Well I know you can't back pack a zodiac...but I'm setting up a fly in thingy for moose this fall. Can anyone make recomendations regarding zodiacs? I'm in a quandry regarding ridgid floor or inflatable keel. The inflatable keel has a larger payload--handy with a load of moose. Will the inflatable keel models be able to carry as large a load on the floor as a ridgid one? I'm a little concerned with a bone putting a hole in the inflatable keel model. On the other hand the ridgid floor adds considerable weight-not good when flying in. I also want to use it to float the rivers with my little girls is a rigid floor better for that? What length is appropriate, I lean toward something 11 feet or more, but there are a lot of 9 footers for sale.

thanks

the chef

if you are talking rivers at all, you need the floorboards.

If you are flying into a reasonably calm lake, if you are handy you can make a second set of lighter floorboards with 3/8 fir plywood, and then burn them when the plane comes and gets you and the moose.

Check out Buck Nelsons site www.bucktrack.com. He used a fly in model raft to cover 700 miles in his Movie "700 Miles Alone By Back Pack and Raft". Great hunting video. I would imagine having something rigid between you and the rocks at the bottom of the channel would be important. Wife has a Zodiac that we have not unpacked in sometime. It is an inflatable bottom for sandy bottoms or deep water.

I have done the "fly in thingy" for moose five times in NE Alberta. In all but one case we flew in a canoe which worked really well. I also have some experience with inflatables and river drifting. You definitely need a solid floor. Also the size of boat you are talking is very,very small.I use a 16' Achilles and would not suggest anything much smaller. I'd love to hear more about your trip and would be glad to share my experiences with you.

Well I'm tentatively going with Canadian lefty from this board. He seems like a good guy, and he's willing to take me caribou hunting as a trade. We'll fly out of ft macmurray and land on a predetermined lake in NE AB. From there you know the rest. I'm mainly interested in moose -a monster of course and with my bow would be nice. I'll bring a gun but damn I hope not to use it--I'm pretty hot to shoot a moose with my recurve. If the blue berries cooperate I'll try a little spot and stalk with the bow for bears. Canadian lefty is willing to do some baiting and I'm absolutely fine with that, I'll even find and bring the bait since he has to come a ways to get here. But the more I think about it the more I'd like to stalk a bear. We'll see when the time comes I might have to sit over a bait pile too. I've been to that area a few times but always on a quad, the plane appeals to me a lot more. I have a canoe and I'm willing to use it-I just assumed a zodiac would be better. My other thought was to buy a good used canoe and leave it up there if necessary. A buddy of mine flew in last summer and canoed out it sounded like a great trip and got me thinking about flying in. Ever since I've been searching for someone to go with as my usual gang arent interested in this trip-for various reasons ie;no money, time, permission from the wife etc. To be honest it's been hard to find someone who actually wants to do some hunting instead of talking about it. I've tried offering hunting trades to people from other countries but still no interest. I really think Canadian lefty is going to be a top notch partner to go with. Can you tell me which charter company you used? I'm thinking about FT.Mcmurray Air-I think that''s what theyre called. They are damned busy though another company might be a better idea.

thanks

the chef

Chef
I've been floating AK rivers for the last 15 years and I'd suggest you look at 13-14 ft whitewater rafts.
Solid floors will allow rocks to knock a hole in your floor PRONTO...Everything in the raft should be suspended in nets about the floor.

Budman thanks, we'll be on a lake though. I'm not gonna be crashing down a raging river.

the chef

quote:

I also want to use it to float the rivers with my little girls is a rigid floor better for that?

OH SORRY I read your original post wrong.

We used two plane services out of FT Mac initially but found a much less expensive service out of Ft Vermillion. The Cree band up there has there own air company including a Beaver on floats. We were able to use that for half (thats right) what the Ft Mac guys were charging.From Ft Vermillion most of NE alberta can be accessed.
A word of reality. The moose density up there is not high. Also like anywhere else the big old moose are not around every corner. Further,the outfitters up there fly lots to prescout and I can tell you that in the evening the moose are visible from an aircraft.That being said in my 5 trips,7 moose were shot the best of which is in my trophy room and scores 189.
I always swore that if I were to do it again I would hole up in Ft Mac or Ft Vermillion and charter a Cessna on wheels for a couple of hours in the evening for two nights before flying in to hunt. This would be to spot and pick the right lake.There are more lakes up there with few to no moose than there are with 60" bulls in every bay.
Hope this helps and good luck. It really is a lot of fun and I look back on those trips with good memories. Maybe I could consider another in 2007 as I am hunting moose in Northern BC this fall.

Thanks for the info Bwest. The area we hunt seems to have good moose populations. We've taken 21 moose in the last 7 years and some are truly huge. It seems thought that the average is around 48 inches. I have a couple buddies who are willing to take me on a scouting mission one has a cessna and one a maule. When you say the price with the natives is half that's pretty encouraging. Prices on an amphibian plane out of ft. Mac is a grand an hour for flying.


After hearing some of the opinions here I think I'm gonna go with a canoe. It's no more heavy and I don't necessarily have to bring a motor.

thanks all

the chef

Either way we expect a full report. I am hoping to pull a moose tag for Maine this year.

Good Hunting and Be Safe,

H4L

Chef, I don't know if this information is too late for you to use, but take a look at the wide bodied folding kayaks, like those made by Nautiraid or Klepper. They are tough, will cover a lot of miles fast, and are much less likely to get blown around in strong wind, compared to a canoe. They're just as wide as a canoe, but more stable, because you're lower in the boat. Folbot in the USA also makes a pretty good folding kayak that is much less costly, but I don't think it is as tough as the Klepper or Nautiraid.
Happy hunting, Jim
https://www.folbot.com/index.html

calgarychef1,
I would not use a inflateable without a floor. I had an Outfitter that I worked for fly one in for me one time so we could get this monster bull. It got the job done but was a pain in the ass.
If you are hunting the rut, on a lake, a motorized inflatable would be a good choice. They don't paddle worth sh-t on still water. A canoe works very well like bwest has mentioned. I also agree with bwest about a 12' boat being a little small. A 12' will do the job on a lake but will not give you much flexibility for extended river trips, etc. especialy when you have your girls with you. I like wide, flat bottom, fibre glass canoes. Keep your eye out for them. Leave them behind at your favorite lake. Keep in mind airplanes cannot handle as much cargo when they have a canoe tied to thier floats. Check with your pilot. I would also go with a pilot that has flown with boats tied underneath.

Oh yeah,
keep your inflatable clean of blood, fish, etc. It does not take long for a pesky black bear to screw up your boat.


Daryl

Yukoner, good point about the blood. Thanks!! I just bought a Grumman 16 footer with square stern and 2 horse Johnson....it all looks like new and was 400 bucks-a great buy. The pilot is a little worried, transprot Canada is giving him grief about external loads. He's done it a lot of times but he might get told not to this year. I'm still looking for a beater canoe, an old fiberglass freighter that I can leave up there would be nice. I suppose if all else fails I can rent a zodiac for a couple weeks. It'll all be for naught if I can't find a hunting partner.

thanks for the info.