Would like to hear from the canoe/kayak hunters

[OkKeith]

Hey Guys-

I have jacked around in canoes and small boats all my life. From the creeks, rivers and reservoirs where I grew up on the Arkansas River near Tulsa, OK to my years with the USF&WS, and my time with our State Dept. of Wildlife Conservation and Water Resources Board.

I have hunted out of canoes in several states near home, mostly AR and MO. About six years ago I messed up and bought a SOT kayak... man, talk about a growing obsession I have now. My fleet is at two canoes and three kayaks. I also have two of the inflatable nine foot pontoons with the deck on back for gear that row great. There is even a homemade plywood pirogue in the weeds behind my folks barn I built one weekend. Yup... I got a thing for small boats.

Spring is a good time to talk about boats, right? I have been scouting some Public Land turkeys I plan to chase with my bow. They are in about 350 acres that if the rain is right, will be cut off from the land side access when the creek gets up and the oxbow floods. Primitive camping is allowed so the planned adventure is to load up the Old Towne and slide down river to a decent spot and make forays into the parcel with hip boots or waders when needed. I realize its not chasing Moose in the Yukon or Sheep in B.C. but it sounds like a fun adventure that fits between a Thursday night and supper time on Sunday.

I would like to hear from any of ya'll who hunt from row or paddle craft. A story is great. Some tips or tricks would be wonderful. Gear suggestions are always welcome and photos of your rig would be fantastic.

I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. I will see if I can post some photos of my rigs as well.

OkKeith

[Yooper-traveler]

I used to use a Hobie Pro-Angler with the peddle mirage drive.  I fly fish so that was a great kayak.  I'm picking up an Outback model this year.

It was nothing to take a climber or pop-up blind to a spot and trasnport a deer out.  The peddle drive is fantastic.  You have less room to load out vs a canoe, but it can be done.

If you like a small boat check out a pro-angler.  It's really a nice fishing rig that will double as a game hauler.

[ChuckC]

Small craft are awesome,especially if you use them.  I have often launched on a lake or stream to be able to get just a bit farther, or quieter, o to an area that you just can't get to any other way.  Used to do this a fair amount in a marsh that I hunt.  Float in quietly to near the back end, and float the deer back out if you get one.

Although I like sit IN kayaks, you ( ok... I) just cannot get in and out of them under a lot of conditions whereas a canoe or a SOT kayak makes that go away.  Man they are light weight though.

I really like to paddle and it seems that shallow areas might hinder that mirage drive ( no experience, just thoughts at this point) but the first time you try to set out rigs to troll for salmon or walleye etc you realize that a foot drive has its place in the arsenal.

[Orion]

Sounds like a good idea.  Have done that sort of thing for deer many years ago.  

I like canoes for the  purpose as well.  Can get more in them, and easier to get into and out of, etc.

I used to do a lot of float hunting on small creeks for ducks.  I was always surprised at the bucks I discovered bedded right on the creek banks, as well as a number of deer feeding in the water. Certainly could have shot a few had I been toting a bow rather than a shotgun.   Always said I'd go back during deer season, but never did, primarily because I had other good areas to hunt.   Still time, I suppose.

[DarrinG]

I used to do a lot of river paddling. In everything from SOT kayaks to whitewater catarafts to canoes. For ease of use and have room for gear I always preferred a good canoe. I paddled a OT 119 that I done a lot of modifications to, and it was probably my favorite. I like the open room a canoe affords.

 

[kerry]

I use a sit in kayak to hunt hogs, turkey, and deer.  Its the best way to hunt public ground I use because a motor would "drown" the sound of leaves being scratched or rooted, squeals, gobbles etc...
I have often drifted into bow range of deer and hogs.  They look right through me as though I'm a floating log.

The Tegris by Native Weighs 29 lbs.  I use it on slack water, and have floated class 2 shoals, but wouldn't want anymore challenge than that because of its low sides.

Camping is very doable in this type hybrid kayak\\canoe because capacity is 400 lbs.

[kerry]

I use a sit in kayak to hunt hogs, turkey, and deer.  Its the best way to hunt public ground I use because a motor would "drown" the sound of leaves being scratched or rooted, squeals, gobbles etc...
I have often drifted into bow range of deer and hogs.  They look right through me as though I'm a floating log.

The Tegris by Native Weighs 29 lbs.  I use it on slack water, and have floated class 2 shoals, but wouldn't want anymore challenge than that because of its low sides.

Camping is very doable in this type hybrid kayak\\canoe because capacity is 400 lbs.

My hunting canoe is a kevlar Mad River Explorer with the black end inserts.   When we hunt a couple of areas that we access with canoes,  going up stream in the afternoon and come out after dark going down stream.  It is easier to go up stream by running on the upstream flow side of the whirl pooling on the river we run.   Adding a deer to canoe is a load equal to packs on a Canadian canoe trip.   i have killed a few ducks with a bow drifting down stream out of canoed. One was a passing shot, all the rest were water swatted or right at take off.   Ducks tend back into out of the current corners, while geese tend to hang out on the sandbars.   I have never used the canoe to pursue turkeys and I am not going turkey hunting this spring, I am heading for Canada with my Seliga in May for some wilderness camping and fishing for walleyes and lake trout.

[Doug Treat]

I'm new to it but just got a kayak last year and used it to get to a spot to chase bear.  It was a fun adventure which you'll have to wait to read in the Oct/Nov TBM. At least that's when I've been told it will be published. How's that for a Tradgang strung-out huntin' story?

[Soonerlongbow]

I’ve been slowly reacquainting myself with piloting a canoe. The peace that is paddling up and down a creek or along the lake shore is so beautiful. I’ve been trying to use my 1950’s Grumman Aircraft aluminum canoe to access my hunting areas around the lake. It’s been a blast so far but no luck yet.

[limbshaker]

Always loved canoes! Especially the 13-14ft solo boats made from Royalex. I use them to hunt a lot of the wildlife refuge and management areas here for deer. They also get used for the occasional bowfishing trip and frog giggin'!

One of the most fun things you can do is hunt squirrels from one. Float quietly down the narrow creeks late in the evening, and get some close shots at them. They come to the edge of the water to grab nuts that wash up on the bank. Better have good balance, or a heavy cant on the bow!

Here's some various pics of my past and present fleet.

The green one is a Wenonah Fusion 13' 45#

The tan one is a Wenononah Vagabond 41#
 
The red one is Dagger Reflection 15' my girlfriends boat for "our" trips lol. I installed a middle seat and it works great as a solo for carrying a heavy load. Weighs 56#. Amazing older canoe, buy one if you ever see one for sale. They are a great "do-anything" boat.

The Fusion got sold as it was just too short and the seat too low for using a canoe paddle. i hate kayak paddles so that was a dealbreaker for me. I still have and love the Vagabond and Reflection.

    Wenonah Fusion:
 
   
Wenonah Vagabond:
       
Dagger Reflection 15:
   
   
   
   

[ron w]

I have a Nativecraft 16' open hybrid kayak, tandem. You can remove the front seat and load it with gear and or a deer, paddles well with a foot operated rudder and is a great boat. If you travel light to guys could go hunting in it.

The lady is holding the bent shaft backwards.   Bent shaft paddles are designed so the blade is more vertical at the end of the stroke.   With our longer tripping canoes and bent shaft paddles, we find that a combination of pitch and yaw strokes are faster and save energy, especially if the back seat paddler tends to over power the front seat paddler.  Paddling on opposite sides of the canoe the front seat paddler does a yaw stroke, power face partially angled towards the canoe, while the back seat paddler employs a variable pitch stroke, power face away from the canoe.   Our cruising speeds when canoe tripping with our Wenonah Minnesota 2s and 3 was about 5 mph.  With my Seliga it is about 4 mph.  With fast Wenonah  canoes racing tempo, we were much faster, but racing and enjoying are two different things.  
You all know when the first canoe race happened.  That was the day primeval man built the second canoe.

[mahantango]

Nice canoes, but KILLER Bronco!

[limbshaker]

Originally posted by pavan:
The lady is holding the bent shaft backwards.   Bent shaft paddles are designed so the blade is more vertical at the end of the stroke.   With our longer tripping canoes and bent shaft paddles, we find that a combination of pitch and yaw strokes are faster and save energy, especially if the back seat paddler tends to over power the front seat paddler.  Paddling on opposite sides of the canoe the front seat paddler does a yaw stroke, power face partially angled towards the canoe, while the back seat paddler employs a variable pitch stroke, power face away from the canoe.   Our cruising speeds when canoe tripping with our Wenonah Minnesota 2s and 3 was about 5 mph.  With my Seliga it is about 4 mph.  With fast Wenonah  canoes racing tempo, we were much faster, but racing and enjoying are two different things.  
You all know when the first canoe race happened.  That was the day primeval man built the second canoe.

She was just resting, she does a lot more "sightseeing" than paddling most of the time, LOL. She's actually pretty efficient when she wants to be.

But at least I can get her to go with me. Well, when it's not too cold, or windy, or hot, or snakey or......    

That sounds scootin in the tripping canoes! I'm jealous cause i just have little fat boats      Always wanted to have a nice long Kevlar tandem but never have anybody to tag along. Those are some nice rigs you have, bet those are fun!

[limbshaker]

Originally posted by mahantango:
Nice canoes, but KILLER Bronco!

Hey thanks bud! Other than freshening up the original engine a couple years ago, it's been on the road regularly for the 25 years we have owned it. 3 speed column shift, manual steering and brakes.

Found a Bear Razorhead in the defrost vent when i was 14 and it got me interested in bowhunting. Been downhill ever since lol!

[OkKeith]

Great posts Guys! Keep them coming...

I have the Old Towne Discovery 115 with the rowing kit on it. That puts a seat in the middle and two sets of oar locks. I can row from the back with two in the boat or swap ends and row from the other end if I am by myself. I row forward like a drift boat much more often than rear-facing like a row boat. This is the rig I plan to use for the float in turkey hunt. I could use my kayak but if I want to take my dutch oven and a few other heavier amenities the canoe hauls a better load.

Bowhunt Turkeys in the morning, slide back to camp for second breakfast, hit a few logjams for some crappie then back into the woods in the afternoon.

Anyone have any photos of canoes/kayaks loaded down with game?

OkKeith

[limbshaker]

OkKeith, that sounds amazing. I may never come home!

[Stumpkiller]

Used to.  My good friend and bowhunting mentor and I used to boat (a bateau I made) across a lake that had swamps to either side for unpressured whitetail hunting.  

We'd set up camp for four days to a week and hunt the unaccessable side of that lake.  Pre-dawn we'd boat to our spots (one dropped off and the other rowed - later electric motor - off to his spot) and meet up again for lunch and after dark to go back to camp.

Some great times.

     

   

   

   

   

[OkKeith]

Chase-
I think my only limitation to staying forever would be at some point I would run out of supplies for making biscuits and gravy.

Charlie-
Those are fantastic photos! That's a neat looking wooden boat. I have made a few plywood boats. Several out of the "Making the Seven Hour Canoe" book and a couple of plywood prams (mostly to use as drag shells for duck hunting).

“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
― Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

(Except Traditional Archery, or fly fishing, or maybe bow building. I think my HOBBY is having HOBBIES!)

OkKeith