HOW TO MAKE A TEMPORARY DUCK BLIND
SHEILA ASCROFT
BLINDS DON ’ T have to be expensive or fancy , they just have to be effective , and good location and camouflage are the main thing . You can build a temporary one in the field , assuming you ’ ve planned ahead and brought the materials and tools !
Before building one , figure out the best position for it . You want to see most of the area the waterfowl are working , keeping in mind that prevailing winds affect how waterfowl come in . This will determine what kind of a shot you will have , and that determines the final location .
These four blind-building steps are adapted from Ducks Unlimited . MATERIALS :
• six wooden fence posts
• 12 yards of woven fencing wire
• One four by eight sheet of ½-inch plywood
• a pound of framing nails
• a package of black cable ties .
TOOLS : You ’ ll need a sledgehammer , standard hammer , axe , chainsaw and wire cutters .
STEP 1 : Drive three fence posts into the mud ( ends sharpened with the axe ) in a straight line , spaced four feet between each post . Then drive the other three posts in a parallel line four feet from the first line . The result is a six-post rectangle , eight feet long by four feet wide .
STEP 2 : Cut the posts off four feet high with the chainsaw . Then encase the frame with the hog wire , stretching and nailing the wire into the posts as you unroll . Leave one end un-nailed for entry and exit . The wire gives form and strength to the blind by tying all the posts together .
STEP 3 : Cut small bushy trees and stand them up around the blind to conceal the posts and wire , and secure them to the wire with cable ties . You can also arrange the trees so limbs intermesh over the top of the blind , providing overhead cover for the shooting stations . If you wear full camo and stay in the shadow of the tree branches , overhead waterfowl won ’ t see you .
STEP 4 : Saw the plywood sheet in half to use , doubled , as a makeshift floor atop the mud . It will provide a solid base for folding stools and room to shoot .
Finally , drive a couple of nails into each post to serve as hangers for shell bags , binoculars and anything that has to stay clear of mud or water .
PHOTO : JEFF MORRISON
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