6 Ways to Prep Your Off-Road Vehicle for Waterfowl Hunting Season

Sure your UTV has a lot of cargo space, and for most hunters that would be plenty. But not for waterfowl. The decoys alone will fill more space than your UTV has to offer. What you need is a trailer designed to go to the places you want to go to hunt. That’s where the Bosski comes in. These are tough trailers with off-road suspension and tires. They have a lightweight aluminum cargo area that has high sides to help keep your gear out of the slop and a durable steel frame for years of use. Click here to pick up yours from Amazon. And if you want a heavy-duty upgrade with tilting bed, check out their 1600ut option.

If you hunt waterfowl and own a UTV, you know you want one. A roof rack, like Tusk's UTV Adventure Rack, adds a lot of usable storage to your UTV and there are options for lighting kits and more. These racks are simple units which add space for layout blinds, decoy bags, waders, and more. If you want to take it a step further, cargo overbed racks (like this one from SuperATV) allow you to keep your dog kennels in the bed and still have space to haul gear in the cargo area. Don't need the airspace? Then you can go for a lower profile version from Koplin. Or, if you're working with a quad, go for a simple rear easy-to-install basket. To add optimized storage space to your UTV before the season rolls around, racks are the way to go. Click here to secure all the essentials to your UTV.

When you're hunting, you'll need to transport all of your equipment, which in most cases, includes your firearms. This maybe isn't the option for a bow, but if you're going out with rifles, a safe carrier is key. A soft, universal version is flexible, stable, yet versatile and offers a options for placement. Cabela's Tac Gear UTV Double Gun Case is choice if canvas is the way you want to go. Should you like to go with an overhead clamp iteration, give Great Day's Quick-Draw Rack a try. And if you're vessel is an ATV, then prop Kolpin's Rhino Double Adjustable Grips to your bow or stern. Just make sure what you use has heavy-duty construction and brackets to securely and safely hold your shotguns out of the way until it is time for use. And always be sure to check your local laws regarding transport.

If your idea of waterfowl hunting includes sloshing through flooded fields (and really, who wouldn’t want to do that?) then adding a lift to your UTV can help raise your machine above the slop and onward to the blind faster. With anything that affects the mechanicals of your machine, make sure you know what you’re doing and follow the installation instructions to a tee. Otherwise, we suggest you let a professional add the extra height to your vehicle. Going for the at-home option, then give High Lifter UTV kits a try. They are approachable in price and performance, and you can pick them up via Prime.

Whether or not you’re running a lift kit, your UTV can always use some more aggressive tires for waterfowl hunting. I often find myself hunting cut corn fields that have a lot of clay in the base, so they hold water well and turn into slop-factories during the Autumn season. A good set of mud tires is a must as getting stuck is the last thing you want to have happen, especially when setting up in the morning. Imagine getting stuck in the field and having flock after flock circle you while you’re trying to get the machine out? Been there, done that. Never again! Check out MAXXIS' tried and true Zilla tires if you want a straight-forward set that doesn't break the bank too hard...

Additional lighting is crucial to getting the decoys set out and in the pattern you want. With LED light bars available from so many different companies now, it makes sense to add them. While you can run inexpensive versions, like Nilight's 32" LED Light Bar, if you can equip your rig with higher quality options that last longer, throw brighter, and fit most models, then Baja Designs is the way to go. Their products set the bar (pun intended) for a reason, and it's worth exploring their list of adjustable auxiliary lights to customize your super stealth, fully loaded hunting vehicle. The Baja Designs 30" Driving Combo LED Light Bar is a solid, albeit a bit pricy, selection.