Both were cedar planked and could be purchased with either canvas or (starting in the 1950s) fiberglass coverings. Two very popular Shell Lake duck boats in their day were the shallow-draft, 12-foot, 6-inch-long Mallard Queen and the 13-foot-long Drake Mallard. was bought by Lund in the 1960s before ultimately being closed.) (in business from 1904 to 1980) of Shell Lake, Wis. Roger Strand also owns a reconditioned Shell Lake low-profile duck boat built by the Shell Lake Boat Co. The Strands use a Lund Ducker for transportation, a 103-pound, 12-foot, 4-inch-long iconic Minnesota-made craft that, like the Grumman Sport Boat, is no longer made. I was reminded of this last weekend, on the duck opener, while near New London where Roger Strand and his family have a duck hunting camp. Yet, no state has a richer duck hunting heritage than Minnesota, and we therefore have our own long history of duck boat design and manufacturing. Other specialty duck boats include the Barnegat Bay (N.J.) Sneakbox, the California tule splitter and the Marblehead (Mass.) gunning dory, the latter used for sea duck hunting. Sculling boats, in which a long, single oar extends from the transom of a one-person layout boat, allowing the hunter to scull the boat by moving the oar side to side, is similarly a unique duck boat made for specific purposes in specific places. In Louisiana, for instance, the pirogue, originally a sort-of cypress dugout (now flat-bottomed) double-ended canoe, is still used, as it was a century ago. Pieces of Americana that in most cases are designed for specific uses in very specific environments, their common intent, always, is to transport the waterfowler to a site where he or she can close to within shotgun range of mallards, wigeon, gadwall, teal or other winged fowl. Original owner, original paint.”ĭuck-hunting boats, or “duck boats,” have long fascinated me. “But Grumman Sport Boats aren’t made anymore,” I said. “You already have a duck hunting boat and a canoe you camouflaged for duck hunting,” she said. Or so I said to my wife recently while revealing my purchase of a vintage Grumman Sport Boat. But decoys do, as do calls and the specialized watercraft duck hunters often deploy. Waders, cold-weather gear and retrieving dogs might not fit these descriptions. But the fact remains that anyone who is serious about duck hunting, no matter the relative abundance of birds, is serious also about the equipment the sport requires - equipment that in many cases qualifies as art, or at least memorabilia. Some will disagree, particularly those Minnesota waterfowlers who have grown weary of viewing mostly empty skies over their decoys, their early morning risings, they believe, having gone to waste.įair enough. Handles gas or electric motors up to 2HP with optional detachable transom (not included).More lifestyle than pastime, duck hunting commands the wingshooter’s attention in ways other field sports don’t. Combo also features a cushioned Invisalounge Layout Seat, which adjusts from 10° to 90° for a more comfortable hunt. The blind attaches to the deck and features swing-open doors, adjustable dog access, and slats for adding natural vegetation. Virtually unsinkable, this low profile hunting machine features built-in flotation chambers and a large cockpit big enough for a hunter, dog, and up to 6 dozen duck decoys. Made of hand-lain fiberglass laminate, the self-balancing tunnel hull offers unmatched stability for stand-up poling through thick cover and shallow water. The ultimate layout boat for navigating into the duck-heavy areas, the MOMarsh Fatboy delivers quick and easy deployment, stability, and the ability to haul your dog and gear. This duck hunting machine combines the MOMarsh Fatboy layout boat with the Invisihide Cockpit Blind to help you float close while hidden. Get out on the water where the ducks are without limitations with the MOMarsh Fatboy DP Layout Boat Combo.
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