Most Bronco owners keep it simple: a phone mount, a small die-cast Bronco, maybe a coin tray. But there's also a real community tradition behind some of what shows up on a Bronco dash, and it traces straight back to Jeep culture. Here's both sides of it.
In This Guide
The Functional Stuff Owners Use
Phone and GPS Mounts
This is the single most common thing on a Bronco dash, and it's not close. Owners lean on a solid phone mount for trail navigation more than almost any other accessory in the truck, since cell service and marked trailheads don't always line up.
Small Die-Cast Broncos
A surprising number of owners keep a Matchbox or Hot Wheels-scale Bronco on the dash, often matched to their own truck's color and trim. It's a small detail, but it shows up constantly in owner forum photos.
Coin Trays and Valuables Storage
The factory dash on most trims includes small storage cubbies that owners use for coins, sunglasses, and trailhead parking passes. A few owners add a small silicone tray for the same purpose when the factory storage runs out.
Where Jeep Ducking Comes From
Jeep ducking started in June 2020, when Allison Parliament, a Jeep owner in Ontario, left a rubber duck and a note reading "Have a Great Day" on another Jeep after a difficult encounter at a gas station. The gesture spread across Jeep owner communities, and duckers now carry rubber ducks specifically to leave on Jeeps they admire, often with a note attached under the wiper. A dashboard full of collected ducks even has its own name in the community: a duck pond.
Buck Buck Bronco: The Bronco Version
Yes, the Bronco community built its own version, and it's not an accident or a knockoff. Melissa Shields Patterson launched Buck Buck Bronco in May 2021, directly inspired by Jeep ducking. She reached out to Allison Parliament first and got her blessing before starting it, rather than just copying the idea outright.
Instead of rubber ducks, Buck Buck Bronco uses small toy horses. Owners leave one on another Bronco they spot and admire, usually tucked under a wiper blade with a short handwritten note. The tradition has grown into an active Facebook community with owners regularly posting photos of the horses and notes they've received.
How Buck Buck Bronco Works
Spot a Bronco you like, leave a small toy horse on it with a note, and move on. Notes are usually short: a compliment on the truck, an encouraging message, or just "you've been bucked, pass it on." There's no formal rulebook, and owners on Bronco6G and Bronco Nation forums have openly debated whether it should be horses, unicorns, or something else entirely. Horses are the version that stuck.
Other Copycat Traditions
Buck Buck Bronco isn't the only spin-off. A Moo Moo Subaru group launched in 2023 using rubber cows and grew to over 36,000 members within six months. Some Chevrolet owners do something similar called "sharking." Mini and Toyota owners have their own versions too. Jeep ducking effectively started a whole genre of car-community kindness gestures, and the Bronco's version is one of the more established ones.
FAQ
Does the Bronco community have its own version of Jeep ducking?
Yes. It's called Buck Buck Bronco, launched in May 2021 by Melissa Shields Patterson with permission from Jeep ducking's founder. Owners leave small toy horses on other Broncos with a note instead of rubber ducks.
When did Jeep ducking start?
June 2020, when Allison Parliament left a rubber duck and a kind note on a Jeep in Ontario, Canada. The gesture grew into an established tradition within Jeep owner communities from there.
What do you leave on a Bronco instead of a duck?
A small toy horse, usually tucked under a wiper blade with a short note. That's the Buck Buck Bronco tradition, the Bronco community's direct answer to Jeep ducking.
What's the most common thing owners keep on a Bronco dash?
A phone or GPS mount, by a wide margin. Trail navigation depends on it more than any other dash accessory owners use.
Are there other car communities that copied Jeep ducking?
Yes. Subaru owners have Moo Moo Subaru with rubber cows, some Chevrolet owners do "sharking," and Mini and Toyota owners have their own versions as well.
About This Quick Read
This was put together by the team at Bronco Forge. We sell aftermarket parts exclusively for the Ford Bronco and spend time in Bronco owner communities tracking what owners do with their trucks. Questions about fitment or anything Bronco-related? Reach out at contact@broncoforge.com or (909) 772-8050.
