I feel like I should contact my lawyers, as the first thing I thought when I saw Can-Am and MeatEater's ultimate hunting Defender HD11 build was, "Hey, they copied me!" They, however, went far further than I have.
The second thing I thought was, "Shut up and take my money!"
At its core, what we have is Can-Am's all-new 2026 Defender HD11 Max Lonestar. It's the full-cab, HVAC-equipped, four-door, six-person side-by-side anyone can purchase from their local dealership. It comes with a bed, solid lights from the factory, and enough ground clearance to get over most trail obstacles. There's also a winch, a bed with a decent payload capacity, towing capabilities, and a bumpin' stereo.
Yet, everything can be bettered, and if you're planning on going hunting around the country, especially out here in the West, you want a few more creature comforts, as well as a few additional extras to make getting around easier.
But these two companies went above and beyond, and basically made my dream hunting side-by-side, complete with a Go Fast Camper rooftop tent, chunkier BFGoodrich tires, and oh so much more. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?
Stopping myself from drooling for a moment, the build was done up by S3 Power Sports out of Shreveport, Louisiana, and was equipped with not only a host of optional accessories you can buy directly from Can-Am's accessory book, but also a handful of upgraded and beefy as hell parts from S3, too. All with one goal: the ultimate hunting side-by-side setup.
We, obviously, have to start with the Go Fast Campers rooftop tent, as it's easily the most striking portion of the build. I've long been an advocate of putting rooftop tents onto side-by-sides, having only been beaten to the punch by Polaris's debut of the Xpedition by a mere few weeks, just as I was installing my Roofnest onto my Maverick X3. It's become my hunting home-away-from-home, as it just makes backcountry expeditions that much nicer and easier.
I mean, waking up at 10,000 feet to elk bugles is the absolute best, and doing so after not sleeping on the cold, hard ground, well, that just might be heaven.
The GFC tent in question is the brand's V2 Pro design, and features rear access and a folding ladder that's stowed when not in use. It's also super sleek and capable of taking a hit. Again, perfect for the woods where the trees and rock outcroppings might be lower than perceived in some cases. At the front of the RTT, S3 also installed a 40-inch light bar directly from Can-Am. Just cribbin' my build, aren't ya? The platform that the GFC sits on, however, is a custom-built system made by S3, complete with integrated Molle panels for additional storage solutions and attachments.
Elsewhere, you've got a custom exhaust shield from the company, a custom front bumper for additional durability, and upgraded suspension, including beefier A-arms and springs. The company also lifted the Defender slightly in order to fit 15-inch KMC wheels and BFGoodrich KM3 35-inch tires—that's an extra 3 inches on my setup. And the exterior is finished in a FirstLite camouflage pattern to make it blend in more.
As for the inside, Can-Am and MeatEater threw everything you'd want at it in terms of hunting solutions. There are LinQ Gear Grips for your bow—something Remi Warren and I were discussing not too long ago in wanting a better solution for—LinQ gun holders and tool holders, additional storage compartments for knives and tools and game bags and whatever else you'd need. There's even a lockable gun case, cause no one wants their stuff stolen. And, obviously, there's custom MeatEater logos everywhere. The culmination is just Michael Fassbender "Perfection" gif.
"I’ve been a long-time fan of Can-Am, so it’s pretty cool to see this custom collab MeatEater Defender come together," said Steven Rinella, adding, The team at S3 Powersports did an incredible job bringing the build to life. It feels like a physical representation of our partnership and the kind of machine our crew relies on in the field. I’m excited to get it out and put it to work."
Now here's the sad part of this whole story. It's not for sale. This build is a one-off that Can-Am isn't selling. Most of the parts, however, are off-the-shelf items. So with a little bit of shopping, you could get pretty darn close to the build. And it looks like S3 Power Sports already sells most of the parts on this build, apart from the rack setup. Maybe if we ask nicely, they'll do it, though. PLEASE DO IT?!
If you're tallying that up, you're probably getting pretty close to what you'd pay for a Polaris Xpedition, as the Defender HD11 Max Limited starts at $38,000. Add the accessories and such, and you're looking at close to $50,000. But for the ultimate hunting rig, one that can't be stopped, and one that'll outperform any truck anywhere, you'd be hard-pressed not to want to fork over the cash.
