Free: Contests & Raffles.
Couple of questions would be how much are you going to spend, how shallow do you want to be able to go, how far do you want to travel, how what kind of environment are you hunting? I have seen the marsh rats but would personally spend the xtra cash for a Nucanoe, they are bigger, more stable, can handle worse conditions, and can have a layaway style blind cover attached with opening doors and loops to add brush. How shallow is the next question because if you are going to be in under 4" and having to pull over berms and islands then the canoe/kayak route will better serve you as it is light and can be carried/draged further. While my boat only draws about 3-4" on step as soon as I add xtra people I loose my ability to go through the shallows. The distance you are looking to travel will also determine which one you want, a short paddle in a kayak is no problem but if you are hoping to go over a mile then the boat with a gas powered engine will get you there a lot faster. Also the boat will allow you more space for decoys or extra people/dog. Depending on the environment, big water, Columbia River, coastal marshes, the more boat the better, dont want to get caught in a storm in a vessel that is underated. Keep looking on craigslist, I got my boat and trailer there last year of $350, threw on a motor that I had and was in business. I can have 3 people and a dog or 2 people, dog and dekes no issue. Total including the motor would be around a grand. There are some really sweet deals out there. Hope this helps Good info! The area that I will hunt mostly this upcoming season will be NAS Whidbey Island, Pretty much got sick of hunting FIR Island and all the fun that happened last season. The water is not too deep expect for the channel that runs through the marsh. During low tide the channel is the only way your getting in or out on a boat, then you have to drag your boat over the mud to the duck blind. The blinds that produce the most geese and ducks are inacessabile in high tide, and are VERY iffy at low tide. Not sure what animal makes pot holes, but there is a ton of them, and you can go from a couple of inches of water to having your leg sink all the way up to your groin causing you to do some very painful splits The other duck blinds that are easy accessible often can not be reached in High tide, but with a boat no problem. Those are the main reasons I want to get a boat. I dont think a big gas powered boat would work too well there, and I want something that can ride in a few inheds of water.
I think it all depends on where you are hunting and if you are hunting alone. I hunt over big water on the Columbia from my buddy's 16' john boat which works perfect. We are able to take it in shallow water but with the changing tide we can't stay in shallows for long. Did that once and barely got in time. Thankfully we both had on waders and were able to unload everything and push it out. I think if you are hunting marshland then a good sized marsh rat or a pumpkin seed would be perfect. Just curious, has anyone hunted from an Otter boat that is pictured below? They are for sale on Amazon for $430 and was thinking it would make a perfect layout boat.
You might get more responses if you place it under waterfowl. I own both as one may not work perfect for all locations. I usually throw my marsh rat in my 18' jon boat. Then anchor that in the deeper water and paddle back into the tullies to hunt with the marsh rat. It can be a quick limit using that approach. The birds are also less likely to flare from the smaller boat.
Love my marsh rat. My partner has a Aqua pod it is lighter and paddles better.
