canoe float hunt?

[Pyro]

I want to get out of my truck this year. I'm thinking about trying float hunting. I did a bit of reading about it on an Alaska hunting forum.
Do you guys have any experience or tips to share?

I'm thinking that once I get a canoe and more experience, I would like to go from Lillooet lake, east of Pemberton, to the top of Harrison Lake, down the Lillooet river.

[Will]

Sounds like quite the experience, hope you get some insight ! :-D

but you just know I gotta....:wink:

.http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk81/rosemarysbabyagain/deliverance.jpg.



http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l236/wonkalumps/Deliverance/13747e8a5fecd75e.gif

[buck nash]

I haven't been on the lilloette river, but man does harrison lk ever kick up some nasty chop. My wife and I gotted dropped at the top of the lake and had someone pick us up in harrison. We did a lot of the trip at night since that was the only time the chop settled down.

Be prepared for a rough ride. There are not many places to land a canoe on the lake either.

[Pyro]

Good to know, buck nash!
Using Google Maps satellite view, the river looks wide and lazy, but its the real world info that I want to have before doing a float. I hope to practice on some mild rivers before hunting for real.

[MattB]

My tip of advice would be to not use a canoe, order one of the SOAR inflatable boats or an inflatable raft. I have 2 of the SOAR magnums and have been on one float hunt for moose. It was a good time but next time im going to go on a river that has more current to it. Check out www.pristineventures.com (http://www.pristineventures.com) as im guessing you were on the alaska outdoors float hunting forum reading there.

[Big Lew]

Unless you're using an outrigger, the recoil from a powerful gun if fired at right-angles from a canoe can flip you over. Firing from the front to the rear, or rear to the front, puts your companion at high risk.

[Buckzilla]

There are sections of BIG water below little lilloet lake before Harrison Lake. Know of guys that have had issues in jet boats down there.

[GoatGuy]

Done a couple of the rivers up north in a canoe. Fun and quiet, just make sure you have plenty of time to hunt.

[tuchodi]

Someone from HuntingBC had posted on the site a couple years ago that he had Riverjet take them way up the Muskwa and he floated down in a raft. Maybe he will post if he see's this. That would be a great trip as you can float right down to Ft Nelson and there is no crazy water on the Muskwa.

[GoatGuy]

You can drift the prophet as well. Then all you need is a vehicle and a good thumb to get back. Cheap trip.

[porcupine]

Unless you're using an outrigger, the recoil from a powerful gun if fired at right-angles from a canoe can flip you over. Firing from the front to the rear, or rear to the front, puts your companion at high risk.

Been there, done that! I'd get out of the boat for any shooting.

[dana]

Here's a couple of bucks I got in 1 week of hunting with a canoe in 2004.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/BCBOY/Hunting%20Pics/IMG_1242.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/BCBOY/Hunting%20Pics/File0007b.jpg

[BromBones]

Great way to hunt, and doesn't take long to pick up some decent skill with a canoe. If you hit some rough water that you don't want to tackle, it's easy enough to portage, or tie you gear down solid and line the canoe down (depending on the situation)

Use good drybags for your gear, or learn how to pack up your outfit so it'll stay dry when your canoe is shipping water, and give'er. It'll surprise you how stable a canoe is with a few hundred lbs of gear in the bottom.

[GoatGuy]

Great way to hunt, and doesn't take long to pick up some decent skill with a canoe. If you hit some rough water that you don't want to tackle, it's easy enough to portage, or tie you gear down solid and line the canoe down (depending on the situation)

Use good drybags for your gear, or learn how to pack up your outfit so it'll stay dry when your canoe is shipping water, and give'er. It'll surprise you how stable a canoe is with a few hundred lbs of gear in the bottom.


Good advice.

I know there's a bunch of gear and a couple of rifles sitting at the bottom of the prophet. Thankfully, not mine.

[recoil]

I would like to go from Lillooet lake, east of Pemberton, to the top of Harrison Lake, down the Lillooet river.

Bring a rod if you go, i hear there is some pretty good dolly and trout fishing up there before the rive colours up in late spring/summer. Catch and release only in the river though.

[Pyro]

Great information, guys! Thanks.

[Pyro]

Oh, what about different tactics or concerns for spring bear versus fall deer?
I'll likely be dressing more warmly in fall. Any other thoughts?

[gibson]

We hunt Moose exclusively out of canoes. Once we get to our island camp it's boat floatin or paddle the 18 foot freighter. No noise....

[DGuest]

This is something I've always wanted to do. I've done a lot of paddling, white water and tripping for a week or longer. If your looking for good references for paddling technique I recommend anything by Bill mason (a Canadian), he has instructional videos as well as books. I would look specifically for "Path of the Paddle" and "Song of the Paddle".

There are book and film versions of both. He goes over paddling technique as well as tripping information, how and what to pack, how to deal with wind, white water, lining, poling and portaging.

Great reference and a great place to start. If your looking for info on canoe materials and designs, or anything else for that matter fire me a PM I'd be glad to help with any specific questions.

Good luck, and hopefully I'll get around to an adventure like this sometime soon.