PURSUING THE WILD LIFE
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Pursuing the Wild Life

As luck would have it......for Travis

10/30/2014

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On the way out to one of our favorite WMA’s for an after work, weekday hunt we needed to take a detour that proved lucky for one hunter. These weekday evening hunts are always a little stressful, given the short time we will be in our stands we try and make every minute count. In from work, changing into hunting clothes in minutes, loaded up exactly on time, an efficient drive without any stops, and so the list goes on.

Within about 5 miles of our turn off on a little traveled narrow two lane rural road we noticed a young man walking along the edge of the road, no truck in sight and wearing full camo.

After coming to a stop we learned that the unfortunate hunter had just been hiking for some time from where his truck became stuck far back in the refuge. With our new comrade holding on to the rear hitch mounted carrier (no room in the 4Runner) and the back window rolled down we navigated through the woods to his truck. After a little digging (yes, I carry a shovel, actually two) the tow strap connected the not so trusty lately (see archives for that saga) 20 year old 4Runner in 4x4 low, pulled the pick up truck out of a deep sugar sand trap where it's rear end  had been buried up to its frame.

With that mission accomplished we went our separate ways. Fast forward about a half hour and Douglas and I have hiked into our hunting grounds and I have continued into the hammock I've been hunting. The area I've been setting up in is not on any marked trail and I have not seen anyone else in the area.....until this evening. While quietly climbing up I hear foot steps, looking over my shoulder I see my new friend Travis! He had hiked in from a different direction.  After we both apologized for hunting the same area. I said that no apology was needed and let him know that I thought I heard a hog feeding not far from our location and suggested where he might be. To keep the story brief, a couple hours later I hear a hog squealing and a text message comes in fromTravis who confirms that yes indeed he has arrowed a nice boar!


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Repair notes:
  • This was a fast and relatively average to poor, bordering on redneck quality job.
  • All materials were purchased at Lowes and Home Depot.
  • Total time spent: a few hours.
  • Total cost: approx. $50.


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 A marine grade filler was applied
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Then sanding and multiple coats of cloth, resin and sanding
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Then a final light sanding and spay can / palmetto paint job

The first trip we put in near Cedar Key and worked our way up a couple creeks that would have been inaccessible in a larger boat. We found 15 or more Redfish and a couple nice trout.
Gear used:
  • ​Old 1980’s Gheenoe, classic model purchased at a garage sale for $150.
  • Trailer assembled from parts
  • Yamaha 6 hp purchased new
First Impressions:
  • ​Gheenoe’s are excellent backwater boats. Their shallow draft, excellent stability and maneuvering are boats you can take just about anywhere in relatively protected waters. And you can pull, push or paddle them if needed.
  • The Yamaha 6 hp 4 stroke is a good balance between weight, portability, economy and power. The engine is not yet fully broken in, so it hasn’t been run a full throttle but I’m guessing it will move the loaded Gheenoe between 10 and 15 mph. The 6 hp is not a speed demon but seems fast enough and in the rocky backwater creeks, speed is the last thing you need. Easy to tilt up, shallow draft, and easy pull start are more important to me. As far as fuel economy goes, I don’t know how many hours I can expect from the 3 gal. remote tank because after a two or three hours running time the gauge hadn’t budged from full.
  • The ride of the Gheenoe is great in smooth water and fair in a chop. The boat and motor are sensitive to load distribution and the loads should be adjusted to be when heading into the wind and waves to keep the boat dry. I expected and did notice some hull cavitation when in rougher water. The hull could be strengthened in some areas but I doubt I will make many hull modifications.
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Paul with a couple nice trout from the first trip
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