Waterfowl Hunters: Know Your (Weight) Limits

An often overlooked aspect of hunter safety occurs when hunters use a boat while waterfowl hunting. Nearly every year, a hunting tragedy occurs in Idaho when a boat capsizes or gets swamped in very cold water during a duck hunt. These incidents can always be avoided with a few precautions. Duck hunters take great care in preparing for the hunting aspect of their outings, carefully checking decoy lines and weights, designing and building blinds, purchasing warm clothing and boots, patterning steel shot loads, practicing their calling, etc. Often overlooked, however, is the mode of transportation to the hunting location and the safety considerations needed to get there and back safely. Hunters using a boat to get to their island blind and those hunting from their duck boats are going not only on a hunting trip. They are also going on a boating trip, and they need to do all the preparation and have all of the safety equipment that a boating outing requires. The most common mistake waterfowl hunters make in their boating trip is overloading the boat. All vessels less than 20 feet in length constructed after November 1, 1972, have a capacity plate permanently affixed. The plate will be in a location clearly visible to the operator while the boat is underway. The plate lists the maximum allowed horsepower, maximum number of persons, and maximum weight capacity in persons and equipment. By the time you put on an outboard motor, load three hunters and all their gear, and then tell a retriever to get into the boat, it is very easy to exceed the weight capacity without knowing it. Exceeding the weight capacity of a boat creates a dangerous condition. Overloading reduces the amount of freeboard, which is the vertical distance measured on the boat's side from the waterline to the gunwale. Insufficient freeboard can lead to poor handling in rough water and makes it easier for the boat to swamp. Duck hunters are often out in the worst weather where whitecaps or the wake of a passing boat could quickly send water over the gunwale and into the boat. An excited retriever can unexpectedly move in the boat adding to the danger when a boat is overloaded. Often wearing waders and heavy coats, a duck hunter would find it very difficult to swim should their boat take on water or capsize. Add the effects of ice cold water, and a mishap becomes an immediate life threatening emergency. Idaho law requires a life jacket on board for every passenger, and a throw-able (type IV) personal floatation device is required in boats more than 16 feet long. While Idaho boaters are not required to wear their life jackets, it is strongly recommended for duck hunters. Many companies now make camouflage life jackets and float coats that can be worn while duck hunting that do not flare birds and are reasonably comfortable to shoot in. Such an item would be an excellent Christmas gift for someone on your list who enjoys duck hunting! If you are hunting from the boat, remaining seated while shooting will improve your accuracy and the stability of the boat. Hunters have been knocked out of boats from the unanticipated or underestimated recoil of heavy Magnum waterfowl loads. Phil Cooper is the wildlife conservation educator for the Panhandle Region.