Finding the best boat for duck hunting can be a real challenge. Manufacturers have saturated the market with options for both the serious and the casual waterfowl hunter. So, what should you buy? Are you looking for something that can serve double duty as a fishing boat? Or are you a serious duck hunter who needs a heavy-duty backwater boat with the best boat blind on the market? No matter what your hunting style is, we should have something for everyone on here to suit a variety of different budgets.
Ranger MPV Series
For the hunter looking for a higher-end multi-purpose aluminum boat for hunting ducks in shallow swamps and big water fishing, it's hard to go wrong with a Ranger. They decked out MPV Series for both. The 1652 MPV comes in Mossy Oak Bottomland camo, is equipped with a gun box, and has an option for a dog ladder for your favorite hunting buddy to bring your birds back to the boat. The vessel has an MSRP of $15,495.
Lowe Roughneck Waterfowl
Lowe boats make two models of their Roughneck waterfowl hunting ships, the 1860 and the 1860 waterfowl tiller. At 18 feet long with an 85-inch beam, these open-floor boats are spacious for multiple hunters and their dogs. These boats come with Lowe's "Bust'Em Boat Blind" as a standard feature. It's a hard-shelled duck blind that you can remove when not in use.
They also come fitted with an aerated livewell and are outfitted with a 60-horse power Mercury outboard four-stroke to get you to your hunting spot quickly and quietly. Options for camo patterns include Mossy Oak Shadow Grass and Dead Grass Green. These boats start at around $20,000.
Edge Duck Boats Diamond Back Series
Edge Duck Boats come with a decent length of around 15 feet with a 64-inch beam and come packed with features for the price. This DiamondBack series has MSRPs ranging from just over $4,000 to $5,300, making them a good option for a hunter looking for a budget boat that should last a long time. These boats feature a rear transom step which can be helpful for older hunters or those with mobility issues. They also pack in a bilge pump, gun box, tray, and more.
Gator-Tail Savage Series
These boats are 17 feet long but only 50 inches wide, so they're a little narrower than some of the other boats on this list. But the Gator-Tail Savage offers dual gun trays and plenty of under-deck storage for all your duck decoys and other hunting gear.
It has a trolling motor mound, generous handrails, and a stabilizer kit. The motor is a 40-horse GTR40XD L Vanguard. These boats start around $20,000, but they build them for serious duck hunting in flooded areas filled with timers that could tear up other ships.
Pro-Drive X-Series
Sometimes it's tough to find a boat with a shallow enough draft to get to where the ducks are. They purposely built the Pro-Drive series for just super shallow waters. This one comes in various lengths and widths, from 16 feet by 48 inches to 20 feet by 60 inches. The 16x48 model is incredibly light at just 475 pounds.
Standard features on these boats include a six-gallon gas tank, gun boxes and front deck storage, T-rail gunnels, and a control panel with USB ports. A wave of the future, huh? Prices vary based on the model but expect to pay around $20,000 for the larger boats.
Alumacraft Jon Boats
For the hunter on a budget, you can't go wrong with getting a bare-bones Jon Boat and then customizing it to fit your needs. That may be part of the fun of getting one of these. Alumacraft makes their Jon Boats in various lengths, from 10 to 16 feet. Prices range from $980 to $11,000.
Higher-end ones, like the 1648 Jon, come with a primary center storage area. The flat bottom of these boats makes them highly stable and can easily accommodate you and your favorite retriever. Just add some camo paint, a blind, and go!
Excel Boats F4
If you're looking for a shallow water boat with great storage, the Excel F4 is a craft to consider. It has 16 to 18 feet lengths, and the large, open layout features two gun boxes and storage areas on both sides. If you and your buddies have a lot of hunting gear you want to keep organized, the F4 should do it.
The company outfits them with Mud Buddy shallow water motors with horsepower ranging from 50 to 70 ponies that can handle running in only a few inches of water. Options include a 3,000-pound winch, live well, spud poles, trolling motor, and led lights. Expect to pay around $20,000 for a brand-new 2020 model.
Lund Predator Series
A good utility boat option, Lund built these decked-out aluminum Jon boats to have excellent maneuverability and stability. Lund offers a bunch of configuration options with this model. You can get a side console or a tiller model depending on your preference. Lengths vary from 16 feet to 20 feet.
The 20-foot model, 2070, has a vast 96-inch beam on it. Talk about hunting in comfort! That boat also offers a 150-horsepower motor and a 20-gallon fuel tank. Lund's Predator series varies in price from $13,000-$20,000.
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This article was originally published on September 14, 2021.
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