Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Does anyone use a canoe when they hunt?

I just got a square back canoe last week when they were on special at Crappy Tire. What's old is new again, because I used to have a Coleman Scanoe when I lived in NB.

They are handy for getting to spots across lakes where the hunting pressure is low. Despite having a 800-900 lb capacity, moose calves take a couple of trips because of the size. I've never had the opportunity to transport anything over 350-400 lb. with one.

An added plus is the fishing.

I've only fished from mine, haven't hunted from it yet. Talked to a fellow who drifts a river in his, looking for bears. He gets one pretty much every year, so it must work!

Can be a near-silent approach...

I've used it for ducks as well.

Steve: For years a 20' wood and canvas Chestnut Jock series canoe
was my preferred means of moose hunting rivers in N.E. BC. No motor as this was a double ender and I poled/paddled quite a few moose off of rivers like the Beatton, Prophet, and Peace. Great way to get where river boats couldn't. Done with that now due to age. But, the trips were great while it lasted.

I cheated with this boat and bought a trolling motor. Paddling is fine, but when you get tired it's nice to have something to get you back to camp. Silence is good, whether it's hunting, fishing or just sight seeing.

I've never been duck hunting. I was always scared this would happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpDp3gvapmc

Damn them ducks are nasty. Good beer commercial.

Shot a moose from a 14 footer with a couple other guys in it with me. Rear end was in about 4-6" of cold water. Didn't alter the taste of the moose though. Have also used a 18 foot Grumman.

Forgive me, but if the water was up to your rear end that would be more than 6 inch right?

I still maintain you only shot once at that bull.
Randy

Not when you're sitting on the bottom of the canoe, and I have one of those low aspect ratio butts.

Gigglin'! Great time, that! Too bad Dad never connected.

Thnk like a Dad for a minute. He connected.

We are happier when our kids connect than when we do, right. We were always his boys, Keith.
Randy

Originally used canoes for duck hunting back in the days when I still did that. Later used them for moose hunting. On small bodies of water they are a great way to get around and quiet.

Back in the '70s two of us were bringing out half a moose using an old 1.1 hp motor for propulsion. About 2 miles from our destination they motor conked out and couldn't be re-started. We blew back about .5 mile due to a strong headwind. We finally started to paddle for our lives. We made it in but my arms were like spaghetti when we got there. The next year I used a more modern 6 hp motor mounted on an outrigger hooked up to two canoes. This worked much better.

The next 10 years were spent hunting in Wyoming where boats were not needed. When we got back to hunting in Ontario we were hunting big water where big motorized boats were the preferred method of travel.

Jim

I went on a sheep hunt up in the northeastern part of the Yukon near where the Artic Circle and the MacKenzie Territory and Yukon Territory all come together. We crossed the Bonnet Plume and Snake Rivers many times and it got me looking into accessing those areas via canoe. In the process, I found an outfit that will fly you and your pals along with an expedition type canoe (like an Old Town Tripper) as far up the Noatak River in Alaska as you care to go. From the headwaters it is 2 weeks to Nome and the river is all class 2 which pretty much means "no portage needed." Always wanted to do that. Two or three boats. 4 or 6 guys hunting and fishing. I got into flatwater and whitewater canoeing because of that sheep hunting trip to the Yukon but never did the Noatak. It's going on my "bucket list."

Jaybird

Welcome to the fire. One bit of advice regarding the bucket list. Treat it as a need to do versus a when I get to it list.Life goes past more quickly than you can imagine.

Randy

Last time I hunted out of a canoe was for squirrels as that and ducks are all you can shoot from a boat down here. My boss wanted to go and was seated up front with a shotgun and me in the back with a Ruger .22 pistol. Something about "don't shoot, don't shoot' that igmoe didn't understand so he turned sideways, shot, and we turned a flip. Colder that a welldiggers butt we finally got everything back in after turning it back over. Last time he ever went in a boat with me. Don't even think that my 19 center console is big enough for that ijet..BG

You always were way more philosophical than me, richer and better lookin' too -- almost as good a son as . . . . W , , , , well you know. Still doesn't change my mind about wanting Dad to drop the hammer on a moose with his boys there.

hunted moose and bear from canoes. huge fan.

I thought he shot the cow that year. The one down by the narrows on Margaret Lake. Altzheimer's is a wicked thing. That old man gave us a wwealth of rich memories.

Randy

I used a Coleman Scanoe for many years while hunting moose during the calling season in the Cumberland delta in Saskatchewan. Nothing is better for the task. Paddle out sneaky and quiet each morning, and use the 2hp Evinrude motor to zip back to camp for lunch or to haul meat. Too bad we don't have a Sask. resident calling season any more in that region.