What canoe or kayak is best?

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JonNc
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What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby JonNc » Mon Feb 01, 2021 9:10 am

So far I haven’t been able to find much on this. I’m thinking about getting a kayak or canoe for the upcoming season. I’m looking for something I can put in the bed of my truck, lightweight, and ideally could haul a deer out if needed. I quarter them out usually, but would love to just gut one and throw it in. Most spots I would go to would be 1-2 miles max.

Any suggestions? Would like to come in under $500 but not sure if much is out there at that price point. Thanks!


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Bonecrusher101
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby Bonecrusher101 » Mon Feb 01, 2021 9:41 am

Not in that price range. I’d love to have a nucanoe or a sportspal but they are $1500.

I’ve got a flat back old town discovery. I got lucky paid $400 dollars for it back in 2013. I’ve got it registered so I can put a motor on it put I haven’t invested in an outboard for it yet and might not. It’s heavy at 95-100 pounds and steers like a submerged log. It’s not technical for going down a river and I bounce off a lot of stuff but it is super stable and I’ve never worried about swimming. I can stand up in that canoe and fish on a calm pond. That in itself is most important for a hunting boat.

What body of water you use it on is important too. I could put a small outboard on it but I think that would really make it more unstable, especially on the river that I hunt that is unkept and has a ton of logs in. I’ve got a hitch extender and it hangs out of a truck bed but it’s not bad loading or unloading it by myself.

It takes more muscle using that thing but I’m absolutely comfortable in it’s ability to hold 3 people or 2 hunters gear and 2-3 deer and not have us swimming.

There’s perfect boats for perfect situations but every body of water is different and will need a different boat. You won’t find a one boat for everything. You might want a friend to come with you you might hunt alone. Kayaks are hard to get in and out of and the fear of rolling will keep you from using it in the dark cold waters.

When I use my canoe early mornings in freezing weather with a headlamp I’m paddling and my breath will have me looking into a fog and I can’t see where I’m going until I’ve hit an obstacle in the river. My boat doesn’t steer well but it makes up for it by being stable and I love that safety.
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Bonecrusher101
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby Bonecrusher101 » Mon Feb 01, 2021 9:51 am

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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby Mopar1169 » Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:29 am

Under 500 is gonna be pretty hard to find unless you can find a used one. I think I am gonna get a nucanoe flint which is about 999. Big enough for gear and deer but still light enough to be able to move it around easily. I wanna have a kayak before I hit nebraska this fall. Got a couple spots that look really promising but going by kayak would cut some serious miles off the trek.
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby sdonx » Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:31 am

I have an Old Town Pack canoe. I believe it's 33 lbs. I bought it for <500 a couple years ago.
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Jonny
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby Jonny » Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:39 am

Sundolphin Kingsport. Mine was under $500 new. I think they made a new model.

Just need to check weight capacity. Mine is 500lbs

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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby HunterBob » Mon Feb 01, 2021 1:37 pm

I have an H12 ascend kayak and have liked it. Very sturdy and launch able by yourself. Has a weight capacity of over 400lbs.
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby G-Patt » Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:32 am

I would think quarter/pack them out and use a light, inexpensive, easy-to-store/transport kayak is the way to go if you're looking to spend < $500. When you get back to the car with the deer, load up the cooler, pop the kayak on the roof rack (or truck bed) and go. The idea of dragging the deer to the yak, loading it up, taking it out, loading up the truck with deer and yak, storing a heavy yak at home sounds more like a hassle than anything else. I sweat thinking about it.

It would get easier (except for the drag out) if you buy an expensive rig with motor and trailer, but be ready to shell out 2K to 3K. That's pretty much the set up Parker McDonald from Southern Ground has. When he gets back to the truck, he merely loads the kayak on the trailer with the deer still on the kayak and goes. Pretty slick, but slick = $$$
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby KRoss480 » Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:14 am

I agree with G-Patt, I use an inexpensive kayak that is 10’ long. Easy to load up by myself and easy to get through the woods. While it’s nice to have a bigger canoe set up for when you do kill one, you’ll be doing a lot more dragging it to/from the truck and loading/unloading by yourself so I would rather have something that’s easier for what I’m gonna be doing with it 90% of the time.
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby JP BowHunter » Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:27 am

KRoss480 wrote:I agree with G-Patt, I use an inexpensive kayak that is 10’ long. Easy to load up by myself and easy to get through the woods. While it’s nice to have a bigger canoe set up for when you do kill one, you’ll be doing a lot more dragging it to/from the truck and loading/unloading by yourself so I would rather have something that’s easier for what I’m gonna be doing with it 90% of the time.


Do you run a trolling motor on your setup or just paddle in?
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby KRoss480 » Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:43 am

JP BowHunter wrote:
KRoss480 wrote:I agree with G-Patt, I use an inexpensive kayak that is 10’ long. Easy to load up by myself and easy to get through the woods. While it’s nice to have a bigger canoe set up for when you do kill one, you’ll be doing a lot more dragging it to/from the truck and loading/unloading by yourself so I would rather have something that’s easier for what I’m gonna be doing with it 90% of the time.


Do you run a trolling motor on your setup or just paddle in?

Just paddle for me, most of my distances are under half a mile. Could always rig up a trolling motor with a smaller size battery if you’re gonna be actually going some pretty long distances.
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby Jurist » Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:15 am

IMG_2688-1.JPG

This is 10ft long very light with a flat back. I put a trolling motor on it and go up the slough to sneak in.

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My own custom camo job and if you pull it up on the bank and flip it over in some brush it really does blend in.

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I made simple portage rests out of some kids noodles for swimming and I carpeted the bottom with indoor ourdoor carpet.

It makes it really quite so that you can set your stuff down or walk from one end to the other without making a racket...

I found it on craigslist I can't remember what I paid but $500 seems about right.

I have had one buck floated out with it so far.
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MATexbow
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby MATexbow » Tue Feb 02, 2021 11:05 am

You can find cheap canoes that you can invest in to silence and beef up (I bought one for $100 on Fb marketplace and added kevlar reinforcement on the hull). That was my only water access tool for 2 years and it met all of my needs except navigating in tough situations or in thick stuff. Monitored craigslist for a few months and found a used kayak (10ft sit on top). I rigged up the old pole holders to be a bow holder and the kayak has a storage area behind the seat.

Those two together really meet all my needs. I saddle hunt, so my space needs coming in are always minimal and can get away with the kayak for 90% of solo hunts. If I put one down, I can make the return trip in a canoe. If this is your first go at water access, I would start cheap and get a canoe. If you are still game for water access as a primary access method after a season or two, then I would look into spending extra cash and getting a kayak.
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:57 pm

Have an ascend 10t sit on top. Great for anything under a couple miles. I weigh 180#s and can float a large gutted doe out with my gear (in calm waters). 180#+ deer I'd need to quarter it or float it out with life jackets.

Great Kayak for turkey hunting, fishing, and backwater camping.
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Re: What canoe or kayak is best?

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Tue Feb 02, 2021 11:12 pm

Following this thread. Been on the hunt myself after this season and finding people literally everywhere you could walk to!

Finally time to take to the water and get to those spots you CANT just walk to.

I think a canoe is probably the best way to go just for the room for gear and deer. Never know if you’ll have a buddy in it or not too. Id think stability would be a huge factor for me too as i don’t like the idea of swimming right before ice up in late Nov in WI.


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