Any idea how to cross a deep fast moving river?

[Swedishbowhunter]

Does anyone have a different way to cross a deep (over my head) fast moving river? Its about 20 yards wide in most places. I can cross the ice with ease right now and scouting says I need to hunt there next fall. The river is too far away thru to thick and wet stuff from an access to drag a kayak too, it is about 8 miles to canoe or kayak into, and that is a hard 8miles with obstacles to portage around. I have an old fishing floating tube that I thought about trying while wearing waders, but I dont think it would work trying to get a bow and stand/sticks across. Any ideas?

[Jurist]

Does anyone have a different way to cross a deep (over my head) fast moving river? Its about 20 yards wide in most places. I can cross the ice with ease right now and scouting says I need to hunt there next fall. The river is too far away thru to thick and wet stuff from an access to drag a kayak too, it is about 8 miles to canoe or kayak into, and that is a hard 8miles with obstacles to portage around. I have an old fishing floating tube that I thought about trying while wearing waders, but I dont think it would work trying to get a bow and stand/sticks across. Any ideas?

The floating tube would be a great idea.

If there’s not gonna be any boats moving up and down the river, I would get a rope with a little grapple and throw it across to the other side. Then tie off at the nearest shore so that when you get in The water you can just pull yourself right across.

And if you’re going to do something like that you can just have a innertube with you and you just inflate it on the shore. And have a way to attach the innertube to the rope.

[Evanszach7]

Safely... drag an old canoe back there and lock it to a tree. Or, get a really thick vine or rope and Tarzan it.

[Bonecrusher101]

A friend and I have an inflatable kayak we are planning to use next season for the exact same scenario.

Sounds like we scouted the same spot, we will see you there!

[Swedishbowhunter]

A friend and I have an inflatable kayak we are planning to use next season for the exact same scenario.

Sounds like we scouted the same spot, we will see you there!

Ha!! Would you blow it up at your vehicle then carry it through the brush to the river? I would worry about puncturing it on the way out there.

[Swedishbowhunter]

Safely... drag an old canoe back there and lock it to a tree. Or, get a really thick vine or rope and Tarzan it.

I have an old beaten up canoe that would work great for that, problem is we cant legally leave anything like that overnight.

[sagDE]

I think that the float tube would work ok. As for sticks, stand and bow... Tie a sturdy rope off to a tree on one side. Put a pulley onto the rope with a rope attached to the pulley, attach your gear to the pulley. Cross river carrying the end of both ropes with you. Tie it off high in a tree then pull your gear across.

Or get a kayak to float you and your gear across at once using the rope and grappling hook method mentioned above.

Good luck!

[1STRANGEWILDERNESS]

Too bad none of those obstacles you mention to portage around will suffice for a bridge. Would be cool if you could go fell a large tree across the river

[sdonx]

I thought about this for an area I was hunting. I ended up finding another way in. I was going to use this. Bring it in deflated use a rope across the river to get back and forth.


https://www.amazon.com/Intex-Seahawk-3- ... 444&sr=8-4

Ugh can't quit Amazon....help me.

[PK_]

Invest in a real pack raft if this kind of stuff will be in your plans regularly. Mine rolls up about the size of a Nalgene and weighs a few pounds I think. It cost me a few hundred but has opened up worlds to me. No way I would attempt a deep swift river in cold weather and with gear without a PFD.

You will want a line across the river to pull across like someone mentioned unless you drop in a ways upstream from where you want to end up.

[UncleBuck3268]

I have actually been in this situation and some have already answered this with the same answer. My buddy had an old canoe that he was not using and we dragged it out to this remote spot. Dragging it out there was a one time ordeal and was tough getting back there, but once you get there it is done. Once we finished our hunt, we left it behind buried in brush and locked to a tree.

[Swedishbowhunter]

I thought about this for an area I was hunting. I ended up finding another way in. I was going to use this. Bring it in deflated use a rope across the river to get back and forth.


https://www.amazon.com/Intex-Seahawk-3- ... 444&sr=8-4

Ugh can't quit Amazon....help me.

That looks like my best option so far, only potential problem I see is that it weighs 31 pounds. Thanks for the advise!

[Swedishbowhunter]

Invest in a real pack raft if this kind of stuff will be in your plans regularly. Mine rolls up about the size of a Nalgene and weighs a few pounds I think. It cost me a few hundred but has opened up worlds to me. No way I would attempt a deep swift river in cold weather and with gear without a PFD.

You will want a line across the river to pull across like someone mentioned unless you drop in a ways upstream from where you want to end up.

Is there a brand or type you would recommend?

[dan]

Get a good running start before you jump... Whatever you do, be safe, but I wonder about those portages and obstacles? you couldnt cross at any of those points? I remember a deer hunt in the early 90's in Montana where I was there for a week and the only shooter I saw was across a raging fast deep river. The rancher owned the land over there, but the neighbor wouldn't let me cross his land. I saw that buck a few days in a row. It was barely a shooter, about 125/130 class 10 point, but nothing else close was seen. Rancher said throw your bow acoss and get a running start and jump with a big inner tube he had... I was younger and dumber, but not quite that dumb... If there is a safe way to do it, do it... If not, cut your losses and look elsewhere. Its only a deer, its not worth your life.

[BorealBushMN]

If there is a safe way to do it, do it... If not, cut your losses and look elsewhere. Its only a deer, its not worth your life.

This! Sound like to me you either have to find a different way to access that doesn’t require you to hump a boat in, or find a different deer to hunt. Or, hump in a boat...