kayak anyone?

7353 Views 11 Replies 10 Participants Last post by RustyGunz1960, Dec 5, 2016

shrpshtr

Discussion Starter · Jun 25, 2005

does anyone here kayak? i am going for the first time tomorrow with a good buddy of mine. i am looking forward to it cause we are going through a cypress area that holds ducks...(unfortunately no hunting cause it's in town...

issed: ) but i will have the call with me and see how they might respond. if it turns out to be as fun as i imagine then i think it would be a great way to scout for ducks or maybe do a little fishing from. we'll see tomorrow though.

anyone mess around with those things?

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AlaskaRedneK

· #2 · Jul 4, 2005

shrp, I am extremely interested to find out how the trip went......

Cuz ive never had the privilige to use one.....

Let us know! And as always......POST PICS :smile:

-Stouff

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shrpshtr

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 6, 2005

it went good. i really enjoyed it. the scenery was great, flooded cypress pretty much makes up the entire pond. surprisingly, i only saw 2 gadwall. it was pretty calm as far as wind goes and i was surprised at how good a work out it was. after trying it on a pond, i am definitely interested in a float trip to scout for river ducks. i know a couple of spots i was going to run the boat around on but think we'll make it a overnight kayak trip and camp on a sand bar.

performance of the kayak itself was amazingly easy. i was in 14' kayak and was very stable. i also road in my buddy's 10' and felt pretty good too. there is a definite trade off in the size differences though. obviously, longer/bigger is more stable-less manuveurable while shorter can turn on a dime but can feel pretty tipsy.

good stuff though, it's always nice to make it outdoors for a couple of hours.

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cut_un

· #4 · Feb 25, 2006

Do you guys think it would be something a guy could hunt out of. I have a big swamp pond and have been thinking about getting one

, Been thinking about building a rack for my ATV, so I could toat it back into it and duck hunt. I would like something I could lay back in and be comfortable in for a few hours. Weight and comfort are the two most important issues, I figure I'd be in reeds and swamp grass to hunt so if it was a small bit unstable, I think I could live with that. Or could you recomend some other "small watercraft" Thanks!!

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Trois_beaux_canards

· #5 · Feb 25, 2006

I used a 9ft kayak last season a few times for hunts. I take it out a lot more in the summer. I wish it had more spcae, as I had to tie the decoys to the back and let 'em float in the water behind me.
I'm cofortable enough with it to get across the ponds, but it is not somehting I would hunt out of. Whast I did was carry a large piece of max4 burlap and cover the boat up on shore(it's bright orange in color). I did so well covering it I managed to have a deer come within 8ft of me and the boat and drink. What a nice treat. The ducks didn't notice it either.
THere are certainly some wider kayaks out there, and I would even go so far as to suggest a "sit on top" for hunting purposes. It seems like they would have more versatility in hunting situations for carrying you and your gear more comfortably.

Let me end with this: There are two types of people in kayaks. Those who have tipped, and those who will. Wear your PFD for the approach, and know how to do an exit in the event you do roll.

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cut_un

· #6 · Feb 25, 2006

Thanks for your honest opinion! Also thinking about an otter 1200 which is designed more for hunting...I think!

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duckin-A

· #7 · Feb 4, 2008

i have a kevlar POKE Boat.....hunt and fish out of it all the time.....22 pounds empty.......keep the weight of a poly boat in mind for lifting purposes.

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DiscoDuck

· #8 · Feb 9, 2008

I've got a fiberglass Maxi Poke Boat, and I've hunted and fished out of it countless times too, and even used it as a layout a few times(not perfect but it worked). Very light weight and very stable. I'm 6'3" and 240lbs (and used to be bigger). I've had myself, gun, bag of decoys, and a bucket in lots of times. I've been in water much rougher than I probably should have and at the wrong time of year (always with a PFD and a partner on shore). I've had deer in the cockpit with me (sedated by a .280 Rem). It's some of the best money I ever spent.
We do lots of the scouting float trips. Mostly inthe spring when the rivers are up from the snow melt. I've got two buddies that have aquapods. They are a little more stable, but much heavier. I literally can pick mine up and walk away with it.

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Tennesseehick

· #9 · Oct 3, 2011

Nothin like the maneuverability of a kayak, but if you were trying to hunt out of something, I'd go with a canoe, a lot more room/space to put decoys, guns, bags, hell, even an extra gunner.

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WoodyWhiffingMG

· #10 · May 17, 2013

Tennesseehick said:
Nothin like the maneuverability of a kayak, but if you were trying to hunt out of something, I'd go with a canoe, a lot more room/space to put decoys, guns, bags, hell, even an extra gunner.

I have to disagree.

We have a 16 foot canoe that could easily sit three and it is nice for certain situations, but there are places our kayaks will take you that no other boat can go.

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bigrick_2u

· #11 · Dec 1, 2016

If I sit in a kayak, I flip it. Every time. Could never hunt out of one.

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RustyGunz1960

· #12 · Dec 5, 2016

bigrick_2u said:
If I sit in a kayak, I flip it. Every time. Could never hunt out of one.

You just need to start out under the watchful eye of an experienced paddler. There's nothing inherent in any one person that guarantees they will flip every time, unless you are 300 lbs or more

. You are simply doing something wrong. Find someone that knows what they are doing or find someplace nearby that gives lessons. You are missing out on a fun way to hunt, fish or just explore.

As for canoe vs. kayak, both have their uses. The fact that there are places you could go with a kayak that you couldn't get to with a canoe has zero relevance to the places that you can get to with a canoe. I have two canoes and three kayaks of several types and they all have their waterfowling uses in different situation. I regularly jump hunt ducks in ditches and creeks in coastal marshes from my canoe, with the stern paddler controlling the boat and the bow paddler shooting. It's one of the most fun ways I hunt waterfowl, almost like grouse hunting. But when I have to cross open or rough water to get to a hunting destination, I might be more likely to take my kayak. Or sometimes I'm simply hunting light and take the smaller yak out. And the outboard-powered sneakbox and center console both see waterfowling use at times. It all boils down to experience combined with good judgement. There is no one right answer.

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