Duck boat rigs and blinds - show'em if you got'em!

[artcarney_agr]

Show me what you're hunting out of!

I hunt Missouri in Nov. and Dec. - season closes on our property at the end of Dec. When that happens we have to revert to lake hunting in KY....which sucks compared to the flooded rice fields we hunt in MO. Our lake hunting consists of building a blind and using a boat as transportation to and from it.

Looking at possibly getting a nice boat blind and quit messing with having to build a blind, that way we're more versatile. Recently sold my old semi-v; looking to upgrade to a wide flat bottom with a pop-up blind. Hoping to get some ideas from you guys!!!

[gettin after 'em]

Do you hunt public lakes? I am wanting to start duck hunting, but I am unsure if I can hunt on the lake (Clarks Hill). I am just curious if this possible somewhere else.

[artcarney_agr]

Just check you local regulations.

I hunt on KY Lake and Barkley Lake. You can draw out for a spot to build a permanent blind to leave for the entire season, or you can put up a temporary blind that has to be removed when you're done. Also plenty of other regulations to adhere to - some areas are refuge, some require a permit, and some you can't step out of the boat. It all just depends on the local regulations.

A lot of guys hunt the river here in Louisville - only rules are that you can't get out of the boat or step on land, and you have to be 200 yards from a recreational area and or houses and roads. An island or two is considered refuge, mainly due to a grain offloading facility that ducks live by.

I would start by researching you public lands first - or even your fish and wildlife agency. Some states have refuges that you can hunt for free with blinds provided, and some even provide a boat.

[crankn101]

[PATRO]

MLB layout boat. We hunt mostly Sea Ducks and Divers out here on the sounds and rivers.

[artcarney_agr]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by PATRO &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">MLB layout boat. We hunt mostly Sea Ducks and Divers out here on the sounds and rivers.
</td></tr></table>

How do you retrieve downed birds from a layout boat? Also, how do you do your decoy spread? Are they on a single line tied to the boat or do you anchor them out?

Just curious - been toying with the notion of getting one for the lake I hunt. At times there are thousands of divers, bluebill and bufflehead, that will raft up out on the main portion of the lake. It's an untapped resource because I have not seen anyone set up with a layout boat to take advantage of it.

[PATRO]

We use the tender boat to pick up any downed birds. Decoy spreads vary depending on the water we are hunting. Here are a few illustrations of spreads. Most of our blocks are on long-lines. We will set a few single blocks out around the layout to break it up some. Each line is anchored on both ends to keep from tangling with each other. Here is a great site to purchase anything you need for long-lining. I use to have some pics of us hunting out of the layout with the dekes set up. Layout hunting can be a blast but it is also a lot of work...

Here is a site for duck hunting, this is the Divers Forum.
http://www.refugeforums.com/re...?f=62

Site for the long-lines.
http://www.doctarilonglines.com/forumfuge.html

A few illustrations

[artcarney_agr]

So let me get this straight - you set up in the layout boat, and someone else has to hang out in the big boat and watch? That sounds like misery having to sit and watch your buddy whack'em...do you draw straws or do you rotate every hour or so?

[PATRO]

Yea that's pretty much how it goes.. If the birds are flying good we will sit in there and get a limit before rotating out. I really don't care about getting a limit these days, it's just fun being out there watching your buddies miss..

Sometimes we take a rod and cast for trout while someone is hunting. It's not as bad as you think unless the birds aren't working.

[Bsktball55]

Here's some pictures of my cousin's blinds that I hunt out of. They currently have 4 pit blinds, three around Otter Slough and one our near Duck creek. Three of them are flooded corn fields and one is flooded rice.
This is one of me a couple years ago.

Looking out of their pit.

The pit and my cousin's dog who is my dog's father

Sunrise out of the pit

[artcarney_agr]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Bsktball55 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Here's some pictures of my cousin's blinds that I hunt out of. They currently have 4 pit blinds, three around Otter Slough and one our near Duck creek. Three of them are flooded corn fields and one is flooded rice.
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Where about around Otter Slough? The pit I hunt is dead west of the check-in building, right alongside the river off of 691A. I've probably seen them out and about. We stay in the little town of Essex and frequent the Longbranch bar at night - ever been there?
We have another pit just south of Morehouse in a flooded rice field. Our past season was horrible. Too much water early, and seems like the birds just never ventured off the refuge like normal. How did you all do?

[Bsktball55]

I believe two of them are right on the the northern edge of the slough off of 679 and the other is right on the southern edge.
We had a horrible season this year. The ducks seemed like they stayed north the entire year. Right after the season we had a cold snap and they said the ducks came like crazy. They used to be incredible holes, you could go limit out everyday, but the last several years, the conservation department has had more food on the reserve and more people have pits so the ducks are more spread out. It's still good, but not what it used to be.

[artcarney_agr]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Bsktball55 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I believe two of them are right on the the northern edge of the slough off of 679 and the other is right on the southern edge.
We had a horrible season this year. The ducks seemed like they stayed north the entire year. Right after the season we had a cold snap and they said the ducks came like crazy. They used to be incredible holes, you could go limit out everyday, but the last several years, the conservation department has had more food on the reserve and more people have pits so the ducks are more spread out. It's still good, but not what it used to be. </td></tr></table>

The thing that hurt us most was the amount of sheet water on the fields this year. No telling how many days we took a ride to survey the areas around the refuge. Thousands of ducks, many on dry ground, just chilling across the road from the refuge. With BP kicking in their $50 an acre program for flooded ground, this season will probably be even worse. I know of at least 3,000 acres being turned in that borders Otter Slough.

[Bsktball55]

Yeah, I know they weren't real happy about the BP paying to flood fields because they think it's going to spread the ducks out even more, but maybe it will help them recoup some of the money that they leave out in the field in corn every year. I believe they flood 150 acres or so. I'm not sure if they put in for the money or now, but they might as well since they would be doing it anyway.

[artcarney_agr]

There were a few stipulations to it. I think one was that it couldn't have been flooded in the last couple years, or something of that nature. That made some of the cotton fields prime property for it.

Deadline for submittals in Missouri was August 1st. Should be hearing the results soon.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/....html
http://www.mdc.mo.gov/newsroom...birds

[gstroud]

Here is one of our blinds we hunt out of. It is on small lake but we have two on the Arkansas River also

Love them Greenheads and Woody's