Hunting from a Kayak

[KRASHED]

Hi everyone. I'm looking to pickup a new Kayak this summer for the primary purpose of travelling but at the same time I want it to be versatile so that I can also hunt and fish out of it.

There are plenty of fishing kayak models out there and I was wondering if they would be suitable for waterfowling. Does anyone here waterfowl from a kayak? Tips? Do's/Don'ts?

 

[Amphibious]

I use a Wilderness Systems Ride 135. a leash for your shotgun would be a good tip

a sit-on-top will be far more versatile then a sit-in boat for hunting.

 

[yellowknifedave]

My brother bought a fishing kayak from Canadian tire a few years ago, and we have used it for waterfowling. It is very stable for shooting, has a sealed compartment for gear, and the elastic storage areas to store shotgun and game. I will be buying one as soon as they go on sale in the spring.

Where we go for ducks and geese is a creek that empties into a lake. Flat water with lots of reeds, so we can park in the reeds, shoot, then go into the deep water to retrieve. IT is a good setup.

YKD

 

[pharaoh2]

There's a guy around here who has a camo'd up kayak. Never had a chance to talk to him but I'm hoping to. I would imagine you wouldn't want to fire a 3 inch load broadside, I hear those buggers can be tippy. I almost bought a canoe once but didn't because of my lack of swimming ability.

 

[chalkriver]

I have the old town angler model..its 14 ft I think but very stable and comfortable.. My wife uses it when we go on trips together...You would need a gun mount for the side of the kayak for your shotgun ....and no not like the anti aircraft version....lol ...just something to secure it out of the way and a wrist leash for the gun would be a good idea as well...I have a paddled right up to wildlife in ours .

 

[ontario]

Here is the rig I use. I take it into winter water I probably should not be in alone. When travelling the gun rides in between my legs barrel pointed forward.

When I am out hunting I wear my neoprene waders and camo floater jacket for safety. I tried to use a leash on my shotgun but found it was to much hassle, so decided not to use it.

One thing you will find is lack of storage. I have had 6 geese stuffed into the kayak behind the seat and my boat was riding real low. I decided to carry decoys the one day but found it made me too top heavy and tippy.

 

[Seagull]

Hunting from a kayak for more than 10 years.

It depends on the waterfowling you want to do. Length of it depends on the use.
I use a 9.5 foot old town critter. Excellent in thick marshes as it turns on a dime. The top bungees allow me to carry a dozen decoys if desired. We always take it out across the boat as retrieving with it is fast and quite. Being a recreational kayak with a huge cockpit it is extremely stable and I can even stand up in it to look around. This boat will go amost anywhere and comes in handy finding ducks in thick stuff.
If we do a float down a creek to jump ducks or a stalk across bigger bodies of water I use a 17 ft tandem. Also use it on any longer paddles as it tracks straighter.
Bottom line I would recommend a Sit-in recreational kayak for the stability. Sit-on kayaks just have you sitting a bit higher and the same stability is not there in the same sized boat.
SF

 

[Amphibious]

Sit-on kayaks just have you sitting a bit higher and the same stability is not there in the same sized boat.
SF

I can stand and fly cast on my sit-on kayak just fine. if anything I find sit-in boats have far more lateral instability. been paddling 15yrs, so maybe I don't notice it as much...

 

[Seagull]

if anything I find sit-in boats have far more lateral instability. been paddling 15yrs, so maybe I don't notice it as much...

Stability is primarily due to hull profile/design, there are some other factors but don't play as big a part but I also like the lower center of mass in a sit in for hunting. I have been paddling over 25 years but that isn't the factor either.
For the OP I recommend a try before buy in any case. Everyone has their preference and really you can do anything with any boat it just might not be the best suited. A lot of specialized kayak shops have demo days and then there are rental shops as well to try.
SF

 

[Thinking]

I waterfowl from a 14' Old Town Predator. It has a huge cockpit, room for the dog, a bunch of deekes (I carry between 6 and 12 when using it), your blind bag, a gun and your birds. I shoot from it and have never had a concern about stability. In the off season there is room for 2 toddlers, a dog and gear for the day.