Hunting from fishing boat without a blind

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Kevin Puls

Well-known member
I know of some people who hunt sea ducks out of the back of their large white fishing boat without any sort of blind on it. The just sit still.

I wonder if I could get away with that out of my 18’ fishing boat that has gray sides with bluebills. Has anyone done this? It is the tender boat for my layout but sometimes I can’t get anyone to go with me. The boat would be sort of hard to put a blind on.
 
Scoters, Old Squaw and Eiders are quite willing to decoy to an open boat, provided they aren't pressured too much. Bluebill/broadbill on the other hand tend to be more boat shy. I've never had much luck with them out of an open boat without a blind, and preferably set against a rocky shore, tidal rock or breakwater. Not to say it won't work, just that I haven't seen it and I've hunted them a lot. Of course, layout boats work well for most any divers.
 
I agree, if there is any kind of pressure on them, I am not sure this would work in open water.
Maybe if you were up against the shoreline or at least close to it.
And the birds come in low.
How about just draping the whole boat with a camo net? it would at least break up the outline and hide the shiny stuff.
But the best answer is it sounds like you need to buy another boat!

Here is my 14' Smokercraft back on Mobile Bay. I would use this camo netting and then stick phragmites into the bottom around the boat. You can see the phrag in the upper right of the second photo. Worked great for divers, OK for gadwalls, in wide open water.
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I know of someone who has hunted sea ducks from a 30+ foot downeast boat. They would literally drift longlines behind the boat and shoot. I've actually had them buzz us while striper fishing in our 36 foot express, just out of what would be shooting range, for no reason.

All the boats I've seen hunting them here, stick out like a sore thumb. They still seem to shoot birds no issue. Grass, gray black, it doesn't matter. You can see them from a mile away.

Bluebills are bit more wary. I've had them bust my completely grassed Duck Invader tucked up against a bank. If they can do that, they are definitely going to bust a non camouflaged boat.
 
Carl said:
I agree, if there is any kind of pressure on them, I am not sure this would work in open water.
Maybe if you were up against the shoreline or at least close to it.
And the birds come in low.
How about just draping the whole boat with a camo net? it would at least break up the outline and hide the shiny stuff.
But the best answer is it sounds like you need to buy another boat!

Here is my 14' Smokercraft back on Mobile Bay. I would use this camo netting and then stick phragmites into the bottom around the boat. You can see the phrag in the upper right of the second photo. Worked great for divers, OK for gadwalls, in wide open water.
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Unfortunately an additional boat is not in the cards based on storage issues. I like the boat too much for fishing to get rid of it. Just thinking out loud really I guess. I’m in Maine right now and watched eiders and long tails zipping in and around lobster boats yesterday morning without a care.

But it does make me wonder how elaborate a blind would need to be.
 
Here is the boat in question. Maybe there are some suggestions out there. I can get better pictures when I get back home.
 

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Kevin Puls said:
Here is the boat in question. Maybe there are some suggestions out there. I can get better pictures when I get back home.
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As @Carl said, consider getting a bunch of surplus camo net. If you can get up against a bank, it might just work. With bluebills, I've had them decoy to black duck and puddle duck spreads, bluebill spreads, and pass up everything at times. One of those birds that just depending on the day, may or may not work out.
 
Kevin Puls said:
Here is the boat in question. Maybe there are some suggestions out there. I can get better pictures when I get back home.
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The sea ducks, when not pressured, will probably come to that boat. You mention Maine, we hunt there. Some locales are hit hard, especially by guides, others see almost no pressure. The birds are accustomed to seeing the lobster boats, as they are out year round. Sea ducks are a totally different animal than scaup. Night and day as to what they will tolerate. Absent netting or a more formal blind I would be surprised if you had much success with scaup from that boat.
 
Scaup come at you low and fast and they generally decide whether they're going to commit or not fairly decisively without as much circling and staring. It is tempting to write them off as dumb. While not as paranoid as a black or mottled duck, they'll flare like any puddle duck if you are't brushed in pretty well, keeping your face hidden and sitting still.

I have not personal experience with sea ducks, but an acquaintance that hunts them on the Chesapeake said that while they will decoy to the transom of a Grady White, they'll spook from a camo'd boat. Kinda makes sense as white cuddly cabins are ubiquitous on the Bay where most are preoccupied chasing striper while a camo'd boat is almost definitely there to kill a duck.

Nate
 
But it does make me wonder how elaborate a blind would need to be.

you definately do not need a fancy expensive commercial boat blind. some camo netting maybe some fastgrass or native cane/grasses, and a little pvc, and you are in business.
 
Kevin Puls said:
Here is the boat in question. Maybe there are some suggestions out there. I can get better pictures when I get back home.
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Agree with what has been said re: scaup vs seaducks.

That boat would be pretty easy to make a blind to try using a high quality camo netting. Tie a rope or strap to the bow eye and go up to the top of the windshield - one piece netting properly sized draped over the front and secured (cable tie to center rope and attach around the perimeter - can you use spring clamps anywhere around the perimeter). For the rear, run a rope from the windshield to the stern - put a piece of netting on either side that attaches to the rope and use spring clamps or similar around the perimeter. Drape over outboards. You aren't going to get lower than the windshield, so you can just sit in the cockpit chairs. Won't work well for puddlers, but would be a good big rock for seaducks and scaup.
 
Thanks all. It’s basically all as I was suspecting. The rope from the bow eye is a good idea. I will note that I hope to hunt it off shore like I see people doing with the larger duck boats that have solid canvas panel blinds and no netting or grass, not necessarily up against shore. I was planning to do it for divers only on Lake Erie when I can’t get anyone to go with me for layout hunting. I have lots of ideas now. No plans to take it to the coast for sea ducks.
 
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Kevin Puls said:
Thanks all. It’s basically all as I was suspecting. The rope from the bow eye is a good idea. I will note that I hope to hunt it off shore like I see people doing with the larger duck boats that have solid canvas panel blinds and no netting or grass, not necessarily up against shore. I was planning to do it for divers only on Lake Erie when I can’t get anyone to go with me for layout hunting. I have lots of ideas now. No plans to take it to the coast for sea ducks.
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Canvas or canvas backed netting would for sure be better, plain netting would be the cheapest and easiest if you just wanted to try it as a proof of concept (why I suggested it).
 
Watched a guy at our cabin hunt out of a pontoon boat. He pretended to be fishing, did nothing to conceal himself and would pull out his gun when ducks flew nearby. He was within a certain number of feet from the shore but he was still illegal in WI. He sure had a good time.
 
tod osier said:
Canvas or canvas backed netting would for sure be better, plain netting would be the cheapest and easiest if you just wanted to try it as a proof of concept (why I suggested it).
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I happen to have an old cover from a 24’ pontoon boat stashed away for this purpose. I could paint it and tie chunks of netting into it. It’s plenty of fabric. I’ll even put some snaps around the boat. There are already some well placed ones near the windshield for the canvas cabin. Lots of ideas in my head right now.
 
Mark W said:
Watched a guy at our cabin hunt out of a pontoon boat. He pretended to be fishing, did nothing to conceal himself and would pull out his gun when ducks flew nearby. He was within a certain number of feet from the shore but he was still illegal in WI. He sure had a good time.
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Wow. No blind? What was he shooting at?
 
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