OUTDOORS by Marie Krolikowski
A family of hunters
Lake family hunts onboard a customized one-of-a-kind boat on Lake of the Ozarks.
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arious types of boats utilize the Lake in the Ozarks. It’s not unusual to see pontoons, tri-toons, cruisers, fishing boats, and even racing boats. There’s one boat that frequents the Lake, however, that’s particularly unique. That’s the duck hunting boat owned by the Charlton family. Mark, Annette, and their three boys Blake (22), Dylan (21) and Tyler (16) reside full-time in a St. Charles suburb. They also own a Lake-front home in the Four Seasons neighborhood down Horseshoe Bend. It is here they build memories boating, swimming and even duck hunting. Mark’s interest in hunting in general started when he was just a young boy. “I grew up in a rural area called Taos, Missouri and I always hunted with my dad – deer, quail and rabbit,” he said. “I was in 6th 20 VACATION NEWS
or 7th grade when I started. My brother is two years younger than me. We would come home from school and go hunting together.” It wasn’t until after college that Mark took an interest in duck hunting. He had moved to Hannibal, Missouri — a town right on the Mississippi River and home to many duck hunters. “The season was only 30 days long then,” Mark explained. “Because of that, the sport wasn’t as popular, and you didn’t see the equipment you see today. As the duck population grew, the season was extended, and the sport grew in popularity.” Prior to getting married and having a family, Mark would begin his hunting season in Iowa in mid-September, and end in Arkansas in late January. This was a ritual for himself and a group of fellow hunters. “You need to have the drive, passion,
schedule and flexibility to do that,” he said. “Duck hunting slowed down after I had a family of my own.” In the early days, Mark didn’t own a duck hunting boat. He eventually purchased a cheap 13-foot boat with a 10- horsepower motor. That led to a 16foot with a 25- horsepower motor, and then a 19-foot boat. Seven years ago, Mark purchased the boat he still hunts with today. This unique watercraft is a 20-foot, commercial grade aluminum boat with a 150horsepower motor and a 72inch width on the bottom. It’s even equipped with a GPS system. But what really sets this boat apart is the customization. A custom blind provides shelter and camouflage for the duck hunters. The boat carries 40 pounds of propane to fuel an oven, gas burner, and four – 15,000 btu heaters. Ice breakers mounted on the underside of the boat enables it to plow through up to three inches of ice. The boat comfortably seats four adults and keeps the hunters toasty in singledigit weather. “I knew this was going to be my last boat,” Mark said. “When I had my 19-footer there was a guy in Iowa who had a boat like this. Someone in Cedar Rapids, Iowa customized it for me.” April 30-May 15, 2021
