Duck Hunting with a Hornbeck Boat | Lightweight, Quiet, Ready for the Marsh

Eli Nord
Dec 10, 2025
3 min read

Reach More Waterfowl with a Hornbeck Lightweight Hunting Canoe

Hey duck hunter! Tired of your duck boat that weighs over 100 lbs? Hornbeck has your back!

According to ducks.org, the average age of the American duck hunter has been increasing and is nearing 50, and one in five duck hunters is now over 60. Participation in hunting drops off sharply after 70.

With great age comes great aches and pains. But what if you could extend your youthful hunting style by another 10-20 years?

Over the past few years, there has been a major trend in kayak duck hunting, and here is why: They are smaller, lighter, and can get you into harder-to-hunt areas than a traditional duck boat. But they still weigh at least 50lbs and have very limited loading capacity.

That’s where Hornbeck comes in. Our lightweight pack boats, ranging from 15-30lbs, are rapidly finding popularity in the waterfowl world. But what do these hunters know that you don’t?

Pros to hunting in a Hornbeck

Access Advantage: Go Where the Ducks Go

-Navigate shallow marshes and small backwaters

-Slide over weeds and beaver flows

-Reach pocket spots where traditional boats can’t

Dogless Hunting: retrieve without the added responsibility

-next best thing for chasing cripples and retrieving game

Fast: Lighter is always faster

- get to the honey hole first

- casual speed approx. 3mph

Ultralight: Lightweight Portability

-Weighs far less than Jon boats and kayaks

-Long portages? No problem—carry in one hand

-Ideal for early-season wetlands with low water

-effortless loading and unloading on rooftops - no trailer needed

Stability & Space: Throw in those extra decoys

-Low profile + stable hull for shooting position

-loading an open boat gives you easier access to more gear

Stealthy: Silent Approach for Better Hunts

-No motor noise → less sky-busting

-Sneak right into the cover

-Quiet paddle strokes = birds stay relaxed

-Easy to hide by the blind until needed

Versatile: Not just a one trip pony

-use the boat year-round

-hunting, fishing, camping, etc.

Aesthetics: it’s okay to look good, too

-beauty in simplicity

Longevity: Durability in Hunting Environments

-Kevlar/carbon construction resists impacts

-Scrapes, mud, cattails — designed for it

-old age actually likes a Hornbeck - hunt for years to come

Repairable: Designed with abuse in mind

-composite boats are far easier to repair than plastics

-The entire boat can be taken apart and rebuild

Affordable: Price per pound value is unmatched in a Hornbeck

For the essential duck hunter who likes to work smaller areas that are hard to reach or just enjoys a solo hunt from time to time, a Hornbeck is hard to beat.

Are Hornbecks perfect? No.

Here are a few cons:

-Less Durable (You cannot drag this boat across the parking lot - good thing you won't need to)

-More Maintenance (a little TLC goes a long way - store indoors and oil rails - it’s okay to care)

-More Expensive (higher sticker price than a plastic kayak - but you won’t hate using it, and that’s true value)

Testimony:

“I typically load my Classic 13 with a blind bag, 2-3 dozen decoys, my gun, and a solo blind and just use it to get where I’m going. With a double-bladed paddle, I can usually go a mile in 20 minutes, which is 10 minutes faster than my solo canoe. Sometimes I have to drag it through the grass to get to the duck hole, and it pulls like a light sled. If the water is deep, I set decoys from the boat and use it to make changes. Once I’m set up in the cattails or on a riverbank, I hop in the boat to grab far-off ducks since I don’t have a dog. I only need a couple inches of water to paddle in, and I have to say, I’m never going back to my old heavy duck boat again. I use my boat for three seasons and even take it fishing in the Boundary Waters for a week. Worth every penny!” -Eli Nord

Start Your Hornbeck Adventure

Whether you’re a seasoned paddler, a backpacker looking to lighten your load, or someone exploring the Adirondacks for the first time, we’re here to help you choose the right ultralight boat for you.

Reach out today — your ultralight adventure begins here.

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