PFD size for fall hunting

billbmcleod

billbmcleod

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Back very close to Bruce County
I am looking at PFD's to use for moose hunting. I used to have a Mustang floater coat but it has gone missing during a recent move.
This will be used in a 12' aluminum boat and only to get to and from the end of the lake which is about 1/2 mile.
Before someone jumps on me that it doesn't matter how far you are from shore if you are past your waist then you could be in trouble. And what is your life worth? I Know.

My real question is should I buy one to fit over top of my bulky coat or get one to fit under it and put my coat over it for travel on the water.
I have worn survival/flotation suits an the past but they are difficult to put on with boots and heavy coats.
We travel very close to shore so I am not worried about hypothermia before getting to shore. I am old but not dead.
Any advice appreciated.

Bill
 
I would get one that goes over your coat. Easier to drop the pfd and stay dry/warm when getting to shore. More comfortable too. Try to find one as light as you can that's still rated for your weight
 
When i hunt late season waterfowl from my kayak i hunt with a pfd over my hunting clothes. It works fine and i can still easily shoot with it on. Its nice to land on shore and drop the pfd and still be in full camo to hunt shorelines. My hunting gear is designed to breathe my pfd is not.
 
automatic inflator for sure. easily fits over the hunting clothes and doesn't hinder hunting.
My thinking is that if I can't tell I'm wearing it..... I'm gonna opt to wear it vs leaving it in camp.
Just make sure you buy an appropriate size for you and the weight you carry and for fitting over layers of clothing comfortably
 
I agree with you about PFD use. After a career in the fishing industry I recall losing too many friends and knowing of too many others who may have lived had they worn one.

I have a Mustang Elite 38 Hydrostatic inflateable. This is the kind that doesn't inflate if you get splashed by a wave.

They have an adjustable waist belt for just about any girth.
 
45ACPKING said:
automatic inflator for sure. easily fits over the hunting clothes and doesn't hinder hunting.
My thinking is that if I can't tell I'm wearing it..... I'm gonna opt to wear it vs leaving it in camp.
Just make sure you buy an appropriate size for you and the weight you carry and for fitting over layers of clothing comfortably
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Bigbubba said:
Or get one that inflates on demand
You could just leave it on all day
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Lookingforantiques said:
If going inflatable then go for an automatic. They won't deploy in the rain, only when submerged
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X4 with auto inflatable.

I hunt waterfowl off the boat from Sept till the lake is frozen and an inflatable PFD is a must.

You can get camo ones nowadays and depending on brand and features they can be found little over $100 when on sale.

Or you can get an inflatable that wear around your waist like a belt but you will have you put it over your head after you deploy it.

Binnacle has them on sale quite often.

https://ca.binnacle.com/
 
We use dark green mustang traditional foam types. If it's on, it works. I've heard hearsay horror stories about auto-inflating and manually activated units.

Either way, if you are wearing it you are making a sound decision
 
I should wear some sort of PFD when fall hunting, but I rarely do... on big water late season hunts I figure hypothermia will kill you anyway, might as well get it over with... same thing with safety harnesses in treestands, I know that I should wear them but I never do... I give myself a stern talking to now-and-again, but don't do anything about it... likely I will pay for my stupidity one day... don't do as I do, do as I say...
 
madtrapper143 said:
Just remember that if you wear the PFD over your hunting clothes you may become non compliant with the blaze orange regulation. Unless your PFD meets the requirement.


Darryl
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Is hunter orange a requirement while in a boat getting from A to B? What about in a truck? There is no hunter orange requirements in BC so I'm curious...
 
My experience in Ontario is if you are out in an area "hunting" be it on a ATV, in a boat or other vehicle I believe you have to wear a minimum amount of blaze orange as set out by the regulations.

Darryl
 
Since you cant legally hunt from a moving vehicle truck or atv unless handicapped with approval a life jacket over orange is a non issue really. If drifting or just floating in a boat for big game it could arise but in those times a life jacket likely isnt needed.

Its nice that laws were changed to allow camo life jackets to be legal.
 
hoytcanon said:
I should wear some sort of PFD when fall hunting, but I rarely do... on big water late season hunts I figure hypothermia will kill you anyway, might as well get it over with... same thing with safety harnesses in treestands, I know that I should wear them but I never do... I give myself a stern talking to now-and-again, but don't do anything about it... likely I will pay for my stupidity one day... don't do as I do, do as I say...
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I'm definitely not lecturing because I do the same thing with treestands (funny how I never had to wear a safety harness in my rickety ass old treehouse as a kid?) but... hypothermia will take a LOT longer to kill than most people think, especially if you're wearing typical cold weather hunting clothes. The real and immediate danger with cold water is the shock response which causes involuntary inhalation. If you're underwater and don't have a flotation device, that's obviously a very. Bad. Thing.

I'm totally cavalier about wearing PFDs in the summer, but when the fall comes around that changes. Mind you being solo on the North Atlantic it's a crapshoot if the CG gets there in time anyway even with a PLB on your vest. If nothing else, wearing a PFD makes recovering the body much more likely and saves SAR a lot of hassle and families a lot of worry. More than a few families out here that didn't have a body to bury because they just disappeared.
 
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