Long Island Waterfowling Traditions DeQuillfeldt Family

[Joe Friday]

Thank you Steve,
I was still curious so I did a bit of research on my own and turned up this:
RM

Curtain duck hunting blinds in North Carolina

Many hunters place curtain blinds in the same category as sink boxes, but that is not accurate.

www.carolinasportsman.com

The curtain blinds behind Hatteras Island are amazing. Buried on sandbars, in about 6" to 12" of water at low tide But they are only 4' x 4' and are uncomfortably tight for two shooters in my opinion. If birds are flying well, it's probably best to take turns shooting, I think.

 

[RM Anderson]

The curtain blinds behind Hatteras Island are amazing. Buried on sandbars, in about 6" to 12" of water at low tide But they are only 4' x 4' and are uncomfortably tight for two shooters in my opinion. If birds are flying well, it's probably best to take turns shooting, I think.

Joe,
First hand knowledge; that's awesome! How high is high tide? Are you ever in any danger from your blind swamping?
RM

 

[Phil Eager]

Thanks,for sharing Amazing

 

[John Bo Farley]

Joe,
First hand knowledge; that's awesome! How high is high tide? Are you ever in any danger from your blind swamping?
RM

There is not a lot of tidal range but some. The curtain is adjustable. The curtain is between the top of the blind and the base buried in the sandbar. Normally the curtain is raised in the morning and blind bailed out. Then you try to keep the lip of the blind as close to water level as possible. High winds can cause wind tides and waves that can keep you from hunting. This is a picture of my son in the box. The lattice in the water is a moveable breakwater.

 

[RM Anderson]

John,
Thanks for sharing; that is really a cool way to hunt from the looks of it. You must be blessed with a firm bottom to stand on. I'm curious if the curtain blind works with puddle ducks as well? They are so adept at noticing any black holes in a setup.
RM

 

[John Bo Farley]

John,
Thanks for sharing; that is really a cool way to hunt from the looks of it. You must be blessed with a firm bottom to stand on. I'm curious if the curtain blind works with puddle ducks as well? They are so adept at noticing any black holes in a setup.
RM

I have only hunted them a couple of times. They are on sand bars so good walking around all I know of. The normal take is pintail, redhead and brant. Sometimes Canadas. If the wind is blowing it is much easier to work the birds. If they get up higher they are looking down on you.

John

 

[Scott Gilliland]

As Eric suggested above, I have long thought that some long-ago "outlawed" methods could be re-legalized. Both batteries (No - not spinning wing decoys!) and live decoys would have little impact on harvest - because the work involved would be limiting. Season length, shooting hours and especially daily limits would minimize their impact. (Note how bans on 3-shells and e-callers have been lifted for Snow Geese).

I agree 100%. In Canada sink boxes are still legal. There are more primitive versions called "Tubs" in some places on the coast of Nova Scotia and there are still a lot of sink boxes in use on the Lac St. Pierre in Québec. I posted an about these boxes before, but I cannot find the link so I'm reposting the photos. If we look at the development of the sink box I suspect is does not get better than this. It is all fabricated from aluminum.

For open water hunting there are very few options: a curtain blind, boat blind, layout or sink box. I've not hunted from curtain blind, but have used various boat blinds and layouts. Nothing compare to hunting out of a sink box. In a layout you have very limited range of movement - basically you have to shoot between your toes as it is very difficult to swing on a bird. You are also laying flat on your back and with that cold water sucking all the energy out of you. In a sink box you can sit on a piece of styrofoam, and can stand up to shoot. Nothing compares to it.

I understand what they were made illegal, but harvest was unregulated at that time. Harvest is now highly regulated with limited days of open season, and daily bag and possession restrictions. It seems odd to that you can hunt from pit blind in a field but not a sink box.

Anyways, that's my rant for the day. The photos Anthony posted show the rich history of waterfowlling. At least on the Lac St. Pierre and some other areas on the St. Lawrence River, and along the the coast of Nova Scotia, the sink box tradition continues. If I was in the US I might be asking to revisit this regulation.

 

[Joe Friday]

Joe,
First hand knowledge; that's awesome! How high is high tide? Are you ever in any danger from your blind swamping?
RM

Sorry for the late reply. The curtain blind is easily adjustable to account for the rising tides or other high water. Sash weights on the interior hold the curtain to the adjusted height.

 

[Joe Friday]

There is not a lot of tidal range but some. The curtain is adjustable. The curtain is between the top of the blind and the base buried in the sandbar. Normally the curtain is raised in the morning and blind bailed out. Then you try to keep the lip of the blind as close to water level as possible. High winds can cause wind tides and waves that can keep you from hunting. This is a picture of my son in the box. The lattice in the water is a moveable breakwater.

Hello Mr. Farley, I haven't seen you since our days at the St. Peter's Halloween Carnival. I hope you are doing well. Give my best wishes to your family.