Session #6 Great Project But Huge Let Down

Well I have been thinking about how I could camouflage my layout boat better.  Last year it got s paint job and this year I wanted some way to  try and make it like a layout blind without having to buy one of the boat covers with the stubble straps.  My first idea was to make a grid out of paracoard over the top of the boat,  it failed.  But out of the failure arose a better idea then a correction to get the final product.

Final Product

So I started with the grid idea and it failed so my next thought was what about those cargo nets that stretch.  Well I hit up my nearest Harbor Freight store, discount hardware tools, found two medium sized nets for the front and back portion of my boat then two motorcycle sized nets for each side.  The nets came with hooks that I used to fix the nets to the boat.

nets only

So after a week of having the nets attached to the boat, looking at it, and contemplation I decided the nets needed changed just a bit.  It was not exactly what I wanted and I had some coverage areas that were minimal.  So my thought to fix the nets had me remove all the hooks and started from scratch on placement.  I went to the nearest hardware store and bought some fine metal wire.  I finally got back to the boat and started by tying the two side nets end to end.  I centered them up on the sides and then worked my way to the front by tying the nets together with the small wire.  I finished the nets all of the way around the boat and it covered everything I needed.  I placed my layout blind in the cockpit of the boat, last year it worked out amazing for me to have the top coverage and the built in backrest and pouches.  I had some grass left from Roger's Sporting Goods from last season I began zip tying the grass to the cargo nets.  With time it began to look amazing.

beginning to grass

So I grassed my boat and left it for a week and occasionally looked at it during that time. Last year I learned my lesson when I painted my boat.  It is hard to know when to stop painting or camouflaging something.  Last year I paint just a little extra that was to much but luckily I realized it and stopped.  So that is why this year I would do some work and take a break and think everything over.  It is easy to add more but hard to take something back once it is done.  So while looking at the boat I realized that it did have some bald spots and that I hunt in smart weed in the the places I hunt.  So I ordered some smart weed from Cabela's.  I began filling in the bald spots with some extra grass. 

little more grass

So with more grass on the way from Cabela's I left the boat a little bare in spots but covered most of them. I tied some of the grass from the boat to the flaps of the blind.  This did wonders in breaking up the line between the cockpit and the layout blind. Finally the smart weed grass came in.  I added it sparingly to the boat since I do not hunt in just smart weed but there is some in the corn and spots I hunt.

smart weed grass added

opening in cockpit

So I let the boat sit for a week and looked it over again, catching a pattern yet?  I noticed that I had a very noticeable square behind my layout blind and the cockpit.  I am thinking that the boat is almost done.  So now that I had a problem I had to figure out how to correct it.  The tricky part is I need access to that spot to steer the boat in the marsh and it is storage for supplies or a dog if I can borrow some one's.  So that adds a new level of difficulty to the design of correction.  Well  the square was 30 inches by 30 inches so I thought why not go with what I know already works, cargo nets.  I returned to Harbor Freight and bought two motorcycle nets.  I tied them together and placed them in the cockpit.  Dang it they did not fit enough.  The nets measured 15 inches by 12 inches.  So I thought to myself why did they not fit.  Duh, come one Mike two would only cover half of the opening.  Well to fix that issue I had extra net tucked around the backside of the opening from the large net on the back.  I pulled the extra net up and tied my half net to it.  I attached the net with the hooks given with the nets.  I had ran out of grass but I pulled the net back to see how well it worked.  The net worked great but the hooks got tangled up in the other portion of the nets.  So after a few minutes of thinking and looking at my duck gear I use carabiners for all kinds of things during hunting.  They work amazing to attach things.  I figured I would substitute the carabiners for the hooks.  It worked perfect.  I went and bought some extra grass and finished off the boat with grass.  The whole package looks amazing and is more than half the price of the slips sold by the major layout boat manufactures.

Back net closed

Back net open

See through mesh on layout blind

So now that I am feeling amazing about duck season and can not wait to put the boat in the marsh and watch it disappear.  I had hurt my knee while at work at the beginning of this product.  So after going through workman's compensation claims and seeing numerous doctors the diagnosis was discovered.  I partially tore my ACL in my knee.  The breath was taken out of my sails with knowing how much time is needed to rehabilitate from the injury and surgery and how close duck season was.  Crunching the numbers that the doctor said was needed for crutches and rehab  things were not looking good.

The big question is will I make in to the marsh this season for duck season.  I have learned so much in the past years and want to keep learning but it is not looking good for this duck hunter.  So stay safe and HEALTHY from now to the end of duck season fellow hunters.

Session #4: Preseason Addiction Tweaking

Session #4 Preseason Addiction Tweaking

Outside Cabela's KC, Kansas

Well the past weekend I and my gorgeous lady went to see Chad Belding from "Banded Nation" and the Fowl Life television series.  Cabela's was having a their Waterfowl Classic.  I had a blasted I am sure my lady enjoyed it a little too.  She has been wanting to go duck hunting with me since I meet her, well it looks like she will get too.

I started watching the Fowl Life last season and really enjoyed the down to earth vibe that the show put off.  You watch some of the waterfowl shows and the guys seem to be very full of themselves.  It is almost like they have forgotten where they came from.  Chad in the Fowl Life has not forgotten that at all.  The show is how I try to write this blog.  You get to watch the down time shenanigans and the amazing trigger time that makes the hunts memorable.

Ok, so back to the Waterfowl Classic.  Well first stop was to see Chad and get his autograph, to bad it was not on a check or a contract to join his Banded Nation team, maybe next year.  I got his autograph and his friend's (Luke Hochevar, KC Royals pitcher)  Chatted with him for a brief moment due to a line of people waiting to do the same.  So off we went then meandering around the store.  The store was packed full of decoys.  Decoys were at the front entry way and then down every isle way.

I stopped by the Patternmaster booth and began chatting with them, bad idea for a broke person to do that.  Well I had been looking at the Code Black choke last year but decided to not buy it at that time.  Well he convinced me to try it out and I put one in my basket.  Sorry for who ever left their basket empty on the floor.  They probably turned around and thought the Cabela's gnome stole it.  Those gnomes are a tricky bread especially on Black Friday with a limited promotion item.

Don't worry I know the package is empty, I had to put it in my gun.

So then I came across the Banded calls display.  Since I am always looking for that easier to blow more realistic call, that I like and I can afford I stopped to look at what they had.  I picked up the Big Bub since I already have the Little Bub.  The call was amazing priced even if it was not on sale it was decently priced.

All last year I had been looking for the duck blind colored face paint from Camo FX.  I bought a black and grey colored version last year and loved it but I lost it some where after the first use.  I finally found the duck blind color and grabbed two for the season.  

Then off to the bargin cave to see what was on sale.  I have found some great deals in that place for duck gear.  Just do me a favor leave some of the good stuff for me.  As I walked by the register and counter I saw some Banded calls sitting there screaming my name to try them out.  A very helpful worker pulled some out for me to try, he even pulled out alcohol swabs.  The worker was so helpful.  I finally settled on a gorgeous orange pearl Mallard Queen call.  I just knew I had to get it and put the Big Bub back on the display.  

Since my lady wanted to hunt with me she needed some waders.  While I had the worker's attention I asked him to help us for some waders.  He helped us search and found a pair of chest waders.  They were Cabela's Northern Flight single strap waders.  The worker said that the waders were discontinued because the camo pattern was out dated and not produced anymore.  I thought to myself holy crap the pattern came out last year or two minimum.  I saw the price and told him that we were looking for a cheaper pair since she was just seeing if she enjoyed waterfowl hunting.  We told him the price we were looking for and he crunched some numbers.  He came back and said he would sell it for the price we wanted.  I screamed "Sold" and startled the worker.  Do not worry there will be a picture of her in them in later posts I am sure of it.

So off we went paid for our booty, wait that is backwards.  Oh well it is our treasure for sure and we can't wait to try it out.  

I couldn't wait to "practice" the call so as my lady drove me around the Legends shopping center.  I blew the call and made shoppers laugh and jump.  I enjoy bringing smiles to peoples faces and this didn't even involve me falling in the water, huge bonus for me.

Well this session has remedied the addiction tweaks for the time being.  Well that and dove season is around the corner.