Ducker Had No Idea

G

Greg Vowell

New member
I got this funny kayak or canoe back in 1995, the guy I bought it off of was an older gentlemen that used it Duck Hunting many years ago on the mud flats up in Dakota (North or South Can't remember, Heck it could have been Wisconsin for all I know). He didn't want to sell it but after about an hour I gave him $50 for it, used if for 5 or 6 years fly fishing because it was so stable (Didn't Duck Hunt). I needed some help with a big cement job and gave it to a buddy of mine for his help. 5 years later, get into duck hunting......Want that canoe kayak thingy back as it would be good for marsh and mud flats. My good ole buddy won't sell it to me as he is going to get it set up to exercise with (In the approx. 10 yrs he had it, he never had it out). Every year I call him 3 to 4 times wanting to buy it back.

Last Friday I called him up and told him that he was going to sell me that boat tonight. I made a swap for a kayak that I had about $250 - $300 in. Saturday morning I google this alumacraft duck hunting canoe kayak thing. I get on this web-site and others and find out about the Ducker. WOW! I had no idea how fond of these things people were. Now I feel really bad about taking the kids in it down the hills sledding in it.

SN D3371 What production year would that be?

By the way I am enjoying the web-site, but I wish it would get colder up north to push some more of the birds down here to Kansas!!
 
Greg,

Call Alumacraft in St. Peter Minnesota. They have a book handy with all the production serial #'s and can tell you the production year and possibly the state of the original sale. I don't know if they will give the original owner's name. If it has air boxes on each end, it is a 40's-50's but the high number makes me think it probably has styrofoam for floatation behind an aluminum placard/plate on each end. This would make if a 67-69 production. My guess is 69'. Any photos? One thing to consider if it is a 60's vintage...The styrofoam offers floatation but does not offer strength for sitting on the end decks. We've hunted from Duckers for many years and we always hunted two guys and a dog with each guy sitting on an end deck. This stresses the rivets on the vertical support where they meet the floor. If you put the decoy bags on the decks and hunters on the floor of the boat it reduces the stress at these points. Over the years, I have hunted with just myself, the dog and the decoys. With getting older means some weight gain...I feel more comfortable with just myself and the dog. Great boat for you to pass on to the kids.
'
Ron
 
I read the number of 3236 prior to getting on the web-site and wondered how I have a 3371. It may worth a call. Will post pics later.
My guess is 69'.

Ron
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Ron's guess sounds logical in relation to this posted by Tom Wilkins:

The first Ducker came off the line in 1947 D100. In all,3236 Aluma Craft Lifetime Duckers were built between 1947 and 1969.
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http://www.duckboats.net/...i?post=118039#118039

But actually, 3236+100=3336, so unless they skipped some numbers at the top of a model year, something seems askew.

Chuck
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I have a call into Alumacraft regarding the SN 3371 and date of manufacture. I will probably mount a support for the ends for seating as not to stress bows. I have a buddy that wanted me to put a samll outboard on it. Took him out and had him oar it around. When he got back I asked him if he still thought it needed an outboard, he agreed it was unnecessary. I have wooden oars. I wonder if they changed from aluminum oars to wooden in later production years? Oh, by the way I did the cammo job last saturday and not real happy with it. Will mud it up for now but definitely go back and repaint it.

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I don't think they switched to wooden oars...I think the aluminum ones were an option. My brother has a 67 that has aluminum oars and I have a 67 with wooden oars...one of my friends has a 67 that had wooden ones that wore out..
 
I never even realized they had aluminum oars until reading on here......But hey, just 3 days ago I didn't even know what I had. Got a call back from alumacraft, she said it was a '69. I tried to get more informations such as how many were produced, where it was sold, aluminum vs. wooden oars when she stopped me and said that about all she could tell me was that it was produced in '69.

I have a old 17' V bottom starcraft that we use on big water if we don't have anywhere to put in at that is close to where we want to hunt. We also use it when the ice gets real thick to break ice and get up into the shallows. It has proven very beneficial as when the ice gets thick, most guys around here are forced to hunt the deep open water with their flat bottoms. We plow a lane up to the flats, open up a big hole and use the boat to back the ice back under. We do this close to a refuge and the ducks seem more than willing to set down in open water (probably thinking they are on the refuge).

However, this year sine there is not much water, I think I will be using the Ducker more than ever. Also due to the drought when you do go out on the water you're in the silt when your wading!!

By The Way, My youngest daughter hunts with me (She's 14). I thought she was going to be upset as she really liked the kayak I traded for the Ducker. When she got home to see it, she looked at it for approximately 5 to 10 minutes then came inside saying "Dad that thing is cool! We can get in shallow water with it!!"
 
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