Kayak hunting POW

[bushman]

Here's the kayak I'm using. Like I said though the bays I picked are narrow and we don't plan on crossing open water. We will be doing a lot of stationary hunting in grass flats and use the kayak to get us to the flats.

 

[Jimss]

There are a number of options: sea kayak, packrafts, and Hobie kayak. Each likely has it's advantage and disadvantages. I have a Hobie Pro Angler kayak that is stable enough that it's possible to stand up and fish. It also has a large area in the back and smaller enclosed area in front for storage. I'm pretty sure I could haul a boned out elk plus a little extra gear in mine.

Many of the Hobies are designed for fishing in the ocean. You peddle them with force fins rather than a paddle. It's definitely a great leg workout! I've had mine out fishing in Lake Michigan and have actually used it on a large reservoir in Wyo to antelope hunt. I was fairly confident in 6' waves on Lake Michigan but wouldn't want much more than that! It would work fine floating rivers but would have to keep track not to screw up the force fins on rocks and shallow water. It pretty much needs 12" of water to work well. I practiced flipping mine back over during the summer because it can be a chore.....long story on how to do this effectively!

I wouldn't hesitate to take my Hobie bear hunting in the PWS but as mentioned above it's always an advantage to have a boat with motor that can cover a lot of water. I would much rather have a small zodiak plus a sea worthy boat!

 

[bushman]

This video sparked my interest, and made me want to do it.

 

[trapperJ]

It's totally doable, you just have to watch the weather and tides. Be careful of some of the narrow entrances to bays/coves or between islands because the tide can really cook through those spots. The nice thing about POW is the road system can really help open up access points to launch a kayak. A quality SOT would be(and has been) my choice for hunting. The right one can pack a pretty good load. With that said you may want to make two trips to get a camp and a big bear back to your access point. Two dudes two kayaks a light camp and one bear wouldn't be a problem. Just depends on the first sentence of this post! Oh and I should mention to watch the weather and tides...