Waterfowler's Notebook: Temporary Blinds

In 30 minutes or less, you can build a two-man blind right on the X

By Wade Bourne as featured in the September / October issue of DU Magazine

“If the ducks are over there, what are we doing here?” my hunting partner asked. Huddled in some willows beside a pothole, we watched flock after flock descend beyond the trees a mere 200 yards away. Indeed, we were in the wrong spot and needed to move.

As we walked toward the “honey hole,” several hundred ducks flushed off the rising floodwater. But before setting our decoys, we took a few minutes to construct a crude net-and-brush blind at the edge of the water. Once finished, we tossed out the blocks, nestled into the blind, and enjoyed one of the best duck shoots of our lives.

Mobility and temporary blinds can be keys to success for today’s waterfowler. It’s far easier to work ducks where they want to go instead of where you want them to go. But frequently, ducks work spots without enough natural cover to hide hunters effectively.

Enter the temporary blind. You can build one from minimal materials and with little effort, and it will work virtually anywhere, even in wide-open stubble fields.

Here’s what I carry to build a temporary two-man blind: a 20 x 4 foot piece of camouflage netting (I like die-cut military camo netting); a second piece of netting 8 x 4 feet; three-dozen plastic zip ties (8 inches long); and a hand axe/hammer combo. I keep these items in a small duffle in my boat’s dry box. When wading or walking in, I carry them in a backpack.

If the blind site I choose has some natural cover—a tree with overhanging limbs or some brush or reeds—I will build the blind under, next to, or in this cover so it will blend better. First, I’ll cut four 5-foot limbs or saplings to use as corner poles and five more poles to serve as top rails. Three of the top rails should be slightly longer than 6 feet. The other two should be slightly longer than 4 feet. If local restrictions prohibit cutting saplings, driftwood or fallen limbs might work.

I push or pound the corner poles into the ground to form a blind outline that is 6 feet wide by 4 feet deep. Then I attach the top rails to the corner poles with zip ties. If the frame is flimsy, I zip-tie cross braces to the sides. While working, I’m careful not to trample vegetation around the blind.

Then I wrap the camo netting around the frame, securing the net to the top rails and corner poles with zip ties. I fasten the final pole across the top of the blind halfway back from the front rail and use the smaller piece of camo netting to fashion a roof that drapes over the sides and back of the blind. Having overhead cover is critically important in hiding from ducks, especially in an open setting.
Finally, I cover the blind’s sides and roof in whatever natural vegetation is available—brush, willows, cattails, etc. I add cover until the blind loses its boxy shape and fully conceals my partner and me.

Building such a blind typically takes 15 to 30 minutes. This seems like an eternity when ducks are working. But I’ve learned it’s better to invest time in building a good blind than to rush the job and flare ducks. Once you’re finished, you can revel in the rewards of your labor.

Click here to watch Wade Bourne build a temporary blind online.