Minnesota Waterfowl Hunting

Bill layout boats are very stable im 6' 4" 350 lbs and I have done this on Lake Michigan where there is no such thing as a clam day. As long as you do not stand up your fine. You never have to worry about tipping out these think are great.

Bill Gilbertson wrote:Can you guys that have done this comment on the safety risks of this type of hunting? I am interested in trying it, but I don't have a death wish. It would seem that there are risks getting in and out of the layout as well as being in the layout itself. How much wind can handled without incurring significant risk?

There is zero increased risk from a typical boat ride. Getting into the layout from the tender is the only difference and as long as you aren't a complete moron this is as simple as taking a step, then sitting down. Like was said, they are impossible to tip over in a normal use situation.

As for wind, I have a relatively small layout, an old one man lake Erie style. It's designed to shed waves, I've had it in 1-1.5ft waves, didn't get wet at all.

Just remember for Pepin you cant be more than 100 ft. from shore and you must be anchored. !!! They will get you, if your not.

Bill Gilbertson wrote:Can you guys that have done this comment on the safety risks of this type of hunting?

Bobbing around aimlessly in a layout boat is likely the safer part of the hunt. Unfortunately, a fair number of guys are so focused on the misconception of waterfowl dying in their lap that they don't take into consideration the "what if" scenarios that could (or will) occur when poop hits the proverbial fan. There is far, far more risk with this type of hunting and any other type of waterfowl hunting in my opinion. The risk is there from the time you leave the landing until the time you get back. Depending on how you go about doing things, you could set yourself up for a catastrophe that otherwise could have been preventable. And no mater how many safeguards you have in place, there is always the possibility for something to go wrong. Simply due to the style of hunting, an error out in the open water can have far worse ramifications than in error inland on some small slough where your truck is right over the hill.

Or, a guy can simply treat it like a normal day in the swamp and cross his fingers that something doesn't go haywire.....after all, you're only a mile offshore bobbing around solo in a 10 foot boat with the assumption that the guy in the tender boat knows what the heck he is doing. What could possibly go wrong? Fortunately the guy in the tender, a supposed buddy, is so focused on maintaining real-time Insta#Chat-a-BlogPosts that he'll document the last hours of your hunt/life, clueless that the spray skirt fall over and a wave swamped the layout. You may drown, or get out easy with a mild case of hypothermia, but at least that internet stardom is top-notch.

MudCatKid wrote:

Bill Gilbertson wrote:Can you guys that have done this comment on the safety risks of this type of hunting?

.....after all, you're only a mile offshore bobbing around solo in a 10 foot boat with the assumption that the guy in the tender boat knows what the heck he is doing. .

IF your a mile offshore on Pepin your getting a ticket ... no more than 100 ft from shore and anchored.

The open water hunting on Pepin has not been anything this year! YET! It can start at anytime. Was down there this morning saw 6 mallards 1 Goldeneye and a few darts . Wisconsin you can be any distance from shore. There was a layout and tender boat out there today and they were picking up at 10 AM we heard no shots from them. It has been a couple of slow years for divers of any kind for a couple years now. Hunted there all weekend with 4 guys got 2 Drake Mallards and 1 hen. Its slow and nothing flying high down river from what we can see. But then we aren't always looking up couple flocks of Swans Sat. I'll try to update when I can.

MudCatKid wrote:

Bill Gilbertson wrote:Can you guys that have done this comment on the safety risks of this type of hunting?

Bobbing around aimlessly in a layout boat is likely the safer part of the hunt. Unfortunately, a fair number of guys are so focused on the misconception of waterfowl dying in their lap that they don't take into consideration the "what if" scenarios that could (or will) occur when poop hits the proverbial fan. There is far, far more risk with this type of hunting and any other type of waterfowl hunting in my opinion. The risk is there from the time you leave the landing until the time you get back. Depending on how you go about doing things, you could set yourself up for a catastrophe that otherwise could have been preventable. And no mater how many safeguards you have in place, there is always the possibility for something to go wrong. Simply due to the style of hunting, an error out in the open water can have far worse ramifications than in error inland on some small slough where your truck is right over the hill.

Or, a guy can simply treat it like a normal day in the swamp and cross his fingers that something doesn't go haywire.....after all, you're only a mile offshore bobbing around solo in a 10 foot boat with the assumption that the guy in the tender boat knows what the heck he is doing. What could possibly go wrong? Fortunately the guy in the tender, a supposed buddy, is so focused on maintaining real-time Insta#Chat-a-BlogPosts that he'll document the last hours of your hunt/life, clueless that the spray skirt fall over and a wave swamped the layout. You may drown, or get out easy with a mild case of hypothermia, but at least that internet stardom is top-notch.

Great post.

Love how the ability to post on instagram has given people a reason to hunt. I met a lady from the cities who was "guiding" in SK this fall......super rich, appeared to be out there to one up her friends on Tonka on who is the most eccentric. Kinda hot though.

I honestly believe if there was no Facebook, or Instagram, there would be a lot less people hunting - and getting in my way in general.

Harold Houck wrote:

MudCatKid wrote:

Bill Gilbertson wrote:Can you guys that have done this comment on the safety risks of this type of hunting?

.....after all, you're only a mile offshore bobbing around solo in a 10 foot boat with the assumption that the guy in the tender boat knows what the heck he is doing. .

IF your a mile offshore on Pepin your getting a ticket ... no more than 100 ft from shore and anchored.

how do you figure???

Harold Houck wrote:[quote="MudCatKid"][quote="Bill Gilbertson"]Can you guys that have done this comment on the safety risks of this type of hunting?

.....after all, you're only a mile offshore bobbing around solo in a 10 foot boat with the assumption that the guy in the tender boat knows what the heck he is doing. .[/quote]

IF your a mile offshore on Pepin your getting a ticket ... no more than 100 ft from shore and anchored.[/quote]
Harold:

Read the regulations.

If I were you I would re-read them in fact here they are....

TAKING IN OPEN WATER
A person may not take migratory waterfowl, coots, or rails in open water unless that
person is:
a) within a natural growth of vegetation sufficient
to partially conceal
the person or
boat, or
b) pursuing or shooting wounded birds (while in compliance with watercraft
restrictions), or
c) on a river or stream that is not more than 100 yards in width, or
d) hunting on one of the following water bodies:
1. Mississippi River from the Highway 61 bridge at Hastings to the Iowa border:
hunting is allowed from anchored boats not more than 100 feet from any
shoreline, including islands.
2. Lake Pepin, Lake of the Woods, and Lake Mille Lacs: open water
hunting is allowed from boats that must be anchored.
3. Lake Superior: open water hunting is allowed on the MN waters north
and east of the Minnesota/Park Point peninsula as long as boats remain
anchored.

That's on Page 13 of the regs...