Ride Ox Ranch In Polaris Ranger Style

Drive Side-By-Sides, Tanks & More

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Certain things in life once acquired become an essential part of life. If you are an avid outdoorsman, hunter, rancher, or property owner, that essential is a Utility Task Vehicle (UTV). A UTV is a major convenience in some cases and a downright necessity in others. The undisputed leader in this arena is Polaris. Recently I had a chance to experience a Hook & Barrel “Field Trip” to the famous Ox Ranch in Texas to get a look at the new 2025 line-up from Polaris. To say that I was blown away would be an understatement.

On The Ox Ranch

While the heart of the event was built around Polaris, the Ox Ranch, located about two hours south of San Antonio, became an almost equal highlight, as it is the premier destination for exotic game hunting in the United States. The variety of animals on the property gives it a very Dark Continent feel. The 18,000-acre property, to my mind, is the African plains set in Texas. While they host events like ours, their primary business is hunting. On the ranch, they have over 80 different North American and exotic species. When you drive in you will see thousands of wildlife free-ranging on the ranch set in Texas Hill Country. Keep your eyes open, as you’ll likely encounter giraffes, zebras, kangaroos, axis, bongo, kudu, blackbucks, elk, hogs, red stags, and, of course, monster whitetails.

Tanks & Machineguns Ahead

There is something else set in the heart of the ranch. I discovered it as we were driving the new Polaris Rangers around the property. In the soft Texas dirt, I saw tracks that looked oddly familiar. At first glance, I thought there was some tracked heavy equipment roaming the property. Then the “Tank Crossing” sign smacked me in the face. Yes, there are tanks on Ox Ranch. In fact, it is home to Drive Tanks.

This division of Ox Ranch is a bucket list bonanza. At Drive Tanks you can…well...drive tanks! They have many functioning and well-maintained battle tanks from around the world and from different time periods. Want to do more than just drive a battle tank? Here you have the opportunity to fire the main gun on a tank as well.

Looking for something different yet high on the excitement scale? How about a trip to their machine gun range? The MG range sports an enormous number of full-auto weapons, all ready for shooters to tickle the giggle switches. From the classic M2 belt-fed machine gun and an M249 to the more exotics like an M134 minigun or a Russian PKM. And because they are all about going big or going home, Drive Tanks has a flame thrower they can set you up with.

Want to add some real pop to your visit?  Try their High Explosive Experience and detonate an actual shaped charge and block explosives! You will be guided by one of their military-trained cadre to set up a series of three different explosions while viewing them through their explosive-proof glass. 

Without question, the Ox Ranch truly is an adrenaline junkie’s dream. All of this is housed on the Ox Ranch property in what can be called a ballistic and war museum. From mannequins in WWII uniforms to unique weapon displays, the museum in and of itself is worth the visit. Want something fun and very much out of the ordinary? This is the place.

Let’s Ride 2025 Polaris Rangers

The trip to Ox Ranch was designed to give us a hands-on look at the new Polaris Ranger 1000 and XP 1000 utility task vehicles. These new vehicles include a wide range of owner-inspired upgrades to the class-leading full-size Ranger lineup. The 2025 Rangers feature a redesigned front end and new front bumper for added durability, an upgraded Gen 2 transmission for smooth and consistent shifting, and additional factory-installed accessories for added rider value and convenience. In addition to the upgrades, Polaris is introducing the all-new Polaris Ranger Crew XP 1000 NorthStar Texas Edition, as well as bringing back a fan favorite—the Ranger Crew XP 1000 Waterfowl Edition.

Diving a little deeper we find that all the new 2025 Polaris Ranger XP 1000 and NorthStar vehicles are built with an 82-hp, 999cc liquid-cooled, ProStar 4-stroke twin-cylinder dual overhead camshaft engine. The Ranger 1000 also has a 999cc liquid-cooled, ProStar 4-stroke twin cylinder in a single overhead camshaft engine netting out to 61 hp. The shift mechanism and shift drum in the new Gen 2 transmission have been upgraded to reduce shifting effort. Brett Esparmer, enterprise program director for Polaris, shared, “The biggest improvement is the shifting on the transmission with very silky-smooth shifting. For people getting in and out of the Ranger, putting it in park and then back to low or high, it just happens flawlessly.”

In addition to the new upgrades, the 2025 full-size Ranger lineup continues to provide the features riders have come to expect from Polaris, including an impressive 1,000-pound box capacity and 2,500-pound towing to carry large loads, as well as on-demand All-Wheel Drive that automatically engages four-wheel drive when traction loss is detected for confidence in rough terrain. Available on all 1000 Premium, XP 1000, and XP 1000 NorthStar Edition models, Ranger offers LED headlights for enhanced brightness that help riders extend their days. Plus, customers can choose from more than 100 accessories to help customize their rides.

Get Techy With It

Something I found to be very impressive and helpful on the XP 1000 NorthStar Ultimate was a 7-inch display that allowed me access to the Polaris Ride Command feature. This provides functional capabilities such as GPS mapping technology and features that enhance the riding experience, like a backup camera. They also offer an enhanced version called Ride Command +. This offers users convenient access to information like Vehicle Health and Maintenance Reminders, as well as protection features like Vehicle Locator and Bump Alerts that notify the owner if their vehicle has been bumped or moved from its last location.

The new vehicles are loaded, and some of the notable upgrades are the new JBL audio that comes factory-installed in the Ranger XP 1000 and XP 1000 NorthStar, an upgraded electric power steering system with enhanced control and responsiveness, especially at low speeds, redesigned cab nets with a new single-latch connection point for easier entry and exit and an upgraded electric power steering system with enhanced control and responsiveness, especially at low speeds. Across the lineup, an upgraded Gen 2 transmission reduces shifting effort by up to 50% to enable easier and smoother shifting. Polaris also offers a variety of accessory packages including things like a rear winch to help hunters load their game.     

100 Miles Around The Ox Ranch

In the two days of driving, we covered over 100 miles on the ranch. From flat dusty trails to serious high-angle climbs, we did it all. Through water, over large rocks, and along rough trails, the Ranger shined.

While the list of features is clear, there are certain things that really stood out to me. First was the transmission. I have had the pleasure of driving Rangers over the years, and the new improved transmission is more than just a talking point. It is noticeably smoother and easier to manipulate. Second on my list is the sealed cab. We were in southwest Texas, which is the dust capital of the world. We did our drives as groups and followed the vehicle in front of us. In normal UTV’s that meant you would be coughing up dust and dirt for the next six days. That was not the case with the Ranger. The cab is sealed very well, and after all the miles I had barely any dust in the cab at all. The third thing that was a nice feature was the air conditioning. Yes, it had air conditioning. In the hot Texas sun, this was a very nice bonus. Lastly was the overall handling of the vehicle. It was very responsive and a pleasure to drive.

Polaris, in my opinion, is unique in this industry because so much of what they do is customer-driven. The team at Polaris shared with me that they actively engaged both end users as well as dealers to see what people wanted. They scoured forums and read comments on posts to get a real feel for what people wanted. I believe the new Ranger lineup shines because of that. If you are looking for a new UTV or are ready to upgrade, I would suggest you visit Polaris. They have an extensive lineup to fit just about any need you have. 

For more information, visit polaris.com, oxhuntingranch.com, and drivetanks.com.