The Sneakbox Decoy Company
Traditional Handmade Cork Duck Decoys
Eliot, Maine    207-439-5097    jim@sneakboxdecoy.com
Copyright: The Sneakbox
Decoy Company, 2009
Duck Hunting How To- On this page are some tips and answers to questions that I am
frequently asked.
How to make a portable duck blind- for $20 or less!
If you hunt public land or you just prefer the mobility afforded to you by a portable blind
this is the blind for you.  Not only is it very effective and inexpensive, it is completely
portable and can be made of materials that match the environment where you hunt.  So
gather the materials listed below and lets get started!
Materials needed to make the blind-
1. Materials needed to complete the blind-
-masking tape
-25 feet of 2" hexagonal mesh poultry netting, 4 feet high ($16.99)
-marsh grass-  Switch grass is my favorite as it is tall and a blind thatched with it will  last  
for several years.  The blind pictured is made of switch grass, a native grass and a
species of tri-cornered sedge (brown in the picture)  that can be cut in our local wet
areas.  Fill up the back of your pickup and you will have plenty to work with. (Free)
2. How to begin-
For this project you will need a place where you can layout 6 or 8 feet of wire at a time
and at a height that is convenient and comfortable for your work.  Two extension ladders
side by side on sawhorses work well. Two heavy pry bars were used to hold down the
ends of the wire to prevent it from re-rolling itself.
3. Prepare the grass-
In order to weave the grass through the mesh of the poultry wire you will need to form it
into bundles that are about as big in diameter as a quarter and then tape them with
masking tape or black electrical tape.  The tape holds the cut ends of the grass
together so that the shafts will follow as you weave the bundle through the mesh.
4. Weave the bundles-
Standing at the bottom of the wire, snake a bundle down through the top of the wire,
weaving as you go. Usually the bundles seem to hang up about 3/4 of the way down
and I move to the top of the wire and push them to the bottom.  Maybe that will work for
you or maybe you will work out a better system.  When you have finished adding the
bundles and your blind is long enough (this one is 15' long- just right for two hunters)
weave 4' stick through the wire, fold over the cut ends and twist them around the wires
of the mesh to get them out of the way.
6. Set up your blind-
When I bought the poultry mesh for this project I picked up six 4' hardwood driveway
marking stakes @79 cents each.  To set up the blind in your chosen location carefully
push (they could break and cause injury) into the mud  following an oval pattern of the
size you deem appropriate and un-roll the blind around the stakes.  Start at the back
and finish at the back.  Where the ends of the blind overlap is the door.  If it is windy
you may need to use one of the loose wires to hold the ends forming the door together.
5. Last step-
The tape is much lighter in color than the blind and to tone it down use spray paint such
as the black paint being used in the picture.  You don't need to make them look black,
just spray enough to take away the bright, new look of the masking tape.
Rolled blind stows easily in the boat.