hunting kayak

[Jr hunter]

I'm looking at getting a kayak to do some waterfowling in wondering if you all had any ideas or past experience.

 

[Birdstrike]

I hunted extensively out of a kayak prior to moving to AK in both fresh and salt water. I have a 16' tandem that has plenty of room for decoys and a dog in the backseat. Kayaks can be great tools to get you where few other watercraft can go. However, shooting out of one is difficult. You have a limited field of fire due to being seated in the cockpit. I've killed a lot of ducks while seated but far more while outside the boat.

The best way to use a kayak for duck hunting is to access someplace where you can get out of it. I STRONGLY reccomend a floating drybag type gun case or at least some type of lanyard to your shotgun while paddling. A big sponge makes a great bilge pump for rainy days. Always wear a high flotation pfd while paddling and never, ever try standing up in a kayak. A swim on a cold, dark, solo morning is something you will never forget.

 

[Jr hunter]

Ya I already have a good pfd for when I rent one and it works well iv already tested it out unfortunately haha. If I hunt an area where I could get out and hide then I would I'm in the market for one iv been looking at the fs12t that bass pro has in store.

 

[Birdstrike]

Make sure you get a sit inside. Padding a sit-on-top in a storm would scare me. As it is...I've scared myself twice while paddling my sit-inside through/over eye height waves caused by 50+ mph winds over open water. I mean truly scared ....hoping I'd make it back. No duck is worth your life. Be careful.

My kayak allowed me to access hidden ponds and kill a lot of woodies. I miss those days. Very cool birds.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

strike, that is some wise advice my friend. spoken like a man who has some brown drawers on the flip side.

 

[AK.airboater]

check out wilderness commander kayak/canoe hybred

 

[Tacpswank]

Field and Stream had a very good write up several months ago called the craigslist duck killer or something like that. It went I to detail on purchasing a used kayak and how to prep, camo paint, seal, and re-purpose someone's Orange river floater into a duck killing machine on a budget. They also recommended finding a spot to get out and set up and not hunt from the kayak. But the kayak was camo so it was easy to hide.

 

[Birdstrike]

If you are not planning on shooting from the kayak, once parked just cover it with some type of green or camouflage material and then try to break up its outline by tossing some foliage on top of it. The color of the boat will not really matter then.

I always carry a spare, breakdown paddle also. If you somehow lose or break your one and only means of propulsion you will be literally up "***** creek without a paddle". Lol