Inflatable for waterfowl hunting?

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Nexionthesub

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Okay guys quick question, may be a dumb one given all the things that could go wrong but I'll ask it anyways. Anyone ever hunt waterfowl in marshes with an inflatable kayak/dingy (whatever just an inflatable)?

Main reason for asking; a) it makes retrieving birds easier than waders, and b) do not have the money nor the place to store a more permanent boat.

If anyone has tried this how did you go about concealing it? Dying the plastic? etc.

I realize freshly ejected hulls+rubber probably could be a problem, but figured i'd ask to see if anyone has tried.

Thanks!
 
When I was younger I had one of those cheap Canadian Tire inflatables I would bring out to the swamp... I parked it beside my blind and used it for retrieving ducks I woudl shoot from dry ground... Never actually shot ducks from it though... just pulled it up on the shore and covered it in camo burlap material.... A cheap aluminum boat would be better... picke dthis one up for 100 bucks off kijiji a couple years ago and just painted it up myself....

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I've used a bellyboat (float tube). Easy to throw a piece of burlap over, but it's a PAIN to get in/out (unless you're actually hunting from it), and it's SLOW to manoever/travel with. I used it on a little pond that I hunt from shore. Once done hunting I got into it and used it to pick up my ducks. Used on Kijiji for 100$, so cheap, but scuba fins to fit over my wading boots cost nearly as much. But easy to store in a small house. I just stop at the gas station and blow it up for a quarter the night before hunting. I have also hunted sea ducks from a grey zodiac - no camo required. FYI - shells were not hot enough to have any effect on the rubber. I suspect that this would be true of cheaper material plastic boats too. I'd be more concerned about all the nasty sharp things that are often poking up where ducks live - beaver sticks etc... If you go the float tube route I'd suggest a "U-boat" because it's way easier to get quickly in and out of, and get a camo one because the burlap is a pain if it's windy and heavy once its wet. I saw camo ones on Sportsmansguide.ca for relatively cheap. Also, they are tough - the tube is a tractor tube - very tough, and you have the nylon cover as well.
Dave
 
I had an inflatable kayak for a while, although it was only in the water once. It had a leak somewhere on the inside at the seat that I could never get quite patched. When I finally did I took it down to the dock, put it in the water and immediately caught on a nail putting another hole in it. I've never stabbed something in my life so many times after that. I did however have one of those cheap orange inflatable dingies, the kind that home hardware and beach type stores carry. I bought it for my counsins son and he loved it. Very durable as we pulled him around on a gravle road in it (by hand, not by a car). At one time I got in it with my counsin (2 grown men) and paddled it across a 60 acre lake. I've never hunted out of it, but I wouldn't hesitate to. I might actually pick up a couple more at the end of the summer if they come on for $10 again.
 
Many years ago I had a rubber dinghy that I used for retrieving ducks... worked OK but beware if it's all pumped up and you toss it into COLD water it will lose a lot of pressure pretty quick. Never did feel that comfortable floating around the Bay of Fundy in January in a rubber raft... but did so on occasion... dumb kids!
 
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This is what I used a little bit last year for smaller lakes. Spray painted it camo and just pulled it back into the bank that you're hunting from. Add some natural cover on it, and you have a nice seat to hunt from.

Pros:
-Fits in a small car
-Inflates quickly with a proper pump
-Fairly light weight
-Better than swimming

Cons:
-Doesn't travel in the water efficiently, you'll work at least 5x harder in this than you would a canoe
-You'll have to get a decoy bag and put that on your back the entire time when rowing
-Unless you add some kind of straps to the side to hold your gun, if you wing a bird and it starts diving and swimming away, rowing after it at full speed for over 200m to try to catch up to it while trying to balance a $1500 gun on your knees so it doesn't fall to the bottom of a lake can be challenging
-Retrieving decoys is difficult as it turns on a dime as soon as you stop rowing with both sides
-Overall, complete pain in the ass. Remind me to buy a truck and a boat next time.
 
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