Thanks to Brad Taylor......

mike braden

mike braden

Well-known member
Had a very prodcutive day after I took the kids to see a movie. Some movie about where wild things live. After 10 minutes I was ready to walk out. What a joke of a movie and waste of time, but the kids liked it, so that's all that mattered.

Special thanks to Brad Taylor for giving me the ideas on setting my blind up. I previously considered using copper tubing for this. I was going to custom make this setup but after paying $100 for the copper pipe and all the angled fittings and then another $100 for the bimini top brackets so they would swing away and then figure another $100 for someone to make the canvas to go over the pipe so I can appropriately attach the grass. I figured enough is enough...K.I.S.S. keep it simple stupid.

Brad previously told me how to set this up. It wouldn't work on my sneakbox how I wanted it to because of the shape. All in all, I spent $100 and it is completed. I am sure that I will fine tune it later, but for now it works and we will see how it goes.
Racks in the down position
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This is how they were attached
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Racks in the up position
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Time for a break....the mountains are blue
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Almost there
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Not bad for a first attempt. I am sure that I will learn better ways to suit me, but for now I am happy. Just need a spray shield.
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Racks in the open position
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Thanks again Brad. I am quite pleased so far. Hopefully tomorrow is a great day with the ducks.
 
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Very nice Mike! I'm sure it will work well.

Sorry I never called you back on friday. I really don't have any better ideas for you anyway. Nice non-wood grass rails are going to be expensive whether you make them or buy them. I've been procrastinating as I need a set for my TDB as well. The original wood ones from 1991 finally gave it up.

Gene
 
Hey Gene,

Bankes gave me a decent price, just not sure if I am going to go with the grass rails or not. I think that the boat is going to need more, so more than likely I will give it a shot.

I will see how this system holds up. I am considering putting some canvas on the inside to help shield from the wind. Your canvas on the TDB really helped on New Year's Day. It was freezing and all I had on was a sweatshirt and the came fleece.
 
Anything to stop the wind and spray will make your life that much nicer. It should be easy to put some kind of backer on your panels to stop even more wind. There are some pics on the South Bay boat post that show what we deal with on the coast very well! I wouldn't trade those conditions for anything, that's what really makes it sweet.

Gene
 
Mike glad you were able to work it out and she looks good. Good luck tomorrow, I'm getting stoked myself as we leave for ND on Thursday for a week of chasing waterfowl.

Brad
 
Hey Brad,

I was going to try this on the BBSB but because the deck had a bit of a curve to it, it wouldn't work out too well.

As I previously said, I was going to custom make a copper frame. I was in Lowes getting pipe cutters and benzene and then was looking at narrow totes for the boat, when I saw the gray shelves, I was like what am I thinking. This was a real easy fix. The sections are 6 feet in length and I secured them with 3 hinges each side. I hope that is enough but I will add 2 more to each side if I need to.

I am going to play around with the grassing some more. It's OK for now but I want to put some natural vegetation as well and that should make it "disappear" and eventually have some sort of a spray dodger made.
 
Yup, the wire racks make it pretty easy. Brad made a Duck Hunter for me and I finally grassed it up over the past weekend and it looks great. All of this can come off so the boat is clean (Its stored outside).

I am attaching the grass panels using the tarp bungees, which are great for this type of thing....
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I used several bundles of grass on the front and back decks, and have attached some to each side of the boat as well...
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I threw some camo netting over the motor.

Thats my chesapeake bay retriever in the boat...

Total time to setup was about 10 minutes....it will be a little more if I am working in the boat or out of the water, but it shouldn't be too bad.
 
Ivan...that looks sweet. Did you permanently attach the bundles on the front/rear deck? If so you may want to trim them where they don't drag the water, otherwise they tangle together, sling water back in the boat and are a general PITA. If you get a chance you should swing by and check out the refurb job on the original boat. Did you find some 8' black shelving? I've only been able to locate 6' and bought some for mine as I'll grass it once I get back from NoDak. Figured 6' wouldn't be that bad and if I leave it short at the front of the cockpit it will give the pooch a place to look out as she never likes hunting off the rear deck.

Brad
 
Everything comes off after a hunt and fits in one decoy bag...I don't like to leave a bunch of stuff on a boat. I'm a little concerned about water, rodents, bugs, etc. Plus it lets me work the boat into my hunting spot without any additional stuff to worry about, then I can rig up as much as needed.

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I ended up using 6ft black shelves - I didn't like the back end of the 8ft shelves dragging in the water. The 6 footers still drag a little, so I'd like to figure that out later.

The grass bundles have one of the Nite Ize clips on them. The clips are an S-clip with a gate on both sides - they were pricey, but should make doing this pretty easy in the long run.
 
The closet racks were all Brad Taylor's idea.

Shot like a bandit and saw lots of birds.

Craig - I went to a new spot that I went to with my son on Sat as well. Turns out there were two other hunters there. One, I didn't find out until shooting time when he shot like 50 yards from me. guy was a real PITA. Had 3 mallards come into the decoys with cupped wings. Shot at one and it was going down, so I shot at another. Well this guy was on the opposite side of the stream area that led into the pond. He was about 50 or so yards from me and starts shooting at my bird on the water (cripple). I don't know if he was trying to do the humane thing and dispatch of it or just being a jerk and figured he wanted to say he got the bird. At that point I had to tell my dog to heal so he didn't get shot and let the guy deal with getting "his" bird. I had another group of 4 that came in and I missed twice, they flew over the other guy and he missed twice, then they came back over me and I made sure that I had the appropriate led and folded it. But, it still was kicking a bit and I released my dog and when he got to the bird it dove down never to be seen again.

PROBLEM - My duck gun is at the gunsmith and I was shooting my Belgian Browning with fixed chokes(m-f). I love Black Cloud and after shooting HeviShot #6 with the Browing, I am even more sold.

Ivan - Really nice camo job. That is what I am hoping to accomplish with my boat as well.
 
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I can dig it, you can also trim the 8' sections to match the boat curve which I've done as well. Don't sweat it too much, you don't have to baby her :) Although I have been storing my indoors since the redo and until I get started on this next boat. Looking forward to some ducks on the deck pics!

Brad
 
Mike,
Thanks for the report. It's great you saw a lot, but always a challenge when there are PITA's around.

Ducks are amazing; tough little buggers for sure. Years ago I had a Suzie do that to my dog. She stayed under what seemed like forever eventually popping up about 20ft. from the dog. He went after her again, only to have her do the same again. We've all been there right? After the 4th time, I lost my patience and my buddy and I drove the boat out. With my buddy at the tiller, I pulled the dog in and started scanning the water. Almost immediately, the hen popped up 10 ft. in front of the boat. Since I'd just pulled Fido in, and this being about the umpteenth time she did the yo-yo, I told my buddy to motor forward so that I could grab her, thinking that she'd be too exhausted to dive again. Well.... yep, down she went. This time it seemed like eternity.

I had once read that some ducks have been known to grab the keel of the boat to avoid retrieval. Thinking this may be the case, I asked my buddy to gun the motor quickly and stop, thinking it would jar her off. Well, she let go alright and the prop of my 25HP Yammy got her; fileted her breast on the spot. No kidding. One of the most interesting and unique duck hunting experiences I've had.

Anyone else have something like this happen?
 
Great set-up Ivan. Love the camo and the font used for your registration. Also noticed the sticker on your truck. You a cyclist?
 
The areas that I mainly hunt are quite shallow and the water is more open so I never really brought my lab. He was mainly a phesant, quail and grouse dog. But after doing some bay hunting with Gene Jr. last year, I am going to venture out to different areas so I wanted to start working Jack. He did real well. Ducks starting coming in and I'd just say..."stay" and he wouldn't budge. So, that makes my hunt a lot less stressful for sure.

I'm heading out tomorrow for a bit as well. I'd sure like to get my duck gun back from the smith. I love Black Cloud ammo. I hunted it in Texas in January and did great. By the third day I was out because I only bought 2 boxes and used some regular steel shot. Man what a difference!!!

I'm heading to Baltimore this weekend for a seminar, but I really want to spend some time working with the camo. Ivan did a killer job. I have some of that other camo that he has. Like the killer weed or rafalia(sp). I'd have to dye some pieces but I am told that when it gets wet, it is pretty heavy. I am going to just go get some natural vegetation. Nothing beats the real thing I guess....
 
I love Black Cloud ammo. I hunted it in Texas in January and did great. By the third day I was out because I only bought 2 boxes and used some regular steel shot. Man what a difference!!!

OK, You have piqued my interest. What is so hot about "Black Cloud" ammo? I know it has ridges, but it is still steek shot, is it not? What makes the difference?
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I love Black Cloud ammo. I hunted it in Texas in January and did great. By the third day I was out because I only bought 2 boxes and used some regular steel shot. Man what a difference!!!

OK, You have piqued my interest. What is so hot about "Black Cloud" ammo? I know it has ridges, but it is still steek shot, is it not? What makes the difference?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Not to speak for anyone, but I'm going on my second season with it and I have to admit I have been impressed. It patterns extremely well out of gun with a factory IC choke. On seaducks last year, there were no follow up shots...to me thats definitely saying something. My latest astonishment came during our resident goose season when you could have unplugged guns and I had a magazine extension on mine. We had a cripple that got up after a flight of birds came into the field that I rolled out stone dead about 65 yards. I know many will say its just steel and I agree. I don't know how much of it is the pattern vs the ringed shot. I will say the ringed shot can definitely leave a wound channel.

Brad
 
Those numbers and the boat name are kind of funny....I thought that Brad had painted all of those on his previous boats since they looked so good and all. Then he tells me that they were stickers and I was a little surprised, but no big deal....whatever works. Brad took it as an artistic challenge to get the numbers painted and he did a great job. He said that the smaller stuff was kind of hard, but it turned out great.
 
I second everything that Brad said.

You can physically tell which birds were shot with Black Cloud when you are breasting them. With steel you will see the shot at times embedded into the breast muscle. With the ringed shot....there is just this gapping hole. I've seen birds hit the water still kicking a little and the water is churning bloody red. That bird isn't going anywhere.

It may be a bit more expensive than some cheaper steel but not when you have to fire 2-3 sohts at cripples. That gets expensive. I am totally sold on Black Cloud just as the others who used it at my recommendation. It patterns real well in my gun, and I probably get and extra 10+ lethal yards out of every shot.
 
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