Canoes Dugout canoes were used by the Karankawa and other coastal groups for fishing and as an easy means of transportation. A large canoe could carry several people and could be packed with supplies for traveling from camp to camp along the coast and into river inlets. In the coastal flats and bays, fishermen could pole through shallow waters following schools of redfish, flounder, and other species and dispatching them with bows and arrows, spears, or harpoons. Canoes typically were made from tree trunks that were hollowed out in a lengthy, multi-step process. Craftsmen first burned a small fire on one side, then scraped out the charred area with shells or chipped-stone tools. The process was repeated until a cavity of sufficient size was created. The native-made canoe shown at left is on display at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, on loan from TARL Collections. Found in coastal southeast Texas, its age is unknown.