DuckSouth.com

Crow has a great idea. Frank Bauer details a similar technique in his book "The Waterfowler's Bible." He suggests using several large sheets of clear polyethylene film to make an artificial pond, then you can hide under the edge. I've never tried it, but Bauer has pictures of ducks decoying to articifial ponds in the book. Apparently, the film looks just enough like water to bring the ducks into range. It might feel silly to hunt over plastic water, but if it works....

Good luck.

Coot

Learning to duck hunt from a book is like learning to make love from a penthouse form mag. Cmon man, just like nobody has a 16 inch slong or a killer supermodel lesbian that likes you peeking next door, nobdy ever killed ducks over a plastic pond. Its a myth that keeps people buying books, and yankees thinking they are smart.

I will tell you one thing about the hunting over a plastic pond ideal. If I ever see someone doing it, you'll get a chance to meet me in person. Cause I want to meet anyone stupid enough to do that. Even if it works, so what. At some point, ya just gotta say, this is too damn stupid, and someone I know might see me. Go shoot park ducks, at least ya only feel stupid on the sneak to the bench, not picking everything up.

Lots of crap might work one time. Just nuff you'll try it again and again, and get tired and muddy and wet in the process, still thinking bout that cold front day you did something truely stupid and it paid off. It wont often enough to even repete it soon. Ive laid on plastic sleds next to the water and killed ducks like that. One day, in the fog. I got my booty wet 15 mo times trying it, and it never worked again. Dude Ive killed ducks standing next to my truck with it running, but I never thought itd work again, so i didnt repete it. I know ducks are scared of my truck, they fly off every time I drive close. But, in the right circumstances, a truck running didnt matter.

Its a disked up field. The ducks are there because their isnt anything else there. Once you are there, you're now the least attrative spot in the entire field. You are scary. You are a giant duck spooking magnet. And the worst thing is, whenever you do something stupid in the name of ducks, ya always want someone (or several someones) to come along in case it doesnt work, so your a mulitude of duck scaring things.

Put a pit in, or forget it. If you cant swing a pit, work a deal with the man to leave some stubble, so you can least hide coffin blinds. They will work sometimes, not all the time, and you'll still get muddy and wet, but not AS muddy and wet. travis

Trav, I almost agree with everything you said...but, I think my truck has probably been muddy enough to hunt out of in a disked field and not spook ducks! And if rubberheads didn't do stupid stuff, what would we talk about on this forum? Truth is, I don't get to hunt enough these days, so I have plenty of time to think about neat stuff that probably wouldn't work but is cool to think about anyway. Really stinks. But, I am kinda glad that Browning, the Wright boys, Tommy Edison, and some other slackers didn't take the traditional advice to quit thinking so much about what might work better and just enjoy the way it has always been done. I do know what you mean about the muddy and wet thing! Use to didn't bother me, but the older I get the less I enjoy that part! Hard to avoid the wet part, though. Hope the duck Gods are being good to you.

Daggum man, ya got me thinking Im stifiling sumthing... hehe. No, I tried all the whacky stuff, while people (older and not as crazy about getting wet and muddy) constantly told me I was crazy. Eveuntually, (ok, like the last 2 years) I figgered out they where right... I thought about a mirror blind (while I was laying in the mud btw) but ya cant get away from when the ducks fly over the top of it, they are going to see, the white of ducks bellies and they gonna flair... ducks trying to land dont want to see other ducks suddenly appear, ergo even if ya didnt get any shine, the ducks will scare themselves. Someone did think of a better way, a pit! hehe. Tne inventor of the pit ought to be in your list!

The yankkes up north do use visqueen to cover their layout boats and look like water. Now, these are ultra low profile boats, used off shore, anchored in huge spreads of jack decoys with a tender boat to come get them and pick them up(all that for a jack, go figger). Supposedly it works... but then again, jack come in 10 foot of the top of the water (straihgt in like a goose, but faster & lower), ducks circle way up high, round and round. Thats why a lot of weird stuff (visqueen, decoy blinds, etc) will fool a goose, or a diver duck, but not a duck, because a duck sees all sides before he decides what something is, not just the downwind side. Profile is more important when something is viewed from all sides. travis

I liked the snorkel Idea........I found some pics of the mirror blind deal now I can't put my hands on them the had trap doors and dirt on top of it and the mirrors angled so they reflected the ground

Stano, why is there a swinging turd on your avatar? Nasty looking thing. Flush it. travis

I have used the clear bisqueen thing for years, it works. You won't fool all the ducks, but you'll fool enough to make it worth it.

I've hunted in a field just like you have discribed, and have great hunting. The way I went about it was not easy but it worked. I had a final approach blind that I placed where I wanted it and then took the existing mud and dirt around it and covered the top and side with smears of it and if possible the entire blind. I did not bury it simply covered it with dirt and mud until it blended in. then placed 4 to 5 doz field and water decoys around it and went to town. Alot of work but it will bring them in, I just don't want towork that hard anymore. I boat hunt or go to a pit. I guess the older I get the smarter i become.
Marty

SWINGING TURD!!!!!!!!!

Dang it boy, you kill me!

Gentlemen:

I found a solution to this dilemma approximately three years ago. G&H Decoys makes a plastic "stump" called the "Buck Stumper" for deer hunters. It works really well for ducks also. Just set up one or two in the shallow water of the pothole and they look like old dead tree stumps sticking up out of the water. Only room for one person and they are expensive as hell ($200), but they have worked for my daughter and me.

http://www.ghdecoys.com/accessories.htm

check it out.