Hunting Boat

sealhunter

sealhunter

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Back in the Peace Country
Over the past 3 years I have had 3 hunting boats and foolishly sold them all.
One was actually a scanoe with a 2.2 merc and was setup nice.

Right now I am looking to get another.

I know everyone has reccomendations, but I am looking at one type of boat right now and would like to know if anyone has much experience with them.

8 ft Zodiac

Thanks
 
I had one for a few years....tooooo damn small!!Depends what you want to use it for I guess,but IIRC,the floor space was actually only 5x3?Two men with gear gets pretty cramped.IMHO there are lighter,roomier,more rugged,more practical,far less expensive options out there.The only advantage I can think of is I felt relatively safe compared to any other boat design of that size,and I used it in some pretty nasty water at times on Bay of Fundy,worse than you'll likely ever see on any lake?Probly should have had my head read though,out clammin' in Feb.?Young,dumb and fearless.....back when I knew it all,LOL.
 
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Assuming you want to use it for waterfowling on small water (scanoe + 2.2merc) then check out the MOmarsh DP w/5hp mud motor or an Aquapod w/kayak paddle.
 
I had a duckboat, a John boat (sp?) and scanoe. There are a few pics of them floating around here somewhere.

Never should have sold. never never never...

Thanks for confirming my hesitations on the zodiac
 
What kind of hunting are you using it for?

I've seen them used for moose hunting. You wake up in the dark, launch the zodiac in the dark, and then sit on the lake for about 3 hours as the sun comes up. They tend to work well if you are constantly having to pack them around, as they are very light compared to other 8ft rigs.

I think it would really depend on what you are doing with your boat, if you have to run any rivers, and what kind of game you are chasing.
 
I never used mine for hunting, but I had a Zodiac 2.85 Cadet Roller for several years.
I liked it a lot seeing that I simply deflated it in winter and easily stored it in the basement. I was using it as a tender to get from our boat with a 6' draft to shore. Or to get to nearby places without having to lift anchor on the bigger boat.

But it does not take a lot of abuse. Especially the bottom. So if you are bringing it up onto rocky surfaces often, and so on, probably not a good choice.

Also, there is not a lot of room in them. 2 Adults and a bit if gear starts to get tight. Especially if you have a fuel tank in the boat. I was using a Johnson 9.9hp outboard with built in tank. It would lack power against a strong wind or waves. Even with the high-pressure inflatable v-hull, there is a lot of drag on them.

I think it has it's uses, but I would not buy one for hunting personally.

P.S. There are many copy cat ones as well that are cheaper. I think if I did buy another one I would probably buy a copy cat one. Look at the West Marine web site.
 
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Probably the best rig I had for float hunting, was a square ended punt that my grandfather built to trap with many years ago.
Made of plywood and 1X2's, it would float in very shallow water.
Sadly, I was carried away one spring by ice, and we found pieces of it at the bottom of Three Brothers Falls.
 
I picked up a 8 foot walker bay boat for hunting near or on the water. Also have a zodiac 13.5 but it is too large and heavy to handy for one person. I would try and look for a boat around the 10 foot mark.
 
I have a 19 foot freighter (scanoe) with 15 horse honda for hunting, I am not much of a fisherman. That thing can cut thru the water, very entertaining. Holds about 1000 pounds lots of room for four people but you need weight up front in rough water. But now I need a trailer, any one have a trailer for sale.
 
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