# Home made boat blind build



## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Hey guys, been a boring summer, counting down the days until the season starts. I was thinking of ways to improve my set up and figured I would try building a boat blind. As it sits right now, it took one days worth of work, $75 in frame and fowl netting, and another $100 in Palm leave mats. I scrounged up some cat tail reeds from the canal on the side of the house and will try weaving some of those in. I'm not too impressed with how brittle the palm mats are. I still have about 500 zip ties to put on to get it all tied together but here it is.

Sorry, still don't know how to post up multiple pics in the same post from my phone so I have to put them up one at a time.


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)




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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)




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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)




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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Looks great! 
Do you have an opening to get your dog in and out?


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

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Fowlmouth said:


> Looks great!
> Do you have an opening to get your dog in and out?


Thanks bud. I was thinking of using the opening up front. Then if that doesn't work, when I get the other umpteen million zip ties on to hold the all the matting to the inner plastic poultry net, it will make it one solid blanket. Then when that's done, I figure I could simply cut a slit on each side for an entry / exit for the dog. I might copy you on your dog ladder idea. That way, the dog could climb up and slip right in through the flapper type doors.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

utahbigbull said:


> Thanks bud. I was thinking of using the opening up front. Then if that doesn't work, when I get the other umpteen million zip ties on to hold the all the matting to the inner plastic poultry net, it will make it one solid blanket. Then when that's done, I figure I could simply cut a slit on each side for an entry / exit for the dog. I might copy you on your dog ladder idea. That way, the dog could climb up and slip right in through the flapper type doors.


 Cool!8) I have found that it is much easier for the dogs to get in the boat from the back. The bow of my boat sits up high, and I usually pull it in the phrag and it sits it up even higher.

The only other reason I mentioned having an opening is so your dog can mark downed birds. I usually leave my dog out of the blind so he can see everything. (he will usually hear and see birds before I do) It just cuts down on the blind retrieves......


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

dont zippy tie the grass to tight. let it have some play for when you put it down and up. then the grass will last longer. also keep it out of the sun doring the summer time and cover it when towing.


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Fowlmouth said:


> Cool!8) I have found that it is much easier for the dogs to get in the boat from the back. The bow of my boat sits up high, and I usually pull it in the phrag and it sits it up even higher.
> 
> The only other reason I mentioned having an opening is so your dog can mark downed birds. I usually leave my dog out of the blind so he can see everything. (he will usually hear and see birds before I do) It just cuts down on the blind retrieves......


Fowl, thanks for the ideas. My Golden is a rather specail dog. She will get the birds but even when she sees them fall, I usually have to throw a rock or something to get her out to the bird. She lacks a little in the brains, proper training, and ambition department. She somewhat does the job and have to live with that untill she passes on. All the training I have done on her goes to the way side from my three kids teasing and tormenting her. My buddies black lab is that way though, he gets excited just hearing them come in and its usually way before we do. Some day I will have a dog like that, haha.

Dustin, thanks for the pointers. I can't believe how delicate that expensive stuff is!!


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

yea it pricey. i will be trying my third brand this year.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

Good looking blind! That's a fun project and satisfying to shoot birds from your own design. For what it's worth the original Fastgrass mats are by far the best and hold up longest. You can get them online from Knutsondecoys.com, or you can also get them from LL Bean with free shipping. LL Bean has a lifetime warranty on everything that they sell too-hard to beat that!


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm rather disappointed in the Avery mats. That's why I was thinking of tying in some cat tail reeds. That stuff seems like a guy could make a ripe out of that stuff. I will definitely try the Fast Grass next time.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

This doesn't have a thing to do with this thread, but there are only a handful of us looking in the Waterfowl section this time of year anyway so I figure I will pass this along if you didn't know already.
Rogers Sporting Goods is having a 10 day sale. Check out their website for some really good deals. $99 case for Federal 3" 1 1/4 oz. and free shipping. There are some other deals too. Anyway check it out. The blind does look good too!


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

utahbigbull said:


> Thanks for the tips guys. I'm rather disappointed in the Avery mats. That's why I was thinking of tying in some cat tail reeds. That stuff seems like a guy could make a ripe out of that stuff. I will definitely try the Fast Grass next time.


Yeah, anything that says Avery on it is pretty much a guaranteed POS, unfortunately. I think that tying in cattails is a great idea, all the boats I build have grass rails on them for tying in natural cover-I think its the best thing for hiding your boat. I usually just take a pair of garden pruners along with me and cut some cattails or phrag from wherever I'm hunting. Here's one of my sneak boats with a combination of a mat over the motor and natural grass in the grass rails-


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