September 10, 2014
By David Rearick
Your wife loves to accessorize, and so do you...when it comes to chasing birds. From lanyards to more expensive binos or ATVs, each item has it's place.
Manufacturers continue to step up their game, feeding our desires with everything under the sun in a collage of camo patterns . Some may suggest that our camouflage-matching waterfowl accessories and our obsessions have gone too far, but for those of us that live this way of life, we understand there is purpose behind their existence.
This year is no different. New items abound and with more refinement of old-school products and entirely new innovations , there has never been a better time to accessorize your gear collection.
See what's new for 2014:
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ADAK Trailers It's every waterfowler's dream to follow the migration from Canada to Mexico, and this is the trailer to do it in. Complete with convertible sofa/beds, plumbing and a working kitchen,
ADAK constructed this rig with the rugged outdoor living in mind.
Price: $ 54,000 (17-footer)
Banded Deluxe Slough Stool Standing in knee-deep water with no place to sit is a recipe for calling it quits early when the birds slow down. The
Deluxe Slough Stool will give your knees a reprieve. It's adjustable from 26½ to 34 inches and swivels 120 degrees allowing hunters to remain seated (and hidden) while the birds work.
Price: $ 60
DecoyCartz Honker Hauler If you hunt public land or a farmer just doesn't want you driving into the field to set your spread, then this cart is a must. Capable of hauling four-dozen full-body Canadas and even more duck decoys, the
Honker Hauler is rated for 400 pounds.
Price: $ 449
Drake Swamp Sole If you're known to take too much gear afield, the
Swamp Sole Backpack is the right fit. It keeps all your valuables protected from the elements and with five different compartments, shell loops, and a water bottle sleeve even the most OCD hunter will find a place for everything.
Price: $ 150
Easy Pluck Duck Kit Sometimes doing it yourself saves serious cash. The
Easy Pluck Duck Kit , along with two plastic 55-gallon drums, a cordless drill, and a little elbow grease will turn your garage into a duck-plucking party.
Simply follow the included template to cut out the required opening, mount up the bearing blocks, and attach a cordless drill to the plucking head shaft.
Price: $ 125
ESP Elite Classic Shooters Duck hunting is in our blood, but it shouldn't cost us our hearing. The
Elite Classic hearing protectors are a custom-fit device that block out the damaging decibels from shotgun blasts while allowing you to hear your buddy call the shot clearly. Now you can enjoy the blind conversation without putting your ears at risk.
Price: $ 900
Fowl Foolers Game Strap Every walk-in hunter needs a good duck strap, and this leather one from
Fowl Foolers will last a lifetime (you will probably be able to hand it down to the junior hunter in your blind). Available with just a brass swivel snap or the swivel and a shoulder strap, carrying your kills out is a snap.
Price: $ 20-
$ 25
Hard Core Spinning Wing Decoy Bag Nothing foils a morning hunt like missing spinner parts. Keep expensive motion decoys safe and secure from the truck to the blind with
Hard Core's spinner bag . It has a place for each of the different components of a spinning-wing decoy, keeping them damage-free.
Price: $ 80
Hard Core Snow Goose Blind Bag True snow goose hunters will appreciate this bag. Equipped with a hard bottom and white exterior,
this blind bag keeps your gear dry and hidden from those pesky snows during the worst field conditions of the season. And, if you shoot like us, the 10-box shotshell capacity keeps you in the game.
Price: $ 80
Heavy Hauler BTP Decoy Bag Stuffing decoys into a conventional bag often requires three hands and a fair amount of patience. The
BTP makes it a one-man job with its stay-open top. It is constructed of rot-proof nylon mesh and has a draw-string to ensure what goes into the bag stays there. Adjustable sternum and shoulder straps help steady the load for walk-in hunters.
Price: $ 35
Hogue OverMolded Stock Kit While the aged appearance of a shotgun serves as an open diary of memorable days afield, sometimes it's time to give your favorite shotgun a makeover.
Hogue's rugged, weatherproof, and non-slip stocks are easy to install. They are available for a multitude of shotguns and in a variety of camouflage patterns or solid colors.
Price: $ 100
Mallard View Ice Eater 1-hp During the frosty late season, if you have open water, you have the birds. To keep your duck hole open, drop in an
Ice Eater . Once the hole is created, throw out some decoys and get ready for the action. And leave the 'bubbler ' on; it will create decoy motion even on windless days.
Price: $ 759
MTM Case-Gard SW-100 Keep ammo and choke tubes safe from the elements and at the ready with
MTM's SW-100 . The case holds up to four boxes of 3 ' 12-gauge shells and has a detachable choke-tube case. Now you can change out chokes on the fly when birds won't fully commit.
Price: $ 20
Nunnally Picker Skinning out a duck or goose is easier then picking it by hand, but leaving the fat on is best for the table. With a Nunnally Picker, just press the bird against the rubber fingers and watch as the feathers are easily stripped from the skin in minutes.
For purchasing information call (209) 551-4500.
Price: $ 1,199
Pelican 1720 Long Case You didn't spend all that money on a new auto-loader just to throw it in a $20 hard case, right? Pelican has designed gun cases that can withstand the rigors of travel. The
1720 is more compact than many rifle cases, and can easily hold two shotguns (with barrels removed). Multiple boxes of ammo can also be stored in the case, but check airline regulations before doing so.
Price: $ 367
Pelican Elite Cooler Keeping ice for 10 days is something most coolers can't do. The
Elite (available in various sizes from 20- to 250-quart) will keep your sandwiches cold in the morning and birds fresh for the ride home. An excellent travel companion, the Elite series was designed for durability, so no worries when it takes a spill out of the back of your pickup.
Price: $ TBD
Pelican S115 Sport Elite The
S115 Sport Elite Laptop/Camera Bag offers the cameraman or photographer in your group a level of protection and organization standard blind bags can't offer. The built-in watertight design keeps expensive items safe and its crush-proof exterior ensures a costly camera lens won't shatter.
Price: $ 340
Pelican 0955 Sport Wallet Water is sometimes a waterfowlers worst enemy. Isn't that ironic? An inadvertent step in the marsh can leave you with a pocket full of drenched dollar bills. The
Sport Wallet has a water- and dust-resistant seal along with dual mesh pockets inside to keep everything from keys to driver's license safe from the elements.
Price: $ 31
Phantom Goose Hats Made for a pit blind or layout,
Phantom Goose Hats generate motion in the spread and conceal hunters from wary eyes above. These are real pieces of gear that allow you to move your head and keep an eye on the birds without spooking them. Available in hen mallard, Canada and snow goose.
Price: $ 40
Real-Geese Silhouette Bag There are a variety of advantages to a spread of goose silhouettes, not the least of which are their packability and ease of carry. The
600D Silhouette Bag holds four-dozen silos to round out a spread of full-bodies and shells. Available in Realtree Max-4 or Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Blades.
Price: $ 44
Rig'em Right Hand Warmer Rig'em Right always nails it. Keep your hands warm and shells accessible with this Neoprene Hand Warmer. Along with external pockets, there are also internal pockets for storing licenses or keys, and the waist belt easily attaches directly to your waders or around your waist.
Price: $ 22
Rig'em Right Nitro-Deluxe Stow your gun safely even if it goes overboard with the
Nitro-Deluxe , a floating case that will keep your favorite auto-loader on the surface. It also has a rain-proof zipper and a pocket to store cleaning supplies and choke tubes.
Price: $ 80
Rig'em Right Deluxe Spinner Bag Transporting spinners in the bed of your 4x4 is a sure-fire way to lose important parts. The
Deluxe Spinner Bag will hold two spinning-wing decoys, spare batteries, and extension poles. It also floats, so if you knock it off the bow of the boat, rest assured it will be floating at arm's length.
Price: $ 70
Rugged Gear Gun Holder Available in two- and four-gun, the
Removable Floor Mount Gun Holder keeps guns safe and stowed when driving a UTV into the field. Requiring only six inches of floor space, it fits in between the driver and passenger seats. With the included thumb screws, the gun holder can be removed in just a few minutes.
Price: $ 100 (2-gun)
Southern Lite Boat Light Deep water, fast-moving currents and a submerged stump ruined what should have been a morning full of mallard limits. Instead of shooting greenheads we were stuck trying to buoy a sunken duck ship. Never again, thanks to the
Southern Lite LED . The 12,000-lumen bulb has a 50,000-hour life, featuring a steel powder-coated housing that swivels down, allowing you to sneak into that coveted water hole.
Price: $ 395
Steiner Nighthunter XP 8x42 Binoculars are a must-have for locating birds. The
Nighthunter 8x42 includes a lightweight roof prism design, N2 pressurized waterproof protection, rubber armoring, and Steiner's nano-protective coating for water and dirt dispersion. A heritage warranty makes them a great investment for the next generation.
Price: $ 1,040
StikNtheMud In the marsh, keeping your gun out of the water can be a losing battle.
StikNtheMud saves your gun from untimely swamp grass jams and gives your arms a break when the action slows. It's ready to go in water from 12 to 42 inches in four easy steps. Lightweight, it comes with a handy carrying bag.
Price: $ 35
Tanglefree 6-Slot Goose Decoy Bag We're just not into slangin' pricey decoys into the back of our pickups. Keep your full-bodies in order and in shape with this
6-slot bag from Tanglefree . A drawstring keeps dekes form flying away on the road, and the shoulder strap makes it easy to carry afield.
Price: $ 60
Waterfowl Junkie Bird Hitch H-2 In three simple steps, waterfowl can be reduced to the breast plate complete with two attached wings. The
Hitch H-2 includes a new honk-hammer arm for larger birds and a carrying case. It's an excellent item for snow goose hunters, bringing back birds on the wing from Canada or at the boat ramp.
Price: $ 180
Banded Gun Stick Whether you're trudging the Susquehanna Flats or in flooded timber, one thing always comes at a premium — a place to set down your gun. An excellent option to keep your hands free while working the dog or admiring a late-December greenhead, the
Gun Stick will extend to 36 inches, keeping your gun at-the-ready.
Price: $ 50
Banded Hand Warmer Instead of bulky gloves,
Banded's Fleece/PrimaLoft Hand Warmer lets hunters have flexibility and dexterity, ensuring crisp calling sequences and easy safety-to-finger transitions when the shot is called. With 100 grams of PrimaLoft Silver insulation, the waterproof exterior and water-resistant zippered storage area keep your hands balmy in the coldest of conditions.
Price: $ 25
Yamaha Grizzly 700 FI From hotrods to ATV's, everyone loves this sleek flat black tactical look. The Grizzly's 686cc liquid-cooled engine, cast aluminum wheels, and three-position on-command 4WD can haul massive loads of gear. And, since
the 700 FI is Mikuni fuel-injected, there is no need to worry about cold-start carburetor problems when the migration is peaking.
Price: $ 8,899
Yeti Tundra 65 We slayed the snows this spring and threw the breasted white geese in the Yeti — only one problem, NO ICE! So we shoveled in some of nature's fresh winter powder. When the lid opened the following morning, that fine dusting of snow still covered our snows.
The 65 is also grizz-proof if you hunt in bear country, big enough to hold a small quartered deer and keeps a bevy of pan fish fresh for the pan.
Price: $ 400
