Wisc. canoe length...

[doghawg]

 Hello folks. Having recently retired I thought I'd try fishing again...It's been a few years since I've wet a line and you can't shoot ALL the time..

 So I've got an extended cab F150 and a 16 foot Old Town canoe. I load the canoe in the bed of the truck and strap it in securely and put a large blaze orange flag on the back but there is over 7 feet of canoe hanging out there beyond the tailgate. I really don't want to carry the canoe on the roof of the truck or buy any sort of rack....This fishing thing is only a filler between hunting seasons.

 My question is this.....I can't seem to find out if Wisc. has a specific regulation on how much overhang is allowed. I've been staying off the busier highways (where someone is three feet off your bumper) and have had no problems.  Does anyone have any input on this???

[buck460XVR]

For years I hauled a 17 foot Alumacraft canoe in the back of my Ford Ranger pickup in the method you describe. Never had a problem. Was always told that anything 2 feet past your bumper had to be flagged with red. This only applies to daylight hours, tho.

[Bigeasy]

Call your local police and ask.  What I would do is simply place a foam strip on the roof of the cab, put a 2x4 in each rear stake hole on the rear of the bed, connect them with a 2x4 across, same height as the cab, then load the canoe and strap it down.  Cheaper then a ticket, or an accident for that matter if some idiot hits you from behind.

Larry

[Torwe]

Since I use to haul OD loads I thought I would respond here.  Virtually all states allow 4' of overhang. Anything over that must be flagged with a red flag and at night must have 3 red lights at the end. Just like the center cluster of 3 on the rear of an 18 wheeler. Enjoy yourcanoe,............

[doghawg]

 Thanks for the replies. I retired from Spancrete and hauled concrete bridge beams all over Wisc. and Mich for many years and know big rig oversize regulations quite well but can't seem to find anything about small vehicle regs. I'm aware of the flagging and about lights after dark. I have a call in the local sheriff non-emergency line and am waiting for a response. I could stop at the Abrams state patrol scale on my way up north and ask them but with my luck I'd have to leave the canoe right there...

 Anyone else??

[doghawg]

 Hello again........I talked to the Brown county sheriff dept.today and the shift commander Lt. said he couldn't find any regs that apply to this sort of thing. I guess I'll stick with daylight use with flags, back roads and common sense.

 I understand the bluegills are starting to bite so if you folks see some old retired buzzard in a canoe trying to use a fly rod....try to keep a straight face please...

[JeffG]

I talked to the Brown county sheriff dept.today and the shift commander Lt. said he couldn't find any regs that apply to this sort of thing.

Sheesh.....Any projecting load beyond 48 inches past the rear bumper, must be flagged in the daytime :

Lighting requirements
An oversize vehicle, or a vehicle with an oversize load operating during the hours of darkness, shall be equipped with the following additional lamps.

A: for a vehicle with a load which extends beyond the width of the vehicle

At the outermost extremity of the foremost edge of the projecting load, an amber lamp visible from the front and side
At the outermost extremity of the rearmost edge of the projecting load, a red lamp visible from the rear and side
Any portion of an overwidth load extending beyond the width of the foremost or rearmost edge of the vehicle of load shall be marked with an amber lamp visible from the front, both sides, and rear
If the overwidth portion of a load measures 3 feet or less from the front to rear, that portion shall be marked with a amber lamp visible from the front, both sides and rear, except that if the overwidth projection is located at or near the rear it shall be marked by a red lamp visible from the front, both sides, and rear 
B: for a vehicle with a load which extends more than 4 feet beyond the rear of the vehicle

On each side of the projecting load, one red lamp visible from the side, located so as to indicate maximum overhang
On the rear of the projecting load, 2 red lamps, visible from the rear, one at each side; and 2 red reflectors visible from the rear, one at each side, located so as to indicate maximum width
C: All required lamps shall be illuminated whenever a vehicle is operated during the hours of darkness

[crash87]

Hello again........I talked to the Brown county sheriff dept.today and the shift commander Lt. said he couldn't find any regs that apply to this sort of thing. I guess I'll stick with daylight use with flags, back roads and common sense.

 I understand the bluegills are starting to bite so if you folks see some old retired buzzard in a canoe trying to use a fly rod....try to keep a straight face please...

Talking to "A" deputy doesn't mean the next won't have a field day with you after the red lights are on. Not to commit or go above and beyond what is concidered, "to protect and serve", that would be protect their jobs and serve their criminal governor. All you are is revenue. Next time you have a question about the law, contact the district attorney, (good luck) and have him/her write the letter of the law for you, of course on there letterhead, signed by them. So the bluegills are biting, eh, don't worry by the time you get that description of the law they'll still be biting, next year, and the next and the next. let us know how it works out  CRASH87

[buck460XVR]

This is cut and pasted from the Wis. State Patrol Web site.........

Q.I'm hauling a long piece of material (i.e., telephone pole). How many feet may it stick out beyond my vehicle, and may I operate on a main highway while transporting it?

A.Three-foot overhang on front of vehicle: four-foot overhang on back. If longer, you need a red flag (12-inch square). A single vehicle cannot be more than 40-feet-long (truck and overhang load). Must have a red light visible from 500 feet at end of load if hauling during hours of darkness. Two vehicles and load may not exceed 65 feet

[doghawg]

 I didn't make my post very clear. In defense of the LEO I talked to...I had informed him that I WAS clearly flagging the canoe, WAS hauling it during daylight hours and that it WAS securely tied down. My question to him was whether I might still be in violation of something and his response was that to the best of his knowledge....No. I'm well aware that there might be a patrol car somewhere piloted by a less agreeable LEO........

 I was on Shawano Lake today and got a nice mess of bluegills in six feet of weedy water with crawlers hung about 3 to 4 feet down. Sure was glad to be in brother in laws 16 foot Lund and not in the canoe when the wind kicked up. 

[myronman3]

i am all over the place with my canoe, i just hang the red flag off the end of it and call it good.  use common sense and you wont have any problems.