-
- Species
- Whitetails
- Big Game
- Small Game
- Birds
- Special Methods
- Bow Hunting
-
- Species
- Bass
- Trout
- More Freshwater
- Saltwater
- Special Methods
- Fly Fishing
Is This the Ultimate Dog Vehicle?
Recent Comments
- ChevJames on Petzal: How Work Affects Your Point of View (71)
- tMucky on Caption Contest: Write a Caption. Win an Awesome Zink Duck Call! (214)
- kaanimal on Wolves May Have Killed Alaska Teacher (33)
- micneador on Hurteau: A New Buck For The Bow-Contest Tie-Breaker (51)
- acjcorbett on Cermele: Fish with 6-Pack Abs (27)
Categories
- Big Game Hunting (1)
- Bird Hunting (114)
- Deer Hunting (2)
- Hunting (113)
- Small Game (4)
Recent Posts
- Off-Season Gun Dog Work
- Caption Contest: Write a Caption. Win an Awesome Zink Duck Call!
- Field Trial Dog vs. Meat Dog
- Recipe: The Perfect Grilled Quail
- Best Viral Dog Video of the Year—So Far
- An Open Letter to My Gun Dog
- Caption Contest: And the Winner Is...
- The F&S Gun Dog Census: Tell Us What Kind of Dog You Have. Win Free Stuff.
- Can a Young Pup Learn from an Older Bird Dog?
- Who Watched the Westminster Dog Show Last Night?
Archives
Syndicate
Man's Best Friend
in your Inbox
January 29, 2010
Is This the Ultimate Dog Vehicle?
Believe it or not, some of the buzz from the North American International Auto Show is about new vehicles designed for toting around dogs. The one making the most noise is the Honda Element EX Dog Friendly, which includes a soft-sided crate in the rear of a vehicle, a rear fan for keeping your pup cool, a ramp (so that little yappers can access the crate from the ground), a spill resistant water bowl, and a floor that can literally be hosed off.
In possibly the only humorous line uttered by an auto executive since Lee Iacocca left the biz, John Mendel of Honda said, “In an interesting turn of events, cars are now chasing dogs.” Well, maybe dogs but not necessarily hunting dogs. I’m sticking to my very utilitarian 4x4 Jeep with the dog crate in the back. I have one dog so anything else is overkill, but if I had a few more (Dear Wife, that is a HINT!) I would certainly consider a large SUV with a modified kennel area in the back.
In the piney woods on the outskirts of my town of Charleston, S.C., there’s a very popular dog vehicle I yearn for. Horsepower? Well, that would be two mules. Four wheel drive? Well, four wheels, at least. Seating? Well, often there are two couches and behind them about four dog boxes for the pointers. You can see one of these vehicles in the photo above. But I’m here to tell you that unless Pritch learns how to paint like Picasso there’s little chance I’ll ever own one of these quail buggies. (It’s kind of useless to have a quail buggy and no land to go hunt quail on.) But a simple man can dream…can’t he?
What’s your idea of the ultimate dog vehicle? Have you modified your own ride to make it hunting dog friendly?
ADVERTISEMENT
Today on Field & Stream
Visit Our Sister Sites at Bonnier Corporation
| Enthusiast | Kiteboarding | QUAD | SKI | Skiing | Scuba Diving | Sport Diver | TransWorld Ride BMX | TransWorld Business | TransWorld Motocross | TransWorld SKATEboarding, | TransWorld SNOWboarding | TransWorld SURF | WakeBoarding | WaterSki | Warren Miller Entertainment | WindSurfing |
|---|---|
| Travel | Caribbean Travel & Life | Destination Weddings & Honeymoon | Islands | Meeting Traveler | Resorts & Great Hotels |
| Lifestyle & Shelter | Florida Travel & Life | Garden Design | Home Ft. Lauderdale | Home Miami |
| Luxury | SNOW | Spa |
| Marine | Boating Life | Cruising World | Fly Fishing in Salt Waters | Power Cruising | Marlin | Motor Boating | Sailing World | Salt Water Sportsman | Sport Fishing | Yachting | NewBoats.com | UsedBoats.com | YachtBroker.com |
| Outdoor | Field & Stream | Outdoor Life | SHOT Business |
| Parenting | Babytalk | Parenting |
| Science | Popular Science | Science Illustrated |
| Saveur | Saveur |
| Working Mother Media | Working Mother |
| Entertainment / Events | World Entertainment Services | World Sports & Marketing |
FieldandStream.com is part of the Bonnier Outdoor Group Network
Copyright © 2009 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Comments (26)
When that Powerball comes through for me (or, coming soon, MegaMillions in SC as well), a Land Rover Defender 90, jump seats removed, dog box in the rear, is the dream. Convertible top, of course. Until then, my '07 Chevy Tahoe with a wire kennel pushed to the left side, all my crap on the right, works pretty well. If I do convince The Boss to let me get another dog, before the baby train comes into the station, we may need a Suburban. I have already crafted my case for it.
I can't imagine a better dog vehicle in the world than a pickup truck with a camper top. When I was a kid we had a bunch of beagles and my dad screwed a big plastic tub to the floor of the truck. A little caulk over the screws and it'll hold water. Hose it out and it's good to go.
now that's a sweet ride!
Reckon I'll go out and take a photo of my van when it quits raining. I'm an old engineer and professional welder. I jacked up my '83 1-ton Ford van and slid 1-ton 4WD gear in. 4.10 positraction, C-6, 300/4.9l six, C-6 tranny, original radiator for 6.9l diesel, Dana 50 front diff with 1-ton hubs, IFS. I know the Honda is top quality, but the Ford will pull a house down in low range. Bill and Woofie ride in it and it has a ton of room for other dawgz, but I'only got two right now. Gotta keep 'em dry, too. The weather here will put a dawg into hypothermia in a short time. 33 degrees and raining will suck the heat out of anything. I don't see how the deer and elk survive. Pritch is such a cute li'l chile. I'd hate to see her lookin' like a popsicle.
blackdawgz, Would love to see that beast of a vehicle of yours. -D
amazing, but i don't think i need horses just to got hunting
Excellent!, self replicating one burro powered drivetrain uses no gas (but occasionally produces some, in addition to it's standard exhaust product)! Quiet, (except for the braying) nimble, rugged, simple yet customized. Get stuck in the Donner Pass or some other such tribulation and you can eat the burro and burn the wagon! Food and warmth! try that with a SUV! Besides the exhaust is great fertilizer! One other great thing, If you drink too much the Burro still knows the way home!
A wheeler with a dog box is fine for me.
That contraption at the top... Thats one B A ride! And the seats look comfortable...looks good for dogs to. But I have to agree with TJ,: A wheeler with a dog box
I used to hunt a brace and hope to again so it would have to have plenty of room for dogs and for other hunters plus equiptment.The bird hunting here is not what it was in the 80s.My wife says I am stuck there I guess the bird numbers being up here then is a good reason to like those years.The bird hunting is getting to be a drive away so it would have to have comfort for all.An Escalade SUV would have to do I guess.
Wish we could post a pic here. I use my Polaris Ranger with a dog box in back. The ultimate Grouse mobile! pretty good ice fishin too.
Somebody here should do a story on user submitted "dog carrier" photos? I for one would love to see what everybody is using.
I have hunted from one almost identical to that at a plantation near me. Hunting quail from a mule-drawn wagon is all that.
I desperately need to win the lottery.
WisconsinDan, BlackDawgz, etc...If you want to email photos of your dog vehicles I can make a photo gallery (as long as I get more than a couple of pics in total) and post it on the F&S site. Just shoot them to me at mbfcontest@gmail.com.
OK.
Here it is...
See reader photos.
Blackdawgz
I've had a photo of my "dog vehicle" in my profile for a while. It's a '99 Jimmy. As you can see, it's a bit more versatile than for just bird hunting.
Our HHR is configured for dogs, and there's much more room than the Honda.
How many miles does that mule team get to a bale of hay?
I hunt with a couple of jack@$$es, never thought of having them pull a cart!! Seeing how one is just north of 60 (yrs) and the other is just south of it, I doubt I could talk them into it. They probably would both enjoy it if I could come up with one of these though!!
I'm pretty boring.......she just rides on the floorboard of the Silverado.
haha thats a sweet ride, my dog just rides in the front seat of my truck
Of course I love the idea. But that looks exactly like a trailer to me. With the tongue sticking out the front and no driveshaft in sight, and no place to put an engine. I've seen photos of horse-drawn dawg carriages. But now that you've aroused my interest, I'm gonna share photos of 3 more actual UDV's owned by blackdawgz and you can look farther if ye missed the UDVan. Ye'll not be disappointed. Mebbe starting Thursday AM. Photos are getting copied to disk right now.
You should see the dedicated dog haulers that show up when we host our leg of the Stage Stop Sled Dog Race that is going on right now. Picture a Duramax diesel flatbed with a 20 dog kennel on board.
The only thing it needs are those stupid spinning hubcaps!! Hahahaaaa!!!!
Gonna post another one tomorrow AM. The TOYLET, Classic Hunting Vehicle. UDVan also in photo, along with the long-awaited shot of blackdawgz in the same frame.
Might be a bit cold for bear hunting.
Old land rover discovery with rhino lined floors and cargo area.
Im not sure why I bothered rhino-line the CARGO area, since my lab never rides back there. He is much more of a I-ride-shotgun animal, unless the wife is with us in which case he is a I-sit-in-back-seat-with-my-head-right-between-mom-and-dad dog. This was much cuter when he was a 40 lb puppy, now that he is a 110+ lb chunk it has lost some of its appeal.
I tried getting him into the cargo area once but he just looked at me with an "you expect me to ride back there?! uh, no way dad" look. Followed promptly by him jumping into his usual seat up front.
dog 1 dad 0
Post a Comment
Excellent!, self replicating one burro powered drivetrain uses no gas (but occasionally produces some, in addition to it's standard exhaust product)! Quiet, (except for the braying) nimble, rugged, simple yet customized. Get stuck in the Donner Pass or some other such tribulation and you can eat the burro and burn the wagon! Food and warmth! try that with a SUV! Besides the exhaust is great fertilizer! One other great thing, If you drink too much the Burro still knows the way home!
A wheeler with a dog box is fine for me.
That contraption at the top... Thats one B A ride! And the seats look comfortable...looks good for dogs to. But I have to agree with TJ,: A wheeler with a dog box
How many miles does that mule team get to a bale of hay?
I hunt with a couple of jack@$$es, never thought of having them pull a cart!! Seeing how one is just north of 60 (yrs) and the other is just south of it, I doubt I could talk them into it. They probably would both enjoy it if I could come up with one of these though!!
I'm pretty boring.......she just rides on the floorboard of the Silverado.
When that Powerball comes through for me (or, coming soon, MegaMillions in SC as well), a Land Rover Defender 90, jump seats removed, dog box in the rear, is the dream. Convertible top, of course. Until then, my '07 Chevy Tahoe with a wire kennel pushed to the left side, all my crap on the right, works pretty well. If I do convince The Boss to let me get another dog, before the baby train comes into the station, we may need a Suburban. I have already crafted my case for it.
I can't imagine a better dog vehicle in the world than a pickup truck with a camper top. When I was a kid we had a bunch of beagles and my dad screwed a big plastic tub to the floor of the truck. A little caulk over the screws and it'll hold water. Hose it out and it's good to go.
now that's a sweet ride!
Reckon I'll go out and take a photo of my van when it quits raining. I'm an old engineer and professional welder. I jacked up my '83 1-ton Ford van and slid 1-ton 4WD gear in. 4.10 positraction, C-6, 300/4.9l six, C-6 tranny, original radiator for 6.9l diesel, Dana 50 front diff with 1-ton hubs, IFS. I know the Honda is top quality, but the Ford will pull a house down in low range. Bill and Woofie ride in it and it has a ton of room for other dawgz, but I'only got two right now. Gotta keep 'em dry, too. The weather here will put a dawg into hypothermia in a short time. 33 degrees and raining will suck the heat out of anything. I don't see how the deer and elk survive. Pritch is such a cute li'l chile. I'd hate to see her lookin' like a popsicle.
blackdawgz, Would love to see that beast of a vehicle of yours. -D
amazing, but i don't think i need horses just to got hunting
I used to hunt a brace and hope to again so it would have to have plenty of room for dogs and for other hunters plus equiptment.The bird hunting here is not what it was in the 80s.My wife says I am stuck there I guess the bird numbers being up here then is a good reason to like those years.The bird hunting is getting to be a drive away so it would have to have comfort for all.An Escalade SUV would have to do I guess.
Wish we could post a pic here. I use my Polaris Ranger with a dog box in back. The ultimate Grouse mobile! pretty good ice fishin too.
Somebody here should do a story on user submitted "dog carrier" photos? I for one would love to see what everybody is using.
I have hunted from one almost identical to that at a plantation near me. Hunting quail from a mule-drawn wagon is all that.
I desperately need to win the lottery.
WisconsinDan, BlackDawgz, etc...If you want to email photos of your dog vehicles I can make a photo gallery (as long as I get more than a couple of pics in total) and post it on the F&S site. Just shoot them to me at mbfcontest@gmail.com.
OK.
Here it is...
See reader photos.
Blackdawgz
I've had a photo of my "dog vehicle" in my profile for a while. It's a '99 Jimmy. As you can see, it's a bit more versatile than for just bird hunting.
Our HHR is configured for dogs, and there's much more room than the Honda.
haha thats a sweet ride, my dog just rides in the front seat of my truck
Of course I love the idea. But that looks exactly like a trailer to me. With the tongue sticking out the front and no driveshaft in sight, and no place to put an engine. I've seen photos of horse-drawn dawg carriages. But now that you've aroused my interest, I'm gonna share photos of 3 more actual UDV's owned by blackdawgz and you can look farther if ye missed the UDVan. Ye'll not be disappointed. Mebbe starting Thursday AM. Photos are getting copied to disk right now.
You should see the dedicated dog haulers that show up when we host our leg of the Stage Stop Sled Dog Race that is going on right now. Picture a Duramax diesel flatbed with a 20 dog kennel on board.
The only thing it needs are those stupid spinning hubcaps!! Hahahaaaa!!!!
Gonna post another one tomorrow AM. The TOYLET, Classic Hunting Vehicle. UDVan also in photo, along with the long-awaited shot of blackdawgz in the same frame.
Might be a bit cold for bear hunting.
Old land rover discovery with rhino lined floors and cargo area.
Im not sure why I bothered rhino-line the CARGO area, since my lab never rides back there. He is much more of a I-ride-shotgun animal, unless the wife is with us in which case he is a I-sit-in-back-seat-with-my-head-right-between-mom-and-dad dog. This was much cuter when he was a 40 lb puppy, now that he is a 110+ lb chunk it has lost some of its appeal.
I tried getting him into the cargo area once but he just looked at me with an "you expect me to ride back there?! uh, no way dad" look. Followed promptly by him jumping into his usual seat up front.
dog 1 dad 0
Post a Comment