Texas is big and so is duck hunting in the Lone Star State. Building duck blinds is a part of the sport. There are some useful tips for those who plan to build a duck blind. Take your blind building and placement seriously. Do not mail it in, but plan it. Think like an artist and make a sketch, remembering that you are trying to conceal your blind in the natural landscape.
Seek landowner permission as always, checking legal state regulations as well. Make return trips during the pre-season to ensure that your blind remains concealed for the season. Take all the equipment you need in on your All-terrain vehicle or Side-by-Side from hammers to handsaws to natural materials from the nearby habitat.
Match your terrain. Ever hear of matching the hatch in fly-fishing? It’s the same concept in blind building. Use natural and manmade camouflage material to do the job. Realism is the key.
Hunting buddies are your best critics. Take yours along and ask them once you arrive where your hideaway has been built. Place a good distance between you and the location of the blind to simulate what ducks or geese would see—helicopters optional.
A trick that is becoming more popular amongst some hunters is actually digging out an area for the blind and inserting fiberglass pits. Down there in the marsh and mud, they’re looking up, with only their heads exposed—and only at the shot. Less is more in some cases, so avoid making your blind stand out by working on it too much. Finding another spot someplace else as a backup is also a smart tactic.
After a few ATV runs, your blind is built. Now you’ve got to fool sky-bound ducks and geese during the season. What if the ducks won’t drop in tight, and choose to land outside your spread? You’ve got to tighten that blind up. Move decoys closer, and make your pocket right next to the blind using a hook-type set.
Tote your decoys to the blind on your ATV. Put several duck species in close, especially those you’re specifically hunting and imitating—no brainer, right? Mix in goose dekes. Ducks can then reference the decoys tight to the blind when you call. Also, if ducks are lighting to the left side of the blind, you can move the decoys to the right side, and vice versa.
What if your blind spots won’t hold waterfowl? Find an out-of-the way location nearby, maybe a place where ducks and geese take refuge due to hunting pressure. Sometimes a small beaver made water hole or farm pond is the answer.
Source: “Choose Your Content.” Wetlands, Conservation, Waterfowl, Duck Hunting. Web. 25 July 2013.
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