Hunting from a boat

[brotherjack]

If I read the regs right, it's legal to hunt from a boat, so long as as it is either un-powered (ie no motor), or the motor is turned off/up out of the water.

So, that being the case - anyone ever done any big game hunting out of a canoe/raft/riverboat kind of rig - kind of like road hunting while floating down the river (and legal to shoot from the boat under the correct circumstances)? I was thinking that it would combine two "Good Things" - getting away from the roads/other hunters, as well as hunting a water source.

Anyone with any experience in this kind of thing - just curious as to how well it works, and any tips/suggetsions.

Thanks,

[Gateholio]

Never shot from a boat, but I've used it for transport.

[rocksteady]

I have done this twice.....2 bull elk harvested.....Floated the Kootenay River, once the hunting pressure increases and then hunt the islands....

Can be very productive, but usually ends up being a very long day...

Lots of game usually seen, as they are not too wary once they are at the waters edge and a boat comes drifting by..As long as you are not yapping, they maybe think its a big log....

On the Kootenay, I don't know if you could shoot out of the boat though, even some of the slower areas rock the boat pretty good and not sure how accurate you could be.....

[stanway]

When my Dad lived in the Queen Charlottes, we took a few from the boat. It works best when the water is calm, so a slow moving river would be good.

[mike.]

never done it myself.
just came back from the parsnip river (7-23-c)
lots of guys in boats, lots of moose hanging

[Robinhood]

Hunted moose from a canoe once (large swampy lake). Saw a few cows throught the mist, but no bulls. I'm sure it could work though. It is possible to approach fairly close if you paddle straight towards them when they are not looking.

[mark]

Whether you have luck or not its certainly a nice way to hunt!

[quadrakid]

did all our moose hunting in the yukon by boat. troll for laketrout,see moose,turn off motor, shoot moose, reel in lines,go get moose.

[The Hermit]

Did a three day canoe paddle down the Nelson from Ft Nelson up to the Alaska highway takeout past the Snake River... awesome trip. Called a cow right into the water... she jumped off a fifteen foot bank!! OMG THAT made me pucker!! LOL

[MB_Boy]

We do all our moose hunting using canoes as transportation on "fly in" trips. They are generally used for moving up and down the river but it is great to just let the current drag you along.

Make sure of a few things....if you or your partner are going to be shooting from the canoe; ensure they or you know what to expect with recoil if shooting sideways from the canoe.(which is not necessarily recommened :wink:) Another good tip as with any canoe trip is to secure your gear and gun to the canoe in case you should accidentally tip. Most people think to "secure" their packs but not their firearms. When in the canoe we have lines also attached to the canoe....roughly 4 ft in length with a clip (carabiner) attached to the sling. This still gives you movement with your firearm but in the event you tip your rifle is still attached to the canoe.

Great way to hunt though....drop a line and have a nice fish appetizer before you cook up the moose liver. :smile:

[GoatGuy]

In your part of the world the Kootenay and the Columbia would be my choices. Elk and wt's down low in both.

Drifted quite a few up North. Makes for a great hunt.

[lip_ripper00]

I have floated Parsnip/Anzac river lots!! I have a 10 foot Zodiac, much stabler than a canoe. The river has been good to us:wink:. A couple of points I would make are, The CO "UP THEIR" said as long as the motor was not running and the motor tilted up, all was good. If you are floating a river that has any volume always make sure the motor is NOT in the locked down position(if you hit bottom, submerged log stump etc) the motor will tilt and not swamp the boat.


As previously stated, make sure everything is tied in( I myself know of at least 10,000$ in in guns scopes and equipment) the river has claimed, Its a great way to spend a day, and can be VERY productive

[Cedarstrip]

I can tell you from experience, (watching my two buddies while I was in another canoe),
that two people should not fire 12g shotguns at the same time out of the same side of a canoe.
LMAO!!!!
They flipped so fast, was hilarious.
Luckily it was a very slow portion of the river and only 12' deep so we recovered most of the gear. Late fall in the Okanagan... some serious willy shrinkage that day!