canoes and bows

[Brock]

love my canoe for hauling camping gear or game...thinking about also picking up a fishing kayak sit on top...and most of them have good stability and some pretty good load limits if not carrying a lot of gear and just want to get in and out alone and stealthily.

safe paddling

[Grabwad]

I  use a "pirogue" 90% of the time on the WMA I hunt!  It's a lot quieter than my mudmotor!.

[ms greenhead]

Grabwad wheres the rest of your arras? Nice pirogue did you build it?

[tarponnut]

I have a Native Watercraft Ultimate 12 kayak.
They are unique in that there are no decks fore and aft, so there is plenty of room for gear or a deer/hog. They are very stable and track well.  http://nativewatercraft.com/boat.cfm?id=5

[TSP]

The pirogue is neat, and that's a nice buck too.  Never seen anyone go boating in a cornfield, though.    

David S., I bought my Dirigo kayak at the Old Town factory outlet and will likely check them out for a Pack if I don't find something used first.  Short canoes do look like they'd be nice for one-man stream paddles.  

Ron L., for a big guy that little canoe seems to ride pretty well.  Is that the Flintstone model?  For a second I thought I saw your legs sticking out the bottom...    

[Grabwad]

Missing arrows is a different but incredible story.  Shot that buck the night before and spotted a huge buck when I was paddling in the next morning to retrieve it.. Stalked with 10 yds of it bedded with a doe. Was kneeling in mud, water, and misting rain when the doe which was 5 yds away, busted out and the buck followed. I took a running shot but my string caught my raincoat. My arrows sailed right under his chest! I was sick for a few minutes but realized how special of an experience I just had! Someone killed him this year 173 2/8".

[Grabwad]

Missing arrows is a different but incredible story.  Shot that buck the night before and spotted a huge buck. Stalked with 10 yds of it bedded with a doe. Was kneeling in mud, water, and misting rain when the doe which was 5 yds away, busted out and the buck followed. I took a running shot but my string caught my raincoat. My arrows sailed right under his chest! I was sick for a few minutes but realized how special of an experience I just had! Someone killed him this year 173 2/8".

[RLA]

Very cool pic's, I think the Wildernss Systems Commander 120 or 140 would be a great hunting hybrid or the Native Watercraft U 12' or 14'.
For someone wanting to haul some gear in and a deer out with a nimble boat, look at these two.
I'm going to paddle a Commander 120 this week.


 http://www.wildernesssystems.com/product/index/products/recreational/Commander/commander_120
 http://www.wildernesssystems.com/product/index/products/recreational/Commander/commander_140

 http://nativewatercraft.com/boat.cfm?id=5
 http://nativewatercraft.com/boat.cfm?id=47

[bansheewins]

I don't have one myself but this thread is great.  I love all the pictures and this sure gets me wanting to add this to my wishlist for sure.

RLA, when looking over the Commander web page, I notice that the max load is only 400 pounds. On many canoes the maximum load is the weight the canoe can hold with very little water line remaining.  It is often best to stay well below this if waves, cold water or hazards are expected. A 15 or 16 foot canoe can be paddled very quickly by one person with a longer kayak paddle and if shooting stability is what is desired, stabilizer floats work wonders plus they add a bit of capacity for solo canoes.  I had an ugly homemade set for my Wenonah Prism that would allow me to stand and shoot or fly fish.  Mine is up north right now, so I cannot take a picture but this is pretty much what mine looks like.
  http://store.springcreek.com/Stabilizer-Floats/Stabilizer-Floats/Spring-Creek-HD-Canoe-Stabilizers-w-UR-Complete-Package-p1580.html

[Orion]

I have a 12 1/2-foot wood and canvas I'm willing to part with.  Rather wide -- 34 inches- which makes it nice for fishing, or jumpshooting ducks, even with a dog that likes to stand on the gunwales.  Nice for floating small creeks looking for bedded critters on the bank. Stable platform from which to shoot a bow. Carries a fair amount. Could probably even put oars on it.  Because it's short and wide, it's not good for straight ahead/fast paddling.  Used it to retrieve a nice buck a couple years ago. Don't know how to post the pix.  Get in touch if you're interested.

[TSP]

I found a barely-used 12' 'Kay-Noe' over the weekend. Very affordable, in nice shape and with good reviews for a smaller canoe.  As mentioned earlier it's basically the same boat as the Old Town 'Discovery 119' and Dick's Sporting Good's 'Guide 119', and very similar to the Old Town 'Pack'.  

Took it out to a small lake friday and at only 43# or so (feels a bit heavier) it's a joy to load/unload compared to my old 16 foot fiberglass.  Not a 'comfort' boat but should do well for what I had in mind.  Will need to ditch the big crappy plastic seat for something more comfy that accomodates solo paddling better.  Should definately be fun to play with this summer.  

Time to get out a local map and see if there's some backwater honeyholes worth looking at for October.

[el_kirk]

Drew an elk tag on the Green River Lakes in Wyoming in 2011. It was a great hunt with a bow, but a little warm for my tastes during archery season.  Saw tracks, rubs and lots of sign, but no elk during bow season.  

 https://picasaweb.google.com/billingskirk/GreenRiverLakesElkHunt

[RC]

I think the 119 canoe at Dicks sporting goods would be great. I love my yak for river running and fishing but hybrid would carry more stuff for an extended trip.RC

[bluegrassbowhunter]

I've got a Guide 147 for me & my kids to mess around in & have a 119 for when it's just me..Haven't got to use the 119 much yet but what I have had it out it seems like it's gonna work just fine & can be modified in many way to work for hunter or angler.

[Scott357]

Originally posted by TSP:
I found a barely-used 12' 'Kay-Noe' over the weekend. Very affordable, in nice shape and with good reviews for a smaller canoe.  As mentioned earlier it's basically the same boat as the Old Town 'Discovery 119' and Dick's Sporting Good's 'Guide 119', and very similar to the Old Town 'Pack'.  

Took it out to a small lake friday and at only 43# or so (feels a bit heavier) it's a joy to load/unload compared to my old 16 foot fiberglass.  Not a 'comfort' boat but should do well for what I had in mind.  Will need to ditch the big crappy plastic seat for something more comfy that accomodates solo paddling better.  Should definately be fun to play with this summer.  

Time to get out a local map and see if there's some backwater honeyholes worth looking at for October.

I have the Kay-noe too. I ditched the plastic kayak style seat ans got a canoe bench seat and installed it quite a bit lower than the stock seat was. I attach one of those padded seat backer things and it is very comfortable. I can get some pictures up of what I did if you are interested.

[Scott357]

sorry double post

[Archie]

Originally posted by iron_llama:
I've got a Field and Stream Kay-Noe; it's a re-badged, cheaper version of TSP's Old Town Pack.  It's great for fishing and leisurely paddling, and I've taken it camping a few times.  That said it's really not set up for serious paddling.  It's too short to track straight and there isn't enough tumblehome (the gunwales are too far apart) to use a kayak paddle really effectively.  I'm saving my pennies for a Wenonah Prism or a Souris River Tranquility for serious Boundary Waters trekking.  

Anyone ever look at the Wavewalk kayaks?  There's a fella named Scott Johnson in Minnesota who shoots a recurve at deer out of his.

  http://www.wavewalk.com/Kayak_Review_10.html  

Looks promising...

I think the Wavewalk kayak looks promising, too.  Can't carry a lot of weight, but much safer on the water (for solo hunters) than a traditional kayak, easier to stay dry, and a natural sitting or standing position to shoot from.  It has 14 cu. ft. of cargo capacity in the twin pontoons.  And if you need to go back the other way, you stand up, turn around and face backwards, and start rowing!

[John3]

My 12' Old Town Stillwater has been on many adventures. Wide stable and QUIET. Weighs less than 50#...

 


 

[str8jct]

Hey Scott, I would like to see a pic of your customization.  I have that boat and was contemplating changing out the seat.