Canoe choices help.

[mwood1985]

I wanna buy a canoe for general paddling taking float camping trips maybe some deer and duck hunting access on lakes and rivers. Whats a good length for a general use boat?

 

[SASS249]

My personal favorite is the Old Town Discovery 158. It is super stable, near indestructible and will haul almost anything you put in it. I describe it as the pickup truck of canoes, not perfect for anything but does a lot of stuff relly well. I almost always solo paddle mine and for over 30 years have paddled everything from class IV whitwater to the Okefenokee swamp in it and it is still going strong. You can also find them for sale used pretty often at a good price.

Your actual question was the best length. Folks today seem to prefer shorter boats, but for decades 16-17 foot canoes were the standard. In general a longer boat will paddle faster than a short boat. Much depends on your skill level. Paddling a canoe well takes a skill set that is only developed over time.

 

[BDD]

Old Town 169 is a good one also , I think it's like a 1100# pay load.
If your alone , sit in the front seat facing backwards centers you pretty good.

 

[Qazaq15]

A longer canoe will track better, but wont turn as well. If you're paddling in some tighter streams with sharp bends, a shorter boat is easier to maneuver. If you're mostly going to paddle straight in open water, I would get at least a 15'.

 

[jamie1475]

best ever made to haul gear, trek rough water, paddle alone, paddle tandem, just about anything. Esquif Canyon IF you can find one.

 

[king killer delete]

Two words
Old Town

 

[bentrod7]

Golden Hawk canoes out of Wisconsin appears to be a candidate. Fiberglass, wide flat bottom and weight is 50lbs for 10' square back. Great if I could find a used one. OT discovery 133 or OT119 ,OT Next are other selections.

 

[Semi-Pro]

I have an old town. It will hold.more weight than my 14 ft jon boat. Around 1100 lbs I believe.