Can you hunt from a jon-boat???

Here's the deal. I hunt on a 200 acre property. There is a 40 acre lake that is literally in the dead center of the land. This is the only real body of water within about 5000 acres so it is a game magnet. There are three main game trails that lead to the lake and the mud at the water's edge is beat to death with tracks. Some of them are HUGE. Like many of the other posts I have read, deer are not coming to the feeders accept at night because there are STILL so many damn acorns on the ground. Anyways, you can't effectively hunt more than one of these trails at a time...unless you were on a boat in the middle of the lake. I've got a 10 foot Jon Boat with and anchor. If it is LEGAL, I'm thinking of anchoring down in the middle of the lake one evening and just waiting. I have toyed with this idea all season but I haven't tried it because I don't know if it's legal.

The TPWD website has this to say:

Vehicles: It is unlawful to hunt from or by means of motor-driven vehicles and land conveyances or aircraft of any kind, except paraplegics and single or double amputees of legs may hunt from stationary motor-driven vehicles or land conveyances. It is unlawful to use motor-driven land, water, or air conveyances or sailboats to concentrate, drive, rally, or stir up any migratory game bird.

The boat is not "motor-driven" it does not have a motor of any kind. I use a paddle to cross the lake and/or fish. As I read the guideline, my idea should be legal.

Please let me know your opinion.

yes you are okay doing that

There isn't a spot on the downwind side of the lake that offers a good vantage point where you could place a blind near the waters edge?

Seems that a blind would be more practical choice, and being a permanent structure, even if sitting out in the open, with no trees or brush around it, wouldn't attract attention of the game as a boat suddenly sitting out in the middle of the lake.

Some deer especially the older bucks and does may not feel at ease seeing somthing out there that wasn't there before.

Another thing a boat wouldn't make for a very stable shooting platform, and especially at the ranges you might have to shoot from. Even a slight breath of wind will move a 10' Jon boat around, even if you anchor it from both bow, and stern, and it just wouldn't be practical for accurate shooting.

Heck, I have a hard time holding my rifle steady trying to make a 100 yard shot out of my deer blind, that's anchored to the ground.

Another thing to consider is you will be doing a lot of moving around trying to see all around you, and a flat bottom boat isn't the most stable boat when movement is involved.

But I guess you won't know until you try it for yourself!

You could get a target, set it up at the waters edge, and paddle out there to the center of the lake and see if you can put one into an area the size of a paper plate, and it's legal by the way!

Good luck!

Thanks for the response "jimbo". Here's the deal. This is more of a last resort idea than anything else. I have set up downwind of all three trails and even a fourth lesser traveled trail. The problem is that the predominant wind doesn't allow this very often. I have also been leery of setting up a blind because I am scared it will screw up their natural patterns. I have used ground blinds from branches, leaves and what not just off of these trails but I have seen NOTHING. Twice I have set up on one of the major trails from sun up to sun down with nothing. I've been hunting basically since I could walk and have experienced more than my share of bad days but the two things that are frustrating are that the lake is literally the only source of water within about 5000 acres and I'm still not seeing them come in, and the landowner has seen a "biggest one I've ever seen out here..." 8 pointer at the waters edge in the morning about 10 times!!!. That's saying a lot because two years ago he killed a 14 pointer that scored about 180. I'm convinced that the deer are still primarily nocturnal right now because of the warm weather. I know they're coming to the lake because nearly the entire bank is beat to death. I wish I had pictures, it would blow your mind. I'm just frustrated and grasping at straws. As for your other point, I wouldn't dare take that shot, or any shot that I wasn't 1000% comfortable with. I have "practiced" getting in position and stabilizing my cross-hairs on bushes, rocks, etc. on the waters edge and it hasn't been near as difficult as you might think. But like you said, the only way this would be even a remote possibility would be if the water was calm. As for being out in the open, all three of these trails are heavily wooded / covered until they open up at the waters edge. My window of opportunity may be small to say the least, but at a minimum I can watch all three trails at the same time. Since my post, I studied an aerial map of the land and I think I may have identified an area I can set-up and watch two of the three trails from the ground. It would be about a 250 yard shot, but I will try this before I further consider the boat idea.

Get a shotgun with some buckshot and get about 20 yards off of the trail. Jmho.

Animals and game birds not classified as migratory may be hunted from a motor vehicle, powerboat, sailboat, or from any other floating device within the boundaries of private property or upon private water. Migratory game birds under certain circumstances may be hunted from a boat on public water. See the migratory game bird section for the exceptions (Lawful Hunting Means and Methods).

I was wrong in your other thread

I think that you will be fine.