Livin' the Land With a Can-Am Defender

Sure, recreational users work their machines hard, but ranchers and other utility-minded landowners press their side-by-side machines into pretty tough spots as well. There’s no better test of a rig than to place it in the hands of these folks with their on-the-edge working conditions; having been onsite to a few of these environments, we can say with certainty this is very accurate.

Can-Am has chosen to tag along with a few of these hardworking types, documenting their workdays and the kind of situations into which they press their vehicles. As part of a longer series of videos, the company has decided to follow the story behind one of Oklahoma’s oldest family-owned ranches, Stuart Ranch. With the 44,000+ acre ranch now spanning six generations since 1868, Terry Stuart Forst and her two sons, Clay and Robert, connected with Can-Am to talk about their success and how their Defender UTVs are a big part of their daily lives.

“We’re standing on a lot of broad shoulders,” said Stuart Forst as the Can-Am video team pans to her sons loading farm gear into the back of a burly Defender. Stuart Ranch is the first ranch to be inducted into the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Hall of Fame, and Terry Stuart Forst is recognized as a person who has excelled in her field while exemplifying the pioneer spirit of the American West.

As for the Defender, Can-Am has made some tweaks to the lineup for 2022. Building on the Lone Star Edition which cropped up in 2018 bearing numerous luxury and comfort features, the Can-Am Defender MAX Lone Star adds climate control to keep all hands comfortable whether they’re toiling in winter’s cold or the heat of summer. Testing such a rig last year on muggy days proved the worth of that climate control to the ATV.com crew while driving one through tough terrain. The new Defender MAX Lone Star also comes with a factory-installed JL Audio Roof which lets riders set the soundtrack for the day.

Can-Am also layered the Limited trim on their Defender 6×6 for the 2022 model year, bringing a fully enclosed cab plus automatic climate control with air conditioning and heat. While there are plenty who chuckle at the notion of HVAC in a side-by-side, the feature really ensures all those miserably hot or cold work days are a lot more comfortable. Expanding its availability to the 6×6 was a smart play.

Check out other videos from the Can-Am film series on their YouTube channel.