I recently moved to SE Michigan from Portland, Oregon. I have read many articles thru the years about hunting for whitetail from canoes and have always thought that would be something interesting to try out. Could anyone who's done it before tell me how stable it is to hunt from a canoe? Or would a kayak be better? Also, I have a pick up with a canopy on it...how do you transport your canoes/kayaks?
Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks!
There were a couple of threads on this subject this year and in the past.Do a search should get plenty info.To answer your question I say canoe.I have hunted and camped a bunch with my Old Town Camper 16' fits my needs perfect but not for whitewater above class 2.Kip
Had both including some great canoes. My favorite canoe was my 17'(?) Quachita. IMO, the kayak is not suitable to hunt from because it is too easy to flip when shooting. Neither does it offer as much room to transport game & supplies. Sold my 17' Grumman wide body to buy my kayak. Sold the kayak & bought another 17' Grumman. The latest Grumman is way lighter & easier to flip. Should have kept my 1st Grumman.
canoes You will get more gear in them.. PM Ron Leclair. He does some hunting from canoes and has posted pix of them.
Welcome to Michigan
Canoe hands down. You sit well above the water line in a canoe, you sit at or below the water line in a kayak. While kayaks are not as tippy as some think, do to thier design you can't get much gear in them including animals you take. For a hunter/angler spending most of the time on back waters,you can't beat a good canoe for just about everything. As far as transporting, there are so many different styles of racks,bars and tiedowns out there you would be better off to google "canoe racks" and see what you come up with.
I agree with a canoe. You can get more gear in them and it's easier to transport a gutted deer from a remote watery place than you can with a kayak.
For the best of both worlds try.... Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 or the 16.
http://www.nativewatercraft.com/ult_14T.cfm
Couldn't find any pics with just the kayak and hunting but here's a picture of it loaded up for a week trip into the BWCA for my son and I. Very stable and easy to paddle. I pull the front seat out when I use it for hunting.
images no wider than 640, please (//%5Burl=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/830/img3449b.jpg/%5D%20%5Bimg%5Dhttp://img830.imageshack.us/img830/7541/img3449b.jpg)[/url] [/IMG]
And for hauling your canoe or kayak I found it's easier to just use a utility trailer. I had a rack for the back of my truck but then I needed to unload everything and lift it up on top and strap it down, I always have a dog box in th bed of the truck so that eliminates sliding it into the bed, plus the beds are too short and it sticks way out the bed. So small utility trailer really is in mu opinion the way to go. This way you can leave most all your gear in it and just slide it in and out of the trailer as needed, get home after dark then simply unhook the trailer.
That would depend on what you're using it for. Hard to beat the extra storage a canoe offers, but if you're just using it to get in/out for a day hunt you could get by with the right kayak (depending on how you plan to get game out). The "hybrid" Native Ultimate that German Dog mentions is an excellent alternative if you want to do both type trips, but be prepared to "slap leather". (Those babies ain't cheap!) As for hauling without a trailer, I've got an adjustable rack that fits a standard 2" trailer hitch. It can be mounted in the vertical or horizontal position. When horizontal, the front 2/3rds of the boat rides in the bed of your truck w/ tailgate down. In the vertical, the front would ride on the cab with the foam blocks placed on the gunwhales (or a single cross-bar). If you've got a camper cover, 4 foam blocks would probably be all you'd need.
Having had both, my vote is for the canoe also. The Native Craft hybrid looks great, though, I like that and have not seen one in person, but it's heavier than I want to lug at my age. :rolleyes: You can get a good canoe pretty reasonable and if you spend a bit more you can go for the kevlar canoes which are waaay lighter. Just don't do what I heard of one guy doing--since they make bullet proof vests from kevlar, he figured his canoe hull was too....so he put a bullet right through it. :knothead: They don't have as many layers as a vest, duh!
A caone is more stable and hold more stuff but to just get across the River for a hunt a Kayak would be better. I`ve been really eyeballing some yaks and my buddy Apex has recently bought one and took out in the ocean for sharks. give you an idea of how stable they are. I think his has a 500 pound capacity. Most I look at in the 10-12 range are 350 capacity or better.Lugging a gutted deer is not a problem for me because I skin and quarter everything I kill on the spot.
I paddled my 14 Canoe up river for about two miles and was wondering if my arms and shoulder would ever work again. A Kayak paddles with ease and gives you more options. If you were only gonna go downstream or on still water the canoe may be best but for these Rivers down south I believe a Yak is the way.I`m already planning some Island hunts and don`t have one yet.RC
I like the looks of that native craft hybrid that "German Dog" has..I went to their web site and there is a dealer 12 miles from my house..
I have an Ascend FS 12' camo kayak inbound from Bass Pro Shops. Just sold my 16' Pelican Bayou square stern canoe, which I would NOT recommend even though it is huge and wide, it's not very well built. Basically, I'm going to use my kayak for fishing and duck hunting (easy to conceal).
The advantage of the kayak is paddling it. I am a pretty good paddler but I am way more efficient solo in a kayak than in a canoe. If you have a partner I still say two kayaks are better than one canoe.
The problem with the kayak is the cargo capacity. Trying to haul a dead deer in a sit in kayak is problematic. But in a big sit on tandem or hybrid like the Native, not so much.
Two guys though in an 18 foot canoe can haul a lot of meat across a lake, just slowly, and slow and heavy can be dangerous on big water.
If you're talking about using it for access on a faster river, like the John Day, Deschutes, Snake or something, then the kayak definitely (but better would be a drift boat or raft w/frame).
I have an older 17' Folbot that has an open cockpit, so loading up isn't a problem. Floated out several moose with mine. If I remember right, it was rated for 900 lbs. It has lots of beam and is very stable. You can sit down in it for extra stability in rough water, or sit high. I'm not sure what Folbot sells now, if they are even still in business.
(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii185/finnish-archer/ArcheryPhotos/StJamesBay_Chucks_Folbot_with_rack_on_bar_sm.jpg)
(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii185/finnish-archer/ArcheryPhotos/StJamesBay_Chuck_in_Folbot_in_the_bay_sm.jpg)
:biglaugh:
That's so cool. Moose takes up several spots on my bucket list.
I guess it is like the general aviation regulations. After just about every rule it says, "....except in Alaska."
www.folbot.com (http://www.folbot.com) Greenland 2 looks sweet..
i both canoe and kayak, and while a good kayak is more efficient and lots faster, a decent canoe can take far more of a load, has a far larger cargo/people area, and will do it all far more safely. imho. ymmv.
Gotta go with a canoe. More room for gear, less tipsy.
German Dog, I love that Ulimate Kayak. I want one!
I think it's kind of like asking wich truck is better, opinions are prejeduced. (CANOE) But like lots of other folks have already said, canoes can carry more gear. (GET A CANOE!) They're easier to get in and out of, (GO WITH A CANOE!) and are more versatile.(DEFINATELY GET A CANOE!!) But, you've got to look at the info from a non-biased perspective. (CANOE, CANOE, CANOE!!) :goldtooth:
I didn't fly in. My buddy and I made camp by this bar a week before season. We saw some strange gouges in the gravel on what we thought was too small to land a plane on. When we came back to hunt, this plane was there and another camp was setup a 100 yards from ours. Turns out that I knew one of the guys. Both camps took a moose on opening day.
My buddy watched them fly out their moose and camp. They had to back the plane up to where the tail wheel was in the water. There was a hill in the take off direction, so as soon as they gained about 75' of altitude, the pilot had to stand the plane on it's wing and make a 90 deg turn to get lined up with about mile long straight stretch down the river. I think floating our moose down the river was a bit less existing!
The Greenland II does look nice. I wonder what the hull material is made of. Mine has a heavy Hypalon hull. Very tough stuff. The last moose we got, we had too drag my Folbot over a series of beaver dams to get back too the river. Would have been a pain to pack that moose to the river.
I use a Mohawk canoe,, honestly its mostly for flyfishing but I lined the whole inside with outdoor patio carpet and marine contact cement..
it has aluminum rails so for hunting I'd go over the rails with armor-flex like the radisons I think do..
so I guess if its very windy,choppy, white water a Kayak would would work otherwise a canoe is the best choice---> I've seen Ron's pic where they hold deer nicely too! i guess a Kayak you can float the deer behind you,, canoe you can shoot from your knees which is nice.. okay my minds racing now!
How many paddle your canoe upstream?RC
Welcome to SE MI I live in Rochester north and east of you. I have a sit on top kayak so not a fair comparison cause unless I had a full wet suit I would want to use it here in Oct. or Nov. I have a sportspal square stern 14 ft canoe that does a good job of keeping dry and is stable. With the stablity comes some negatives the width made it paddle like a barge in the wind. I use thulle bars on top of the durango and strap it up top. I dont know if you cap can support weight or have bars never owning a set up like that. I dont know if you have private land hunting opportunities the state land here is going to be probably different than the vastness of out west. Good luck and enjoy.
http://www.bwmarineproducts.com/square_stern_canoes.htm
I love my little 9.5' kayak for fishing my 5 acre lake, but I wouldn't want to try to haul a deer in it. It would definitely have to be quartered. Since kayaks are so much easier to paddle and handle, I think a two-seat kayak might be ideal.
I've done a good bit of both deer and turkey hunting from a 17' Grumman. A small trolling motor can really save your arms if you're on a lake. Be sure and check your state regs- in some states you can't shoot a deer from any kind of water craft.
Not a canoer or a kayaker so take it for what you paid for it!
Dying to get one of 14.5 ultimate - had the chance to try one out and and being inexperienced as I am it was easy to get started, virtually impossible to flip, and was just a blast. When I get my money folded right I am going to get one of these for the same purposes you mentioned. Even with my 70 lb lab in the boat this thing was stable and the dog cant sit still.
I plan on Bhunting, duckin, and some fishin with mine. I think you could really slip along a creek with one of these ultimates and do some damage.
J
RC, I've paddled canoes upstream often. (MOF, most folks say I paddle upstream all the time.) Rather paddle upstream to start the day than fight the current with a load of deer meat coming home. Get nearer the edges where the current is less & it isn't so much of a problem. In my kayak, I scooted across the water directly into a gale wind. It was way impressive. Paddling into a current is huge less an obstacle in a kayak. Trouble is the kayak is too tipsy & you & gear WILL get wet that close to the water especially with a load. Offshore fishing in a kayak is awesome. How many of you Yakers have taken a dive as part of your learning curve especially w/your gear? Once is enough IMO.
I am a canoe advocate. I don't know if Mich. is the same as Maine, but we have to check a whole deer, quartering is not an option. I have had to use the small kayaks when visiting my sisters place. I tied a gear kayak behind the one I was paddling to be able to carry my bow, seat and back pack. An additional bonus is you can shoot out of a canoe, which I think would be tough in a kayak. I took my first archery deer out of a canoe.
I own both kayaks and canoes---both have their place. For two-three day tripping, hard to beat the kayak. For carrying a load and extended hunting/fishing trips, the canoe is a better option.Have spent over a week in the Boundry Waterways with a partner and gear in a canoe. A majority of kayaks would not have carried the load.
DB
I've been using a Mad River kevlar Explorer for 15 yrs. now. Light(53lbs.) yet has a cargo capacity of an astounding 1100lbs.
I would get a smaller sized, square stern conoe with a small 4 horse outboard. You don't have to use the motor, but it sure is nice for getting to your area quickly as well as for trolling while fishing. - John
Floating up on a bull moose is one of lifes greatest pleasures. If you have a hunting partner or even just a paddler a small canoe is the way to go.15' Bob's Special ceder strip. 50 lbs. Its amazing how many moose are around if you carry that canoe 200 or 300 yards off the road to a "moose puddle". Bob
I have an old town 15' canoe and it works out well for hauling gear and I have duck hunted from it. I also have an old town Angler 10' kayack that has a very large cockpit and it is easy to get in and out of. I use this for marsh hunting ducks and fishing. Each has its own fot for me.....
my ocean kayak trident 11 is extremely stable. i would really really have to try hard to flip it. cant stand right up in it and has alot of storage. if you go the kayak route buy a sit on top and not a sit in, sit ins are not very stabile at all IMO.
but for your needs a canoe might be better do to more room to take gear and a deer with you.
Check out winona canoes. Mine is a 16.5' solo canoe that is a dream to paddle, handles cargo easily, very stable and flies on the water. Also have some kayaks for the kids to play with, 10' Old Towns. But for a hunting trip the canoe wis much better choice.
QuoteOriginally posted by Longbow1953:
... Could anyone who's done it before tell me how stable it is to hunt from a canoe...
I loved hunting from the water and spent many years as a wilderness river guide, both canoe and raft (some kayak on the ocean) I always preferred a guide canoe, ie one that actually was designed for various waters like open lakes/rivers that saw rough water and/or quickwater, sporting bottoms that seemed "tippy" but actually had great secondary stability (shallow v or rounded bottoms vs flat). You really do not want to find out just how performance limited a flat bottom is in rough water, with wind, with dark coming on and the lake temp at 42*.
My own personal test was if I could almost (slowly) tip the canoe rail under the water and still not flip it over, paddle around that way. well, thats the one I preferred. I could trust it to save my life by allowing me to use its full potential to avoid disaster whether a over cresting wave, a pour-over rock pulling one rail under or some other happenstance.
I don't know, I just always prepared for the worst and so always came out ok. Trying a smooth water flat bottom canoe side by side one as described you will quickly see for yourself how one is actually super forgiving (and like a good longbow) predictable while the other is a snake waiting to bite...
My 2 cents.
Joshua
PS: Buy a good $ life vest and wear it. Always. Its too late when you are in the water. Seconds count.
There is no shame wearing a vest all the time. During the advanced river rescue training I took, we heard many, many true and very sad stories of husbands, brothers, Dads and dear friends who lost their lives needlessly- either out of ignorance or in the service of vanity- by not WEARING a floatation device.
I'm a dedicated canoe guy! If your going to be doing more solo but some tandem canoeing look into some in the 15ft range maybe 16ft, or if mostly soloing get a solo canoe. Roylex is heavier than kevlar but for river travel vs cost it might be a better way to go, take a look at canoeing.com for reviews and info and then craigs list for what available used in your area, I like canoes at 60lbs or less
I use a canoe for fishing, hunting whitetail and bear. Its a 17' madriver and it works awesome. we put a 55# thrust trolling motor on it to keep work to a minimum and you can sneak around quiet as a mouse. it hauls 2 people, tons of gear and bear bait with ease.
I have never been comfortable in a canoe, always felt like I was going to tip over. Now the idea of paddling a slow river to a hunting spot or crossing a small lake to an island sounds like a lot of fun. So for the guy that always grabs the sides of the canoe every time it rocks a little off center, what would be the most stable design out there to wet my appetite and only my appetite.
P.S. I know I need to get out in one and put in some water time to get used to them.
I am still waiting for my kayak from Bass Pro Shop, but I have my paddle and pfd. (So technically, I'm up a paddle without a creek...) :rolleyes:
But just to mention, there is more to stability than the ability of the boat to roll over (width, chine and center of gravity). There's also the function of the paddle. A kayaker uses his paddle for stability. He always has a paddle on both sides of his kayak. A canoer never does. By definition he's only got his paddle on one side at a time and sometimes that can be on the wrong side. A kayaker can keep himself upright in an instant.
That's why I really like the hybrid idea. Big cargo and kayak paddle. But canoe or kayak, rollovers and swampings are gonna happen sometime, so you have to be prepared to deal with it.
About sit in vs. sit on. I anguished over that one, but because I'm going to use it to hunt ducks in slack water in November-ish and some reasonable white water running, I wanted the extra protection. But it was a close call for me. If I were going to use it for bowhunting access like in Hells Canyon or Brownlee Reservoir, the hybrid would be the one and that Native pic-ed above is sweet.
2x on the PFD advice above. I just opened my Redhead Max 4 camo PFD and it is great. A true paddling vest in Advantage camo. But... I am a big large or a small XL and I read the reviews on the BPS site and they warned that they run small and boy howdy. Yeah. I ordered a 3X and it fits great. I live on a kayaking river and I won't go out there without one.
Have fun! :wavey:
I was checking out the "NuCanoe" website and they look awful promising.RC
I have had both and would have to agree withe the canoe. You can get more gear into it
I do not believe your game would fit in a kayak unless small game or fish. Canoe vote for my opinion.
Hunting from either is certainly an option. There's lots things to consider. Do you intend to haul alot of gear, like big tents, full camp kitchen, a treestand, and the like? That would rule kayaks out. However, I don't think packing deer out with a kayak is out of the question. Arctic natives hunted seals and tied them to skin float bags to tow them back. If a deer wouldn't fit in a larger kayak, I don't doubt that it could still be towed this way if that was the only thing holding you back from a kayak.
A loose guideline to remember is that longer/narrower boats feel more "tippy" and don't turn as easily, but are easier and more efficient to paddle. Short and wide boats tend to be the opposite. So, do you plan on paddling small creeks and ponds or big open water? Will you be travelling upstream for any distance? Small waters lend themselves better to short, manueverable boats, while bigger waters or any significant upstream paddles will do better with something long and sleek. If you'll be on big open water, consider something "seaworthy" and that you are certain you can self rescue if you tip over. A sit-on-top kayak is the easiest to re-enter. Just climb back aboard. A canoe may be the most difficult to right, get back in, and bail out. In any case, make sure your boat has adequate flotation, with secured foam, sealed bulkheads, inflatable float bags, or a redundant combo thereof. (As a heads up, be aware that most of the recreational sit-in kayaks (especially the cheaper ones) have no sealed bulkheads, and need float bags to be safe if you're farther from shore than you can swim.)
Also, do you consider a boat simply a means to a hunting end, and/or with your only desire to have rudimentary paddling skills to get from A to B? Or do you want to learn advanced skills and get more performance out of a boat along the way? Just how "stable" of a boat are you looking for? How agile are you? Do you want room to move around or would you prefer to feel locked in?
Also, how are you going to carry a boat? Trailer, roof rack, truck bed? You're limited to short boats if you're planning on throwing them in the truck bed. Weight is a concern, too. Hefting a 65#+ boat on/off a roof rack and up/down to the launch site gets old fast after you've done it solo a few times. Also, where are you going to store a boat? Do you have room for anything long?
Your final decision may largely be like a longbow vs. recurve thing. In most cases, I think either would do the job, and the decision boils down to more of what you want from the boat while actually paddling it. I'm more of a kayak guy, favoring performance and ease of paddling. I paddle at least weekly and don't think I ever go out that I don't go at least a mile upriver, and often two. Sometimes three or four, and usually to hunt or fish. I personally don't find a kayak difficult to shoot out of, except straight down at fish. Here's my current favorite, an 18' x 22" wide Greenland kayak that I've even been paddling up small trout streams to fish.
(http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/ww48/Alpinbogen/Kayaking5-29-11036b.jpg)
i have never been in a kayak other than a white water boat, i am sure the larger ones are pretty stable and can haul some gear, i have a 16 ft blue hole canoe (royalex) that has hauled a few deer out, i just dont know how ya could do that with a kayak. I am currently looking at a 14 1/2 ft old town which isnt the white water boat the old blue hole is but is lighter and has a decent capacticy and seems to track well will be used for solo fishing and hunting creeks and calmer rivers around here. but for tandem use or bigger water i really like the 16 ft blue hole. i dont actually hunt from the boats but use them to transport to hunting areas and back
Great thread. I've done both. Lived out of a canoe for 3 weeks on the Kenai Peninsula in AK, sported around in a kayak.
Kayaks are definitely easier to paddle, but don't expect to pack much more gear than is possible in a small back pack.
Definitely obtain a good open canoe and learn how to paddle it. Dead deer? Canoe.
In this day and age...you can find yourself a sit on top yak the can hold alot of weight. I have a 09 native manta ray and it'll carry 450lbs. So I went with a kayak for my hunting and fishing adventures.
I bought this one to fish and hunt out of. It's a Malibu Stealth 14 and can haul 550#. Plenty of large hatches/dry storage. It's not as fast as I needed for an offshore fishing boat, so I traded it for two more yaks.
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Kayaking/Attheramp.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Kayaking/NewKayaks2.jpg)
I traded it for a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 160i, which is a perfect offshore boat, and a Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5. Here is the Tarpon.
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Kayaking/Comparison1.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Kayaking/Comparison3.jpg)
Here is the Ultimate 14.5, that I plan to hunt out of this year. She is easy to paddle, plenty fast, and hauls 450#. She is the one on the right, and is more of a canoe than kayak.
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Kayaking/Comparison4.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Kayaking/Comparison9.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Kayaking/Comparison5.jpg)
Now that Ultimate is the best of both worlds!
Super nice!
I've spent a lot of time in both. You can push either category with specialized designs and add-ons, but for working boat simplicity and flexibility I just couldn't imagine ever being without a good river canoe. Add flotation bags and paddling skills and you can handle some tough water...Furthermore, in many areas you have to worry about blood scent and bears. I would far rather clean blood out of a canoe than a kayak. Fishing is more of a trade-off game, but unless you're prowling coastal islands canoes have it for hunting.
Watch the dogs, though. People die in overturned canoes pretty regularly with dogs jumping in and out. I wound up buying a clamp-on stabilizer years ago because of a young son and a younger lab.
And don't forget small 12-14' aluminum skiffs with a 10 or 25 HP. Very, very useful...Now that I'm thinking about it, every man needs several small boats! You can get by handily with one bow, but water comes in a lot of sizes and velocities...
I have two inflatables, a 1 seater and a 2 seater, made by Sevylor for West marine. It's called the Colorado. I haven't hunted out of them yet, but if I can find a place I wouldn't hesitate. They have a very tough outer shell that allows you to inflate them very rigid.
One summer I lived on my sailboat on a Mooring, and had to row back and forth to the Dock. I used the 2 seater with the forward seat removed, and I loaded that puppy with a couple hundred pounds of stuff on a regular basis, as I had to take my deep-cycle batteries ashore for charging. It's very stable, being basically a canoe. It paddles well, and it even has a fitting for hanging a 12V trolling motor if you want.
You can stand in it, it packs down to the size of a large backpack, and it won't break the bank. If I was going to haul a lot of gear, such as a camp/hunt trip, I'd tow the 1 seater behind with gear. Here's a couple of links, one has a good video of one.
http://www.inflatablekayakworld.com/reviews/sevylor-colorado-inflatable-canoe/
http://www.inflatablekayakworld.com/reviews/sevylor-colorado-inflatable-canoe/
I appreciate all the information being posted here as I have been pondering the same question. The comments regarding wearing a PFD cannot be overstated. It is the same as being in a treestand without a harness in my book, do it for your family. To drive it home....the survivors had PFD's
www.paysonroundup.com/news/2011/jun/01/man-drowns-trying-help-others-willow-spring-lake/ (http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2011/jun/01/man-drowns-trying-help-others-willow-spring-lake/)
For my two cents, it will again be the adirondack guide boat fast to row, light and is the pick-up truck of the adirondack mountain lakes and rivers. Now that I (and family too) am finally out in south east Wyoming I hope to use the cedar one I brought with me. But as most have stated it all depends on what type of hunting and how much you are bringing. Hook up with some one who has the same interest and have at it. Good luck, have fun wear, your vest and be safe
Why not go with the best of both worlds and get a solo canoe? I've got an Old Town Pack (12') that I bought as a back-country fishing boat. I've put my bow in the boat a few times during deer season but never saw anything to shoot at. I use a kayak paddle and treat it like a kayak, but I can load it down with camping / fishing / hunting supplies and be on my way.
Another option that looks really interesting is a Wave Walk kayak. Scott Johnson from Minnesota uses his for traditional bowhunting http://www.wavewalk.com/Kayak_Review_10.html
I don't know Scott and I don't have anything to do with Wave Walk, I just thought it looked interesting.
The Folbots are excellent kayaks for price, packability,and use for hunting and fishing. Mokais are another fine alternative for those who don't like to paddle. http://www.mokai.com/index.html
I just got off the Methow River yesterday in my Bass Pro Shops Ascend 12.5' fishing kayak, which I got mainly for duck hunting and lake fishing.
Maiden voyage in white water. The river is still pretty high, about 1,200 cfs and we went through the gentle section which has some 3 and 4 foot rollers. Wet ride. The full length keel was kind of dicey trying to keep out of the sweepers. Any bigger water and I think I'd pitch pole (endo) it.
It's great on slow rivers and lakes, tho. Will hold a boned out mule deer and a head and cape, easy.
Cascade toys and guns sells a ghillie suit for kayaks and I'll match that up with a shorty guillie jacket and become pond scum.
The Ascend 12.5 is definitely more lake yak than river, and it's really good at that. It has a tunnel mid-boat that makes it like a catamaran, very stable without being slow. I was with three people in whitewater inflatables and I had a really hard time not running them over.
Whitewater? Not so much.
I use a boat called creek boats , its a hybrid canoe and kayak so check them out www.creekboats.com (http://www.creekboats.com)
Mike
BTW you can get them with trolling motor package or with out . I got it with out and use a kayak paddle with it .
Mike
I use a 10 ft Aqua Pod. It is a hybrid low profile boat that is part kayak/canoe. It weighs about 60 pounds and I can easily carry it from my vehicle to the water. I have got through only 4 inches of water in it and have hauled two Southern Michigan farm bucks out with gear & had no problems. These things are also almost impossible to flip which is a bonus.
THAT looks interesting...
Killdeer :)
I just got a old Coleman ram-x 15 canoe and a game feeder for trade (work). Can't wait to get out on the water now...
I would choose a sit on top or a hybrid like the Native on page 1. They're just more versatile & efficient in my opinion... much easier to handle by yourself as well.
I am used to canoes, but I live in a two bedroom flat and need something that fits in the bed of my pickup. That last one seemed to do the trick. Need room for camera, maybe a dog, and a fishing pole and a book.
Killdeer
I have a Wenonah 16 ft prospector that I love, when I wear it out I will buy another just like it. I thought that a kayak would be just the ticket for going by myself so I bought a 14' perception. I absolutely hated it, once you were in it, it handled like a dream and paddled great however getting into and out of it was an absolute pain in the rear. It had no room for gear at all, my fishing pole, recurve and small backpack was all it would handle. Now I am looking at solo canoes but will never go back to a kayak for serious hunting and fishing. Chris
My old Sam's club special overloaded for a camping trip.
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l258/bisleykid/Picture642-1.jpg)
My constant companion, the infamous Rusty dog napping.
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l258/bisleykid/Picture102-2.jpg)
My Wenonah.
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l258/bisleykid/Picture086-1.jpg)
I went through this last season. Researched everything. Was leaning toward the Native Ultimate. Guy at the store told me for what I wanted to do I needed a canoe. Ended up buying a Wenonah royalex Adirondack. 16'
THe guy at the store was right - I discovered that the day I needed to paddle a deer + all camping and hunting gear 10 miles down a big river to the takeouts.
I'm extremely pleased with my canoe. I'd like to have a bigger one, in fact. I paddle into a very remote area to hunt, no road access. Having done it a number of times last season, there is no way I'd try it in any kind of yak I've seen.
(http://www.ride8.com/images/dogs/canoe_swamp.jpg)
(http://www.ride8.com/images/dogs/canoe_sandbar.jpg)
(http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k632/arrowman2/July232011195.jpg)
I made this one for fishing in the local lakes. Still, I wouldn't turn down a chance to hunt out of it.
When I lic. it the conservation officer said he felt it would easily carry me and additional 500#.
My only problem would be putting it down a rocky river or creek. Too much would in it to scuff it up on rocks.
Troy
A little comparison pic, I know there are bigger yaks but still gives you a rough idea. Not to mention I enjoy paddling a canoe much better, I really get tired of cold water dripping in my lap with a double blade. Learn to do a good J stroke and a good canoe is a joy.
My perception, that was sold after 2 trips, and my sons otter.
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l258/bisleykid/Picture868-1.jpg)
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l258/bisleykid/Picture745-1.jpg)
How about the best of both worlds and get a pirogue. Check this Louisiana boy out. He has a great design even with wheels for one man transport to and from the water.
http://banditmarine.com/index.html
Billy