Blind on a Sportspal Canoe

[Teebs]

I recently acquired a 14 foot Meyer's Sportspal canoe that I'm planning on using for duck hunting this season. At 58 lbs, it's light enough that I can pick it up and put it on my roof rack by myself. With 650lbs of capacity, it should be more than capable of hauling two hunters and their gear. However, I'm looking for a lightweight solution that will add some concealment to the boat.

I've considered simply threading cattails between the sponsons and the hull and/or trying to rig something up with a tent pole repair kit. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[roosterdown]

I've hunted out of one of these and simply brought those woven reed mats, which looked pretty good with the boat in cattails.

 

[Teebs]

I've hunted out of one of these and simply brought those woven reed mats, which looked pretty good with the boat in cattails.

You mean you laid it over yourself and used the boat as if it were a layout blind?

 

[roosterdown]

As I recall yes - covered the whole boat and most of me...also covered the boat and hunkered down in the cattails next to the boat.

It's the right canoe for the task - and I own many canoes.

 

[LongWayAround]

I haven't actually fielded my solution but...

I have a 12' nucanoe. I went to Ace Hardware and got a roll of green plastic construction fencing. I unrolled about 26' of fencing and wrapped the boat with the bow as the midpoint. Zipties at the bow and stern to hold the shape. I also added a few ties where the fencing overlaps coming into the boat a couple feet from the bow. I then skinned the fencing with burlap, using more zipties.

I intend to attach vegetation or grass mat to the burlap. What I currently have is basically a sized blind skin for my boat. Unfortunately, we haven't had much water the last two seasons since I did the project. Hopefully I can test it out shortly. A bungee cord, or two, may be necessary to take up slack. The idea is to essentially use the boat as a layout blind.

 

[Windigo]

My experience with Sportspal's is that they get way more unstable with a high center of gravity than a comparable Old Town. If you keep the weight of the blind low or add some outriggers you should be fine, but take it out and try some broadside shots just to see how tippy it is. My buddy and I nearly flipped a canoe when we both touched off broadside shots at the same time.

 

[Ron.C]

I have a 12' oldtown I have converted into a layout boat that I hunt in as much a s 3' of water. I was going to buy a used sportspal for this project but saw this oldtown deeply discounted and went with that instead. That said, Oldtown would work just fine, only a bit bigger then my boat.

Used my old cabelas layout blind. Cut the bottom, fashioned a gun rest out of 1/2 " emt and the adapted the head rest ot fit in rear cross brace of the canoe. Takes all of 2 minutes to set up "I can still paddle with it set up" but don't really need to as thats what the dog is for.

Also have 4x 4" wood dowels I can drive in the mud and attach the canoe with bungy so it keeps me stable in a few feet of water. It has been a deadly set up for me "as I hunt tidal water" and can easily follow the rise/falling tide over a shoot and set up in areas where its simpley too wet for traditional layouts or not enough cover for typical blind boat set ups.

 

[LongWayAround]

I have a 12' oldtown I have converted into a layout boat that I hunt in as much a s 3' of water. I was going to buy a used sportspal for this project but saw this oldtown deeply disciounted and went with that instaed. That said, Oldtown would work just fine, only a bit bigger then my boat.

Used my old cabela layout blind (cut the bottom, fashioned a gun rest out of 1/2 " emt and the adapted the head rest ot fit in rear cross brace of the canoe. Takes all of 2 minutes to set up "I can still paddle with it set up" but don't really need to as thats what the dog is for.

Also have 4x 4" wood dowels I can drive in the mud and attach the canoe with bungy so it keeps me stable in a feet of water. It has been a deadly set up for me "as I hunt tidal water" and can easily follow the rise/falling tide over a shoot and set ip in areas where its simpley too wet for traditional layouts or not enough cover for typical blind boat set ups.
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I cut the bottom out of my old ghg ground to do the same but haven't gotten a chance to use it bolted on. Nice to see someone with a similar setup. My nucanoe has internal rails that it fits nicely on.

 

[LongWayAround]

This is the only time I have had the canoe out with my burlap wrap. Not much vegetation to get a brushed better but I was mostly trying to match the mudflat "beach."