I just got a PM from Sticknstingarchery asking about my thoughts on hunting canoes. I thought I'd share my response with everyone in case any of you are interested in adding a canoe to your hunting arsenal... Doug, There are many things to consider in a good hunting canoe set up. First off is price. I got mine for free so I'm working with what I have. My canoe is a Old Town 'hunter'. It's a great canoe, but it does have limitations. I believe mine is 15'. Now here are some key things to look at: Material- For me using a canoe is just as much about stealth as access (I could easily use a boat or pontoon, but they're noisy and I don't want to smell like gas). My canoe is made of polyethylene. Aluminum canoes are noisy as all get up, so they were out. Fiberglass & Kevlar are lighter, but way more expensive. Size- Length is not as important as width. Width gives you stability & most importantly, capacity! Like the old Pontiac commercials, 'Wider is better'! This is where my canoe is lacking. My capacity if fine for me and my gear and even a hunting buddy, but if we were sucessful, we could not safely return with both of us, gear and a deer in one trip. Myself and a deer is no problem though Propulsion- Paddles are neccesary, but I added an electric motor to east my commute! This may not be needed depending on the distance and flow of the water your using. It would take me 30-40 minutes to paddle across the lake. If it was windy, even long (or not at all!). With the motor I could make in in 15-20 minutes. Plus I wasn't sweating from the long paddle when I got there. If you are using river acces, keep inmind that the flow will help you in one direction, but hurt in the other. Add the additional weight of a deer and you trip back could be brutal. By no means do you need to have a motor, but it sure is nice! There are canoes with flat backs that you can mount a motor to, however they make brackets that allow you to add a motor to any canoe (special note: adding a motor, even an electric, can change how you have to register and license your canoe. here in MN, if it has a motor, you need the 3" id # on the side. regular canoes only need the license itself). Weight- This kind of goes back to materials. Generally, lighter is better & more expensive. There are only two times when weight is an issue. Loading & unloading. If you are driving with the canoe on top of your vehicle, you need to beable to load it by yourself. If you have a tall truck and a 130# canoe, that can be tricky. The only other time weight come into play is if you need to make a long portage between bodies of water, or your vehicle and your water access. a couple notes. They do make little canoe trailers to pull behind your car like a fishing boat. they also make portage wheels (kind of like a deer cart for your canoe). Both could ease the use of a heavier canoe. If I were in the market to buy a new canoe today, this would probably be my top choice. Wide, huge weight capacity, and flat back for my motor. http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/huntingFishing/predator_ss150.html I hope this helps you in your search. Hunting with a canoe is a blast and can really get you into some awesome places you cannot get to otherwise Happy Hunting!
Also, learn the J-stroke. It'll keep all your gear from getting soaked when you are constantly switching sides to paddle on. Here's a video showing how... [video=youtube_share;kSOu0jyuqN8]http://youtu.be/kSOu0jyuqN8[/video] This simple stroke will make you a much faster and more efficient paddler, especially if you are going solo! You'll only have to switch sides if your arm gets tired.
Thanks again for that Fitz. I have a remote area that I want to hunton public land next season. There is a river that is in a "J" shape as far as the way it cuts through the game land. I am hoping that puting a canoe in and accessing the back side may push deer my way come late season. During rut, it is a remote area so I am hoping I can get some bigger buck activity. I feel like a canoe would be great for getting in and out like a ninja!! Anyways, this is very helpful
I bought a 14ft Scanoe that I plan on doing the same thing with. Hopefully I'll have success with it.
Hey Fitz, Thanks for that. Also saw you were planninga BWCA trip. I got to do that 4 years ago. Was a HOOT!! Take BWCA trips every other year at least, and this was just the icing on the cake. Packing out can be a experience with all the gear and critters, but well worth it. We shorted on supplies knowing we could catch fish or get a deer for meat, and in or case we came out 2 days early since it was so unseasonably warm and we didn't want the meat to spoil. WOuld go again in a heart beat!! You're going to love it! Right up your alley by the way you hunt now. Just think about how we get in shape now for hunting, and push farther, because you going to need it!! At least this old man did.
Have hunted and harvested animals out of canoes since I was a young kid. Nothing beats a wood and canvas canoe. They are not much heavier than an Old Town royolex BUT they ride sooooo much smoother, nicer, and QUIETER. Old Town canoes are awesome, they make a great product. I live about 45 minutes from them and every spring they have a big sale and if you play your cards right you can get some REALLY good deals. Great information you gave there Fitz. Cool pictures as well, Thanks for sharing!
The way I see it is even if I don't kill a big guy or a bunch of doe, its a big change of pace from the norm and something to have fun doing. I think this boat with a 3hp motor would be great for me. Since I would be going down river I could use paddles down and use the engine back out or an electric trolling motor. I'll probably do a canoe this coming season then maybe look into something like this if the canoe works out. http://www.gandermountain.com/modpe...s_American_12_Jon_Boat&aID=504M1&merchID=4006
Another thing with the motor to consider is balanced weight, especially if you are going to be headed out on your own. Stick a gas or electric motor and battery in the back of the canoe with you and you're going to be back-heavy. In addition to lifting the front of the canoe out of the water turning it into a sail, it also effects how your canoe will track through the water. My solution was to wire up my trolling motor to a battery in the front of the canoe. The batery sits on a little stand I built of cedar in the very front of the canoe. I drilled holes in the underside of the gunwale and ran wires inside it all the way to the back. I have a breaker there and then a trolling motor plug mounted in the stren's deckplate. Now my canoe is better balanced, and I can easily pull both the battery and motor if I don't need them (or can't use them such as in the BWCAW). We have a little 3hp Evenrude motor I could use, but again, I wanted to avoid the gas & noise, even when leaving my hunting area for the night FYI, the trolling motor I use is a 30" 30# thrust Minnkota. It works great, though a 40# would be nice on the really windy days.
I was thinkng a 55lb Minnkota. I had one on a 12' John boat a while back and that thing would scream. I can imagine what it would do on a canoe. Going up stream in a river it may need it with 2 people and a deer. if I had to make 2 trips, it would make the trip a lot faster. Its about a 2 mile trek one way. If nothing else it might get my adrenalin pumpimg before I get there.
I use my canoe for duck and deer it's a blast. I built a 3.5 hp briggs longtail from scratch and use it mainly for ducks. But my son and I take out on the river to fish too. It does about 7 to 8 mph down river.
