Hunting is an enjoyable activity, no matter whether you’re a seasoned hunter or just starting. What helps more is if you have an SUV, truck, or trailer with you. You can store your hunting arms and equipment in it and modify it to make it fit for camping.
However, before you set out for your hunting trip, no matter which season it is, you need to prepare your vehicle and make it appropriate for the hunting season. From general vehicle maintenance to hunt-prepping, here are nine tips that can help you take proper measures.
Hunting Preps for Your Vehicle
Hunting in the hunting season isn’t just about prepping your gear and ammunition; you need to prepare your vehicle as well. Whether you drive an SUV or a truck, your automobile needs certain modifications to make it functional enough for an enjoyable hunting experience.
You can also modify your vehicle to be easily convertible for camping. This will allow you to save a lot of precious time in case of an emergency situation.
Besides, you can modify your vehicle to camouflage it in the woods of places like Texas, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Colorado and make your hunting much more manageable. You can find vehicle modification options in these states. If you live in, say, Massachusetts and want to get your vehicle clean, tidy, shining, and ready for the hunting trip, you should consider car detailing in Boston MA.
Following are five tips you can use to modify and prepare your vehicle for the hunting season.
1. Interior Functionality
If you’re a beginner but want to become a seasoned hunter, you’ll need to make hunting a part of your lifestyle. For this, you’ll have to modify your vehicle’s interior to make it more arms-friendly. Of course, this activity should be done in legal hunting areas and within legal limits.
Modifying your vehicle’s interior to make it easier for you to take out hunting gear will help you a lot. Fitting additional lamps and a small cabinet can come in handy later. You can also make it convertible to camp in your car instead of making a separate camping arrangement.
Another thing to consider is that your car will be soiled from the dirt and muddy water in the woods every time you get inside during hunting. To protect your vehicle from that, use waterproof and dirtproof seat covers that are tough enough to resist puncturing.
2. Exterior Modifications
Besides modifying your vehicle’s interior to make it more functional, you must also change the exterior to move better and have effective camouflage. From the color of the vehicle to the tires, there are a few things to consider that’ll make hunting and camping easier for you.
Although most animals are colorblind and only see colors in green and blue, they can identify other shades quickly by contrast with the surroundings. If your automobile has a bright and easily identifiable color, give it a repaint to help it blend more into the woods you plan to hunt in. Remember, the animals you want to hunt already know what’s in that area.
Changing the tires to all-terrain tires can also help you. You’ll drive much more easily on the earthy grounds. Changing the glasses to bulletproof ones will be helpful as well. Remember that there may be other hunters in that area who may not spot your camouflaged vehicle. They may end up firing in your direction accidentally.
3. Gear Up the Vehicle
Gearing up your automobile for the hunting season is something you shouldn’t miss. From storing your hunting materials and camping to taking care of emergency cases, gearing up will greatly help you.
Plenty of storage boxes and drawers can easily fit your hunting arms, thus helping you organize your guns and ammunition before you leave for the hunting season. You can buy these based on the internal measurements of your vehicle. Or, you can build and install a gun safe, a much more secure option.
You can greatly benefit from carrying binoculars and hunting telescopes with you. If you want to hunt a deer, binoculars and a hunting telescope can help you spot your target in deep woods. It’s an added advantage for you among the other hunters in that area.
4. Have Emergency Kits
You can face an array of emergencies in deep woods, whether with your truck, gear, or health. Prepare yourself for every possible worst-case scenario so that you can treat the inconveniences as hiccups and enjoy your hunting trip.
Have a toolbox ready in your vehicle. This toolbox should contain multitools, various screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, and levers. An emergency electronics kit should include battery-operated flashlights, batteries, a fire starter, and an emergency radio.
A first-aid kit is a must-have whenever you plan for a hunting trip. It should contain the basic essential medicines, any prescribed medicine you need to take regularly, sprain bands, ice bags, heating pads, plasters for wounds, disinfectants, and bug spray. You should also carry a thermal blanket to keep you warm at night.
Besides these items, carrying a rope is a must. You never know when you need it and for what reasons.
5. Prepare for Camping
Make your vehicle easily convertible to a camper. You can find flexible bed covers to lay on trucks, which can be your resting surface for the night. Installing a retractable roof or a fixable tent can be good options to camp during your hunting stay. You can protect your belongings from unpredictable weather and have some privacy too.
Prepare all the necessary food supplies to help you survive the few days you’re in the woods. Have adequate dry food, non-perishable food items, and plenty of water. Carrying an ice box will help you in more ways than just preserving food, as you may also need it for medical items.
Prepare combustible wood if you need to build a campfire, whether for protection or cooking. Carry utensils and a set of knives, which can be helpful in various ways besides cooking.
General Vehicle Maintenance
Before you move for your hunting trip, you need to ensure that your vehicle is in its optimum condition. You don’t want your vehicle to stop working in the middle of the woods, especially if it has predators in nearby places.
You should, of course, check the engine’s condition and make necessary changes if it’s not in the optimum state. You should also start your hunting trip with a full fuel tank so that you don’t run out of it soon. It’s also wise to carry extra fuel containers to use in case of an emergency.
In addition to that, here are four more vehicle maintenance tips to follow before you go hunting.
1. Check the Batteries
Before heading out and executing any of your plans, you must examine the car battery. A dead battery in the middle of the woods can put you in various difficulties, slimming your chances of getting out of your hunting trip in a healthy state.
First, inspect your battery visually. Check for defects from the surface, whether there are loose wires, leaking fluid, broken terminals, cracks or burns, or any other signs of damage.
Examine whether the battery can hold sufficient charge to sustain the trip, as running the lights, air conditioner, or any other automobile component can drain the battery charge. It should hold enough power for you to crank your engine whenever you need to.
You should check your engine wiring as well. See if the wirings are in place, have enough of the appropriate engine oil, and perform well enough to support you in the woods. And if you plan to go hunting during winter, your engine should be able to warm up quickly enough in the cold.
2. Examine the Brakes
You don’t want your brakes to fail in the middle of the woods, as there can be so many scopes for accidents here. When taking your vehicle for general maintenance, examine your brake shoes and fluid.
Brake shoes can wear out or crack anytime from heavy usage, no matter how old they are. Make sure to inspect the brake shoes thoroughly to detect any possible damage that can lead to severe mishaps.
Get the brake fluid checked as well. You must ensure it has the correct viscosity to support proper brake functions.
3. Examine Your Tires
You shouldn’t risk a flat tire in the woods when you’re around your prey and the predators. You never know when you need to pack everything up swiftly and leave the spot immediately. Any issue with the tires can end up in a life-threatening situation.
Examine your tires for possible tears and punctures. See if any of the tires have any sharp objects sticking in. You must also check the tire pressures to ensure they all have optimal pressure. Tighten the screws properly so they don’t come loose mid-journey or during your hunt.
4. Check the Fluid Levels
Besides the engine oil and the brake fluid, check whether all the other fluid levels are optimum. Your fuel tank should be full, all lubricants should be replaced, and the quality of your engine oil should be suitable for all weather conditions.
Conclusion
No matter what vehicle you’re driving for the hunting trip, follow these modification and storage tips to make your trip more manageable and enjoyable. And you must not forget to check your vehicle thoroughly to fix any issue that may emerge.
Follow these tips to take proper measures and adjustments, and you will enjoy a fruitful hunting season.