Hunting from a canoe

[Soonerlongbow]

Here in SE Oklahoma we've finally received enough rain for me to do what I've been wanting to do: take my grandfather's old canoe and float down a local creek, hunting my way to the lake.
Sadly I just changed shifts & my hunting partner & neighbor is on my old days off.
I've never hunted from a canoe, and honestly haven't used this canoe since I was about 8 (34 next week). The plan was for us to slip down the creek through a waterfowl unit, stopping every few hundred yards to sit or still hunt then continue on.
Honestly just glad Waurika Lake finally is refilled.

[Orion]

What are you hunting this time of year?

Canoes are good for getting you into and out of remote places, not as good to hunt/shout out of.  There's usually a problem with lower limb clearance, and they're just not a stable platform.

[Soonerlongbow]

The plan is pigs now to practice for deer season. Few if any shots would be made from the boat. Though squirrel hunting with rim fire would be plausible as well.

I would use the boat to transport down stream then disembark and work the surrounding area.

[Orion]

Give it a shot.  I think you'll like it.

[Roadkill]

Yep they are tippy.  Try this,  tie an intertube with a board on each side of the canoe.  Do not need really big ones.  This will stabilize and allow you to stand to shoot.  You will be amazed at how close you get if you stay still and use your paddle to scull around corners.  No water here in Nevada!

[The Whittler]

Went to a shoot a number of years ago and we shot from canoes, it was a blast and not as hard as one would think.

There was a number of canoes and one person would paddle you around a pond and as you went by the target he/she would stop paddling to let you shoot. The easyest way was to kneel.

You would be about 10yd to 15yd or so out from shore.

[SELFBOW19953]

I've shot carp, waterfowl hunted-with a retriever-and flyfished from a canoe many, many times.  Never had a problem with stability-everything is done from the kneeling position.

[Michael Arnette]

Should be a blast!

[acolobowhunter]

When I was in BC bowhunting moose, we did some hunting from a them.  We paddled up into the inlet of the lake.  A cow moose walked down and into the water in front of us.  We quit paddling but the waves continued to push us toward her.  We were within 10-15 yards before she walked out of the water.  I believe she thought we were a big log drifting in the water.  Now if it had been a bull, I would have shot him.  Might have wound up in the water, as they tip very easy.  The lake models are more stable as they have a wider and flatter bottom.  It is scary how quite you can be in a these boats.  The only noise was the water dripping off the paddles.  It I would have shot, we might have wound upside down and in the lake. ha

[Gordon Jabben]

A couple of us here in NE Oklahoma use paddlejon boats instead of canoes because they are so much more stable.  We have never tipped one over even when standing on the seats to get more elevation to shoot fish.  They are a narrow Jon boat make to paddle and made in Missouri.  I have been taking mine out to squirrel hunt and to shoot fish while the water is up. Here's a poor quality picture from my phone.  If you enjoy your trip out in your grandfather's canoe, you might consider getting a paddlejon boat to have also.  
   

[shreffler]

Originally posted by The Whittler:
Went to a shoot a number of years ago and we shot from canoes, it was a blast and not as hard as one would think.

There was a number of canoes and one person would paddle you around a pond and as you went by the target he/she would stop paddling to let you shoot. The easyest way was to kneel.

You would be about 10yd to 15yd or so out from shore.

Were you in PA by any chance? The Ski Sawmill Traditional Shoot has this and it's great practice. Definitely not easy, but it's doable. The only way you'll get it down is trial by fire!

[mangonboat]

As noted above, kneeling position is always most stable, especially for activitie where you need rotation and movement with your upper body, .e.g, shooting a bow. Royalex ( plastic) boats are tougher and quieter than fiberglass or kevlar and a LOT quieter than aluminum. Check your state game laws about shooting from a boat. Here in NC the boat has to come to a complete stop before shooting. A motorized boat has to kill the engine and come to a complete stop. But its a fantastic way to move a lot of gear easily and quietly and to get into areas where roads dont go.

We have been hunting from canoes for many years.  A Miller boy from a nearby town has taken a number of deer from his canoe with longbows.  Some of the rivers in Iowa have public land to the high water line.  It is perfectly legal to shoot deer along them, even though the farmer may be using it like his own land, it is not and they know.  We used to drift down stream and position for shots on the eddies in the bends for ducks.  I would love to brag about the ones we took out of the air with our bows, however, all but one were taken on the water. It is easier to take side shots from the back seat and easier to take forward shots from the front seat, you need to cant the bow.  We have never dumped a canoe when hunting or canoe tripping in Canada. It takes time to get comfortable and trust the boat and your balance, but canoes are much more seaworthy than most think.  I do not like the flat bottom models. They are slow, they may feel less rocky when you move around in them, but when a big wave, rapids or a boat wake comes along, they are more work to manage and when they reach their tipping point, they go over fast.  You need a canoe with good secondary stability, one that can be tilted to the gunnel and still be predictable, a shallow arch hull with a bit of rocker and large chines. My favorite river canoe is my Mad River kevlar Explorer, my favorite tripping canoe is my Seliga.

[Gordon Jabben]

Pavan, you are right about the flat bottom boats being slower than a canoe and they are definitely not made for big water but I think the flat bottom boats you are thinking of are shorter and wider.  The normal sizes  for paddlejons are 17' and 19' with a bottom width of 32" and the length makes them very stable. We have canoes also but prefer the paddlejon.

[Florida lime]

Originally posted by pavan:
....... My favorite river canoe is my Mad River kevlar Explorer...

I recently picked up a Mad River Explorer 16 for use in NC, so this thread is definitely being watched.  

Those long narrow jon boats were originally designed for running upstream on the White River. They needed to fit them between the rocks.  They get their stability from the extra length.  They are a bit heavy to carry around, a trailer is a requirement.

[Ron LaClair]

I've done a lot of hunting from a canoe. It's a good way to get close to deer along the river. Not hard to shoot a bow from the sitting position when you cant the bow and be careful to keep the limb from hitting the gunnels.

The canoe shoot at one of the early Great Lakes Longbow Invitational shoots

   

   

   

[Ron LaClair]

   

   

[Nuctech]

Ron I love those pictures of you with your deer in the canoe. I am looking for a good used canoe at the moment. Got a couple places here in kansas that would work real slick to get into some untouched hunting.

Gabe

[Roger Norris]

I will be hunting with a buddy in a remote spot this year, we are taking in 2 canoes with all of our gear. The plan is to use the canoes each day to go from our camp to our hunting spots.....I'm not sure if we will be actually hunting from the canoes though.