Tips for Successful Kayak Hunting

You might have heard of kayak fishing, but have you considered that the stealthy and agility of your kayak also makes it great for hunting? Well, it does. Whether you are targeting deer or ducks, your versatile little craft can get you right in on the action.

 

Adding kayaking to your hunting adventure might make sense but it can come with a learning curve. Here are some tips to make your kayak hunting experience as pain free and safe as possible.

Successful Kayak Hunting

• Practice: Develop your shooting skills and kayak handling abilities. While you might be a great hunter and a great kayaker, you might not be great a doing them together. Give yourself space to learn and grow at both skills and especially at doing them together.
• Scout Your Area: Know where you are going and what you are going for. You can never do too much preparation, especially if you are going far from civilization. Familiarity with the area will make you more confident and (hopefully) more productive.
• Patience: This should come as no surprise. Pack your patience. You never know what you are going to encounter from unpredictable weather to equipment malfunctions to skittish wildlife to other hunters. Be prepared for something to try your equilibrium. 
• Respect Wildlife: Always adhere to hunting regulations and ethical practices. Make sure you are aware of where you are hunting and have the proper permits and permissions. 

Tips & Tricks for Big Game Hunting

While you might not have thought of using your kayak to hunt game like deer, you might be surprised at the success you can have. Game, like deer, are not used to danger coming from the water and can often be caught off guard with a stealthy river or lake approach. 

Packing it out

One major challenge of hunting bigger game is getting it back home. If you don’t have a kayak that can hold an entire deer carcass, there are a few ways to tackle this obstacle: 

• You can field dress the animal and pack it into a designated duffle or backpack that can be loaded onto your kayak. This will be the most time consuming but also lightest option as you only take back what you need. 

• You can invest in an inflatable raft to pull your kayak where you can place the carcass.  
• Lastly, you can attempt to lash the animal behind your kayak and float it behind you with an extra PFD / life jacket. This can be a challenge if there are other predators in the water and you can risk contaminating the meat. 

Anchoring and shooting

Hunting from your kayak doesn’t always mean shooting from your kayak. Sometimes the kayak is just the means of getting to virgin hunting ground. If that is the case, then you can stake your craft and hunt as usual. If you do want to shoot from your kayak, you will want to have a good anchoring system and kayak camouflage.

Tips & Tricks for Waterfowl Hunting

Kayaks can be a nice advantage for duck hunters because they can get you right to the action and farther away from those restricted by their motor boats. Getting into that skinny water and away from the crowds is a huge plus. However, there are some disadvantages as well. It can be difficult to shoot from a kayak with its instability and restriction of movement. 

Transportation or Blind

Deciding whether you are going to shoot from your kayak or not is a big consideration when kayak hunting. While it can be an advantage to slowly float up on your prey, that same current or wind could swing you completely away from your shot. A float hunt is never easy, but it can be an adrenaline rush as well. If you don’t want to shoot from your kayak, you anchor or beach it and shoot as well. You can also create a blind with your kayak. 

Consider weight limits

Another consideration for duck hunting is the weight limit of your kayak. When you consider the gear (decoys, blind, gun, ammo, etc), also remember that you will need to get your game home. If you have a successful hunt, you will want to make sure that your kayak can handle the load going home as well. 

Additional Gear for Successful Kayak Hunting

• Paddles: Choose quiet paddles that minimize noise.
• Binoculars: Spot game from a distance.
• GPS: Navigate unfamiliar waters with confidence.
• Camera:  Capture your hunting experiences.

By following sound hunting practices and combining it with kayaking, you can elevate your kayak hunting experience to new heights. It might take some time and trial & error, but there is great success (and adventure) to be had in using your kayak to hunt.