelin LTX MS
Price: good
On road performance: great
Off road performance: moderate
Tire life: great
Noise: great
These tires are more suited for road use and light trail as they are not very aggressive in their tread pattern. I also found that while using them on my Jeep Cherokee, I got a lot of flats off road. This could have been due to the P rating. A good road tire and can handle light trail use. Maybe a little light for an off road hunter though.
http://www.1010tires.com/Tires/Reviews/Michelin/LTX+M-S