Has anyone made a contraption that could/would float a Bumper Boy?
I was thinking of making something so I could put them out in the middle of a large pond or river bay to do marking training. That way I could do realistic water training in areas where shorelines aren't conducive to setting them up for realistic marks.
I was thinking of getting a plastic "packer" box from Wal-Mart, putting foam insulation in the bottom, and screwing an eye-hook thru the bottom and sealing it with marine adhesive so I can hang my anchor line from.
But if someone on here has already done something, please share some pics.
I would look at using a platform that's very wide and stable. And I'd try to find a pool to do my testing in so I could stand next to it while it fires in case it capsizes. Personaly I have no place I'd want to launch from the water like that and I'm to scared to place my most expensive eqiupment in harms way.
No pics but a training partner made up a floating platform out of PVC pipe (4" or 6" I don't remember) and plywood that we used to float a winger. Plenty stable but kind of a pain to haul around and tow behind a canoe. Need a couple anchors to keep it pointed in the right direction.
Wouldn't an old, rough, small flat-bottom boat work in either case? Even one of those small marsh sleds or small layout boat would work. A winger would sit in a 10ft FB great and a 2 shot bb would sit right in a marsh sled sideways, so it would fire out the front or back(not sideways due to tipping). Just ideas...
That came to my mind first. Find an old round one that people give away and put a floor in it. Otherwise, I think you're going to wrong route. For strick hunt purposes, you need to get the dog to look "UP" and scan. I think putting your bumper boy up in a tree with an extension ladder over the pond would be a much better idea.
Just watch and remember- those HRC guys are going to steal my idea. They'll have a bird launched from a float tube in the water and a winger up in a tree. That would be more realistic hunting than sitting on plastic buckets.
Just watch and remember- those HRC guys are going to steal my idea. They'll have a bird launched from a float tube in the water and a winger up in a tree. That would be more realistic hunting than sitting on plastic buckets.
it's been done.
Years ago at a NAHRA Field Test, the upland portion flush. Grounds had a deer hunting stand 10 ft up a thick white pine. They put the crate of chuckers and a teenager up in it. When dog passed a spot the kid chucked a chucker and one of the judges shot it. It was a wicked fun test.
a few years back at one of our club tests up here the judges had a like need.
This is what they used as a "floating bumper boy"
I had to hold down my 5-gal pail of bumpers with me feet.
Looks like throwing a bumper could cause the vessel Dubbed "The USS Bora" to capsize if throwing too hard. Or maybe if the dog tried to board the ship it could cause problems.
The first thing that comes to mind is how much of a pain it is going to be to re-load that 2 shooter !!! drag boat back in, re-load shooter, somehow get boat back out to same spot and shoot same direction !!! (unless of course you have another person siting in boat)
Well here we go. Here it is. The first one completed. Gonna test it out, and if it works, I'll make three more for my other Bumper Boy 4-shooters. I'm gonna test it out with some weight comparable to what a Bumper Boy weighs. That way if it doesn't work, I won't have a messed-up 4-shooter on my hands.
It is pretty cumbersome. But I figure I'd just stack em in the boat. I'll only need them for boat training days. Gonna paint em black if it does work.
By the way, there is foam floatation between the two boards sandwiched together an there's foam floatation in the black plastics packer. Also, the bungees are loose....need to get shorter ones before it gets used. I'll keep you posted.....
Plywood and blue insulation foam. Plywood should to provide something solid to tie down the BB so it doesn't slide around and foam should provide the flotation. I'd want it tied down to the float pretty darn well so it didn't slide off during recoil. Anchor fore and aft so it was always pointing the same direction for all the dogs.
I took a large truck tire inner tube, tied a chunk of plywood on top and have used that with zinger winger uplanders to do marks. works well, and very stable with a big tube. i use two decoy weights tied off at 180 degrees to keep the launch in the proper direction. i would think that would work just as well with a bumper boy. cost about $25 each.
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