From the "I can't believe I just did that," file…

Went up to the hunting property last Sunday with forum member Tegg and another friend. We cut up some downed trees and did other stuff, then time for some coyote hunting.

We made two stands and at the second stand we had one howl back at us. In retrospect, we should have stayed there and called longer. We couldn’t seem to move that one, so I decided to pull up stakes and head for one last sundown stand.

After a quick consultation with the owner of the cattle ranch we were hunting, I decided to set up in a back corner of the section. A cow had died back there a few days before and had produced a lot of coyote activity in the area as the cow is on the wrong side of a creek and can’t be gotten to with a tractor to remove it.

So we got on our gear and I shut the endgate and the horn beeped. You know, like it does when you lock the doors? Except for two things. I hadn’t locked the doors and more importantly the freaking keys were inside!

Oh my aching @ss. Somehow, someway, we had just managed to lock the keys inside the truck in the middle of the frozen tundra of Pine County at 5:00 PM on a Sunday. And dang nabbit, we were totally due to call in a coyote on that last stand too.

I haven’t locked my keys in a car for over 20 years, so I suppose it was bound to happen.

So after a brief consultation, we figured no tools, cell phones locked in the car of course, might as well start walking. Luckily we all were wearing all our clothes, hats, gloves, etc. So off we went back toward the county road. And as luck would have it, down the road comes the property owner!

Long story short, he takes us all back to the house and we use the phone to call Mrs. Grouse. Bless her English soul, she gets Granny to watch the Grouselets and jumps in the car to drive an hour and a half with the spare keys to rescue us.

Moral of the story: Plant a spare key somewhere on your truck.

Grouse

I carry a key to everything from the house to the car/truck in my wallet. Been doin’ that for around 30 plus years. Glad to have had them handy on more than one occasion. They all fit neatly in a small slot/compartment in my wallet. ( about 4-5 keys–plain keys not with power opening/locking buttons on them etc.)

I was backed into the water ( at a PWT walleye event in S.D.) one time unloading the boat and got out—hitting the power lock on the way out the door. Several dozen or more were in line waiting for me to unload. THAT was the most obvious reason/ example I carry them with me… Can one imagine, having the keys locked in the truck with it running, at a busy boat ramp–blocking the ramp? LOL

My 2002 F-150 did the same thing while on a boat ramp. I wasn’t so lucky. The truck was running. I was at least an hour drive from civilization with no phone coverage. I broke a window. Chose a section of my split rear window thinking the ride for the kids wouldn’t be so cold on the way home. That’s all one piece, most expensive window on the truck. Ford paid half since it wasn’t suppose to do that. The truck sensed it was in motion and locked when I either shut the tail gate or shook the hitch to make sure it was secure to the trailer.

Fav Daughter took the truck to the gas station with the Fav dog Forrest.
Forrest barks at everyone going by and stepped on the door lock button. Keys/cell in truck.

What’s a Fav Daughter to do?

Grabbed a stranger that was heading into the gas station and placed him next to the truck door. Forrest again stepped on the door lock button and all was good with the world.

Fav Daughter received a gold star for the day.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Fav Daughter took the truck to the gas station with the Fav dog Forrest.
Forrest barks at everyone going by and stepped on the door lock button. Keys/cell in truck.

What’s a Fav Daughter to do?

Grabbed a stranger that was heading into the gas station and placed him next to the truck door. Forrest again stepped on the door lock button and all was good with the world.

Fav Daughter received a gold star for the day.

I need a dog.

Grouse, I can relate a friend and I just did the same thing while up at my deer cabin in park rapids last Saturday two miles back in the middle of the woods luckily my cel phone was in my pocket called AAA and 2 hours later we were back in but unfortunately sacrificed our night bite.

Kent thompson wrote:

Grouse, I can relate a friend and I just did the same thing while up at my deer cabin in park rapids last Saturday two miles back in the middle of the woods luckily my cel phone was in my pocket called AAA and 2 hours later we were back in but unfortunately sacrificed our night bite.

Yep, I thought about trying to call someone in to unlock it. The issue was with Mrs. Grouse and the sure-fire-fix being 90 minutes away, how much time should I spend trying to get someone out there to the middle of nowhere on Sunday night? And then what’s the risk that on a 2014 GMC, that whoever I get out there might not be able to open it after waiting for them to show up and then having them faff around trying to figure it out?

So all things considered it wasn’t too bad. Mrs Grouse jumped in her speedy Lincoln MKX and was there in record time with a spare set of keys. Problem solved.

And as of this weekend there will be a spare key in a hidden box that’s epoxied somewhere on the vehicle. Once bitten, twice…

Grouse.

I probably shouldn’t even mention this but,,,,,,,, you might not believe just how easy it is to open a locked truck ( or at least most trucks) I even had to do this myself twice!! Now I have a newer truck with keyless entry buttons right on the door.

Most doors can be pried out far enough to allow one to activate the door lock button. You don’t even need tools. You can use your fingers or a small piece of wood to get started. A few sticks getting bigger in diameter, used as a wedge to hold your progress. Doesn’t take much prying and you will be at a point that a willow branch or other slender stick will reach right in.
This can be done with no damage or lasting effects to the door. You wouldn’t believe the amount of springing they will take and bounce right back.

Last time I called a locksmith, he used plastic shims and did the same thing. Wedged a corner out, reached in with a rod and pushed the unlock button.

Buy a Ford. Built in keypads. LOVE that feature on my truck. Someday it will let me down I’m sure but going on 6.5 years without a fault.

Now we know how huntingdave gets his fishing money. That reminds me I was going to remove all valuables from my car and put them under my mattress. Nobody will look there.

I keep the remote separately in my pocket. Keys in the truck…not a problem.

Ford is smarter than that. Remote and key are one piece.

Gregg Pfeifer wrote:

Now we know how huntingdave gets his fishing money. That reminds me I was going to remove all valuables from my car and put them under my mattress. Nobody will look there.

Heck, how do you think I’m paying for my new truck?