field hunting w/ layout blinds question

[gator]

area hunting == ag fields in the PPR and sheet water butting up to rice levees in arkansas.

question is this...........is the "killer weed" worth the time/expense? particularly thinking of wheat/barley fields of the PPR. seems like it might make a good "filler" but to me, i prefer the native vegetation/crop, though this can prove to be a problem depending.

what say you? gator

[Greenhead22]

Get a couple of bundles of raffia, rice and brown and be done with it.

[champcaller]

i would say dont use some but not all the killer weed and put some natural vegetation on top of that if necessary. or strap the killer weed on some caribeners and you can interchange with the different terrain

[Anatidae]

I haven't used any killer weed, so I can't say much about it. But can you find the blinds in this picture?.........



There is absolutely no substitute for the real thing......especially in a wheat or barley field! I imagine a blind backed-up to a levee and stubbled-up with rice stalks is no different (as long as there's some cover on the levee).

It snowed one night and we needed a bit more stubble to change from peas to wheat. We tried using stubble from a clump in another field that was easy to get to after the snow. The stubble in the clump hadn't been exposed to the sun and was perty yellow compared to the field we actually hunted ('bout like the difference in coloring in these 2 photos). We still killed some birds.............



.............but had big groups ducks bail-out at 30 yds all morning. As you can see, we only shot 2 because they were the only ones that finished for us. We had more honkers and ducks in that field than any other hunt, that year, but watched too many bunches of cupped honkers slide-off to the side and keep going. They all got to the same spot and saw the yellow stubble on the blinds and bailed-out......they just didn't like it. Luckily for us, there were enough birds in that area, that we got some to actually 'finish', up close. There must have been a good 10-12K ducks and about that many honks working that area, that morning.....unbelievable!

I think killer weed would be just as bad (in contrasting colors), unless it was really close to the same shade as the stubble in your field that has been exposed to UV rays ......weathered.

I kinda agree with 'Champcaller' on some of his points...... I think you could use some killer weed for a base, then fill-in with vegetation from the field you're hunting, and get by with less stubble time. But in some cases you can put too much cover on the blind and they'll bust you, too.

[taddy1340]

After many field hunts while stationed in ND, my advice is to use the same vegetation/stubble for your blinds that's in the field your hunting. Killer weed doesn't compare to the real thing.

Here's the best tip you can ever get: Be sure to take a lawn rake along...saves tons of time and works great for gathering stubble.

Good huntin'

Mike

[Anatidae]

That's a great tip, Mike.......we've got one in the trailer. Your hands can get pretty cold raking-up stubble with a little dew on it. The rake DOES come-in real handy......especially on pea stubble. That stuff has some little spikes in there that are pretty rough on your hands and dog's feet.

BTW.....welcome to the board!

Here's an example of a blind with almost too much stubble on it........but it still worked.



But the main reason it worked in this relatively 'bare' field, is because the wind was from the SE (from the same direction as the sun) and we oriented the blinds directly in line with the sun to reduce shadows created by the blinds. It also put the sun right in the birds' eyes and they couldn't pick us out until later-on in the morning. We killed all these birds with skeet chokes and #4's, they were so close. Saved us from having to switch-out duck loads when we heard honkers coming. I killed 3 honks w/ 2 shots on this hunt, too. A 2-in-1 and a follow-up. I swung on another bird for a quad, but didn't want to chance a crip.....the morning had gone too well to ruin it like that.

It doesn't matter if the blind looks just like the field......if there's a big shadow (or 2 or 3), it produces dark spots (see shadow off Sprig and the left side of the blind) and birds shy from anything that looks different in the field from previous days of use. But you can see how relatively bare the dome in this field is.....primarily 'cause the wind blew the stubble down into the draws. As the sun changed angles, we re-oriented the blinds with it, to keep the shadows in front of the footbags. We put 2 decoys on the shadow to hide it from their approach view.

So, why not set-up in the draw?.......'cause at the time of day the birds hit the field, they like to land on the 'dome' and walk down into the draw, because of the lighting. They're not going to land where they aren't comfortable knowing whether or not there's danger there. So, we set the blinds just below the dome on the upwind side, at eye-level with the crest. If you set-up too far over the dome, you won't be able to shoot the birds that land short, cause they tend to approach low.......low-enough sometimes, that you loose sight of them as they're coming up from below the other side of the dome, toward you. Man......that's always exciting!!

(This 'tip is courtesy of 'Team Anatidae' using products and techniques that have proven to be effective ..........and they aren't even selling anything ):roll: ........ BWAAAAAHahahahaha!!

[gamehog]

Hunting ag fields in the PPR, I use some killer weed to save a bit of time, and then finish off with whatever is in that field. Worked fine. And no, I'm not on the avery pro-staff ...

Great tip on the rake.

[Anatidae]

'Team Gamehog' field staff, then.......

[Wingman]

I am considering getting some of the green killer weed for hunting winter wheat down here. Hard to find green grass in January that is long enough to stay in the stubble straps.

For all else, I use whatever is in the field where I am hunting. Rice straw, bean stalks and dead signalgrass and barnyardgrass work just fine.

[SCOOTER]

I sell the rafia at my store, call me at 1-800-844-6867 ask for Brock Bishop

[gamehog]

'Team Gamehog' field staff, then.......

Skeptical, surly attitude required.

[Anatidae]

Well.....we definately qualify, then......

[Anatidae]

'Gator'.......here's something else you might keep in mind if you go North......

This photo shows about where we were in relation to the crest of the 'dome'........'bout eye-level with it.......



Imagine a flock of honkers that came from your right shoulder, flew past you (downwind) and then dropped down in the draw on the other side of the dome. You can still hear them......and they're getting closer and closer......but you can't see over the dome. It'll drive you NUTZ! But you just give a tug on the 'flapper' (on the dome - in the landing zone) and keep calling to them or they'll drop-in outa sight below you. When you finally see the first set of wing-tips, they're 'bout 20yds.......then they are just about 10' off the ground and backpeddling. It's a magic moment.

The ducks were a different story........they stay 'up' in the air and can see down on top of you which enables them to pick-out the shadows off your blinds. They can silhouette you too, if you're not in a little ravine or dip in the field. So, you have to get them before the sun comes up or they'll spot you pretty easy...especially in a bare pea field like this one.

We don't shoot the ducks unless they are backpeddling into the landing zone at about 20yds. On this hunt, we had chance after chance to take shots on the pass......I've even got video footage of a group of around 100 birds that flew over us at 20' off the deck......and the roar of their wings, then the whistling as they passed can be heard on the tape. Man, that's what'll get your blood pumping.

I know this was suppose to be about killer weed, but I thought I'd throw-in some other stuff that might help you when you go.

[gator]

man, this is some good stuff.

anat, last year we went and just focused on "killing".....meaning, we found ducks and stayed in them, which, IMHO is alot easier "up there" than doing the same w/ the honkers........we killed several, but it was a collateral type killing.

this year, we're focusing our efforts on them (the blackfeet), and i really preciate the thought you and the others put into these post.

gator

[Anatidae]

O.K. 'Gator'......here's the photo I was looking for........



This shows the contrast in the 'yellow' stubble on the ground blind and the stubble in the field we were hunting. I stuck my camera out of the top of the blind to get a photo of that honker standing in the decoys (left of the tall stalks on the blind). Obviously, the contrast didn't bother him, but he kinda slid-in more out front instead of over the spot they had a tendency to 'bail-out' at......'don't know what the difference was other than he approched more 'straight-on' instead of seeing more of the left sides of our blinds......less area (foot bag view), I guess. So, that mighta had something to do with him finishing......and I don't thonk it had anything to do with not having any snow on our blinds as much as the yellow stubble.

Needless to say.......shortly after this photo, I finished him.

Somebody might wonder why we didn't just set-up next to a hay bale (as shown, scattered in that field). I watched this field for 2 days and never saw a bird fly OVER, nor walk within 50yds of a hay bale. Obviously, these birds knew that trick, already. But had it been snowing, the hay bales wouldn't have made any difference becuase birds will bomb a field all day, when it's snowing........I honestly believe you could shoot them from the cab of your truck!