hoss1220

Does anyone hunt out of a NuCanoe? I've been looking at these and they seem like they would work great for marsh and canals. Any info would be appreciated. http://www.nucanoe.com/hunt/

Terasec

personaly dont like what i see,
kind of like a sit on top kayak
with canoe seats,
wont make for comfy ride for long,
can get the same effect with either actual canoe,
or a sit on top kayak with seats that let you paddle all day without tiring,
canoes can be had for cheap at most places,
sit on top prices will vary from couple hundred for cheap ones to +$1000 for good ones,
and most places cant hunt from it on the water hence why picks on the site canoe is on shore,
that does not look comfy or practicle to use as a blind,
remember most kayaks have v shaped hull, try leveling a v shaped hull on the ground, not to mention moving to get into position to shoot on it

hnt4food

I have been hunting and fishing from a kayaks and canoes for the past 24 years and have the opportunity to try many variations. Of course there are some kayaks and canoes that are better for specific situations than others but for one general, all purpose , I have found none better than the Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 tandem. It appears to be similar to that NuCanoe that you are inquiring about. I would never purchase a single seater just because you never know if you might some day have a passenger. With the Ultimate 14.5 you have the option of 2 seats, but both are removable and the rear seat can be repostioned for a single. There is a ton of room at 14 1/2 feet yet it only weighs about 70 pounds so it is easy for one guy to handle. It tracks great in the water and handles pretty rough water well. It is what is know as a tunnel hull which makes it more stable than any kayak I have ever been in. I have one in tan and one in olive and have found that the olive is much better for hunting and fishing. The tan seems to spook fish a bit more in shallow or clear waters and the olive just blends in great with dark bottom bays, lakes and rivers and into the brush for waterfowling. Also with the tunnel hull design it is easy to pull into the brush, cattails, or onto land. And, it is by far the best kayak or canoe when it comes to getting through or over stumps and or muck. I also use it for a layout boat when the diver ducks come down. These are definitely worth taking a look at. They might not be the best but I honestly believe it would be tough to find one better. When the waters are not froze up I spend at least 2 - 3 hours, 5 days a week in the kayak with a couple of those days being 8+ hours in the kayak, and even now with just about everything froze, I manage to find a few open stretches of or river to paddle on a couple times a week. Never have and issue with comfort. With literally 1000s of hours in kayaks and canoes, from guiding in the Florida Keys, to the Great Lakes and the inland rivers and lakes of Michigan I have a pretty good idea about hunting and fishing from kayaks or canoes. If you have any other questions I would be glad to answer any that I can. I am not affiliated with Native Watercraft in any way, I am just a firm beliver in the Ultimate 14.5 tandem as the best all around hunting and fishing kayak or canoe. www.nativewatercraft.com

hoss1220

Thanks for the info, I actually came across the Ultimate last night. I just don't want to make a rushed decision on something that I don't know much about. I am in contact with a NuCanoe dealer and e-mailed a Native dealer last night so see if I can set something up when spring rolls around to take a test paddle before I spend that kind of money. I would have to say that stability is my main concern, I don't want to be taking a bath in the late season here in NY.

hnt4food

Right you are. Stability and depth of the hull, (walls) is crucial. If you are going to be hunting or fishing in the late fall and early winter, you want an extremely stable craft with sides that are deep enough to prevent as much water as possible from entering the seating area. That was another major selling point for me on the Native Ultimates. A sit on style kayak, in Northern Michigan, or similar area, in late November on a windy waterfowl hunt could definitely make for a cold wet experience. Just remember, the key with any kayak, or canoe, is not to extend your arm reaching out for something. This will cause a major list in your craft and have a tendency to want to tip you or cause water to come over the sides. Either pull up next to or reel in whatever it is you want to grab, until it is right next to the hull of you craft, then reach down and grab it.

Ruddyduck

Watercrafts like the nucanoe and the native fill a certain niche and are very good for the purpose. They are very good for small water and could be pressed into service on even larger water where conditions are right. Lake where you would launch but be able to hug the shore to get where you want to go and could navigate safely. I would think of using something like it where you have to cross any distance in case of weather change. I couldn't see myself crossing back if weather change and it went from a calm to 2 or 3ft wave with a wind.
Even though I've for all intent have retired from waterfowling recently , myself and others that were die hard waterfowlers owned more than one boat to fit different hunting situations.

DPHMIN

The Nucanoe are a lot like Pirouge duck boats that are used in the south. They fill a niche that bigger boats can't fill. For duck hunting, it would be great.

hoss1220

I also like the fact that it's not strictly a hunting boat.