40 yards, which includes the major- ity of opportunities when river-bank calling. Use lead (old-school magnum waterfowl loads are ideal), Tungsten or Heavi-Shot turkey loads, which of- fer the maximum in shot and powder charges and are more than adequate for close-range predators. Pattern your shotgun before the hunt and be sure you are getting 70 percent of the shot charge into a 30-inch circle at 35 yards. Wait for a good head-neck shot and drop the hammer when the target stops and realizes, “Hey – this ain’t no dying rabbit!” FINAL THOUGHTS
A kayak or canoe gives a water-based hunter an advantage by allowing him to sneak up on secluded fields, tributaries, hedgerows and tree lines that are not available to an average road-based hunter.
most small-caliber rimfires including 22 Long Rifle, 22 Magnum or the 17s. Shots along the river likely will be at targets closer than 100 yards, often half that distance, so there’s no need to pack your best long-range prairie dog rifle, bipod and 24x scope.
Choose a rifle that’s dependable, accurate and lightweight because it’s going to spend most of its time clatter- ing around in the bottom of the canoe
or kayak and likely will end up covered with mud, weeds and other wetland debris. Expect to conduct a thorough cleaning after every trip (inside and out) and cover the muzzle with cel- lophane to keep water, sand and mud out of the barrel. Truth be told, a full-choked 12-gauge shotgun using magnum loads of No. 4, 5 or BB shot will take care of any predator that shows up under
Keep in mind that a float hunt is not a speed hunt. Chances are it’s go- ing to take you twice as long to paddle between put-in and take-out than you expected. With calling stops included it may take you an hour to cover a mile of river – and rivers are rarely straight as an arrow. Between calling, taking breaks, scouting and drifting over slow stretches it may take half a day to drift what a casual paddler could cover in two hours. The best advice is to take a test run while scouting and keep an eye on the timeline. Add at least an hour to your dry run to account for stops, additional calling setups and other unexpected delays. Plan to be off the water well before dark to allow time for unloading and getting the canoe or kayak back on the vehicle while it’s still light enough to see. Cold, wet, tired and hungry all seem to amplify after sunset, so err on the side of early.
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Canoe or kayak predator hunting also works well on lakes and ponds where conditions allow. Even beaver flowages, bogs and swamps can offer opportunities that may be out of reach for traditional road- or land-bound hunters. Spend some time studying topographic maps of waterways, lakes and ponds in your area and find the most logical, secluded approach to cover that is difficult or impossible to reach by any other means. Remember, predators can go anywhere they want to go and if there is a way and a reason they will find it. All you have to do is figure out where the travel lanes are, how to get there and then be ready to shoot when they show up. That’s all there is to it!
Page 116 Spring 2013
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