FLOATING DUCK BLIND

NOHERE · Postby **NOHERE** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 2:21 pm

ANY OF YOU PROFESSIONALS OUT YONDER GOT SOME BLUEPRINTS OR WEB SITES ON BUILDING FLOATING BLINDS, WE HAVE THE 33 GAL. BARRELS AND WEVE GOT THE 6 BLINDS, SINCE WE WERE UNDER WATER MOST OF THE YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO FLOAT ALL OF THEM FOR NEXT YEAR. LOOKS LIKE ITS GOING TO BE LONG BUSY SUMMER!!

gadwall2 · Postby **gadwall2** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 2:23 pm

Something you can duck hunt and crappie fish out of at the same time?

NOHERE · Postby **NOHERE** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 2:37 pm

HEY , NOW THATS AN IDEA!! :idea:

NAW, JUST DUCK HUNTING.

weedwader · Postby **weedwader** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 3:23 pm

I'd be careful with those barrels. We had a floating blind that a farmer in Arkansas put together for us once just off of the Cache river that had barrels secured by rope under it. The barrels float really high in the water and caused this blind to have an extremely high center of gravity. Because he had attached the barrels with rope they weren't totally stationary and would roll around some under the blind. This made for an unstable blind, and it actually capsized on opening morning of duck season. Luckily noone was hurt (the water was about right at the top of a pair of size 13 tall waders.....lol.....good for me.....I slid out the side just before it went kuplunk ) I got out with all of my gear and health in tact. If that water had been deeper though it could have been bad. I'd just make sure you stabilize the thing really well with maybe some posts in the ground that keep it from tipping, but that allow it to rise with the water straight up. Also, I'd make absolutely certain that the barrels were secured under the blind so that they couldn't move around at all. I'd just be careful. By the way.......the lab was the fall guy we blamed for tipping the blind over.....lol......it sounded better if the dog was to blame rather than the four idiots that actually got in this thing.

HDC · Postby **HDC** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 3:55 pm

I have built 2. The second one I built this year. Learned from the mistakes of the first one.

Width of the blind is always a problem. You have to have it wide if you want to put the boat underneath it. I opted not to. We leave the boat behind the blind. It is very camo and the ducks don't seem to notice. If you are concerned about this, you can throw some type of camo over it.

The deck we built is 6' x 12'. The frame of the deck is made of treated 2" x 6", and the actually decking in treated 3/4" plywood. We used styrofoam that was cut to order. It is 1 1/2' x 1' x just less than 12'. We built the frame so that the styrofoam fits into the frame on the front and back with 3' gap in the middle. The gap in the middle is important for stability.

On top of the above deck, we built a blind using typical 2' x 4' wall construction methods. However, the blind is only 4' wide. We left a 1' lip on the front and back of the deck. This really helps with camo, moving, loading, unloading, etc. Besides, you don't need more than 4' in a blind anyway. It also keeps all the people and gear in the middle of the deck for more stability.

I think the front wall is 4' and the back wall is about 5'. We built a slanting roof about 2' wide. The hole thing is covered with 1/2 inch treated plywood with a hinged door on the back of the blind.

We bought mossy oak camo, stapled it to every exterior surface then took 6 full black garbage bags(that we collected in south Miss.) and stapled it to the camo. The grey spanish moss perfectly matches the bark of Cypress trees, Tupelo gum trees, and buck brush.

It is heavy and once you get it in a body of water, it probably ain't coming out. The weight pushes the styrofoam down about six inches such that none of it shows, and keeps a very low profile in the water. It is very stable.

I don't have any pictures.

If you need more details, let me know.

Wildfowler · Postby **Wildfowler** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 4:08 pm

I've seen a floating blind that uses a separately attached floating support brace. Basically, it's another row of floatation (in this case Styrofoam) that's attached to the main blind via a couple of 2x4's. From the top of the main blind angled down to the separate float chamber.

Served dual purpose: stability for the blind, and a covered boat parking area.

Wildfowler · Postby **Wildfowler** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 4:09 pm

I've seen a floating blind that uses a separately attached floating support brace. Basically, it's another row of floatation (in this case Styrofoam) that's attached to the main blind via a couple of 2x4's. From the top of the main blind angled down to the separate float chamber.

Served dual purpose: stability for the blind, and a covered boat parking area. Sorry, I've got no pictures.

crow · Postby **crow** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 4:22 pm

If you want a design that will rival the Judge's Quack Shack, go to wildlifeproperties.com and access the button labeled "free duck blind plans." Simple plans that I think you can manipulate and make a lower profile blind that will be just as good. Good luck.

Wildfowler · Postby **Wildfowler** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 4:30 pm

Crow, that's pretty much the same thing that I was talking about.

Doc & Nash · Postby **Doc & Nash** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 4:54 pm

I have seen people use old pontoon boats, this allowes for a very nice blind with room for a shooting deck, and a small room on the back to cook and ect. The downside to this is it takes alot of water and the putting it in and out every year is a pain. Brushing it up takes for ever and but if you have it in the right location, you can't beat it especially if you hunt with several folks and children.

tunica du4u · Postby **tunica du4u** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 5:29 pm

Have a friend who drills wells who gave me 2-20' lengths of 12" PVC pipe and 4-12"PVC caps. Used that for my floatation. My floater is 8' wide X 20' long. As D & N says its a pain to brush, but I can leave mine as I own the lake. I am going to build a couple more this year with a boat house on the rear, but I'm going to use marine styrofoam 1' X 1' X 8' long (longest I have found). I hunted out of a friends blind several times this year buillt like this. It is perfect to hunt with kids in or several folks that like to stay a while or with 35 MPH winds & wind chill of -20.

NOHERE · Postby **NOHERE** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 5:59 pm

hey tunicadu4u

where do you get the styrofoam from? i would rather use the foam than the 33 gal. herbicide drums.

tunica du4u · Postby **tunica du4u** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 8:40 pm

My friend got his from Monticello. Evidently there is a plant there due to the proximity of so many boat builders. Talked to another fellow who worked for Ranger and he said it was also available in a "powder" form you spray with water and it expands and cures, like the spray cans of foam. My friend said he was going to build 2 more this spring and when he got ready to go get it he would take me also & let me get what I needed. I was told there is a difference in the styrofoam. The kind you get that is the small "beads" pressed together is no good for what we want. The "marine" grade is a solid piece. The difference is beaver, nutreas, etc. won't chew on the solid but will the beaded.also the beaded will "deteriate" or crumble with movement, bumping into things, etc. As soon as I find out I will let you know

tunica du4u · Postby **tunica du4u** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 8:49 pm

That blueprint on wildlifeproperties.com is basically the same one my friend has except his is much wider and taller. His is 18' long like that one but is 7' tall and 8' deep. A little too big for my needs, but I do like the taller where you can stand up inside it. His roof also comes almost all the way to the front as it is on a willow break ditch and you cant shoot to the rear anyway. These are pretty cool set of plans
http://www.wildlifeproperties.com/blind.html

gadwall2 · Postby **gadwall2** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 8:57 pm

NoHERE, Friend of mine tried to give me 6 big blocks of styrofoam 2 weeks ago. They are big! I'll check and see if he still has them.

FLOATING DUCK BLIND

FLOATING DUCK BLIND

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