A duck blind is best built in the late summer along the shore line of where you intend to hunt. Choose a location where you know the ducks will land and pick an area to build your blind where the shot from your gun will not hit anyone or anything.
If you are building a blind on the shore, start by taking the trunk of a small tree with no other branches on it about 3” in diameter and at least 8’ long and tie it with metal fencing wire horizontally with a tree at each end of the trunk. This creates the frame for your blind. The horizontal piece should be about 4’ or so off the ground. Low enough that when you are sitting it covers you from view on the water, but not so high that you need to stand up to shoot over it.
The next step to building a duck blind is to put in the masking material. Place dead branches resting on the ground and leaning against the outside of your horizontal frame. It is important that there not be many leaves left on the branches as they will die and fall off by hunting season leaving thin masking on your blind. Tie the branches in place with some more fencing wire layering the branches tightly together until it is difficult to see through them.
Cedar branches work well in a duck blind as they resist rotting and are scraggly enough that they can be layered quickly with a minimum of materials and effort but use what you have on hand. As you layer the masking materials, stop and inspect your work, a well built duck blind will look completely natural from the water. The blind should resemble a fallen tree from the water and blend in perfectly.
Once all the sides are masked, clear any tall grass or ferns that may be growing inside the blind and make yourself at home. Some home made benches or folding chairs to sit on in the blind will make the hunt much more comfortable.
If your duck blind doesn’t have any trees covering it, build another horizontal frame about 8’ off the ground above your first frame piece and lean long branches on it from the ground at the back of the blind. This will mask your shape to any birds flying over and help keep the elements off should it start to rain or snow.
Next time you plan a duck hunting trip, maybe a blind will give you a little more success.
Copyright 2019 Mike Wilson
