Just curious? Any of you all ever Duck hunted Kayaking? I have been seeing a lot of Videos online of people doing so but don't know anyone who does. I love to Kayak and fish out of mine quiet often but have never thought of duck hunting out of it.
KAYAK DUCK HUNTING
- Thread starter C1295
- Start date
I've squirrel hunted out of one. The tricky part is legally the boat cannot be in motion. You must come to a complete stop . Squirrels I always tied off or ran aground somewhere. Seems like Ducks would be much more challenging.
Maybe some backwater ducks ??.
Maybe some backwater ducks ??.
I would be too worried about dropping a gun.
UpperTully
Well-Known Member
I tried it for the first time last season, it was for sure an experience.
I prefer a boat
I prefer a boat
Cold water and kayaks don't go together imho
Just too much that can go wrong.
Just too much that can go wrong.
A kayak in SHALLOW water is fine but a kayak in water over your head is a no-go for me and ALWAYS have a life jacket on and even a extra pair of thermals,hoodie,sweatpants in a dry bag. Doesn't take much to get so cold with no one around and you're in TROUBLE.
GUNNERX2
Well-Known Member
While not a kayak, I did a fair amount of float hunting on local rivers out of a wooden jon boat that I built. The plans were pretty simple and the boat turned out great. Floating the rivers, I would hug the inside bends of the river and flush ducks out of the slack water found there. Woodies, teal and mallards were most of what I killed. I did flip it once when I got pinned up against a tree root ball that was in the middle of the channel in a faster section of the river.
I've owned a one man boat for over 30 years but have never actively hunted out of it, just used it for setting up and retrieving downed birds. Back when I bought it, it was called a "Tail Gunner" but shortly thereafter the company changed the name to "Poke Boat".
I've owned a one man boat for over 30 years but have never actively hunted out of it, just used it for setting up and retrieving downed birds. Back when I bought it, it was called a "Tail Gunner" but shortly thereafter the company changed the name to "Poke Boat".
Knew a guy in Indiana that used one on the Ohio River basically every day of the duck season. He had it as a layout blind and he used a trolling motor till he saw ducks and then paddled till in range and jump shot them. He would put in upstream and get picked up at a certain point downstream. By far he was the most consistent duck killer I knew. It ain't for everyone, but I thought it sounded like a lot of fun going down the River like that. Very peaceful.
Displaced_Vol
Well-Known Member
I've used mine a few times to access a spot and set decoys, fetch birds etc. that's the way I prefer to use it.
I have float hunted out of mine once in early wood duck season and it was a lot of fun. I was on a big feeder creek to a lake and just did a nice cast and blast. Hunting while floating was tough cause birds pushed up way ahead of me getting in range. What worked better was floating up to a bend and getting out, sneaking over to see if birds were close by and jumping them.
Just don't get it in water or conditions you shouldn't. I am personally much more confident & stable in a kayak vs a canoe.
I have float hunted out of mine once in early wood duck season and it was a lot of fun. I was on a big feeder creek to a lake and just did a nice cast and blast. Hunting while floating was tough cause birds pushed up way ahead of me getting in range. What worked better was floating up to a bend and getting out, sneaking over to see if birds were close by and jumping them.
Just don't get it in water or conditions you shouldn't. I am personally much more confident & stable in a kayak vs a canoe.
MickThompson
Well-Known Member
Incorrect. You cannot hunt under forward motion of any mechanical means, but jump shooting from a paddled craft if fine.
Smashdn
Well-Known Member
I have a sit in kayak that I used a few times. I found it much better to use the kayak as the means of conveyance to the spot and then get out and hunt. Buried it up into some brush and cat tails and used it as a seat during wood duck season a few times. I have also used it to tend decoys in deeper water.
I tried to use it for jump shooting but where you have to place your gun and where the water tends to drip off the paddle are the same place. Your gun gets pretty wet. Also, not very fast to drop the paddle (tied to kayak with string) and grab gun. Not saying it can't be done, just not ideal.
I also now have a sit on top fishing kayak. I could see it being easier as it is more stable and has a peddle drive to free up your hands but you also sit much higher up in it so would need some good cover to get in behind. It is also a lot slower moving hull than the sit in.
I have an old town discovery with a flat stern. I can put a small outboard on it and do just about anything I need. That or something similar is the route I would go over a kayak. A nucanoe or gheenoe type boat.
All in all, I would still only use a kayak to get me to a spot if I had to use one.
I tried to use it for jump shooting but where you have to place your gun and where the water tends to drip off the paddle are the same place. Your gun gets pretty wet. Also, not very fast to drop the paddle (tied to kayak with string) and grab gun. Not saying it can't be done, just not ideal.
I also now have a sit on top fishing kayak. I could see it being easier as it is more stable and has a peddle drive to free up your hands but you also sit much higher up in it so would need some good cover to get in behind. It is also a lot slower moving hull than the sit in.
I have an old town discovery with a flat stern. I can put a small outboard on it and do just about anything I need. That or something similar is the route I would go over a kayak. A nucanoe or gheenoe type boat.
All in all, I would still only use a kayak to get me to a spot if I had to use one.
