Outside the box layout boat hunting

Michael B

Michael B

Active member
I've been hunting in a battleship gray layout boat for 15 years. It works, but sometimes, especially on sunny days when high or incoming birds aren't looking into the sun, it can spook birds.

I have wondered for a long time if it would work to hide in plain sight--sit up, wear a bright red or green jacket, cover some or all of the boat in red or green, and pretend to be a channel marker. For really tall guys that don't fit in layouts, or guys that might not be able to sit up/lay down well, it could be an option.

Anyone ever try it?

And to be clear, we all know that there are some days when divers will decoy to anything no matter what you do if you're in the right place. I'm NOT talking about those days.

Mike
 
I'd be a whole lot more inclined to make a gigantic duck head, paint the boat like a duck body, and create a monster decoy / blind out of it.
 
Carl, I haven't tried visqueen although I have wanted to for some time. It seems like it would be a hassle with some wind, but that's just an excuse.

Honestly, I don't feel a great need to change what we do. I have just wondered for some time how ducks would react to this, and I'm just curious to see if anyone has tried this before and if it was successful.
 
A friend o mine says it doesn't matter what you look like as long as you sit still. He killed birds out of a mod v and no blind for years.

In my layout days I wore natural gear camo, it blended in with the scheme of my boat.

Try a fishing hat and hold a fishing rod. That always attracted birds to me.
 
I hear that a big down east and some orange grundens are the best camo for eiders.

I was 10 ft or so away from a pair in my wetsuit while spearing point judith too
 
I'd be a whole lot more inclined to make a gigantic duck head, paint the boat like a duck body, and create a monster decoy / blind out of it.
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Then use a bunch of super mag goose shells converted to floaters and the boat would blend right in to the decoys.
 
I once read an article on using a South Bay Duckboat in battleship gray as a layout. The hunters rigged super magnum goose shells on the hull to shoot geese and ducks. Shooting batteries were very effective, resulting in them eventually being outlawed. They employed the same technique.
 
I sometimes hunt a bay that very popular for crabbing out of a 16' boat and found that when I have the blind up in my boat out in the middle of the bay and try to "hide" it flares Divers and sea ducks. More than once I dropped the blind after birds flaring and just stood in the boat like I was crabbing and they come right in. I have even considered getting some orange rain gear for a "crabbing camo"
 
always wanted to stand on the marsh edge, dressed as an old man, making pretend that I was throwing bread in the water.

then I had a warden tell me to throw packing peanuts to look like bread. never did it as I thought he was trying to write me a ticket.
 
always wanted to stand on the marsh edge, dressed as an old man, making pretend that I was throwing bread in the water.

then I had a warden tell me to throw packing peanuts to look like bread. never did it as I thought he was trying to write me a ticket.
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If he did write you up, wouldn't that be considered entrapment?
 
always wanted to stand on the marsh edge, dressed as an old man, making pretend that I was throwing bread in the water.

then I had a warden tell me to throw packing peanuts to look like bread. never did it as I thought he was trying to write me a ticket.
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If he did write you up, wouldn't that be considered entrapment?
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I don't think they care! in NJ you are guilty until you hire a lawyer and prove yourself innocent.
 
There is a little cow pond down the road from my house. The cows like to wade in and cool their bellies on hot days. There are usually a dozen wood ducks swimming with in 6 to 10 feet of them. How about a big floating fiberglass cow with a lift up top that two hunters can hunt out of? Might look kind of funny going down the road early mornings behind my truck. Rich
 
I remember seeing someone use a fiberglass bull to shoot geese from in a field and there is a giant goose scull boat out there too
 
I hear ;) that a little gravel off the bottom of a creek gives the illusion that you are throwing corn and the city mallards will break their necks to get into your spread.
 
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