The safest position is for the two hunters to sit back‑to‑back, each facing opposite directions, with each hunter’s zone of fire limited to the 180 degrees in front of them.
Safe seating and zones of fire
When seated back‑to‑back, the boat stays more stable because the recoil and body movements tend to balance each other instead of both shifting to the same side. Each hunter should agree in advance not to swing the shotgun past the midline of the boat, so that muzzles never cross the other person and all shots go only into each hunter’s assigned half-circle in front of them.
Additional key precautions
Both hunters should remain seated while shooting to avoid losing balance or capsizing the boat, especially in small, flat‑bottomed craft. They should also wear properly fitted life jackets and keep firearms pointed in a safe direction with fingers off the trigger until ready to shoot.