Pro-Staff-What % of "Waterfowlers" own a boat?

[reel slick]

I'm curious if you guys as Pro-staffers have any industry information or just your opinion from seminars and getting around as to how many "Waterfowlers" own a boat? I am asking this because it seems to me that a huge number of waterfowlers go goose hunting for canda geese in cut crop fields. Watch any video and the number one hunt is a canada goose hunt in canada. Very few well known video makers, Zink, Stahl, Foiles, Grounds, Mann etc. do any hunting out of boats(on film). And if they do hunt out of boats they are always a passenger. Would I be out of line if I said 70-75% of Waterfowl hunters don't own a hunting boat?

[Rob Jepson]

I have no industry info to share with you and wouldn't begin to speculate on any factual data that might exist, but if you are taking a survey I can tell you that I do own one and hunt out of it.

[Tony Vandemore]

I don't think what is ON a video would be the best 'representation' of what you are looking for. I don't know much about it, but the majority of what gets put on videos is done for the footage; good backdrop for the birds, lighting, etc. I'd venture to say most of the folks you mentioned do in fact own boats and I'd say over half of your waterfowlers own boats. Some of it is going to be region specific, with all the good field hunting up north (Dakotas, MN, Canada, etc) it stands to reason that a lot of those won't have boats, but on the other side of the coin, I'd say down south the majority have boats.

[kontekontos]

I would say that down south that most of your hunting is done out of boats. I know people in arkansas and all that hunt alot of flooded fields,but their public boat ramps also get full quick also. Here in my home state of alabama most people hunt lakes and rivers so a boat is a necessity here.

konte

[Mark Brendemuehl]

I don't have any idea, but for giggles, I have 2. One I almost never use, and the other I use now and then. I would rather walk / wade in most cases, but have 1 or 2 spots that a boat is needed.
Mark

[goosewhkr]

Down here in AR we all have boats!!! If we dont---we have a real good friend that does. In most cases like mine, I have a perfectly capable duck boat that hasnt hit the water in a couple of years cause my other huntin buddies have em. We just use one persons boat for hunting and leave the other one rigged up for when the crappie and bream start biting in the spring!!!!!!! Less work for everyone!! Im gonna bet if they are at all serious about waterfowl they have a boat even if they dont use it much...just cause you never know when you might need it.

[Jason Connellee]

I own two boats. Custom built by me.

[Derek Rambo]

I have one too. A buddy of mine has one and does a great job of killing geese out of it!

[Jeff-Widgnwhacker-Wallis]

I own 3 boats and hunt out of every one of them :D

14' Lowe
12' Seaking
12' Poke

[Greg Owens]

I have 3 that I hunt out of...


Greg

[Rusty Hallock]

I have two boats.

[David Ortley]

Interesting question. We own three: 16' Jon, 12' Jon, 17' Canoe. Nothing like a good field hunt but the boat adds a whole new dimension. I am convinced a lot of the romance of the boat has to do with all the gear and "stuff" that goes with it. Runnin the river, or lake, is a big part of the hunt!

There are so many variables that it would be next to impossible to come up with an accurate number?

[Adam Reid]

I own three, one duck specific, one 1/2 duck and 1/2 fishing, one mostly fishing but use it for saltwater duck hunting.
I grew up hunting Iowa and we did both field and water, mostly field for geese and water for ducks, although I have shot a lot of ducks in fields, especially flooded corn fields.

[Paul Beyer]

I have four of them. Yep, four. And if the old saying that BOAT stands for Break Out Another Thousand was true, I'd sell em all to you!! I'd say your numbers were close but I don't know. Who has time to get off the water and check on those things??

[Tom Cannon, www.Outdoor-z.com]

I had a new boat every year for ten years, then had to struggle through two or three years without one. That sucked! I am glad to say I have one again and my wife is happy about it too since I was a bit grumpy without one.

[Brett Beinke]

I think this is a regional question. I think some areas where water is scarce most hunters will field hunt. Where water is plentiful boats are the norm. I have and use 3 boats for hunting waterfowl.

A Grumman Sport Canoe
An Otter Stealth
A Lund Pike 16 foot deep V

I am selling the Lund and picking up a Welded 16 foot modified hull jon.
Both the Lunch and Ottter have Quick-Sets on them.

[Scott Threinen]

If your asking what % of waterfowlers own boats and not how many we all have...your answer would be around 3% in my opinion. With 2.75 million waterfowlers, 2 million of then hunt 2 or 3 days a year, 500 thousand hunt 7 days or less, so with the remaining 275 thousands that means about 83000 of them own boats.....I might be off, but just a guess. I think it might be lower then that!

2,750,000 waterfowlers....here's your %

50% means 1,375,000 own boats
25% means 687,500 own boats
15% means 412,500 own boats
10% means 275,000 own boats
5% means 137,500 own boats

WOW!....I have some free time today.

[Derek Rambo]

No kidding Scott?!!

[Greg Owens]

Hey Scotty.... So just how many licks DOES it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop????



Wow...


Greg

[reel slick]

Scott, Thanks for the answers. That was what I was asking. I would think you would have to own a boat to be considered to Pro-Staff for a company. Without a boat your knowledge and experience would be very limited. Let's face it a sea duck or diver hunt on the east or west coast in jan. can ge real hairy, real quick, compared to laying in a cut cornfield.

[Kraig Storbeck]

I have two that I hunt out of!



Kraig Storbeck
Avery Pro-Staff

[Mike Bard]

I own 4 and each is for duck hunting.

[Cory Niccum]

I own 1 boat, its a Momarsh Fatboy DP, its light weight and easy to get around in. Its awsome for flooded marshes. Makes it easier to hunt all day out of one of these

[David Hochman]

I own two, one is a TDB-17 and the other is a 16ft jon with a mud motor. I also own a canoe that doesnt get much use after I tipped it in November a few years back.

[Rob Jepson]

I would think you would have to own a boat to be considered to Pro-Staff for a company...
Wish we had known that before we sent the shirts out!

[CurrituckBoy]

Where you are has a huge effect on what you hunt. The chesapeake bay and the entire easten seaboard, especially in MD, VA,and NC has some of the best diver hunting in states. I cant forget about WA, and Alaska on the west coast.

I believe that if you havent hunted divers and seaducks that should be on you list, it is very exciting.

Although goose hunting and puddler hunting is awsome and very satisfing Divers have a differnt mind set, and are very fun.


Good luck

Michael

[Bob "Chappy" Chaplin]

I have 3 boats:

10 foot jon
12 poke
14 deep-v

and I'm looking for a 16 or 18 right now.