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I have gotten bored stiff sitting at the house, and since I am off, I thought about maybe making a hunt or two. For those that complain about work, don’t, just saying. Anyway, since boredom typically leads to my creative side, I have started the planning process of a few season modifications.

1) Going to fabricate a blind on a small Jon boat.
2) Fixing to learn about motors, going to be fun
3) Need to find a trailer that would be suitable for a 12’ and a 14’ boat.

With that said, I have come to the conclusion I could add up on my expenses rather quickly. Thinking bare bones duck boat, I am trying to cut cost where I can. Hopefully I will land a job that will allow me to fund my passion a little further in the future, but as of now I just want to get out there and enjoy it.

Here’s where I need some input. What would be the cheapest most effective method to cover the blind? I have looked at army netting and that stuff is quite expensive. Needing a cheaper route, that will work. Any input?

Lights? What all is needed to wire both running lights? I really can’t afford a ticket for stupidity, and two I don’t care to have a wreck when it can be avoided.

And since I have ya’lls attention so far, how hard is it to get a boat licensed?
One boat has paper work on boat, but not on motor
One boat has no paper work nor does the motor I hope to put on it.

Anyone know of an old trailer someone wants to get rid of?

Figured I’d ask and see what my fellow msduckers had to offer. And yes, I already have a floatation jacket so that’s one expense I can cut.

dang just realize the time, i should be getting ready to go instead of posting on msducks

Lights? What all is needed to wire both running lights? I really can’t afford a ticket for stupidity, and two I don’t care to have a wreck when it can be avoided.

And since I have ya’lls attention so far, how hard is it to get a boat licensed?
One boat has paper work on boat, but not on motor
One boat has no paper work nor does the motor I hope to put on it.

lights r easy to wire. hardest thing may be finding a place to mount them.


motors do not have to be licensed. gettin the boat licensed without paper work is not hard just takes time and you have to get something notarized saying its yours. check on mdwfp site for the forms. i think i got them there or maybe walmart or a boat store.

I have found, through experience, that the little bow and stearn lights that clamp on like a "c" clamp that are battery powered are the best for a little john boat. You dont have to worry about running wire, or a big battery to power them. I will tell you also, that my current boat is this first and only on to have actual working running lights. Stupid, maybe...cheap...definately

The clamp-on is good for the stern light. Hate it for the bow. Get the one that comes on a little suction cup. It sticks pretty good and floats in case it gets swatted by a tree limb or a restless dog.

Get the clamp on battery lights.. If you going to build a frame for your blind on your boat. You can use PVC pipe and some old Potato sacks.. That should be relativly inexpensive.

I'd get the camo net and be done with it unless you want to replace the blind every year. Burlap is too heavy when wet. Or you could just get a black net and tie your own cover in there. You could use any odd variety of things from strips of old decoy bags to out grown hunting clothes. Anything that isnt the right color you could hit up with some Krylon and its good as bought. Just an idea.

I had a buddy make a blind from stuff he had laying around his barn. He got a bunch of tree limbs and cattails and tied them to some panels, one for each side of the boat and a small one for each end, with those plastic pull ties. Then, and I don't remember how he did this part, he would attach it to the sides of his little john boat so that they met in the middle and could be pushed over for shooting.

I found a picture of the panels he used here.http://www.johnsonproperties.com/auctionpics/fence%20panels.JPG

Only thing he ended up buying were the pull ties and when he had the blind up, it looked real good. Of course, he couldn't have called a duck in if he had to save his own life, so I don't know if the ducks thought it looked as good as I did.

Just bought bow and stern LED battery powered lights off of Cabelas on sale and like them. Check the bargain cave on cabelas.com

The camo burlap works great, unless you are hunting in a downpour you dont have to worry about it getting too wet. We used to hunt out of a 1436 with a canvas tarp and camo burlap wrapped around the blind. If it ever got wet we would unroll it when we got home to let it dry out and roll it back up before we left the next morning. Killed a bunch of ducks for many years using that set up.

Okay here's what I got which sounds like what you want.

1) I went to Academy and bought a 14' jon boat and trailer combo--$1,000
2) Put add in paper for good condition 15hp outboard. Last day of add got 4 responses. Bought 1 year old motor for $700
3) Bought "shadow grass" stencil kit from MPW and several cans of Krylon "Camo Ultra Flat" Paint in different colors @ $50
4) Bought the clamp style lights @ $10 each. Scrwed the stern (anchor) light to a 18" piece of 1/2" cpvc. Then drilled a hole in the starboard rear transom brace. Screwed in a 1/2" cpvc threaded male adaptor. The light just sticks in the coupled end. Very easy, very effective. Made some mods to the bracket for the bow light and screwed it to the bow. That will depend more on your boat.
5) I feel the best material for a boat blind is the "dye-cut material" that is sold at Academy and elsewhere. It moves wellin the wind lik real grass, it blends well, it is fairly inexpensive and best of all it absorbs almost no water. In fact you almost have to wet it to make it lay down if you are just tying to cover something with it.
6) I added pedastal seats because the bench is cold on your butt.
7) Boat registration is done through MDWFP. You can download the form from their website.

This rig, with me, all of my dekes, hunting partner or two 40# bags of sand topped out once at 27mph according to my gps. In case you are wondering what I use the sand for--counter weight. If I'm hunting alone it balances the boat out, keeps the bow down and makes the boat plane better.

Hope this gives you some ideas. When I figure how to post some pics I will.

W

The male adapter


The entire rig


The material


The stencil job


Sorry for the image size. Not sure how to resize them here.