Where’s the BOAT?!

When considering the various uses and activities for boating, hunting often is overlooked.  Perhaps, because hunting boats are too well camouflaged and just never seen.

With the arrival of duck season, Kansas boat owner Lucas Carpenter’s boat “Transformer,” has evolved from fishing machine, to a stealthy, giant, floating bale of hay.  For ease of hauling, this accessory is “totally collapsible “and travels as “a couple of rolls and a bag of PVC pipes.”

I contacted the Boat US Foundation and Ducks Unlimited but was unable to secure exact figures for the number of boating duck hunters.  Lance Meeks, Hunter Education Coordinator with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife took a rough guess with 25%.  Professional Guide Jack Morris estimated much higher numbers. “Most hard core duck hunters at least have a boat of some kind, little or big. Nationwide, I’d say 45-65%.”

Whatever your boat use when the water has turned cold, be sure to take safety precautions.

And maybe don’t park too close to the neighbor’s cows…
Andy Whitcomb

Andy Whitcomb

Andy is an outdoor writer (http://www.justkeepreeling.com/) and stressed-out Dad has contributed over 380 blogs to takemefishing.org since 2011. Born in Florida, but raised on banks of Oklahoma farm ponds, he now chases pike, smallmouth bass, and steelhead in Pennsylvania. After earning a B.S. in Zoology from OSU, he worked in fish hatcheries and as a fisheries research technician at OSU, Iowa State, and Michigan State.