We have all had it happen. Ducks circle, and circle, and circle, and circle some more. They are right on the edge of the decoys and just out of shotgun range. Everybody in the blind looks at each other and wonders what is happening. Sometimes, after hunting a hole or certain blind in a certain location, ducks become weary of hunters and the blind they are using. Some blinds, such as pit blinds, can’t be just picked up and moved. Some can, but they still stick out like a sore thumb. What do you do? What do you do to kill more ducks?
Ducks flaring off of my blinds is a problem I had as a guide for many years when I first started guiding. With a limited number of holes that were “on”, per se, each day and hunting out of pit blinds and skid blinds in fields, ducks became weary. I finally asked a duck hunter that had won more battles in field hunting than he lost. He told me of a simple solution that didn’t cost hardly anything. It is a piece of wisdom that I have only shared with one of my guides and it works every time. I will only work in water that is eighteen to 24 inches of depth or less. I can’t believe even as I am writing this I am about to share this secret, but I agreed when I took over this site to share all of my secrets. So, here goes, how to get to the ducks that are blind shy:
First thing you will need is:
Example of a church chair I am talking about.
Church Chair
You will need a dark colored church chair. I call it a church chair because we used these at the church I grew up in. My butt gets numb looking at it. I know most come in white or tan, but I prefer the dark colored chairs. Dark colors match the mud and water keep ducks from flaring.
Second you will need:
Leafy green cane will be needed around the blind.
Leafy Green Cane
You will need a leafy green cane. It can be found in the Southern US in most wooded areas. It needs to be green, with lots of leaves, and about 4-5 foot tall. When it dies and turns yellow, throw it away and cut some more 4-5 foot tall green, leafy, cane down. How much? I usually cut a bundle that is about a 1-2 foot around after I get a strap around it. Try to keep it out of the wind as best as you can during transport. The wind will blow the leaves off and give it a windblown look. You will want it nice and fluffy.
Finally, the setup is the most important. You will need to set everything up the night before or plan on arriving at the duck hole 20-30 minutes earlier than normal. I want you to get out in the middle of the field away from your normal blind. Here are the steps:
Unload chairs and unfold them and place them in the water putting the backs towards the direction the wind. The wind should be at your back and with this, ducks should be landing in your face. Place the chairs side by side. The most I have ever hunted in this setup is three including myself. I want you to stand on the seats of the chairs pressing the legs down in the mud. The seats of the chairs should be a few inches under water. Have your hunting buddy sit in one of the chairs.
*****Most Important Step******* You will stick the cane in the mud at a 45-60 degree angle around the chairs. The height of the cane in the back should be .5-1 foot higher than your partner’s head. There should be no space in between cane and chairs. On the back, I even angle a little cane towards the chairs to cover tops of heads and to break up the blind from a duck’s point of view. On the sides, it should be right above the head. In the front, make it as tall as the sides and leave some room for knees and standing up.
***********Now, you have angled cane going around the blind all leaning in one direction. I want you to go back and cross angle some cane angling it in the opposite direction at the same heights as all the other cane around it.
************ Place decoys behind you and to the sides. You need to leave a landing pad out front of the blind.
If it is a still morning, make water movement by moving your knees or legs in the water or make sure to take a jerk string. Have fun and kill ducks!!! You are going to drive away from the blind before the hunt and think “this crap isn’t gonna work!” I thought the same thing the first time I built this kind of duck blind. I am still using it and killing ducks out of one every year. I will tell you that mallards seem to figure it out after the sun comes up, but Teal, Gadwall, Pintails, and Shovelers don’t pay a bit of attention to it.
*****The most important detail is do not leave it in the field. When you get done hunting, pull it up and take it back out with you and other equipment.***********
