Thanks a lot Joe, you brought up a lot of things I hadn't even considered. You're right, I live in an area where hitting a deer is definitely possible and a lot of the wheeling is mud. I do try to stay away from mud because I hate the mess it makes. I have not purchased a winch yet but I'll definitely be seeking advice when I do. I need to get the whole mounting thing figured out first. Honestly, the time frame for this is most likely late summer, maybe later so I'm in no rush.

I'll have to ponder over this some more now.