Hunting from a canoe?

[albravo2]

Planning a fly-in moose hunt in 2019 up in the northwest and will have access to a canoe and many miles of coastline. This has to be one of the oldest ways of hunting in Canada but I know absolutely nothing about it.

Anybody have some tips or tricks about this style of hunting?

[Wild one]

Don’t tip you will get wet

[Bugle M In]

Definitely waterproof bags for gear.

[Rieber]

Take the red and black Mackinaw jacket and a camera. This sounds like a memory filled trip.

[Would Rather Be Fishing]

Take the red and black Mackinaw jacket and a camera. This sounds like a memory filled trip. Filson? Does any hunter REALLY wear Filson?

@albravo2: Will you be the only one in a Canoe or are there others (and other watercraft) with you? You mentioned coastline... you planning on doing coastal waters in a canoe? Or a sea kayak? Depending on the above the safety gear would vary greatly....

[TreeStandMan]

I'm far from an expert, but have done a small amount of hunting from a canoe.

My advice:


Wear a life-jacket
Have a ditch bag with your essentials (fire starter, first aid kit, epirb, emergency blanket, para cord, etc)
Run long painters (maybe 20-25 feet) fore and aft
Get a dry bag for your gun
Tie all your gear into the boat, so if it goes over you don't lose it all.


My partner and I took on major water going though standing waves in the North Thompson, and we did all of the above, and it turned what could have been a disaster into a bad afternoon.

[albravo2]

Filson? Does any hunter REALLY wear Filson?

@albravo2: Will you be the only one in a Canoe or are there others (and other watercraft) with you? You mentioned coastline... you planning on doing coastal waters in a canoe? Or a sea kayak? Depending on the above the safety gear would vary greatly....

Lakes only. I wondered if coastline still applied but couldn't think of another word for lakeshore, which would have made more sense anyway, now that I think about it.

[albravo2]

I'm OK with respect to safety gear etc, I've done a bit of paddling. More curious about technique for spotting, stalking and shooting from a floating platform.

I've come pretty close to moose and bears while paddling, though never in hunting season. I'm curious of animals perceive less threat from an object on the water.

[Ferenc]

Have a buddy that all he uses is a canoe ..... he also uses pontoons with it .. something to look at .

[walks with deer]

ha ha ha,

launched on the harrison 1 cold jan morning with two buddies...
all wearing floater coats safe as possibe.

we went and set up and i think it was my chubby freind kept moving in the blind a d he left his crome coffee cup out most birds flaired..

on the way back dont know how non of us jacketed up where paddling upstream as a larg flock comes swooping down less than 30 yards
2 180lbs men and 1 260 pound man all empty are shotguns off the same side ..in a cloud of feather and guns smoke i say boys now thats are dumbest yet..

shooting no issue...you can generally paddle close.

[northernguy]

I have done a bunch of moose hunting from a canoe. It can be a very effective way to hunt. Here's what I have learned...for what it's worth:

1) Noise,even a little bit, travels far and loud across the water and can really hamper your efforts. I drop those closed cell blue foamies in the bottom of the canoe and that helps. I can't emphasize enough how far and loud the noise will travel!
2) Paddle straight at moose when you see one. They have bad depth perception and will let you come in really close if you are paddling straight at them.
3) Plan who is going to shoot first and set up the rifle so it's easy to reach. Each guy should paddle from the opposite side of his partner and try to shoot on their strong side...So if you are right handed you will likely want to shoot to the left side of the canoe. The front seat guy should figure out how to shoot forward when both seated and kneeling in the canoe. It easier to shoot when kneeling so I prefer to kneel all the time if I'm in the front.
4) Make sure rifles and paddles are not going slide off seats or gunwales when you are not using them. It make a hell of a racket when they fall.
5) Keep in mind the the guy in the back can't glass and paddle at the same time...somebody has to steer the boat!

I'm sure i learned more but I can't think of more tips.

Have fun!

[cuervosail]

Echo Northern guy's comments about noise. Every little bang, scuff and rattle carries a lot farther on the water. But so will your moose calls! Hopefully you aren't planning to be in an aluminum canoe. A great technique (depending on the wind), is to sit about 50 yds offshore and just listen - don't paddle, just sit in the canoe and cup your hands behind your ears while you face the shore. If it's calm you'll be surprised how loud a leaf falling from a tree or a squirrel scampering along the ground is going to sound. Hand-cupping amplifies the sound. Not a big fan of shooting out of a canoe.

[lip_ripper00]

I have hunted the Parsnip a fair bit from a canoe in the past, hugely effective. Lots of good advice above. Try to kneel in canoe with knees as far as possible it will help center of balance , and being top heavy. Make sure the non shooter is ready for the recoil as well, things can get a little crazy just after the trigger is pulled.

[Arctic Lake]

I would think Mr.Rupp could offer up some info ! There's a fella on GunNutz, I think his online name is Hoyt Cannon check in with him .
Arctic Lake

[Sharpish]

Wear lifejacket at all times in the boat and tie your rifle off to a float on a string.

[BCHunterFSJ]

[QUOTE=TreeStandMan;2059716]I'm far from an expert, but have done a small amount of hunting from a canoe.



Tie all your gear into the boat, so if it goes over you don't lose it all.


This is absolutely essential! I know from bitter experience...

[dana]

One of the coolest ways to hunt IMO.

http://i.imgur.com/JL6nCka.jpg

[Cordillera]

I've shot from a canoe with decent results but there is way more motion than you might think so its only really for close shots (under 75 yards). Better to find a good point with a nice tree, sit under it and call and wait. then move to another spot and repeat.

[albravo2]

What a buck Dana! Great photo as usual.

[albravo2]

I have done a bunch of moose hunting from a canoe. It can be a very effective way to hunt. Here's what I have learned...for what it's worth:

1) Noise,even a little bit, travels far and loud across the water and can really hamper your efforts. I drop those closed cell blue foamies in the bottom of the canoe and that helps. I can't emphasize enough how far and loud the noise will travel!
2) Paddle straight at moose when you see one. They have bad depth perception and will let you come in really close if you are paddling straight at them.
3) Plan who is going to shoot first and set up the rifle so it's easy to reach. Each guy should paddle from the opposite side of his partner and try to shoot on their strong side...So if you are right handed you will likely want to shoot to the left side of the canoe. The front seat guy should figure out how to shoot forward when both seated and kneeling in the canoe. It easier to shoot when kneeling so I prefer to kneel all the time if I'm in the front.
4) Make sure rifles and paddles are not going slide off seats or gunwales when you are not using them. It make a hell of a racket when they fall.
5) Keep in mind the the guy in the back can't glass and paddle at the same time...somebody has to steer the boat!

I'm sure i learned more but I can't think of more tips.

Have fun!

Thanks, that is exactly the advice I was looking for. Thanks for sharing.

[Arctic Lake]

One of the coolest ways to hunt IMO.

http://i.imgur.com/JL6nCka.jpg
That is something right there ! Awesome !
Arctic Lake

[Arctic Lake]

I'm sure there a lot of nice firearms at the bottom of lakes and rivers !
Arctic Lake

[Jagermeister]

#1 Do Not Shoot From the Canoe! (Been there -done that)

#2 Stray Away From Sweepers and Log Jams (This has a high risk of being fatal, even if you are wearing a PFD.)

#3 Keep to the Inside of the River Bend.

#4 Avoid Whirlpools. (If you have any doubt about being able to get safely by a whirlpool, get out and line your boat/canoe past it.)

#5 Have a Chuck line with a suitable anchor/weight so that you might extract yourself from a situation like a whirlpool
and
#6 All the other suggestions, particularly securing gear.

[Jagermeister]

Once upon a time, I used to shoot from a canoe. Then one day I dumped myself overboard by taking a shot from a slightly unbalanced position. I managed to keep grip on the shotgun. I tried to right the canoe, do you know how easy it is to turn a canoe full of water, it spins like an axle shaft.
That premise that you can empty a canoe by pushing hard down on the aft and pushing it upward. It doesn't work. And even if you were successful, there is the matter of getting yourself back in, doesn't work.
So I brought the canoe back to the righted position, full of water. I placed the shotgun into the bottom and brought myself over the stern so that I was prone with my chest resting on the center board. The paddles were gone (I couldn't use them even if I had them), my only recourse was to do the breast stroke to shore. Took about 25 minutes to hit the beach. I lay there for another 15 minutes getting over the shock of the event, then I crawled out. Crawled out because I was unable to stand. I managed to crawl up to a grassy area and lay there for another half hour letting the sun beat down on me. All of my gear was gone, except for the shotgun, which I sold the following year. Lesson learned.
I was far more fortunate than the two fellows later that year who were hunting from a canoe on a small lake west of Quesnel. It was November and they were on the lake when misfortune set upon them.
They were overdue and family members contact police who initiated a search. The canoe along with some floating paraphernalia was located but a search of the shore line revealed nothing of the missing hunters. The RCMP brought in a dive team a day or two later and the hunter's bodies were recovered.

[Brno22F]

Hunting from a canoe is something I have done manytimes. Many of the points made in previous posts are very goodadvice. Here are some things I would add for your consideration. Hull design/shape, canoe length and the materials that the canoe is madeof are things you should think about.
The hull design/shape and the length of the canoe willaffect a lot of things- stability, weight, payload, handling and ease ofpaddling, and portaging to name a few.
Material that the canoe is made of will affect the handling and stability,weight, quietness of the canoe.

Not all canoes are created equal. A 15 footfiberglass canoe does not have the same payload/handling/stability as a 16 footABS canoe or 17 foot Kevlar canoe. Ifyou don’t already have a canoe and are planning on getting one, make sure yourchoice of canoe will handle the type of hunting/canoeing you want to do.
Are you going to be paddling along the lakeshores ofsmaller lakes? Floating gentlerivers? Day tripping or going on multiday excursions? Portaging or flying thecanoe into remote lakes? Paddling on biglakes (eg Atlin Lk)? Carrying more than 2 people in the canoe?
For what it is worth, I think that a 16 foot canoe is thebare minimum, for 2 guys with day packs and rifles. If you add a quarterof Moose or a third guy to this boat, you will soon wish you had a 17footer.
If you have limited experience in a canoe, please takethe basic flatwater canoe course.

[Arctic Lake]

Some very good information members have put forward !
Arctic Lake

[two-feet]

I have taken 2 moose from the front of a boat, both at about 35m. They seem to not feel threatened when approached by water. Shooting from farther than that from a boat would be a problem for me. If you see a moose from a canoe there is a good chance it is in the water, which adds a challenge. It is a great way to hunt, and two guys gliding down the lake with a moose in the canoe is better than 2 days of packing one on your back

[MRP]

I've always been in the back not the shooter. With the paddle in the water and held tight to the gunnel and a little forward movement you can be surprisingly steady.

If I'm going to be paddling far I use a 17' Cliper, has no keel and is easy to hold sideways in a modest flowing stream. Mostly I use a short and fat Sportspal, 40lbs, beer can canoe some call it. Not good for long traveling but 1or 2k lakes are ok, rated 800lb and I've had that and a bit more in it a couple of times. Some winter I plan on making a ceader strip canoe the same shape. Flat bottom has more stability at first but less as toward the end.

What ever you get; go get wet. Find a nice place to flip, it load it, pay with it. Get to know what it's flip point is, how much rocking it takes. 50 years of paddling flipped lots playing around, only one time by accident when a rookie decided to plush off and jump in.

[Arctic Lake]

Just a mention for the OP not trying to derail your thread ! I have a 17 1/2 foot Clipper Tripper that I purchased used ,(it's like new and saved a lot of cash,) after researching potential canoes for hunting.I have yet to use it for hunting but hopefully will this coming year ! I think I may have started a thread here or on another forum concerning what to look for in a hunting canoe. I received lots of good information concerning this topic. I'm a novice paddler who took the basic flat water course . I appreciate the thoughts of members concerning the safeguards for your firearms in a canoe. If there are anymore thoughts on this subject please keep them coming for the original poster of this thread and others !

Anyone looking at canoes for hunting may want to check out the Clipper Mac Sport boats . You could put a motor on the stern motor up river and float down . Saves having a driver for drop off and pickup after a float trip . Would work for lakes as well I would think.

Arctic Lake

[albravo2]

Good advice, thanks all. This summer will bring some practise shooting from a canoe in warm shallow water. I like the advice of shooting forward from a kneeling position, recoil will not disrupt the boat's balance.

I haven't decided on a canoe yet. It will be used primarily for fly-in hunts (no whitewater but maybe some fair sized lakes) so I'm wrestling with the old weight vs. toughness tradeoff.

I'm leaning toward a packable boat from pakboats (http://pakboats.com/pakcanoes/). They are pricey but apparently durable as hell. A bit heavier than a nice canoe but that is the tradeoff.

I plan to set up camp over the summer and hunt in August and September. Bears like the taste of plastic so I don't want to leave a plastic boat at camp between trips.

[Jagermeister]

The best times I had on moving waters was with a driftboat. Mine was a Willy wide guide 17’ aluminum model. Sawyer counter-balanced 9’ oars. Boat was capable of carrying three and gear. With the counter-balanced oars you could row all day long. And it was no slouch on flat
water either. Sold it to a fellow in Taylor who intended to use it to hunt elk on the Pine.
Way safer than a canoe

[mike31154]

I've been canoeing since my teens and to me it's a great way to access spots otherwise inaccessible. Haven't done a lot of hunting out of a canoe, but have in the past and will in the future. Common sense & preparation are key as with most outdoor activities, especially involving firearms. Plenty of folks die on the water in canoes that are not hunting, simply recreating. Several years ago while deer hunting in the Monashees I had brought my shotgun along and decided to walk down to a small shallow lake. Found a canoe stashed in the trees and bagged a Goldeneye with it. Was a real clunker, Clipper, but it served its purpose well, getting me off the shore to where the birds were.

I brought my cedar strip canoe along for a shared LEH moose hunt in September and it was great to have along since we scored a lakeside campground. Went for a paddle to the south end of the lake fishing with the 12 ga in the boat, had a crack at some ducks I snuck up on but missed. Explored up a creek from the lake into territory that would have taken some knarly hiking to get to. Later in the week we met up with a hunter known to one of my buddies and he related how more than one hunting party had bagged a moose just offshore by canoe. To each his own, but if you're game, (or after game!) go for it.

One of 3 short portages over beaver dams on a creek off the lake took me into an area I hiked close to a day or so before. I was able to push the canoe over without removing gear.
https://pzdupg.dm.files.1drv.com/y4mVYMHeGOca99Fi8-Pegh6K2NGbcSC9V2IkE4jeh77L8SrtxomuJuDeGGtOEd5WGq3I 8_SfJDHC86lco84l-cHP_iPdwxuX1BsYXrzsAJswhr0zf-x9pO5CGFOwo12o8PLTJ8i5CETnmQIL0-1lOkrRVz38u8I9k7rVxb4MjHQGuEkuEnNSNE3vWot8AzxfheOQ cNH67MNMMgmwIP2YAZalA?width=1024&height=1024&cropmode=none

Not many watercraft are capable of getting one into spots like this. The lake was very shallow leading up the mouth of the creek. I was able to push the canoe through the sandy bottom. It only needs a few inches of water to float.
https://pzdwpg.dm.files.1drv.com/y4mCf6puADBYqcikELFCLR1JZxbfvv2fSUOBuqOYQG3NyDm9Gv Y7incI_y91rdB4Mnr8ISdOxEKgVAmMScNhsFRZTiaLglxhpVpu re_in4henHNq7xO1vYvmi_ZgS5EG4jLQG2LTrYSoSVbTOq_8Do PwQjbPNhD4BpAlJBgMlJ556q-FPNggVUlnfW2AcRvU14HEjU2mK-asxeDA5aZKJ78rA?width=1024&height=1024&cropmode=none


Hard to beat a paddle on a day like this. Fly rod, shotgun, dry bag. My hunting buddies watched me catch a trout at the far end of the lake with the spotting scope. They also heard the shot from the 12 ga & I had to take the flak for only bringing back a measly fish but no duck for dinner.
https://pzdbpg.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m-QPE_l56mTp58IDnaqGvY6XQGDjJUq2NUpOI4EMI1e4bHkrLQus yN7HntrJ99FUERpAJx_iOo3k9qwhN6VPx1jGG-q7Ivozqtmc-0VN-xcJkXZmw-YHbqOHAQxPuF5pyNExEhLhnRVe2-hks9HJB8BaQ86Z7mmpCOpmcD-znJtkvf7VSLgQFT44hcO_k7xHP_eOPtmVgedHCuttKS6s-Ow?width=1024&height=1024&cropmode=none

On yet another combined fishing/hunting foray, this time early season with my bow, I found a tree stand paddling up a shallow creek that would have stopped other watercraft long before where I did.
https://btjqkq.dm.files.1drv.com/y4mFcxjepIfJfA0YYUUe0BS727Eb0c1lK1zGByWTC4fYNWACUM oQwCFEm0CRCyufDyO2Am0Dq7d44NT_bxdFjZup55uNXuK20S2M t9icyHDq7Beys7eC7TcVzgzqoU3oOWHD9nKmeK2xExaJzdGntH DUpcxPlOemdYNj6UtWter7PeC6_86k6gIPJj7Cw6YilHbz6KyD IbXqXDRaI-cRiNEtg?width=1024&height=1024&cropmode=none

https://btjpkq.dm.files.1drv.com/y4mBzUZuxfnYkc_ZqtNSrdmGFLnYqoNYTXHABJOqSiolbNhoSw NyGMUMgdph0vRz2PIQg3unIeSBPGnriukk-1cwnX1cOp4nbNd6F140MbbRz5FRo0yBMgeA0uVqAOfrSthP5i_ SAVhpGHJjGr4iCAHjQpP489_np7pRC8nG4nsAWKr3Km_yncQAg 35m0BAC1StUgiMYXPWRMg3MoUFdCd33Q?width=1024&height=1024&cropmode=none

[RackStar]

Nice pics mike

fun adventures

[MRP]

Years ago but good fun in the back yard pond.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/image51.jpeg

[mike31154]

Ha, ha, clearly the pooch is captain of the ship!

[Visle]

Hunted lots from a canoe and offer some thoughts from experience. Found aluminum too noisy and glass noisy enough that we used foam insulation , the kind that is split and goes around pipes around the gunnel (sp) to be very effective. Found the flat stern perfect for an electric motor for travelling or fishing .Found a flat bottomed canoe useless on lakes whenever a breeze came up when I was the solo paddler.In addition to tying our rifles to the boat I fiber glassed two 1" capped pvc pipes about 6 inches long about rifle length away from the seats to acomadate the rifle muzzles and a u-shaped bracket on the seat to make it so that the rifles were both secure and easy to access.Learn in the summer months how to bail the canoe from the outside while in the water (rocking it back and forth). Always wear life jackets and stay away from rough water or weather. Keep the shooter in the bough and approach the moose bow on so that recoil is rearward rather than sideways. Be aware that you can't shoot from a boat under power nor at a swimming moose.

[Arctic Lake]

Albravo2. Just wondering how the Pakboat would stand up to a carcass bone ? Might puncture too easily
Arctic Lake

[albravo2]

Mike, that is a really good looking canoe. I'd be afraid to strap that one to the side of a float plane.

Arctic, I've heard from a guy that used to use them for his F&W crews in Alaska and he says they are bomb-proof. Whatever route I go I will also have the means to repair the boat. If plans unfold as I wish we'll be long way from the nearest Canadian Tire.

I've also had a recommendation for alpacka rafts (www.alpackarafts.com). They are ridiculously light and packable (good for a float plane) but they wouldn't be as good at tracking and cutting through any chop.

Everything is a tradeoff... it is fun to plan a hunt like this and hope you make the right tradeoffs for the situation you end up in.

[Awishanew]

As others have said, always wear a life jacket but be sure you can shoot with the one you choose as some make it hard to get the proper eye relief. As for the swimming with all your hunting gear and big boots on, I had to do it once for about 10 feet and I never go without a life jacket now. nuf said

[mpotzold]

Did some hunting from canoe back in the 60’s & early 70’s. Great for swampy areas & small lakes. Never did the rapids like the Deliverance boys did.:razz:

Was caught in a sudden storm in the middle of Birkenhead Lake & the waves were higher than the canoe. Somehow we managed to make it back to shore.
So watch the weather carefully.

If planning to canoe in lakes be careful if the lake is glacier fed.

See the following.
See post#5
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?133937-Buntzen-lake-fishing-tips

[Cordillera]

My partner has a Kaboat which is a fabulous inflatable boat for a decent price. With an eight horse it can go upriver a bit and it is very stable and fast. Rolls up to go in a float plane. That kind of inflatable is very good if you want to go fast and don’t mind a lot more work getting set up. And messing with motors. But a canoe is much more versatile. Gets into hidy holes better, easy to drag across a swamp to a small lake etc.

If you think an inflatable parkraft style boat appeals check out https://www.diypackraft.com/. These are sold by a fellow here in Smithers and he’s now making a larger version that would definitely work for deer but would be too small for moose. Pristine ventures in Alaska sells moose sized pack rafts. But to be honest there are not many rivers that are suited for this kind of craft. On lakes and easy rovers a canoe is way better. On medium difficulty rivers there are jet boats (mostly). So a packraft has only a very narrow niche of water where they beat the alternatives.

Back to the original question. A canoe is one of the most versatile crafts to get you away from the crowds and they dont have to cost a pile. And will last your entire life.

If I had to choose a single boat I would choose a canoe.