by team216 » Wed Aug 17, 2016 3:13 pm
Well I got the blind on, I kind of forgot about updating it. It's the same style as last year's. But I changed the hi side to the new low side and ditched the flippy door in the back. It was just added weight that wasn't necessary. The high side this year is 29" off the gunnel (42" from water line). The low side this year is 26" off the gunnel (39" from water line) %75 is right along the shore line with a 3 to 5 foot bank so the profile is plenty low for the areas I hunt. I almost always have a backdrop taller than me so I think I blend in pretty well. The ducks we did see last year all worked pretty well. But I wanted it lower so I could sit down and watch for birds.
New for this year is a dog door on both sides, just for the versatility of being about to hunt with the bow into the current for where ever I set up.
Last year I installed 2 55w (110 together) kc lights which melted in the front of my boat. This year I went with 2 - 6" LED fog lights which combined pull 36ish watts and 3.7 amps. Last year we made alot of trips into the back channels that were filled with trees and gravel bars. I like the added light other than the man running the q beam who has a short attention span.
My top cover is just simple burlap and emt poles cut to 29 inches to fill the gaps other than the shooting lanes. With Raffia attached.
Last year I went with all natural brush cut from ditches down the road from my parents. Well that's truck loads to really conceal a 16ft blind well. This year I went with raffia. And I love it. I got the blind grassed for early season head to toe in 6 hours by myself. It's pretty green right now. As season moves on I will pile on more yellows and browns to match the banks and such. I honestly think I enjoy building duck blinds and brushing them just as much, if not more than shooting birds. And to build it from scratch with my own two hands, blood, sweat and beers is pretty darn cool to me.
In the past I've gone out to people's fields who I don't hunt with just to brush a blind. It's just cool to me taking this man made structure and blending it to become one with nature like God himself placed it there. Okay well thats my rant. If anyone has any questions ( new people) feel free to ask or message me. I'm more than happy to help.