Duck Hunting Boats

The nation’s rivers, lakes, and backwaters provide public land duck hunters incredible experiences.  In many cases, in order for duck hunters to reach the remote locations that ducks and geese call home, they must turn to various types of watercraft.  

Duck hunting boats have a strong tradition and the amount of options available are numerous.  Our family has owned and hunted out of most of them over the course of the years to include canoes, skiffs, kayaks, flat-bottom boats, and even a V-hull boat. Each has a purpose, positives, and negatives.

1756 Alumacraft with a 50HP Mercury outboard

One of the many reasons my father spent most of his time chasing ducks and geese instead of deer, as most Wisconsinites do is because duck hunting afforded him the opportunity to take his two boys with him on hunts.  Duck hunting has a unique social aspect that sets it apart from other forms of hunting.  Because he was always bringing myself and my brother on hunts, when we were younger we always hunted out of a boat.  This also helped because many of the hunting locations in Wisconsin offer deeper water access. We have had so many different flat bottom boats that I cannot even give an accurate count, but they were pretty similar in length and size of motor.  Our most current is a 1756 Alumacraft, similar to the one pictured here.  We ran 50 HP Mercury outboard on the back for years, but recently switched to a Pro-Drive shallow water outboard to handle the challenges of the Mississippi River more effectively.  Flat-bottom boats provide the hunter with the all-around package.  These boats provide the hunter with enough room to pack in a good number of decoys, gear, and friends, as well as with a motor such as the Pro-Drive, virtually no spot is unreachable.

Carsten's Pintail 14ft duck hunting skiff (left)

For those looking for something less involved or are interested in keeping a smaller footprint, canoes, skiffs, and kayaks are the answer.  When I went to college and moved to New York for the military, I brought my 14ft Carsten’s duck skiff with me.  The Pintail model offered me just enough room for a dozen decoys, my gear, and my dog. Most of my hunting in recent years has been out of that skiff.  The obvious benefit to something like this is the accessibility.  I was able to handle it myself, carry it in the bed of my truck, and paddle into very secluded areas.  Of course, this maneuverability came at a cost.  Most of my decoys had to stay home, it took me a long time to paddle in (many EARLY mornings to get to my spots), and my friends had to have their own canoe or kayak to come with.  Either way, skiffs offer hunters a great starting point to really experience duck hunting in its purest form.

Duck hunting boats come in many shapes and sizes. Choosing a duck boat will depend on where the hunter wants to spend most of his or her time hunting and what their budget looks like.  Hunting out of a boat can be a really cool and unique experience.  It was how I learned how to hunt ducks and will always be my favorite way to chase them down the flyway.

What is your favorite way to hunt ducks and what kind of boat do you use?