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Kayak
- Thread starter dbow0603
- Start date
lots to unpack here. i'm assuming you're brand new to kayaking? or do you have some experience?. follow (and google more about) the 120 rule (basically air+water needs to be 120 or more to venture out without a wet/drysuit). below those temps there's a lot of variables and opinions. i'm a fan of belted waders and a dry top if it's super cold, or just the waders if it's moderate (though some people reccomend against waiders on a kayak all together, it all comes down to how tight its belted and what your personal comfort/experience level is. just like climbing a tree, test everything before you head out, as cold can kill, quickly. (for example, i put on my waders with and without a dry top and jumped in the water in the middle of summer in a place where i could stand to test everything out)
sit on top kayaks are basically unsinkable, sit inside are typically more maneuverable, but can swamp if you don't use a skirt and turtle/encounter waves, each has their plusses and minuses.
lights are good to have, most (all?) places require a pole mounted white light so you dont get run over by a power boat in the night though rules may be different in freshwater/ wherever youre headed.
PFD i'm a fan of NRS Chinook, but more because i fish from a kayak (used to year-round before i started hunting, now i rarely fish in deer season), i dont have any places where i could use it for hunting access. i personally like the vest/ hybrid styles more than inflatable, yes there's inflatables that will automatically inflate if they touch water, but IMHO that's a hassle and i'd worry about it failing. foam cant fail unless you take it off.
hopefully that gets the conversation going a bit...
sit on top kayaks are basically unsinkable, sit inside are typically more maneuverable, but can swamp if you don't use a skirt and turtle/encounter waves, each has their plusses and minuses.
lights are good to have, most (all?) places require a pole mounted white light so you dont get run over by a power boat in the night though rules may be different in freshwater/ wherever youre headed.
PFD i'm a fan of NRS Chinook, but more because i fish from a kayak (used to year-round before i started hunting, now i rarely fish in deer season), i dont have any places where i could use it for hunting access. i personally like the vest/ hybrid styles more than inflatable, yes there's inflatables that will automatically inflate if they touch water, but IMHO that's a hassle and i'd worry about it failing. foam cant fail unless you take it off.
hopefully that gets the conversation going a bit...
Get a wide one if you prefer to stay on the dry side.
Thanks for the info. I have an Ascend FS10 and am fairly new to kayaking. Water temp is around 40-50 now but is generally warmer during the rut. Did you ever consider installing outriggers? I have a mile max to get to my spots and after seeing the price of a drysuit omg
I don't mean to be a ****, but I'm going to say this very bluntly, please don't do this. Outriggers are a bandaid, you shouldn't be on the water without the right gear, all it takes is one time to get hypothermia and die. Is the cost of a dry suit worth dying over a deer?
Some might call me an alarmist or an exaggerator but it's the truth.
The_Fit_Ness_Monster
Well-Known Member
Biggest thing obviously is know how to swim and stay calm in water. I have an auto inflate LPD can’t remember brand off hand but my concern isn’t my swimming ability it’s just I have non if I’m unconscious lol and pro tip: cold water is cold. I use a pelican catch 100 and me 155# plus gear 30# plus a gutted deer ~127# just shy of 2 miles with help of a slow current was easy peasy and main thing I felt very stable in that kayak. I tried with a 210# hog and it wasn’t a stability problem it was a sinking problem opted to float the hog behind me wasn’t bad but paddle was rough against a current but was only about 500yds.
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I would spend the extra cash and get a good Yak and not need outriggers. I've had the Field & Stream and now a NuCanoe. I can stand and shoot from either. They are very stable. I feel as stable in my NuCanoe as my flat bottom boat.
Something that might not apply to your scenario but does to mine is get to know the body of water in the daylight. The places I use a yak to access hunting spots are chock full of stumps and snags just under the water. There are some lanes but you cant see them, just have to know where thy are. Get out of them and you can quickly find out how stable the boat is lol. That and practice getting in and out in unconventional spots.
Good Advice. I paddled an aluminum canoe into a rendezvous a few yrs ago and hit something in the middle of the river. I tried to back paddle and the current spin me around. What I hit was a 3" pipe at the water's surface. That spinning movement acted as a hole saw and cut a 3" circle in the center of my canoe. I grabbed my flintlock and some hides and pack basket and bailed out trying to save as much as I could. I waded back out in wet buckskins shoulder deep & lifted it off the post. No foul other than some wet gear but I'd hate to re enact that after dark. Sorry, it's funny now but just had to share.
razorsharptokill
Member
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2021
- Messages
- 97
I was just preparing to post about water access to public land when I saw this post. Recently I acquired a free 12' Jon boat for free and a cheap old Johnson outboard. (43 yrs old). Pretty stable and room for gear and a deer if I'm lucky. I have some local Corps of Engineers land along a local river that I plan hunting this year. Lost my deer lease so back to public I go.
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2014
- Messages
- 967
I'm not an expert but I have a LOT of experience in a kayak or a canoe. So what are you going to do if you actually kill one? Is there current? I have first hand experience. Cold water and current don't go together. I've been in the water twice in these conditions. Both times were not pleasant and one was life threatening. Both times it was related to a situation that either myself or my wife hadn't encountered before which led to a wrong decision. Both were related to over confidence. I thought I could get us out of it or I didn't realize the yak would react that way. It happens in an INSTANT. One second your good then the next your in the water. A kayak loaded w/ a person, gear and a deer is very unstable. It is a recipe for disaster. One little thing goes wrong and your in the water fighting for your life. Hitting a rock or log in the dark is very easy to do. Then factor in changing water conditions.. Then factor in a mile paddle. Too much risk IMO. Invest in a boat.
Not sure if these were already mentioned...
Every paddler needs to know how to brace. High brace and low brace are critical "strokes" to keep a boat upright.
Self rescue. You must develop the ability to unflip a boat and get back into it.
Anything you don't want to lose to the bottom of the lake/river needs to be attached to the boat. I doubt a $2,000 bow or gun will float. Lanyard it to the boat.
I'd also advise taking a cable and lock to secure your boat AND PADDLE while you are away from the boat. I know a guy who had his paddle stolen while he was hunting. He luckily found a piece of board to use as a paddle to get back to the truck.
I left my canoe unsecured a couple years ago. I was so paranoid every time I heard a motor boat slow down near my beached canoe. It made for an uneasy day.
Every paddler needs to know how to brace. High brace and low brace are critical "strokes" to keep a boat upright.
Self rescue. You must develop the ability to unflip a boat and get back into it.
Anything you don't want to lose to the bottom of the lake/river needs to be attached to the boat. I doubt a $2,000 bow or gun will float. Lanyard it to the boat.
I'd also advise taking a cable and lock to secure your boat AND PADDLE while you are away from the boat. I know a guy who had his paddle stolen while he was hunting. He luckily found a piece of board to use as a paddle to get back to the truck.
I left my canoe unsecured a couple years ago. I was so paranoid every time I heard a motor boat slow down near my beached canoe. It made for an uneasy day.
Ascend's site show the FS10 having a max capacity of 325#, so...
325# capacity
-175# average male, minus clothing
-20# gear(due to being ultralight) that's bow, pack, paddle, clothes, etc
-125# dead deer
=5# of free weight
Those margins are too slim for me, I personally(240#) would have to debone the deer to even have a chance in that size boat.Once water temps warm up I would take that yak out and scout the places you plan on using it, see if the juice is worth the squeeze, and if it looks worthwhile, buy a bigger boat probably 500# capacity or greater to make getting a deer out feasible
Worth a mention here. Make sure the water way has enough navigable water during the season you are targeting.
I have a spot in mind here locally where right now you could run a john boat with a motor to and from, but in October it probably have to be an inflatable.
I have a spot in mind here locally where right now you could run a john boat with a motor to and from, but in October it probably have to be an inflatable.
razorsharptokill
Member
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2021
- Messages
- 97
Luckily, my spot is a navigational channel for barge traffic.
What state?Luckily, my spot is a navigational channel for barge traffic.
razorsharptokill
Member
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2021
- Messages
- 97
Oklahoma.
Was sounding an awful lot like a couple spots I like to get into. Guess it could be the same river system.
drpike22
Active Member
I would go with a wide canoe or john boat. I have an old 13' Mansfield Fiberglass canoe that was made in Stowe Vermont. I have been in some rough water with it and it is wide for it length and stable. It also has a keel that runs down the middle of the bottom. This is not ideal for running very fast water but the keel helps on slower water, ponds and when its windy. If you stay on your knees toward the middle (adds to stability.) in rough water, there is less chance of a tip over. I had a 2.5 gas outboard on it and was never able to go past 1/2 throttle. It was to much power. A smaller electric trolling motor was perfect. If I remember correctly, it has a 750lb. load capacity.
I tried a buddies kayak during the summer and I would not want to deer hunt out of it. I got soaking wet just from paddling it around and there’s no room for anything. Plus it was difficult getting out on a steep muddy bank without falling in the water. I returned the kayak and bought a 10 ft Jon boat off of face book and it worked out great.