Big Game Hunting with Boats?

[SagebrushSlayer]

I was wondering how many of you have gone after big game using boats or use them every year to get to more inaccessible locations. I know some of the AK hunters have float hunted, but I am thinking more lower 48 hunters. The reason I ask, is in 2009 I located a couple big groups of elk on the other side of a river. After looking at maps, I realized access to these mountains would contain a lot of hiking to get there,without using a boat. Luckily I saw a big herd of elk on my side of the river not more than an hour after sighting the first couple groups. I did end up seeing some boaters after packing back to camp, but they seemed to just be what I will refer to as "river (road) hunting". They easily went by both groups of elk without stopping to get out and hike past the initial view from the boat. Anyway I have some questions about using boats.

What type of boats do you use? (Drift, Jet, Bass, Canoe, Raft)

Where do you normally use the boats? (Lakes, Rivers, Both)

Out-of-state hunting with yout boat, is it allowed? has it helped?

How do you use your boats for big game hunting? (Creep along using binocs, going specifically to an area with all your gear, or only using the boat to help haul out game)

Thanks for anyone who can shed some light on this, it seems there would apporpriate uses depending on your boat and choice of water, but I don't know of anyone who goes out and does this type of hunting.

 

[choc dogs]

Look on the bear forum, there are some interesting stories from moosie using boats...well, I guess you can call them boats for crossing rivers. I've used my canoe to cross rivers, and I've used the jet to hunt islands on the snake. It's amazing how many people never make it across the river. Good luck, and thanks for what you're doing where you are.

 

[2rocky]

My one time doing this was my first deer with a bow. I had drawn a tag for a piece of property surrounding a lake managed by the Army Corp of Engineers. We spotted my buck at noon from the boat and 4 hours later I had stalked into range, and eventually killed him with a 25 yard bow shot.

It was a 16 ft aluminum boat with an outboard.

 

[Moosie]

Look on the bear forum, there are some interesting stories from moosie using boats...well, I guess you can call them boats for crossing rivers. .

We have paddled across the rivers before. I just went to the bear forum, searched "boats" and then by the number of posts. We sure had a great time in the ol' Bear hunting days. Too bad all the pictures are broken links now

I think it depends what body of water you are gonig to cross to know what type of boat. It's all good and a great way to get away from the crowd for sure !!

 

[EasternMTHunter]

Up where we hunt in the Breaks quite a few guys use boats to hunt, but it is more about getting you to your spot then actually hunting from the boat. I did do it that way for several years and we did see quite a few elk. I've seen jon boats and v-hull boats used (mine is a v-hull Lund) but at least on the river you need to be careful. I did get my cow elk using my boat but that again was to transport us to the area I wanted to hunt and then walking in a mile or so. The boat did make it much easier to get her out since the pack was down hill all the way to the boat.
Something to keep in mind is that the animals do eventually figure out that the sound of an outboard means trouble. This year on at least 3 separate occassions I watched either a single elk or a group of them stop what they were doing and watch the river and the sound of the motor until it was far away.

 

[Calvin]

I pretty much live in my boat for all kinds of hunting/fishing in SE AK. 19' Pacific Skiff, 150 Yamaha 4 Stroke. That boat has seen some dead animals/fish.

I did pick up a 42ft yacht a few months ago for hunting/fishing off of. It'll be nice to have a dry/warm place for the 5-10 rainforest remote hunts.

 

[SagebrushSlayer]

I searched the bear forum and was laughing pretty hard at the stories Moosie had posted over the past couple years. The picture link thing sucks, but I'm sure they depicted the writing very well. You sure have posted some entertaining stories on your hunts.

The snake river island hunting sounds fun, but I would assume it gets a fair amount of pressure during the season. Good point about animals waiting to see if the motor drone continues on in areas where alot of people use boats for hunting. I hadn't thought about that. What other tendencies have you noticed with animals when hunting with a boat?

I have thought of getting a boat that I could use to hunt/fish rivers like the snake as well as different lakes that allow motorized boats. I assume something like a Alumacraft or jon boat would work for hauling animals/gear in. I am green when it comes to motorized boats and the different hulls. My experience has been rafting the Salmon, oaring around on a lake or two.

Thanks for the info so far. If I got a boat, I would love to pack in with my gear, set up a camp and hunt away from roads as well as from the line of sight of the river or lake.

Calvin looks like you have a couple nice boats.

 

[belly-deep]

but at least on the river you need to be careful. .

Why?

I just got a zodiac-style boat a few months ago. I thought maybe I'd try a little breaks hunting in the next fall or two

 

[TheTone]

I know a couple hunts in north idaho that could be made much easier with jet boat access, especially for the pack out. I might try to sneak in a shed hunt next year that involves boat access.

 

[huntRme]

I've thought about using my boat for access into The Breaks because when the weather gets wet you can't get in or out because of the mud. In 2009 my son and I were lucky enough to have weather dry enough that we had no trouble driving down to the river bank. There was occasional boat traffic, especially in the evening, going both directions. There were even boats running up-river in the dark that didn't appear to have headlights. I'd never do that...to much wood and shallow water, and its a dang river...they don't go in straight lines...hmmm. We were surrounded by elk, but they stuck to the willows in the day time and we never saw any in 1 1/2 days (actually we were hunting whitetails) and I wondered if the boat traffic had anything to do with it.

 

[EasternMTHunter]

Why?

I just got a zodiac-style boat a few months ago. I thought maybe I'd try a little breaks hunting in the next fall or two

When the river level was lower the depth can shift quite a bit from year to year and if you're not careful at first to learn it you could be going full speed an run a ground. Last year with the lake rising and backing up into the river it was much deeper and not as worrisome. But there are also lots of logs and other stuff you need to be careful of. Many mornings its very foggy down there as well, something else to keep in mind.

As the pressure on the elk gets worse they come out of the willows later and later and go in earlier in the morning. If some of that switch grass would die and go away, hunting them in the willows would get a little easier. The hardest part of hunting them in there is learning to go very slow and watch the wind. It's amazing how many guys I've watched walk into the bottoms and not pay attention to the wind, somthing that is foolish to say the least.

If you're looking at a boat keep in mind the weight limits when picking a size. I saw one jon boat (a small one) with 2 guys and an elk in it coming up the river and if it would have been windy or someone would have thrown a stone in the water they would have been swamped and went under.

 

[Moosie]

Thanks for for the Kudos on the stories. Pictures do make up for the lack of grammar we have......

Have you read the best Deer story EVER posted on the net ?

http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=227859

Calvin.... You are my new Best freind, jsut so you know. I'll be up to visit my new best friend later this year to join him on the boat and kill some black bears.

 

[BuzzH]

I've hunted from a boat a couple times in AK.

This last year, used a boat on a moose hunt, really fun. I packed about like I would for a backpack hunt. No matter how big a boat is, you always seem to barely have enough room.

We ran about 115 miles each way, so fuel was a big part of the strategy. Theres definitely a steep learning curve when you run that far on a river. Its pretty darn fun though.

A couple pictures from the Kodiak trip. One of the best hunting trips I've ever been on, just a great time with lots of variety.

 

[174in]

I use a boat once in awile.Last year I shot a nice whitetail on some swampland in Minn and the boat was needed to get to and from my hunting spot.I still had about a mile walk back in after parking the boat.All I have is a 1448 modV with a 25 horse merc.

 

[----]

Gerald had a pretty cool Bighorn hunt that involved crossing the Clark Fork.

 

[tarheel]

There are a few rivers in SE NC where a select few of us (mostly family these days) use a version of the boats used in SW France to hunt and fish, including deer & bear. Our French ancestors brought the idea over in the 1700's and another version is used by the Cajuns of the bayou country; this being called a pirogue. These come in a one man version as pictured with the flag attached (July 4th), and a two man version usually 13/14 feet long with considerably more freeboard. A more modern version is shown with a transom which is called a creek boat and is more widely used than our more traditional river boats. In NC the counties are able to pass their own local laws, so some counties prohibit hunting or transporting big game by boat, and most usually we use them for fishing and jump shooting ducks by floating from bridge to bridge or private access.
Most of the one man versions are fitted with foot controls to a trolling motor on the rear so as to have both hands free to fish; absolutely no motor power when hunting. Probably the only area in the country that uses these for the same purpose as we do except a few counties adjoining in SC. In the olden days the boats were made from five boards of Eastern white cedar; that evolved to marine grade plywood for durability and weight loss, and I have a hybrid with cedar bottom and ply sides, the last boat my grandfather built 50 years ago. Hope you enjoyed the history lesson.

 

[mdunc8]

I love hunting out of a boat. These rafts (https://www.alpackaraft.com/store/index.cfm?ProductID=66&do=detail) are pretty nice for spots that require some hiking beforehand or if you want to pack the raft into the woods with you and float your game down.

 

[Gunner46]

I've done a few float trips here in the East, both in conoe's and Jon Boats down rivers, and easing through swamp sloughs. It's been, for us, a lazy drift.....slow...quiet....and sometimes amazing way just to ease up on on game. Just Camo up, look like a big log pile and ease on in........

 

[rosco]

I haven't done any pure float hunts, but a inflatable/packable raft is among my standard gear for many hunts...crossing a river or floating to more remote area's leaves alot of pressure behind.

 

[tarheel]

I've done a few float trips here in the East, both in conoe's and Jon Boats down rivers, and easing through swamp sloughs. It's been, for us, a lazy drift.....slow...quiet....and sometimes amazing way just to ease up on on game. Just Camo up, look like a big log pile and ease on in........

Yep Gunner, just got back from down east about an hour ago; went down to paddle my octogenarian uncle for some woody shooting. We jumped about 140 ducks, but the backs of the sloughs were iced up, forcing them out of the trees and weren't able to sneak on them too well. He did get one out of three shots, and that's not too bad for shooting those swamp rockets. $100 for gas, $30 for meals, Breast meat and 2 legs from one woody= 6oz of meat at about $300 per pound; but then that's not what it's all about is it?