Getting to the field is half the fun for some pheasant hunters, and when you consider the precious cargo inside – bird dogs and valuable shotguns and gear – you understand why some hunters go all-out when it comes to making their trucks safe and comfortable. Read on to find seven accessories you should have for your next rooster road trip.
The innovative
LEER Locker ceiling-mounted storage system
– pictured above
– makes the most of the protected space under their
100XR truck cap (around $1600 installed), providing hunters with easy access to gear without lowering the tailgate. The 50/50 sliding side windows with screens allow for much-needed ventilation for dogs while motoring down the road, and an interior dome light makes loading up easy after the sun has set on a successful day afield.
www.leer.com
With downloadable maps of public hunting areas available from wildlife agencies in South Dakota and other states, a dash-mount global positioning system becomes a great tool for the traveling pheasant hunter. The 6-inch screen on the
Garmin nüviCam LMTHD ($399) provides tremendous visibility and also offers pinch-to-zoom capability. The nüviCam’s integrated dash cam records your road trip, provides collision alerts and automatically saves video files in the event of an impact accident. Place the compatible
BC 30 Wireless Backup Camera ($169) inside your truck bed, and you can have a live video feed of your hunting dog streamed directly to nüviCam on your dash.
www.garmin.com
Keeping your four-legged hunting partner comfortable and safe is a top priority for any road trip, and the durable dog crates from South Dakota-based
Ruff Tough Kennels do just that. Lightweight but strong enough to survive a shotgun blast, the one-piece molded kennels ($130-$280) can also be outfitted with tie-down brackets to minimize shifting while traveling down the road. Additional options include coupler brackets, which add an extra layer of security when using two crates, and a kennel fan strong enough to cool down your dog after even the hottest day of chasing prairie grouse on the Dakota grasslands.
www.rufftoughkennels.com
From muddy boots to a spilled cup of coffee, the cab of a pheasant hunting truck can take a beating, but the following two products are designed to protect your interior and provide quick clean-up before the next road trip.
The
X-act Contour floor liners from Husky Liners ($70-$125) are designed to match perfectly to the contour of your truck, and a raised ridge running along the door-jam keeps weed seeds, rocks and other debris out. The liners are designed to stay in place while in use, but remain easy to remove, clean, and re-install.
www.huskyliners.com
The
Cabela’s TrailGear Seat Covers ($25-$40) are an economical and efficient way to protect your truck’s seats. Constructed of 600-denier polyester, the covers bead and repel moisture and also feature rear storage pockets to hold plat books, binoculars, and more.
www.cabelas.com
Locked doors and a security system aren’t always enough to deter a thief, so keep your valuables locked inside a
Console Vaultä ($290) when you’re away from your hunting truck. Constructed of 12-gauge cold-rolled plate steel, the Console Vaultä requires no modification to your truck, and installation is a breeze, fitting like a glove after only 10 minutes. And because your truck’s console can open and close just as it normally would, the Console Vaultä remains completely out of view.
www.consolevault.com
Story by John Pollmann