My father once trained bird dogs on the back 40 owned by my granddad. I loved to visit that old place. At the time, my age was not yet in double digits. But, I still remember those days. Cornfields snaked around hillsides and in between wetlands and woods. From the home farm, trails cut through the countryside providing access to all the adventures a young boy could want in a lifetime.

We’d pull up next to the barn in my father’s rusty red truck, and my granddad would get down from the tractor to give me a firm hug. While my father trekked to the grasslands to run the dogs, it was my own time to spend with my granddad. More often than not, I’d ask to hit the trails, first thing, and he’d always oblige.

He owned an old beat-up machine that I affectionately called the “four-wheeler,” and all I ever wanted to do was ride. When he turned that key, the gates to my outdoor journey opened, and the sudden rumble of the engine sounded like fanfare for the adventure to come.

It was exciting to watch the tires kick up dirt and mud. We’d explore every nook and cranny of that back 40, and sometimes my granddad would even let me drive. We’d check deer stands and crops. I just loved covering ground, but my favorite was strapping the rods to the back and heading to the pond for an afternoon of fishing. That old rig carried more hunters and gear to the field and more wild game—deer, turkeys, and ducks—back home than I could ever count.

Eventually, we’d drive to the field to check on my father and the dogs. The four-wheeler was perfect for transporting kennels and bird boxes through the cut fields to where we needed to go. When my granddad’s knees were too bad to walk, it transported him along the way, too. I’ll never forget those simple days together with the family, and it is hard to appreciate how much value those rides on that land meant to my ambition for future outdoor adventures.

Fast forward to today, the ATVs and side-by-sides have come a long way. Brands like Can-Am are not only making bigger and more powerful vehicles, but simultaneously, they are now more refined and comfortable. Their versatility is unparalleled. They have room for a family of hunters, not to mention space in the back for the dogs, guns, and gear.

Upland hunters often need to get from point A to point B, and we can use our legs when we are young and spry. But these vehicles are perfect for introducing young hunters to the experience, as had happened to me, and allow for aging hunters to participate, too.

Want to plant food plots or fix fencing? Need to train dogs or hit the field for a hunt? These machines help you get the work done and have a little fun while doing it. Those rides with my granddad shaped my admiration for hunting and fishing, as they were a gateway to my outdoor adventures, and that old rig was the key that opened them.

Work faster, smarter, and harder with vision for the future. Let the new Can-Am Defender Max Unlimited be the key to your upland adventures to come.

Built off of the Can-Am Defender Max Limited, this machine is equipped with Can-Am’s stellar accessories (Linq Tool and Gun Holder, Adventure Roof Rack, Power Tilt Bed, overhead audio system, 4,500lbs winch, and more) plus custom options built by Warnert Racing including a loadout rack, sliding drawer system housed in the bed of the vehicle, a lift, oversized tires and custom colored vehicle wrap. Gunner Kennels, KC HiLiTES, and YETI cooler add the finishing touches.

Can-Am Off-Road, alongside South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, R&R Pheasant Hunting, and the Second Century Habitat Fund, have raised $500,000 to benefit conservation efforts and support pheasant habitats across the state. The custom “Ultimate Upland Game Hunting Vehicle” was built and donated by Can-Am Off-Road, and then raffled off to a lucky winner at this past weekend’s annual South Dakota Governor’s Pheasant Hunt.

All proceed from the raffle benefit the Second Century Habitat Fund, a nonprofit 501 c3 entity that works to educate landowners on the importance of grassland to improve pheasant habitat in South Dakota. Can-Am is committed to being good stewards of the land and ensuring the longevity of this amazing way of life, and thus, it was a perfect match.