| It was not long ago when the waterfowl hunter's | | | | hunters shoot. These same blinds can be most |
| options for waterfowling blinds were few indeed. | | | | effective in fooling those smart birds. On the other |
| Bedside's natural cover, the other common blind was | | | | side they are somewhat confining and are definitely |
| the famous "pit". | | | | not for the claustrophobic. |
| For a waterfowl blind "natural cover" is still preferred. | | | | If you are in search of diving ducks including |
| First and foremost a natural cover is "natural". | | | | canvasbacks, greater and lesser scaup and redheads, |
| Whether as a hunter you are in hiding in cattails along | | | | it is best to locate dense beds of submerged food |
| marsh edges, in willow clumps surrounding potholes, | | | | plants such as sago pondweed or celery. This can be |
| behind grasses in flooded timber or in the tall grass | | | | difficult if you are not out on the water, but |
| along slough margin its all for the same purposes in | | | | watching for these birds from shore often reveals |
| waterfowl hunting. On the other hand if there is a | | | | clues in their preferred feeding sites. If you cannot |
| suitable natural cover available - a convenient place to | | | | locate feeding areas opt for points of land that |
| put a bucket on which to sit and adequate shooting | | | | extend well into the lake. These are good spots from |
| lanes, you may well not even have to erect that | | | | which to decoy divers flying between their roosting |
| hunting blind. | | | | or loading sites and prime feeding areas. |
| Today's commercial production line blinds come in | | | | Lastly there is one of the most effective blind styles |
| more than several formats. Popular among goose | | | | available that is generally referred to as the "coffin |
| hunters across Canada are so called "goose chairs" , a | | | | blind" Though this design has been part of the duck |
| one man blind that is little more than a modified | | | | hunter's world for years, and is the basis for the |
| reclining lawn chair over which a super sized goose | | | | sneak boat and similar hunting styles, it is only now |
| shell is hinged. To the birds these waterfowl or | | | | with the introduction of commercial upland versions |
| specifically goose blinds these look just like the rest | | | | of this coffin blind into the marketplace. As the name |
| of the decoys in your spread. The hunter sits back in | | | | suggests this type of waterfowl and duck blind has a |
| the chair and with the goose shell pulled down over | | | | very low profile replicating the look of a coffin. Based |
| his body, and then peers through narrows slits in the | | | | upon the same lightweight frame over which the |
| shell to watch for the birds. When thee birds are in | | | | camouflaged nylon is attached, it features two full |
| range the hunter just flips the shell back over his | | | | length top loading doors that swing open to allow the |
| head to shoot. These chairs can be quite effective | | | | hunter to swing open and shoot. Coffin blinds have |
| though somewhat awkward to shoot from, | | | | lounge chair like suspension systems within them that |
| particularly for older hunters who may find it difficult | | | | allow the hunter's head to be somewhat inclined. |
| to complete the sit=up required before shooting. | | | | They are actually quite comfortable to lie in, even for |
| Relatively newer are waterfowl hunting blinds that | | | | extended periods. Pile in a little natural cover around a |
| are little more than modified versions of modern | | | | coffin blind and it virtually disappears, especially from |
| backpacking tents. These consist of camouflaged | | | | the perspectives of an incoming duck or geese. |
| nylon covers available in a variety of patterns | | | | What is amazing is the level of camouflage that |
| stretched over shock corded aluminum frames. They | | | | these professional duck and waterfowl blinds create. |
| are easy to erect, light and highly mobile. Depending | | | | The hunter can be virtually impervious and oblivious |
| on their manufacture the can have a number of | | | | to the waterfowl around him. That is the whole point |
| removable panels or openings through which the | | | | of the waterfowl blind to the hunter is it not ? |