Nick Zito
Active member
I've hunted in Mike SIDs rich built/sold duck invader 13 and it certainly hides better than my duck wrangler 15. I wouldn't want to hunt 2 with it all the time, it's low seating. Personally the DW15 is kind of a "best of both worlds" boat for my crew. It seats 3 with the blind up, though snug. It can handle big water, though it's not great for hustling in wake bigger than 2'. I can hide it in the marsh pretty easily with the exception of the moon tides. When sitting I have 3 normal height swivel chairs in it, no leg pain. I put a hydraulic jack plate on it and it gets very skinny. That being said, it still sticks out. Moon tides and short grass it's a big lump of grass. I've learned hunting with the roof on limits your vision, but the birds are also less wary. Since I started using the roof I've had mallards land literally feet off of the bow. So close I don't even know how to shoot them.
I now use it mostly for hunts that are bigger water, or a day when we do puddlers and sea ducks, or to tender for the layout in the bay. On calm days I can go into the real big water and shoot eider and other sea ducks that are harder to find close to shore, but it's no V hull.
For small hunts, or when I'm solo, I use a flat back canoe with a 2hp motor on it. Fast? No. Noisy? Yes. Shoot lots of birds? Definitely.
In a perfect world, where I'm a forester making the salary of a JP Morgan exec., I'd have a 21' dedicated sea duck boat, a boat like mine now, and two bbsbs for playing in small water, with the canoe for carry in only zones. Since that's not real life, I play the game I am now. My kids will start hunting next season, so a bigger boat may be required.
Like and short: no perfect boat unless you only hunt one area. Try your hand at a few.
There are also a lot of DW15s for sale right now in the NJ, NY, New England area on Facebook marketplace. Might be worth poking around if you wanted something that big
I now use it mostly for hunts that are bigger water, or a day when we do puddlers and sea ducks, or to tender for the layout in the bay. On calm days I can go into the real big water and shoot eider and other sea ducks that are harder to find close to shore, but it's no V hull.
For small hunts, or when I'm solo, I use a flat back canoe with a 2hp motor on it. Fast? No. Noisy? Yes. Shoot lots of birds? Definitely.
In a perfect world, where I'm a forester making the salary of a JP Morgan exec., I'd have a 21' dedicated sea duck boat, a boat like mine now, and two bbsbs for playing in small water, with the canoe for carry in only zones. Since that's not real life, I play the game I am now. My kids will start hunting next season, so a bigger boat may be required.
Like and short: no perfect boat unless you only hunt one area. Try your hand at a few.
There are also a lot of DW15s for sale right now in the NJ, NY, New England area on Facebook marketplace. Might be worth poking around if you wanted something that big