Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

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Smoke68
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby Smoke68 » Mon Dec 22, 2014 2:50 pm

Outstanding Randy!

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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby 7ducks » Mon Dec 22, 2014 4:39 pm

I like the fact that you take the time and effort to put the cane out...its got to really help.
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby Anatidae » Mon Dec 22, 2014 6:11 pm

Thanks, guys.

Re Cane: I think it helps break-up the outline a little and gives the whole 'island' effect a bit more depth - especially if you use it to create shadows. If you know the sun is going to 'hit' you, you can move the cane around to make sure you're in the shadow, so birds can't pick-up any movement as you follow them while working. Most of the time, I just watch the dog to see where the birds are - especially if they are directly overhead or behind us.

It's kind of a pain to haul around in the boat, but it beats having to gather some everytime you hunt. We bundle it up and drop it in the pond when we get home, then weight it down so it's all submerged. It revives it - ready for the next hunt........lasts about a week.

The only real hassle is transferring it from the pond to the truck every morning, especially in freezing temperatures - but it's worth the trouble to insure better concealment. The other thing is you have to make sure the cane is tall enough depending on the water depth you plan to hunt on a daily basis.

We go to a lot of trouble to hide - but I've never had honkers finish as close as they have this year. 'Does little good if you're successful in calling them and getting them coming toward the decoys if they bail-out @ 75 yds 'cause they spotted the blind. The ones we've killed so far were at 15 yds......25 yds.......and 28yds. The last ones approached broadside to the boat and were going to land about 15 yds from us - they didn't have a clue we were there. That's the way I like it.

I'll try to get some photos tomorrow while it's in 'dry-dock' (the barn). Thanks for your interest and comments.

Happy Hunting!
"I'd like to be remembered among my closest waterfowling friends (if I am remembered at all) for how I hunted them - not how many I killed" - [Jay Strangis]
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Smoke68
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby Smoke68 » Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:05 pm

And the question that begs to be asked....... how do you distinguish 28 yds from 25 yds in a duck blind?

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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby Back! » Tue Dec 23, 2014 6:59 am

After years of disagreeing on how far the decoys are, I gave Anne a range finder. So when we get to a new spot, she ranges every tree or decoy. If it's a slow day, ranging decoys becomes a game to see who's 'closer' to right. :mrgreen:
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby Anatidae » Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:12 am

Also, with a range-finger, I KNOW where I shot the bird and can be accurate in my 'story-telling' :lol:
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby jdbuckshot » Tue Dec 30, 2014 8:40 am

Very good example of how the season starts in the month of may. I wish I knew how many duck / Deer hunters call me during November to have something welded or worked on.

I say call me in june........


Very good post, I have the last one saved for when I get me a boat.....
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby 4dawgma » Tue Dec 30, 2014 9:54 pm

Pretty sweet ride ya got there.
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby Anatidae » Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:52 pm

Thanks, JD & Dan

I set it up in the yard to let it dry-out after Friday's drizzle. Here are some views of it 'grassed-up'.


Front side - bow

This is a 'before' view......


Here's the 'after'..........

Front side - stern. The dog's head sticks-out to the right of the spud pole @ the 'hunt' deck.

To get a good sense of how low-profile this blind is ('MFaulkner').......the bottom of the nets hang-down to the 'waterline' 8) The size of the 'black holes' (gunners' ports) is reduced as much as allows for shoulders and getting guns up. A lot of the black hole affect is reduced by the occupants in appropriate camo........'just have to BE STILL!

Mike, I have 'dog doors' on each end so we can either put BJ as far away from predominant direction of muzzle blast (depending on set-up constraints, wind, approach, etc.)......or when the puppies become 'manageable', and we can hunt 2 at a time. They might 8 years old before that happens, though. :roll: :lol:


This is the side the ducks don't ever see.......the net is lined with 900 Cordura to shield from wind/rain, as is the area around the hunt deck to keep wind/rain off a wet dog in icey conditions.

Keep in mind, the grass stays on the nets and rolls-up 'in' them for transport.......


Yes, there's grass rolled-up in those nets. :mrgreen:

Honestly, set-up takes a bit of coordination and there IS a sequence for set-up and a different one for break-down........but when you can get ducks (and honkers) inside 20yds (on a consistent basis) and they don't have a clue you're there?........it's worth the trouble and extra time.

Put a little fresh cane around this baby, sit back and sip Community dark roast, and wait for shooting time. :mrgreen: Just needmo mallets right now.
"I'd like to be remembered among my closest waterfowling friends (if I am remembered at all) for how I hunted them - not how many I killed" - [Jay Strangis]
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby Anatidae » Thu Jan 15, 2015 8:50 am

Honker #6 from the new blind, no goose decoys.....just a call and a small duck spread with 2 mallards on a jerk string.



Our first time to hunt this spot and we did a 'cold' set-up.

So, at 7:15, I heard this honker (a parking lot bird) a long way off behind us, so I started calling....stopping to get feedback and then when she got closer. She came over about 100 yds up, so I watched the head movement......she was looking side-to-side so I let her get out (downwind) about 80 yds and started some soft clucks. She went to a glide and started a slow bank. When she did that, I did some double-clucks. When she was on a good line toward us I tapered my calling as she got closer because she was still about 60 yds high and needed another 'pass' to get 'down'.........but that head was still swinging. I ler'er get behind us about 40 yds and did soft grunts and clucks. I lost sight of her but tracked her by her calling. She came back over wide-right (same path as before but lower this time) and I started clucking , then double clucks and moans like a group of honkers by the time she got out about 80 yds. She banked and turned toward us. I angled the call barrel toward the small pocket to our right (on Anne's end of the boat) to try to steer the bird into the more confined area (hoping she would stay 'committed', and so Anne could back me up if for some reason I failed to connect). The bird bowed-up as soon as she completed her turn and began that steady descent into the wind and glided in about 3 feet off the deck. I took the shot at around 30 yds - game over.

We only saw 4 workable birds that morning. Two others was a pair of gadwalls at shooting time. I didn't call at'em until I saw them breaking-down to land wide out front. I was just making ripples with the jerk string and I lost'em at about 80yds out - no big deal.....they're gadwalls.......that's what they do.

The mallard in the photo showed-up around 6:35 and came from straight-out, flew over the 2 gadwalls on the water, dropped-down and glided into our spread. Anne shot him at around 25 yds.

So, on a slow day - it makes a difference to be well-concealed and be able to reward the dog, and take-home everything you shot at. This one will still be a memorable hunt.

Happy Hunting!
Last edited by Anatidae on Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I'd like to be remembered among my closest waterfowling friends (if I am remembered at all) for how I hunted them - not how many I killed" - [Jay Strangis]
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby mfalkner » Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:00 am

" So, on a slow day - it makes a difference to be well-concealed and be able to reward the dog, and take-home everything you shot at that day."

Yep - definition of a dang good hunt
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby Anatidae » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:14 pm

You're right - good hunt.

.........and today was one of those that we didn't expect to even see a duck, but we hadn't hunted this area in a week or so........'just never know unless you go.



Honker #7 was a single that I heard way-off - got on the call and never let-up (only to hear where it was and what it was doing). 'Didn't put eyes on this one until it was dropping over the tree line about 100yds out and it was bowed-up. It dropped-down and looked like it was going to land 'wide - I threw the sound to our right to steer it into the 'spot' and it banked like a duck at about 40yds to our left and crossed back in front of us about 5 feet off the deck into the wind. MS Anne took the shot at 16yds. It was her turn on the honker, today.

Again, the birds never knew we were there.

Decoy spread: 2 G&H 'swimmers' :mrgreen: (drake and a hen)

I did not use the duck call all morning - the 4 mallards (a pair and 2 singles) just showed-up and dropped-in unannounced. All shots inside 20yds. they never knew we were there. I like it like that. :wink: 6 shots - 5 birds........'doesn't advertise your spot and nobody thinks your having any luck...... :mrgreen:

Needless to say - we are still real pleased with the new (re-designed) boat blind. 'Can't kill'em if you can't hide from them.
"I'd like to be remembered among my closest waterfowling friends (if I am remembered at all) for how I hunted them - not how many I killed" - [Jay Strangis]
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby 4dawgma » Sat Jan 17, 2015 9:03 pm

My interest grows. I more curious about those seats. I would love to check that out in more detail, if they are built how I'm imagining...that's pure damn genius. Where do you stow them?
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby Anatidae » Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:12 am

Thanks, Dan.

I don't like pedestals, bases, or chairs - and you can't really use the gun box for storage if you're sitting on it while hunting. Plus, you want the weight as close to the center of the width of the boat (and blind opening) so it doesn't cant to one side (even though this one is heavy enough that wouldn't be an issue.

So, I started with the fact that the pods in the interior of the Triton are also bench seats. Or you can add folding seats to them and use this to attach them.......


It's basically a slide rail and a plate.

........and obviously you'll need this, so the seats will swivel......


(........although most seats come with this swivel base).

So, the seats can either clamp on the rails on the front edge of the pods, or go on these brackets I made, that use the same hardware (just reversed mounting)......i.e., the same type plate that mounts on the bottom of the seat, mounts on the face of the gunbox (or enclosed cat-walk/storage box in the Gator Trax) and the slide rail is cut-up and attached to 2 sides of the homemade wooden bracket.




I made the brackets out of 3/4" treated plywood, and you have to rip one edge of the attachment rail with a metal-cutting blade on a circular saw. A piano hinge connecting the horizontal and vertical legs of the wooden seat bracket allows them to fold flat for storage in the bottom of the gun box.


We elected not to mount slide rails on the edge of the drivers box and catwalk in the GTrax because we don't use the folding seats while 'running'......plus, the ends of them tend too catch on stuff you probably don't want ripped.....like waders, boots, bags, or bibs.

The seats can be used in either boat. I made 3 brackets for each boat so I wouldn't have to remember to swap something else over to the other boat when we swap rigs out. When we designed the layout of the GTrax, we left a spot at the end of the catwalk for seats storage, and to get in and out of the boat, or get onto the hunt deck.

If you need a closer look, just let me know. Thanks for your comments and interest, Dan.
"I'd like to be remembered among my closest waterfowling friends (if I am remembered at all) for how I hunted them - not how many I killed" - [Jay Strangis]
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Re: Inexpensive Boat Blind Design

Postby 4dawgma » Sun Jan 18, 2015 8:43 pm

That's great! Bout what I had pictured. I prefer an "open" plan while running, opens up so many more options for yer boat. Seats have always been a PITA, that is an excellent solution!
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