Ways to build a duck blind

anthony m coons sr

Well-known member
Over the years hunting on the Hudson River and traveling places. I have seen just about every kind of duck blind. But the one thing I never understood is why put so much time and money into it. You see here in New York State the Hudson has a tide. I have seen blinds that guys put hundred of dollars into. Only to lose it every year to the ice. I'm talking about two stories,ten or so feet off the water. A piece of art you could park a twenty foot boat under some of them. Stoves heaters lost every year. Hey! I love hunting, But come on. Now I know why I hunt out of my boats. Really !one time there was this blind that had to be thirty foot long. You could walk around a small cove and be under cover. It was so cool! plus it had to take a ton of weekends to build. Guess what, lost to the ice. This year I saw a guy poor footings for his blind. He had to be nuts to do this. To his credit the legs of the blind are still there. Maybe that is what he wanted. I really don't know. But I have found so much stuff floating ever year from these blinds. Up and down the river. Not so many now days but still a few. God bless them, They really love our passion.
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I gun from a 20' Seaark with full boat blind when takeing a crew but its not quite the same as hunting from my 20' permanent blind when I,ve got birds . A little more room to stretch out in that perm blind but I don,t have to deal with it being washed away either. Do have to deal with the bushing each year which is a pain but that's when the young'uns I take earn their keep!
 
I prefer gunning my boat for the versatility but sometimes u can’t beat a lazy morning going into my 16’ pontoon barge. Lots of room and blocks the wind good. But here in NE Ohio we don’t deal with tides. I’d be lost trying to deal with all that.
 
Roy

Thanks for the post, I love hunting from a boat, Mine is 18 foot and pretty wide so I have room to move around without any trouble. But a big blind is really nice as long as I don't have to build it. Grassing is a pain but that is part of a duck hunters job I guess. Thank God for kids. We have all grassed are share of blinds and boats. Now its their turn Thanks
 
Ben

Dealing with tides to hunt is a pain in the butt. But it has it good points also. You know when the birds will be in the bays, You know what time you'll be home. No water no hunt, But on the other hand I been stuck on the mud for many hours. Not fun! You get use to it just like anything else. Thanks for the post
 
Wonder why it is that the best place to set up your boat blind to take advantage of wind or cover is always the first place to go dry once your set up! Know for a fact it takes 8" water to float my big boat. Have set thru tides waiting for that 8" to come back quite a few times .
 
Roy

My boat floats in six inches of water. I set up most of the time where I'm always in the water. But with the moon phase and the wind sometimes you lose with mother nature. I gave up blinds 40 years ago. Got tired of finding someone in the blind or some jerk that damaged it. Respect is all we ask as duck hunters. Thanks
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On areas I have hunted thru the years, I often got the feeling that many people build blinds to claim a spot, more than to kill birds. Many of the blind sites could kill more birds without an obnoxious blind sitting there.
 
Anthony,

Here in the Tri-State corner (OH/KY/IN) bordering the Ohio River, we can get vast fluctuations in the river level. A cove that is solid grasses one week may in a week's time become flooded to an ideal depth for making a puddle duck / goose set. A drastic drop in water levels can force one out to the main stem to hunt the shoreline. Permanent blinds rarely yield consistent results or consistent conditions for wind direction etc., so mobility is the name of the game here.

Over the years, by observing what's happening under river-level, wind, & weather conditions in the areas I like to hunt, I'll know what to expect in a given area. Checking the National Weather Service readings for river stage levels is probably the most important indicator to evaluate whether the drive to a particular location is worthwhile, or where the best chance for easily and safely getting to an area that has yielded success in the past might be.

When I purchased my TDB 14 in '96, I did so with having in mind a boat-blind that could best adapt to being able to take advantage of the widest range of water conditions that the River could pose.



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That being said, my goose hunting partner and I are getting a bit too long in the tooth to lug layouts and field decoys into corn stubble, so we have built a permanent blind over an irrigation ditch line that runs through our goose field. Didn't hunt there this year due to crop rotation, but we will be back next season (...with a new and improved design for the flip-up top [;)] ).





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MLBob

I like what you do, Yes we are all old or getting there. Duck hunting keeps our minds young. I also hunt out of my boat all the time. There nothing I need that isn't in my boat at all times. Your blind idea is very smart. I really like it! to tell you the truth. Water all the time in a place where ducks and geese come to feed. Thank so much for the post
 
Noweil

So true that people build blinds to cut off spots from others. Fake blinds to keep people out of areas. I use my boats for everything. Don't get me wrong, I have had many fun days in a built duck blind. Just don't like to be held to one spot. Thanks
 
Bob, I enjoy hunting from my TDB 14 as well. I tie grass mats to the blind to blend better with the vegetation in our marsh. I see that you have a rain roof for your blind. Do you find it useful? I have wondered about getting one for my boat blind.
 
Kim,

Nice to have if snow or rain is falling and will keep you dry.
The real value of a roof on the TDB is that it completely hides any movement that birds might ordinarily pick up on + you'll never have to worry about if you're wearing the "right " camo pattern [smile]

Actually, my roof is one I fabricated myself. It attaches to the top row of grassing loops on the rear blind panel + has a framework that is very simple, sturdy and adjustable. The size of the viewing port adjusts from what shows in the picture below down to about a 5'' slit (or I can have one side at the high setting and the other side dropped low). Easily flips completely back out of the way when it's time to stand and shoot. Best thing is that it breaks down quickly & easily and rolls right up into the rear panel when it's time to stow the blind for travel. I have a set of pictures somewhere that shows what I did, so I can get them to you via e-mail if you're interested.



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Phil, That was one of the last 14's to come out of the old Maine factory before the fire. By then they had dispensed with the wooden grassing rails. Christian Buehner had taken over the operation from the Clarks & Tom Kondrk was the Ohio sales rep back then. When they re-tooled, the "sea class" boats came out. Lucky for me, 'cause the sea class pricing was way out of my reach.
 
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