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River scouting

Sipsey

Sipsey

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
615
Location
W. Alabama
IMG_7171.JPG image1.JPG Borrowed my cousins 2-1/2hp Suzuki 4 stroke (26lbs) to try out on my old Coleman scanoe. Our stream stays low usually till after bow season. We hunt about 2-3 miles up and it's a tough 4 wheel ride from upwind to otherwise hunt. The motor worked like a champ. We chainsawed 2 trees and ran over all the rest. That thing is quiet! We traveled at a good clip so it might be a 30 min. ride to some real remote spots that see no pressure. We smiled as we realized what this means. We carried a few lures and caught a mess of fish in between scouting. Don't get much better!
 
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Sipsey said:
Borrowed my cousins 2-1/2hp Suzuki 4 stroke (26lbs) to try out on my old Coleman scanoe. Our stream stays low usually till after bow season. We hunt about 2-3 miles up and it's a tough 4 wheel ride from upwind to otherwise hunt. The motor worked like a champ. We chainsawed 2 trees and ran over all the rest. That thing is quiet! We traveled at a good clip so it might be a 30 min. ride to some real remote spots that see no pressure. We smiled as we realized what this means. We carried a few lures and caught a mess of fish in between scouting. Don't get much better!
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This often my approach as well. Being from southern La it customary to take a boat to hunt, so when I travel I bring my boat and find some pretty remote spots.

Here recently I picked up this little thing to pack in then blow up and float across a creek where others can't get to.
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I use this Raddison 15 foot square back canoe made from aircraft aluminum that weighs 43 ponds and comes with oars and the canoe has oar locks and is lined with foam to make it extra quiet. On a few occasions I've used a trolling motor to cross a lake.

Works great and I can easily handle it myself.


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IMG_7396.PNG Got another river scout in today. Cleared shooting lanes for 4 ground blinds. Finally found a bedding area! It can be tough to find beds on my stream but I pushed farther from a spot I had deer on camera last year. Followed a dry slough bed back a ways to a thick mess with 2 trails exiting towards a small cluster of white oaks near the river. Last year I drilled a tree across the river for gun hunting but never hunted it. I'll drill it next trip for the kestrel that should be here Wednesday. The swamp White oaks are just beginning to fall along with water oaks.
 
I've been using a canoe to hunt in Oklahoma this season. Seen no other hunters and have been fine tuning sets. Set up 2 trees yesterday on acorn feeding flats with scrapes and rubs, but it was 92 degrees. Hope to hunt next weekend if cooler.
 
We had a cool front come through yesterday so my cousin & I went up river with our bows. I dropped him off and went upstream and set up a turkey chair & netting (Kestrel coming tomorrow). Had a 90lb. doe ease my way up a dry slough bed. Picked up the crossbow when it passed behind a tree. It came from behind the tree at about 20', stopped & turned straight towards me. It bobbed its head and flinched slightly at the shot. 350fps with a 2" 3blade mech. did the trick on a tough shot. 50 yds. and down.IMG_7404.JPG
 
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g2outdoors said:
Love seeing those river kills. Well done!
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Thanks! Another good aspect of river access is butchering on the bank. Always carry a portable hoist, cooler, bags, knives. Carcass feeds the fish. I had it in the cooler when my cousin texted to come pick him up and track a coyote. He arrowed one and it limped towards a downed tree. I walked up with machete in hand. He handed me his .45 and I eased up to a log and saw it down, but stareing. Finished it off and back home by noon. A good day!
 
Sipsey said:
View attachment 3053
Thanks! Another good aspect of river access is butchering on the bank. Always carry a portable hoist, cooler, bags, knives. Carcass feeds the fish. I had it in the cooler when my cousin texted to come pick him up and track a coyote. He arrowed one and it limped towards a downed tree. I walked up with machete in hand. He handed me his .45 and I eased up to a log and saw it down, but stareing. Finished it off and back home by noon. A good day!
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I agree, cleaning on the side of a river makes things quick and easy. Congrats on the kill!


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It's what we call a pirougue in south Louisiana. Essentially it's a small low profile version of a canoe. They are made for navigating flooded swamps and very small water bodies. Typical size is 10-14' in length with the bottom no wider than about 24".

4e01c0ee1cf829650239427d004c89d5.jpg



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Swampfox said:
It's what we call a pirougue in south Louisiana. Essentially it's a small low profile version of a canoe. They are made for navigating flooded swamps and very small water bodies. Typical size is 10-14' in length with the bottom no wider than about 24".

4e01c0ee1cf829650239427d004c89d5.jpg



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Click to expand...
Nice! My cousin has an aluminum version.
 
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