# Layout Blinds late season before snow



## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Looks like the days of being able to dig your blind in will be ending soon. (temps staying below freezing starting Monday up here) I sometimes wonder if you're better off leaving the blinds at home and just either wearing all black to blend in with your Canada's or wear camo in a corn field that has been turned over. If you go take a look at your spread from a distance in this situation the blinds can really stick out like a sore thumb. Fields that have not been turned over, I think they blend in much better, but that's hard to find up here.

I remember one late season hunt last year where we couldn't dig the blinds in and the Mallards just kept flaring just out of shooting range...So we ditched the blinds during the last 1/2 hour of the hunt and finally shot some birds.

I've certainly shot birds without blinds before back in the day, so I know it can be done...Although, not as comfortable for sure.

Just wondering if anybody else does this or any thoughts you might have. Thanks


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I always have a blind out. If there isn't much cover I won't hunt. But then again I hunt in an area where no till and minimum till is practiced.


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

That makes a big difference with no till...That isn't the case up here. Many times they are tilling the 2nd the corn comes off.


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## timberhole (Oct 2, 2013)

I've had better luck in tilled fields setting the deeks 15-30 yards out away from the blind instead of trying to hide inside them. Keep their attention on the spread and not your blind. Set your blinds on the side of the spread putting the wind your right shoulder (If right handed). Set a J decoy setup with the line furthest away from the blinds and the hook slightly up wind or right in front of the blinds at 15-30 yards. This way you are shooting straight out or as they are pulling out to the left and not shooting towards your off shoulder. I've also had luck getting downwind of the spread and shooting them as they are pulling out. It's not as exciting as having them landing on your face, but it is very productive.

I believe when the birds are pulling up short, its not because they aren't seeing the well brushed blinds, but they are seeing something in the decoys that don't look right. Move the blinds to react to how the birds are working and get them out away from the deeks and you may have some more success.


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

That's a very good tip! Thanks man!


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

Pick axe. Works wonders for digging in frozen chisel plowed fields.


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## teamflightstoppersND (Feb 20, 2009)

The birds can be pretty smart at that time of year but I have tried some new things to try to get birds.

We have ditched the blinds all together and the birds seem to commit better.

We have also set up blinds and hid them best as we could, if the birds were flaring we would lay in the field and the birds would flare right over us.


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## bigcat (Aug 19, 2003)

great posts- thanks for all the info&#8230;very helpful---sometimes the forum can get a little negative-but this info is why we need a forum!!!!!


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

The fields I hunt always seem to have little piles of stuff here and there son the blinds don't seem to have much impact but one thought I had was piling up a bunch of sleepers on the downwind side of the blind so it looked like they were using it as a windbreak. Don't know if it would work or not.


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