boats on moose hunt: canoe vs zodiac

[redthorn]

I'll have to look again, saw the GTK and newer GHK370 were both 4+1. Slightly shorter/narrower and slightly lighter, with out giving up much payload were my ideas

I must have been looking at the wrong boat then. Glad to see we are on the same thought pattern. We find that for downstream whitewater, the length is needed and even 6" shorter would cramp up a bit. One guy on the back on the oars to steer, (Oar swing takes a lot out of the boat) and 2 others inline in front with paddles to power through. Bit of room to put supplies or a kid or two in between.

[redthorn]

Just saw one of these Kaboat pop up on CL in Nanaimo. It's a bit shorter and one bench less than the 16' we use, but if anyone is looking for a boat last minute without the wait, you can try this one.

[Leveraction]

Take your truck in and get a rack put on it.
it will costs less then $500 installed, real simple real easy, most dealers have their own rack system, Toyota, Ford, chev all have racks as accessories in their parts department.
straps over the canoe side to side, tie down straps front and back and 110 kms on the highway no problem.
look at my post on here called solo moose hunt, packed all my gear and a quartered bull into a 17’ Tripper made by Clipper and paddled back to camp. Was a dream hunt.


I have never had an inflatable, and I’m sure like everything there is varying levels of quality.
I looked into one this year several times, As I was planning a fly in hunt and the float plane can’t handle a canoe, so I was told to get an inflatable, thought it over very seriously, many built in China and not certified for Canadian waters.
I did not want to get dropped off on a lake, set up camp and inflate my boat only to find it dont inflate, I’m sure getting one next spring and using it several times will develop some confidence for its use, but I also considered
canoe = paddles
inflatable= battery and electric motor or outboard motor and gas.
takes a lot to put a hole in a canoe, I’m sure some of the tougher inflatables are the same, where others would be like a floating balloon and Pop…. You are walking the shoreline now.
make sure your repair kit with enough material and glue comes along with you in the inflatable, as well as a pump for inflating if you need.
Im thinking I will get a smaller inflatable as a tow behind for a couple of moose quarters.

my choice would be canoe, but again only based on my experience, Others have had plenty of success with inflatable.
if your going on the water, wear a life jacket, make sure you have a dry bag with extra gear, rope everything off to the boat so if you tip, everything, I mean everything gets roped back up, including your rifle.
if money is not an issue, but and wear a good wet suit.

good luck

[The Hermit]

I have a square stern freighter style canoe and its great on small lakes and meandering rivers. Its only 15 or 16ft so with two guys, day packs, chain saw and come along it will only manage one quarter and a bit so it takes four trips to get a moose out. We only use the 2hp motor to ferry quarters and it all works well. I love hunting from the water in a canoe but am considering a rigid hull inflatable and electric motor.

Watch FB Market Place for a used set of truck bed racks. I got a set of adjustable Thule racks and supplemented them with a third rack on the cab. Great set up for the canoe plusa Thule ski box for paddles, poles etc.