Larry Eckart
Well-known member
Guys,
I am leaving on a short solo canoe trip up in North Carolina Sunday afternoon through Wednesday. I thought I would bring you along on my preparation and then do a follow up story after I return.
How long does it take for a guy to prepare for a three-day trip? Wrong question.
The correct question is this: How long can it take to get ready to go? In other words how long can we draw out the enjoyable preparation period before we go?
I am going away for three days. I’ve been thinking, planning, and ordering stuff for two weeks. What a blast!
I’ve selected a small stream that I want to float hunt this winter. I came across it last year. As I drove across a bridge, I looked intently at the stream below as all duck hunters will do. I slammed on the brakes and walked back to look upstream and downstream. That’s how this trip started.
I know nothing about this stream other than a few pieces of information that I found online and via Google Earth. That means scouting. Thus my duck hunts this winter begin now, in August, taking the time to float it and learn the local knowledge necessary for float hunting.
River time. Who needs an excuse?
There is a chance that even after scouting, I won’t shoot any ducks on this river. Birds may not use the stream. But it has three things helpful when float hunting for ducks, or squirrels for that matter: twisting, winding bends, oak trees along the bank and back water pools for birds to loaf.
Even if I come home this winter without game, getting skunked on a float hunt is different than not shooting a bird from a blind. There is always something happening on a river or small stream. There is the suspense: you never know what is around the next bend. There is the satisfaction of slipping up close on a snorting whitetail, or to have a fox squirrel chatter at you in disapproval or to hear a beaver slap its tail in warning or… There is the satisfaction of sharpening your paddling skills and becoming one with your canoe.
For this trip I chose not to camp because where I am going is in the hot, hot area of North Carolina. I’ve got a room rented in a funky old motel. But I do plan on cooking my meals outside. At first I planned to use my old Coleman double burner stove.
But while watching videos of guys on canoe trips up in Ontario, I stumbled across some cooking gear that was new to me.
One was the Firebox Stove from fireboxstove.com. This appears to be a hot item among campers and bushcraft people these days. It’s all over YouTube. I ordered one and after my first tests with it, I think it is an engineering marvel. It’s primary fuel is small wood sticks.
But it also can use an alcohol-fueled burner such as the Trangia. That product also was new to me but not new at all. The Trangia burner comes out of Sweden and has been around since the 1950’s. It is a simple, simple idea that works terrifically. An alcohol-fueled burner is a nice option when you need to cook quickly or boil water without waiting for a wood fire to get up to temp. It would work well in a duck blind.
As you can tell, I’ve not been an avid camper. But I’ve got my gear packed, my 13’ canoe on top of my truck, my bike loaded (which will serve as my shuttle service), and an ultra light spinning outfit ready to tempt some redbreast sunfish.
Loaded for bear, so to speak, I wonder if I’ll be able to sleep tonight.
Wish me luck, here we go, Sunday afternoon.
Larry
I am leaving on a short solo canoe trip up in North Carolina Sunday afternoon through Wednesday. I thought I would bring you along on my preparation and then do a follow up story after I return.
How long does it take for a guy to prepare for a three-day trip? Wrong question.
The correct question is this: How long can it take to get ready to go? In other words how long can we draw out the enjoyable preparation period before we go?
I am going away for three days. I’ve been thinking, planning, and ordering stuff for two weeks. What a blast!
I’ve selected a small stream that I want to float hunt this winter. I came across it last year. As I drove across a bridge, I looked intently at the stream below as all duck hunters will do. I slammed on the brakes and walked back to look upstream and downstream. That’s how this trip started.
I know nothing about this stream other than a few pieces of information that I found online and via Google Earth. That means scouting. Thus my duck hunts this winter begin now, in August, taking the time to float it and learn the local knowledge necessary for float hunting.
River time. Who needs an excuse?
There is a chance that even after scouting, I won’t shoot any ducks on this river. Birds may not use the stream. But it has three things helpful when float hunting for ducks, or squirrels for that matter: twisting, winding bends, oak trees along the bank and back water pools for birds to loaf.
Even if I come home this winter without game, getting skunked on a float hunt is different than not shooting a bird from a blind. There is always something happening on a river or small stream. There is the suspense: you never know what is around the next bend. There is the satisfaction of slipping up close on a snorting whitetail, or to have a fox squirrel chatter at you in disapproval or to hear a beaver slap its tail in warning or… There is the satisfaction of sharpening your paddling skills and becoming one with your canoe.
For this trip I chose not to camp because where I am going is in the hot, hot area of North Carolina. I’ve got a room rented in a funky old motel. But I do plan on cooking my meals outside. At first I planned to use my old Coleman double burner stove.
But while watching videos of guys on canoe trips up in Ontario, I stumbled across some cooking gear that was new to me.
One was the Firebox Stove from fireboxstove.com. This appears to be a hot item among campers and bushcraft people these days. It’s all over YouTube. I ordered one and after my first tests with it, I think it is an engineering marvel. It’s primary fuel is small wood sticks.
But it also can use an alcohol-fueled burner such as the Trangia. That product also was new to me but not new at all. The Trangia burner comes out of Sweden and has been around since the 1950’s. It is a simple, simple idea that works terrifically. An alcohol-fueled burner is a nice option when you need to cook quickly or boil water without waiting for a wood fire to get up to temp. It would work well in a duck blind.
As you can tell, I’ve not been an avid camper. But I’ve got my gear packed, my 13’ canoe on top of my truck, my bike loaded (which will serve as my shuttle service), and an ultra light spinning outfit ready to tempt some redbreast sunfish.
Loaded for bear, so to speak, I wonder if I’ll be able to sleep tonight.
Wish me luck, here we go, Sunday afternoon.
Larry
