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Perfect hunting kayak

Nutterbuster said:
I wish I had pics of the canoe load I carried last year. Went camping with some sure enough yuppies. My luggage consisted of a single dry bag with a hammock, sleeping bag, change of clothes, bag of trail mix, and a life straw bottle. It fit under my seat.

They filled the rest of my canoe over the friggin gunnels. I had 4 ice chests in my boat, and miscellaneous crap shoved everywhere. I paddled that load solo, and actually led the pack. They were all paddling sit-ons, with the exception of two guys in a 14ft poly canoe.

They legit spent more time packing, unpacking, and futzing around with gear than camping. I rolled up to camp, grabbed my bag, and told them my contribution was hauling that junk, not unloading it. I drank beer and watched herons for 2 hours from my hammock. :)
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HEY, you left "beer" out of your original gear description. That item alone had to take up more space that Dave's boat could haul! lol (Just kidding, Dave).

Your story reminds me of the time my sister and BIL came along on a Clarion River weekend float-camping trip. The goof BIL insisted on bringing along a battery operated TELEVISION. He wouldn't listen to a word of advice. He was so disappointed that he couldn't watch the big golf match because there was no reception in the river valley. BTW, who in the hell wants to watch golf on a river trip?

River trips sure separate the men from the boys when it comes to outdoor skills. This ain't car or RV camping. It's REAL camping.:kissingheart:
 
DaveT1963 said:
Not sure how you think a canoe would load/unload easier than a nucanoe? Yep you would get me in a paddle contest no doubt canoes are faster..... but I'd win everytime when it comes to stability.... we could stand up and play a fun game if tug a war if you think not :)
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Not saying that loading is any easier, just saying you can't fit 4, 30-40 quart ice chests on a kayak. It's an extreme example, and doesn't mean much for hunting purposes. But it does go hand-in-hand with Rom's point about weight ratings vs capacity.

As far as stability, I can stand on the seat of my grumman. Spider monkey, remember? :) And on that trip I actually had to walk across coolers to get to the front of the boat at one point. Ran across a log blocking the creek. Hit it at ramming speed, walked up to the front to shift the weight, and actually ultimately ended up jumping out, pulling the boat off the log, and then re-entering. All without flipping thousands of dollars worth of Yeti coolers and other yuppie gear.

Sit-ons are easier to get in and out of if it's a wet entry/exit. But like anything, practice makes perfect. I can bail out of any boat I own and make it back in assuming relatively calm water and good physical condition (not injured). I cap at about hip deep water if I'm hunting. And some of my take outs have a rope tied to a tree at the top for hauling me and my boat up.

I will admit that I don't remember having sat in a nucanoe. But I've sat in lots of sit-ons and they just ain't my cup of coffee. Glad you like yours. Maybe one day we'll have that tug of war competition. :)
 
DaveT1963 said:
Not sure how you think a canoe would load/unload easier than a nucanoe? Yep you would get me in a paddle contest no doubt canoes are faster..... but I'd win everytime when it comes to stability.... we could stand up and play a fun game of tug a war if you think not :)
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I regularly load my Stowe canoe up with enough gear to camp for 4 days, including 2 coolers. Every try to strap 2 large coolers to your Kayak? I understand that's probably never going to happen since that's not what you use it for, but my point is the raised center of gravity can easily cause stability issues. The kayaks being talked about have great primary stability, but lack in secondary stability, and this is where load hits them hard.

Oh yeah, I stand up and fly fish in my canoe regularly. I think a lot people assume stability in a canoe sucks because they've never paddled a decent canoe. Depending on whether the boat is flat or v bottom, has a hard or soft chine, and the over all rocker of the boat, both primary/secondary stability and maneuverability can be changed greatly.
 
Nutterbuster said:
Not saying that loading is any easier, just saying you can't fit 4, 30-40 quart ice chests on a kayak. It's an extreme example, and doesn't mean much for hunting purposes. But it does go hand-in-hand with Rom's point about weight ratings vs capacity.

As far as stability, I can stand on the seat of my grumman. Spider monkey, remember? :) And on that trip I actually had to walk across coolers to get to the front of the boat at one point. Ran across a log blocking the creek. Hit it at ramming speed, walked up to the front to shift the weight, and actually ultimately ended up jumping out, pulling the boat off the log, and then re-entering. All without flipping thousands of dollars worth of Yeti coolers and other yuppie gear.

Sit-ons are easier to get in and out of if it's a wet entry/exit. But like anything, practice makes perfect. I can bail out of any boat I own and make it back in assuming relatively calm water and good physical condition (not injured). I cap at about hip deep water if I'm hunting. And some of my take outs have a rope tied to a tree at the top for hauling me and my boat up.

I will admit that I don't remember having sat in a nucanoe. But I've sat in lots of sit-ons and they just ain't my cup of coffee. Glad you like yours. Maybe one day we'll have that tug of war competition. :)
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dude 4 ice chest would be simple in a nucanoe, its 12 foot long and seat moves all the way forward or back. Look at the pic I posted, it's more like a canoe than a kayakr
 
DaveT1963 said:
dude 4 ice chest would be simple in a nucanoe, its 12 foot long and seat moves all the way forward or back. Look at the pic I posted, it's more like a canoe than a kayakr
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I'll take your word for it. When we all do our float/hunt trip, you will be the designated beer carrier. I'm also expecting you to help me in and out of my canoe. :)
 
DaveT1963 said:
Stability. canoes are horrendous at dumping someone - they tip like crazy. As far as weight, my nucanoe will hold 750 pounds - just how much more weight do you need to haul out? It is far quieter then a canoe, you can easily stand up and walk around in it (I actually bass fish from mine standing for hours) and like I mentioned above, our rivers creeks down here are steep banked and you often have to egress into water that is 3 - 4 foot deep - with chest waders I can do this easily from my nucanoe - try that in a canoe in freezing temps. I have owned a slew of canoes in my day - the only advantage they might have is that they MIGHT paddle easier - but with a kayak paddle I can go way faster than a canoe and I don't get wet while paddling????

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According to nucanoe that model has a 650lb weight limit. That’s impressive but it is only self bailing to 400lbs. That means that a load over 400lbs and you have water in the cockpit. The nucanoe is very versatile. It’s a little heavy but not for a boat rated for a small outboard. They have a lot to offer but other than being 40” wide they have a lot more in common with a kayak than anything else.
 
DaveT1963 said:
Not sure how you think a canoe would load/unload easier than a nucanoe? Yep you would get me in a paddle contest no doubt canoes are faster..... but I'd win everytime when it comes to stability.... we could stand up and play a fun game of tug a war if you think not :)
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I was just making a comment on sea kayaks. Everything has to go in and out of those little hatches. Your boat would load and unload as easily as a canoe.
Comparing boat styles is like comparing saddles to lock-ons to ladders, etc. They all have the things they do well and not so well.
There is one thing your boat can't do that mine does...accommodate an energetic wife in the bow that loves to paddle my ass around while I fish and enjoy a beverage.
 
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Allegheny Tom said:
I was just making a comment on sea kayaks. Everything has to go in and out of those little hatches. Your boat would load and unload as easily as a canoe.
Comparing boat styles is like comparing saddles to lock-ons to ladders, etc. They all have the things they do well and not so well.
There is one thing your boat can't do that mine does...accommodate an energetic wife in the bow that loves to paddle my ass around while I fish and enjoy a beverage.:grimacing:
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Simply not true, my new canoe has a second seat that swivels 360 - very easy to have two users. You should google nucanoe
 
DaveT1963 said:
Simply not true, my new canoe has a second seat that swivels 360 - very easy to have two users. You should google nucanoe
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I'll be jingle-jammed, it does have 2 seats! My wife would snatch my eyeball off with a back cast in a 12ft boat.

I gotta admit, if they could halve the weight on the thing, I may could be talked into it.
 
Nutterbuster said:
I'll be jingle-jammed, it does have 2 seats! My wife would snatch my eyeball off with a back cast in a 12ft boat.

I gotta admit, if they could halve the weight on the thing, I may could be talked into it.
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That's funny. Reminds me of the scene in the movie "Theres Something About Mary" where the dude gets a lip full of treble hooks.
BTW, sorry we jacked your thread. You wanted to discuss kayaks. Pretty soon we will be debating Ford vs Chevy and gas vs diesel. Threads morph.

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Allegheny Tom said:
That's funny. Reminds me of the scene in the movie "Theres Something About Mary" where the dude gets a lip full of treble hooks.
BTW, sorry we jacked your thread. You wanted to discuss kayaks. Pretty soon we will be debating Ford vs Chevy and gas vs diesel. Threads morph.

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It’s been an interesting thread. The original post hasn’t been lost. For strictly hunting the pungo is probably the best kayak for him. Realistically if he hunts out of the kayak 15 times for every one kill he’s probably better off towing a small inflatable back with the game in it. I would rather have something that paddles great 90 percent of the time and suck when I have to get a kill out than paddle something that just paddles ok all the time. It’s really neat to see such a small segment of the hunting world have such large differences in gear choices. Even in saddles we have some that weigh ounces and others 10 pounds. That carries over into climbing methods and apparently small watercraft.
 
Allegheny Tom said:
Comparing boat styles is like comparing saddles to lock-ons to ladders, etc. They all have the things they do well and not so well.
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Nutterbuster said:
I gotta admit, if they could halve the weight on the thing, I may could be talked into it.
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Nott to derail any further....

But this is why I am so interested in a DIY foam kayak. I could base the bottom of the hull design on the Nucanoe to get the stability I want while cutting half the weight, integrate lighting/electric/steering right into the hull, and customize to my specific needs as my methods/access evolves.


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Not to get too far off topic, but the part about becoming an “anchor” if you fall in with chest waders doesn’t seem right. Maybe for old school waders or non-neoprene ones that is true, but not for neoprene.

Back in highschool we had some local kids die while duck hunting on the lake when their jon-boat tipped over in the middle of KY Lake. Rumor was that they found a couple of the kids “standing up” at the bottom of the lake because their waders filled up sunk them. I didn’t buy that story but my poor mother was terrified for me. The following summer I put on my hunting clothes, all layers, and my hunting waders and jumped in our pool. Even with all the cotton under layers I floated like a cork. With my mother as my witness, I feel like I proved that you won’t sink in neoprene waders.

(It later came out that the boys that had died weren’t wearing waders or even life vests)
 
Allegheny Tom said:
That's funny. Reminds me of the scene in the movie "Theres Something About Mary" where the dude gets a lip full of treble hooks.
BTW, sorry we jacked your thread. You wanted to discuss kayaks. Pretty soon we will be debating Ford vs Chevy and gas vs diesel. Threads morph.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
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It's all good. We've actually stayed pretty on topic. :)

@EricS, exactly. And don't forget all the time spent scouting before hunting season. I can cruise in that pungo. All day if need be. It's so easy to load that there's no voice whispering "it isn't worth the effort" at 2am on a drizzling morning. And I can cut a deer up and cram it in the hatch.

Also, I would concur that waders aren't as dangerous as people make out. I've had rubber and neoprene ones fill with water. The water inside doesn't weigh more than the water outside. It CAN make it very difficult to reenter a boat though, and I think that's where the danger come in. Treading water with them on is fine.
 
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