# First Year W/ Field (laydown) Blind



## Lancer_EVO (Mar 25, 2004)

I was inquiring about field blinds. I bought an Avery model, and reading some of the classifieds and other posts that people have put up, I have a few questions. What is meant by has or has not been "mudded"? When you set up in a field without much vegatation, is it wise to dig a shallow "blind hole" to get closer to the ground? Should you try and use as much of the surrounding "cover" to aid in concealment, or full up the strap things on the sides before you go? My hunting buddy and I have set out last weekend to try them out, he's got one also, and it seems like the geese will come in, cicle once or twice then exit our spread. I was just wondering if he seems like we are "sticking out too much" or just haveing bad like with wary birds. Thank you for you time.

John H :-?


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## cut'em (Oct 23, 2004)

I'm also new to hunting from field blinds and own an avery. I have simply found an area that happens to have a blank spot in the cut rows where i can hide the blind along side maybe 8 or 10 inches of cut stubble. As far as mudding i did it. And at first, thought it was a bad idea, but after brooming it off, it looked better to me and my non- hunting friends as well. Prior to, I've always dug a shallow blind hole to hide in and probably will always carry that tactic with me, just remember to "leave no trace" Take the time to fill everything back to normal conditions so as not to upset the land owner


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## Troy B (Nov 22, 2004)

Mudding is when you cover your blind with thick, soupy mud to take the glare off the new material. Take some dirt and add water to make it just short of runny and rub it all over the fabric, fairly thick and let it dry - now your blind is mudded. When you get to the field take surrounding vegetation and fill in the stubble straps to make the blinds blend in the field. Digging in the blinds is an option and can really make a difference is a short stubble field.


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

I will never have a unmudded blind in my spread. Mud them hard and heavy. Rub that mud into the fabric. If you gently paint on a film of mud it will fall off and the blind will shine again. Grind the mud into the fabric so it dulls the finish. Often one mudding does not do the job. . If I am hunting bean fields I sometimes mud my blind heavy before the hunt. It will be solid mud with a few beans in the stubble straps.
If there is very little cover and you are going to dig down your blind you should do it the night before the hunt. If it is cold enough for frost and you do it in the morning smart geese will spot your blinds anyway. The ground will be frost covered except arround your blind area. the area that you dig will be fresh black dirt. Now you have a big area arround the blinds that is all black and it makes the blinds stick out. Your cover is blown. Just a few tips from an old guy that has made a lot of mistakes.
good luck


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

It was my frist year too, and I love them. I haven't mudded my blind, I might sometime.


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## turkishgold11 (Oct 25, 2004)

You definatly have to mud your blind, like the others said it will reduce the glare. There have been people second guessing wheather mudding there blind is worth it because they will put so much stubble in the stubble straps on the blind. But keep this in mind, if you are hunting late season geese they are smart and if they see even a hint of glare from a bald spot on the blind then they may flare and that is just one more flock that you will have missed out on becasue you did on take half an hour to mudd you blind. Like the other posts have said get a good sightly thick mud consitance and really rub it in to the fabric, then let it dry and broom off the rest. Just my .02

!! Cupped Wings and Blue Skies !! :thumb:


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## purepower (Sep 11, 2004)

i also have an avery finisher but i have not mudded it, and i had no problem this year becasuse if ur hunting corn or wheat, barley, or oats the glare off the stubble is far more than that of ur blind just dont leave any open spots and conceal it well and ull have no problem.


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## Lancer_EVO (Mar 25, 2004)

Thank you everyone for all the help and stuff. Too bad there was what seemed like 100mph winds for half the weekend. But thanks for the info.

John H


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## wmcpartland (Dec 13, 2004)

Also, aside from mudding, surround your blind with a half dozen decoys to break up the profile. I started doing this this year and have noticed a significant difference.


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## turkishgold11 (Oct 25, 2004)

Yeh that will really make a differance, a couple full bodies and a sillo here and there will really split up the profile of you blind.

!! Cupped Wings and Blue Skies !!:thumb:


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## nutmeg honkers (Dec 21, 2003)

The other thing about putting some decoys around your blind is that if the birds are looking to land (hopefully) then they're looking at the open landing areas looking for a good place to touch down. By "crowding" your blind, they take they're eyes off of it. Of course, I never actually had a goose tell me this. But once I heard the theory, it seemed it was true in the fields.


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## turkishgold11 (Oct 25, 2004)

That is true but if you put your landing zone in front of your with a range for 5ft. to 23-30 yards then you should have no problem. Like nutmeg said it is a bad idea to have dekes crowd your blind because the ultimate goal is to have them land as close as possible to you. So just put a couple around you, like a sillo at you feet and head and 1-2 fullbodies off to the side should work nicely. Have been hunting with sillos and my head and feet for about 2 years and nothing breaks up the profile like those sillos do.

!! Cupped Wings and Blue Skies !! :thumb:


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## wmcpartland (Dec 13, 2004)

Having a goose decoy around 20 yards couldn't be any better. Any closer and, if you hit it, your pattern is gonna crush the breast.


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## turkishgold11 (Oct 25, 2004)

My pattern will crush the breast? That might just be the whole point seeing as how the whole objective is to down the bird. What I was saying in the last post is that you need to create a landing zone for the birds to land, and that needs to be an opening that is not out of shotgun range so it might just be kidda stupid if the outskirts of that landing zone is out of shotgun bast range. So if you make you landing zone go from about 5ft in front of you to about 30 yard straight out from you, and then about 60 yards across the you will be in good shape.


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## wmcpartland (Dec 13, 2004)

now you're talkin'! :sniper:


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## turkishgold11 (Oct 25, 2004)

I am glad that we finally agree!!


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