GiGisDaddy
Active Member
Thanks guys
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Perfect hunting kayak
- Thread starter Nutterbuster
- Start date
THIS^^^^^I thought we already determined the perfect kayak was a canoe???
You beat me to it Vtbow. We paddle our canoes all the time on outings with kayakers. I don't see the attraction to those things.
They have minimal gear hauling capacity and more potential for a wet ride. The last thing I want is to get splashed on my way to an all-day hang on a chilly day.
The native has more of a pontoon shape. It should have a better initial stability but the next has more weight capacity. I would like to paddle the next. Most short canoes want to paddle in circles.
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????
I've never gotten wet while paddling a kayak unless it was raining, but I've seen folks who looked like they peed their pants they dripped so much water in the boat!
It's all situational. If I paddled faster, rockier rivers I'd want a different boat. If I had a lot of open water I'd want a different boat. If I wanted to haul butt a long ways I'd want a different boat.
But, for what 99% of guys are doing 99% of the time (sub 2 mile paddles on flat water with gear and maybe a deer) a canoe is tough to beat. There's a 17ft grumman for sale in my local classifieds right now for $200. You would be hard-pressed to find a better value for accessing quality hunting ground down here. Paddle it, motor it, go solo, take a friend, bring the family, shoot some ducks, catch some bass...whatever!
And for tree ninjas and spider monkeys, a 40lb kayak is as minimal as you can go without a wetsuit and snorkel. Which I've done too. Well, not the snorkel bit. But I've swam creeks and lakes to get to the other side to hunt.
It's all situational. If I paddled faster, rockier rivers I'd want a different boat. If I had a lot of open water I'd want a different boat. If I wanted to haul butt a long ways I'd want a different boat.
But, for what 99% of guys are doing 99% of the time (sub 2 mile paddles on flat water with gear and maybe a deer) a canoe is tough to beat. There's a 17ft grumman for sale in my local classifieds right now for $200. You would be hard-pressed to find a better value for accessing quality hunting ground down here. Paddle it, motor it, go solo, take a friend, bring the family, shoot some ducks, catch some bass...whatever!
And for tree ninjas and spider monkeys, a 40lb kayak is as minimal as you can go without a wetsuit and snorkel. Which I've done too. Well, not the snorkel bit. But I've swam creeks and lakes to get to the other side to hunt.
Canoes are horrendous for dumping people that don't know how to paddle. I can paddle my river canoe in class 3 water that I'd never attempt with the one in your pic.
And just because your nucanoe can hold 750 doesn't mean it has the space for 750.
I have enough space to haul 2 weeks worth of camping gear. I've done 5 day camping trips in sea kayaks and it's almost like backpacking for gear volume and a pain in the ass to access stuff during the day.
I don't get your "quieter" point. Why is a kayak quieter than a non-aluminum canoe?
Canoes have much more freeboard which makes for a drier ride.
Like saddles, pick up trucks, or toilet paper, no product is perfect. Yeah, there are a few advantages a kayak has over a canoe, but all-in-all, I'll stick with a canoe.
And BTW, chest waders and hip boots are dangerous if you go for a swim.
It's just opinions, here. Don't fret.
Vtbow
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2018
- Messages
- 5,516
Chest waders are pretty much a sea anchor if your go over....even more so if there is ANY current......
I"m with @Allegheny Tom on this one....And I do own kayaks, but for very different purposes.
Country
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2018
- Messages
- 895
Haha...yup, I know. Just observing from a safe distance.
No worries too each their own. I would almost bet those that are putting a nucanoe into a kayak category have never even tried a new canoe. Like i said, I have owned and been in many canoes, just do not care for them for hunting unless I can beach it.
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.
Just curious, Dave, Why have you had problems beaching a canoe? The only time I avoid dragging onto a hard, rocky beach is with my kevlar boat when fully loaded. But with my Royalex...no problem.
True - so i would suggest staying in your boat which might be a little difficult if yo? Perhaps you missed the point about egressing in 3-4 foot water?
steep creek banks 3 to4 foot deep in a lot of places where I hunt. I often tie to tree roots and climb up them to get to top of bank
IkemanTX
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2015
- Messages
- 3,501
I think the biggest deciding factor on this for me is the steep bank/deep water egress that Dave mentions. I have paddled MANY miles in canoes, sit on top kayaks, sit in kayaks, and hybrids. Out of all of that, a good wide stance hybrid is the ONLY boat I felt comfortable stepping into in precarious situations.
When you are on a creek bank that is so steep your shoes want to break traction, and just 3 feet away from that foot is 4 feet deep water.... it can get hairy in an instant. I think most people that access the areas like me and @DaveT1965 and @Scoutman do, you really see a benefit in something like a Nucanoe. The Red River basin often has 5-15 foot near vertical sides. There are, however, a lot of times where I prefer to borrow scoutman’s old town canoe over the weight and bulk of the Nucanoe, but this is when I know I won’t be egressing in cut bank situations.
I think this is why there are so many preference differences out there when it comes to watercraft. It all depends on what water and terrain you are using it on. There are times when the closest landing is 3.5+ miles from where I want to hunt, and it is 3.5 miles across a VERY large open reservoir that can get rough as heck. I don’t care how good a paddler you are, you catch a 3 foot quartering-to swell in a canoe, and you are rolling it. Ask me how I know...
In a perfect world, I would have 4 separate boats.
1.) small, nimble 9-10’ sit-in kayak modified with small racks front and back for scouting and carrying minimal gear.
2.) Canoe for scouting/hunting situations with gradually sloped banks (or beach access) where a moderate amount of weight might be need for gear and/or deer removal.
3.) Nucanoe style hybrid with high levels of stability for steep banks and rough water, ridiculous payload capacity, but still small enough to fit in narrow creeks and for one person to load onto the top of a vehicle.
4.) small, flat hulled John boat with a small outboard motor for longer trips, lots of gear, and/or when I want to head upriver into a flow too strong to paddle agains.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
When you are on a creek bank that is so steep your shoes want to break traction, and just 3 feet away from that foot is 4 feet deep water.... it can get hairy in an instant. I think most people that access the areas like me and @DaveT1965 and @Scoutman do, you really see a benefit in something like a Nucanoe. The Red River basin often has 5-15 foot near vertical sides. There are, however, a lot of times where I prefer to borrow scoutman’s old town canoe over the weight and bulk of the Nucanoe, but this is when I know I won’t be egressing in cut bank situations.
I think this is why there are so many preference differences out there when it comes to watercraft. It all depends on what water and terrain you are using it on. There are times when the closest landing is 3.5+ miles from where I want to hunt, and it is 3.5 miles across a VERY large open reservoir that can get rough as heck. I don’t care how good a paddler you are, you catch a 3 foot quartering-to swell in a canoe, and you are rolling it. Ask me how I know...
In a perfect world, I would have 4 separate boats.
1.) small, nimble 9-10’ sit-in kayak modified with small racks front and back for scouting and carrying minimal gear.
2.) Canoe for scouting/hunting situations with gradually sloped banks (or beach access) where a moderate amount of weight might be need for gear and/or deer removal.
3.) Nucanoe style hybrid with high levels of stability for steep banks and rough water, ridiculous payload capacity, but still small enough to fit in narrow creeks and for one person to load onto the top of a vehicle.
4.) small, flat hulled John boat with a small outboard motor for longer trips, lots of gear, and/or when I want to head upriver into a flow too strong to paddle agains.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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.
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