# A couple of questions about boat/kayak hunting.



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

The WMA I hunt in has had a summers worth of heavy rain to flood out the only way into the best spot for hunting so I am going to be trying hunting from a kayak this year. 

So I have a few questions about hunting from a boat for y'all.

First, do any of you hunt from a kayak or small boat? Any tips? NOT for ducks! For deer and hogs.

And if I do find myself sitting up over a watering spot in my kayak and have a deer/hog head on to me, where do I target on it?

I love to watch hunting shows - well, until they started making me pay for them, that is. I dont watch them now lol - but have only ever seen side on shots taken and all the targets at the hunting store are side on targets.

Where does one shoot an animal if all you get is a head on target of a drinking animal?

Am sure I will have many more questions after scouting this weekend but that will be enough for a start.


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

If you kill anything it might take some work getting it out.


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

pancho said:


> If you kill anything it might take some work getting it out.


Its an extra wide, 2.5 person kayak so the plan is to just put anything I get into the other end.

Get something mwahahahaaahaahaaaaa..........................

Sorry, havnt gotten a buck yet in three years of trying. Never mind, this year is the one!


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

We have shot 3 caribou from my boat in 2 years. You shoot them in the heart/lungs just like any other shot. If you are not presented a kill shot, you don't shoot.


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

Supposedly, a brain-kill-shot is the top point of an imaginary triangle drawn between the eyes and up 1 inch to a center point. In turn, there is the chance that the bullet will glance off a tilted skull.............
Best advice - look for that side shot.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

I have shot Deer,head on in the Heart,Head or between Shoulder Blades.

Hogs you do not want to shoot them Head on in the Head,side shots are what you want,either Low behind the Leg or just a little Lower than the Ear and Back hitting the Spine will put them down right there.Hogs are interesting trying to kill their Bodies are built to protect all vitals,including the Brain.

I have a small 12 foot Jon Boat I'm using.Most the time getting Deer or Hogs out isn't a problem until you start pushing the 200 pound mark.

big rockpile


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

lonelytree said:


> We have shot 3 caribou from my boat in 2 years. You shoot them in the heart/lungs just like any other shot. If you are not presented a kill shot, you don't shoot.


Gotta love waiting for the 1/4 turn.

Throw a small roll of duct tape onboard, in case you plug the boat. Would be a long swim home.


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## foxfiredidit (Apr 15, 2003)

Interesting topic, as I canoe and do some kayaking. I would never consider hunting from a kayak but that is just me, not saying you shouldn't do it. I think if you can get hold of a canoe the better off you'll be. 

My 17 ft. grumman has a weight capacity of probably 700 lbs. I like the 17 ft. better than a 14 ft. because with just me, it has more freeboard and sits higher in the water which puts me into 10 or 12 inch water levels with ease. I simply turn it around so the stern is in front and I sit on the forward seat which puts me further toward the middle so the load is better balanced. 

I tape the top edges of the sides and the cross bars with duck tape and a little foam. That cuts out the noise of the paddle when it bumps the side....and try as I might, I always seem to be able to inadvertantly bump the boat with the paddle. Other pieces of equipment you carry needs to be scrutinized for making inadvertant sounds as well, the gun is second worst offender. You want it where you can get to it quickly, but its sometimes hard to use the paddle without getting the gun wet. So I carry a single barrell rifle in the canoe. Makes for easier cleaning. 

Its a pain getting a grown deer into the boat without getting wet at least up to your knees, so include some dry footwear/socks near where you sit in the boat so that when all is said and done you can change into something dry once he's loaded up, all is stable, and you're ready to get out with the load. I include an old hoe handle, cut in half in what I take along. Each half has a screwed in metal loop near the top. If I have to load by myself, I drive these down into the mud at the cross bars and tie the canoe to the metal eye loops. That keeps the canoe from tipping toward the weight when you get the deer halfway on the boat. Nothing worse than having it half full of water once you get the deer on, and it will tip. 

I have thought about getting one of the heavy duty air mattresses and floating the deer out behind the boat, but it doesn't seem to be such a great idea. Maybe a new hunting gimmick would be to make and sell a deer life preserver that you could use. Taking someone along to help would be the best, but with their place in front of the boat, that would put them potientially down-range OR they alone would need to be the shooter. 

I am not brave enough to try it in a kayak, especially if its cold. Obviously a small flat bottomed john boat is the best option but with just paddle power it is slower and more noisy which cuts how far out you can go.


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

lonelytree said:


> We have shot 3 caribou from my boat in 2 years. You shoot them in the heart/lungs just like any other shot. If you are not presented a kill shot, you don't shoot.


Were they head on to you, head up and looking or head down and drinking?

The only place I have to hunt is VERY popular with local hunters so the animals are super wary and FAST getting back to cover so waiting like I see on hunting shows for the animal to amble round to a "proper" possition to shoot is a non starter. I did once see deer, that was when I learned that deer can go through five strands of barbed wire without slowing down or ever giving me a chance to sight on them, never mind actually shooting one.

And I thought I was so clever to have found where they were coming and going through the fence. That's what I get for watching hunting shows and thinking they are like real life, these deer did NOT jump the fence and stop and look round, these ones just went POOF and were gone lol.


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

GBov said:


> Were they head on to you, head up and looking or head down and drinking?
> 
> The only place I have to hunt is VERY popular with local hunters so the animals are super wary and FAST getting back to cover so waiting like I see on hunting shows for the animal to amble round to a "proper" possition to shoot is a non starter. I did once see deer, that was when I learned that deer can go through five strands of barbed wire without slowing down or ever giving me a chance to sight on them, never mind actually shooting one.
> 
> And I thought I was so clever to have found where they were coming and going through the fence. That's what I get for watching hunting shows and thinking they are like real life, these deer did NOT jump the fence and stop and look round, these ones just went POOF and were gone lol.


All broadside. Caribou aren't like deer. They would be considered stupid to whitetail or mule deer hunters. They swim the water and instead of hightailing it into the woods, they turn sideways and look at you. Boom. They are also considerably larger. Bigger boiler room.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

I might add if your setting still and Deer are running by you make a Low BAAAAA at them,most the time they will lock up and look giving you a Good Chance for a shot.

What I hate here is a Deer has to have 4 points on one side,I HATE COUNTING POINTS :hair I've had many Bucks Very Mature but in thick Brush I'm never sure enough to take a shot.

big rockpile


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

big rockpile said:


> I might add if your setting still and Deer are running by you make a Low BAAAAA at them,most the time they will lock up and look giving you a Good Chance for a shot.
> 
> What I hate here is a Deer has to have 4 points on one side,I HATE COUNTING POINTS :hair I've had many Bucks Very Mature but in thick Brush I'm never sure enough to take a shot.
> 
> big rockpile


Here its five inch total length. Still not sure how I am supposed to measure before teh shot, it seems a bit like shoot first, ask questions later :lookout:


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

Try judging a 4 brow tine 50" or bigger moose..... from 300 yards.


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

lonelytree said:


> Try judging a 4 brow tine 50" or bigger moose..... from 300 yards.


No thanks :happy2:


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

GBov said:


> No thanks :happy2:


I keep looking for a spike/fork at 20 yards.


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

frankva said:


> Gotta love waiting for the 1/4 turn.
> 
> *Throw a small roll of duct tape onboard, in case you plug the boat.* Would be a long swim home.


They better not shoot my $29000 boat! I'll plug the hole with the part that I'll cut off!


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

Purple or pink duct tape for you.

Unless you just have to have camo.

(Pink is actually useful.)


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Keep in mind that any movement you make moving the gun will make an equal movement in the kayak and it will probably keep moving for a minute or so unless you park it so that it rest on the bottom.


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