duck hunting by canoe

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rudar

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So I don't really have money for powerboats, and my buddy with the boat moved back to Virginia. So my plan for the fall is to make myself a ply-wood-and-epoxy canoe over the next couple of weeks, and use that for access and retrievals (no money/ time for dog ownership and training right now, either...).

My question is whether it would be a really stupid and unsafe idea to canoe in chestwaders... It seems it would be convenient to have the waders on for some things (setting decoys, f'rinstance, if it's shallow, or setting the blind in less than dry areas), but maybe I should just wear easy-to-remove gumboots and do *anything* on the water out of the canoe? Has anyone actually swamped chestwaders? I hear it's not a good position to be in, but assuming I'm wearing a PFD, is it a situation one can get out of? Rescue knife on the outside of the PFD, maybe?
 
That is how I have been duck hunting for years.

One of my friends did Fish and Wildlife in College and in the electro fishing part they actully had to go for a swimm in wadders. He said that once they filled up you hit a neutral boyancy and they are more bulky and cummbersome. if you are wearing neopreen it is better.

BTW my canoes are all wood/canvas. The wood boats are very quiet in the water and tend to ride higher so you can go into shallow water easier. If you go to a local canoe shop that deals in Cedar boats you can usually get a hull and repair it, put new canvas on it (I use 12oz artist canvas), prime and paint for a few hundred $$$.

My avatar poto was taken with a 35mm SLR from about 70 feet away. As I said Very quiet.
 
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I think the issue with swamping waders is more to do with current dragging you under, if you are in a pond, marsh or lake with minimal current it shouldn't be a concern. Of course hypothermia is also an issue, but this is true with or without the waders.

BTW, if the canoe you are looking at building is the one I think it is ( 14' , plans on-line, free download, 2 sheets of plywood), I built one a few years ago. It was a nice light easy to paddle boat, but not overly stable, I wouldn't try shooting from it assuming it's the same one. It should work great for getting you and your gear in and out and retreiving downed birds like you mentioned though.
 
Yup, that sounds like the boat I'm thinking of. Glad to hear it works :)

I wasn't planning on shooting from it. I don't know that I'd do that from any canoe... Just use it to access spots and go out for retrieves. Good to hear I'm not planning anything too silly, here. I'll have to see exactly where I want to go with it. Probably want to avoid any big open stretches of Fraser, but I'll have to do some exploring and testing in daylight with friends around and no chestwaders before deciding what's too big and open :)
 
rudar, you can shoot from your canoe as well. Just tie four cords to the gunnel of your canoe, two on each side... that is front and back or stern and aft if your a nautical type of guy! Simply grab a handful of emergent marshplants such as cattails and tie them to your boat. Do this on all four corners as this will anchor your boat to the bottom. Break the remaining cattails over boat to provide good hide. We hunt this way in prairie Canada on cattail marshes. One can stand and shoot as its like standing on a dock. Of course you will have to untie to retrieve birds unless your wearing waders.

Ted
 
Rudar, if you read some of the posts about using luan ply instead of marine ply, I would recommend you go with the marine ply. I built mine using the luan and it didn't last 2 years. I built a small jonboat to replace it, used 1/4" marine ply and covered the whole hull in 6 oz fiberglass cloth, 2 coats of marine epoxy and 4 yrs later she's still going strong. I bought a factory built canoe this year (coleman POS), thinking of selling it in the spring and building another like your looking at.
 
Yeah, I've got a couple sheets of BS1088 Meranti on their way. I did go down to 4mm instead of the specified 6mm, to save weight, on the theory that the Meranti is stiffer and stronger than the lighter and more expensive Occume. I did get the designer's blessing for that change, though, so it should all be good.

I think for a more all-round canoe, I'd look at their Hiawatha, which uses 5 panels instead of 3 for a more rounded profile. But this one, I just want to get in the water in a hurry, since duck season's almost on us :) Then I'll think about a kayak for tripping, and then... sigh. Yet another addictive and expensive hobby creeps up on me :)
 
I love to hunt ducks by canoe... A nice twisty stream is key to "surprising" them around corners...

Here is a little hint for ya... Keep spare paddles in the canoe, as you come around a corner (and see ducks), use the last stroke to straighten yourself out and then slip the paddle into the water... NO NOISE of placing the paddle into the canoe, KEY to not scaring the ducks... Shoot, retreive and go back for your paddle...

Cheers
Jay
 
That is the same one I built a while back. Using 4mm it should be around 30 - 35lbs when finished? Post some pictures when you get it done. I'll see if I can find the website where I got the design for the jonboat, it's nice easy and cheap to build also.
 
yeah, I'm hoping for somewhere in there. The plywood weighs 38 lbs, minus offcuts, plus epoxy, fillers, and fiberglass tape. I'll try be stingy with the epoxy (they all say first-timers use way too much...), and keep the final weight under 40.

Any suggestions for paint?
 
For paint, latex exterior house paint is your best bet, in a flat finish for a hunting/fishing boat. I got that recommendation off one of the boat building sites. The guy who wrote the article about it was a retired sales rep from a paint manufacturing company and he had talked to engineering guys about it. Turns out marine paint is pretty much house paint with a boat on the label. I used it on mine and its standing up great.

www.angelfire.com/ego/lewisboatworks/ is where I got the "plans" for the jonboat.
 
duck hunting kayak

Hobie S.U.V. with pedal propulsion (Mirage drive)


Here's my rig, complete with shotgun rack and a camo 'dodger' that acts as a blind and covers my legs when pedalling along sneaking up on ducks. You can see the 'penguin fins' of the drive system underneath - or if it's too shallow, the paddle works too!

IMG_0077.jpg


here's the same yak - rigged for fishing. You can see the stirrups for the pedal drive system.

IMG_0082.jpg
 
Nice looking crafts. Live for another day and wear a life jacket. Ice cold water and heavy clothing is not like a summer swim in your bading suit.
 
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