How to properly hide from ducks when duck hunting.

What is the proper level of hide when duck hunting, Why is it important, and how does it impact the success of your hunt?

Ducks have the highest advantage to outsmart hunters when they are flying. They’re eyesight is relatively good and while ducks typically are not too concerned about counting each feather, stripe, and dot on your decoys. They are concerned when they can see your face sticking right up at them as they fly over to check out your decoys. Ducks get so used to seeing hunters during their southern migration that they form specific flying habits while decoying that many of us deal with throughout the hunting season. The most common type of flying pattern that is used by ducks and other waterfowl to safeguard against hunters is what most of us call “skirting the spread.” I see so often that hunters will try to accommodate this issue with different decoy spreads and different motion. They will buy extravagant motion decoys that  are very expensive and take so much time to set up. What I don’t see enough of is people using good hides to confuse birds into thinking your decoy spread is a real group of ducks. My rule of thumb when it comes to hiding from ducks is that I should have a hard time seeing the ducks all the way up to just before the shot gets called to take em. In my earlier years of duck hunting I was very lazy with my hide, but once I finally took it seriously, the change in the amount of birds that came consistently within shooting range was pretty amazing! Often you will find yourself decoying more than just the occasional teal volley when you up how well your hidden. 

The problem with most people not using enough hide is that it takes them too much time and can be relatively physically intensive when not done properly. However, there are a few ways to combat this issue and yes they do cost you a little money, but trust me it's worth it. First things first, you need a good blind! I highly recommend getting yourself an A-frame style blind. They are simple and they work! I do not recommend the ones with solid color canvas panels, but instead some sort of shadow grass camo is a good choice to help enforce the brushing that you will be doing both before and during setup. An easy and helpful addition to a good blind is a good set of fake grass panels that fit foliage in your area. Synthetic grass panels save time in the morning from focusing on the brushing to being able to set a better spread and work on making yourself a little more comfortable during harsh cold mornings. One of my favorite things about a blind is that it provides a slight bit of weather protection, and if you go one further and throw in a few buddy heaters you’ll be having a wonderful time regardless of how many birds you harvest! 

To me the mark of a successful hunt is more than just the amount of birds that you kill. It’s about the adventure and the experience that you have along the way. It’s about the friends you make and the fellowship you have. It’s about the provisions for your family and the grace of a good harvest that’s Gods’ blessing! A blind allows your hunts to become more routine and most definitely gives you an edge over those around you when you're hunting public grounds. Competition is thick on public lands especially at the good spots, and I have personally been on both sides of the story where the group with the best hide is the group that gets the steller hunt while everyone else just watches. A side tip that I really like to use when adding some flavor to a good hide is by spreading the majority of the motion in my decoys to one or either end of the spread and leave just still decoys or jerk rigs in the middle or at the base of your U for your kill hole. That gives a little extra help to take the attention away from all the wrong areas and help in making sure they won’t see you. 

- Recap -

1. Make sure you get a full coverage blind. ( One that covers the front, back, and both sides.)

2. Either pre-brush in your blind, or get synthetic cover. Always cover at least a little when you're in the hole.

3. Make sure you add in an extra 30-40 minutes for brushing. 

4. Most importantly enjoy your hunt and only add in what will help bring you closer to what you count as a successful hunt! Enjoy God’s creation and give thanks to Him whether it’s from a duck blind or not!

Happy Hunting